By: Thatsnonsense.com
Online Identity theft refers to online techniques that steal a victims personal information, be it there bank details, logon details or any other personal information, with the intent thereafter to either commit identity fraud (online or otherwise) or direct profit. (I.e. selling those details)

There are many ways an identity thief can obtain these details, and it is the aim of this article to show you how they do it, so you can avoid falling victim to these scams in the future.

You don’t have to be technically savvy to understand this, but it helps if your familiar with computers and how to send and receive emails.

According to a Gartner Report, US banks and credit card issuers lost approximately $1.2 billion in 2003 alone as a result of online identity theft, so it is a serious issue. The monetary loss rises significantly when you also take into consideration the money spent recovering from such attacks. Also monetary loss isn’t the only detrimental effect identity theft can have when you take into consideration the human element such as depression and embarrassment that can result with this crime. This is not helped with other consequences such as wrongful criminal prosecutions and bad credit reports.

So how to identity thieves go about stealing your data?

There are many ways a thief can steal your data, and providing a full list of these techniques is not possible as the methods are so diverse, including hybrid techniques whereas the scammer may use more than one known system or multiple scams in order to complete their goal.

However, the most common methods are outlined below -

The most common method is using phishing attacks, but phishing is essentially when the scammer pretends to be somebody they are not in order to gain your trust and provide personal details. The scammers will often pretend to be from your bank, or from another reputable company you are a member of such as a social networking site, Paypal, Ebay or your email provider. As is typical with phishing attacks they are nearly always initiated by the scammer through email. (though sometimes through instant messaging services)

The email may simply ask you to reply with personal information, or more commonly they will take you to a website that requires you to enter personal information. The website will usually look similar or even identical to the site of the company it is pretending to be (e.g. you banks website). This makes the scam look much more believable and has a much higher success rate. 

Emails that take you to websites that duly steal personal information need to give you a reason to click the link they provide. Merely reading the information on the email can’t do any direct harm to the victim (this is not including email attachments.) It is a common fallacy that opening emails can harm your computer but this is not true. Opening email attachments CAN and DO harm computers, but the email itself it perfectly safe.

The emails need a response from the victim, so in order to get the victim to click the link provided, scammers will make up a reason to motivate the them to do this. Popular reasons include

- Verify personal details due to a software or security upgrade

- Claim the account has been compromised and they need the owner to verify their details

- Make false claims to motivate the victim to clearing up the “mistake” such as a fake bill.

- Limited offers to join various promotions and programs

- Fake claims of rewards

Rule of thumb: Don’t click on links on emails. If you believe the email is real, go direct to the source without using the link (i.e. banks website.)

For more information on email phishing you can click here.

Another popular method of stealing data is through installing malware onto a victim’s computer. Malware is essentially malicious software downloaded to the victim’s computer in order to cause some detrimental effect.

A common method to get malware onto the computer is to get the victim to execute an email attachment. In some examples this can be essentially email phishing and an email malware scam rolled up into one. For example emails from your bank. The email won’t persuade the user to click a link but will encourage the user to open the email attachment. It does this in a variety of ways, depending on the nature of the phishing attack but for example an email claiming to be from your bank can say your statement is attached and needs to be viewed.

The email can purport the attachment is a receipt, or what is increasingly common is to tell the victim the attachment is juicy celebrity photos or gossip, which will always appeals to many. The attachment then installs malware on to the computer.

Emails can also (like phishing) link to websites, but instead of the website asking for personal details it can install malware onto your computer. Most of the time, providing you are using up-to-date- firewall protection the majority of this type of attack should be blocked, but firewall protection can never guarantee 100% safety so it is best practise to never visit these sites.

Malware can be installed through legitimate sites as well through a process called content-injection where a scammer will “inject” malicious code into a website through customer input features such as feedback sections or forums. However it is up to the website designer to prevent these attacks by ensuring potentially damaging code is deleted before letting any customer input through to the site.

Facebook applications can and have also been used to install malware onto a victims computer, so always be careful when installing these. Research the name first, or contact Facebook.

Through email and the websites is how malware will typically infect a victims computer, but what types of malware are there and what will they do once they are on a computer? This is where it gets pretty scary….

First we have “key sniffers” or “key loggers”. This type of malware will record everything a user types, including passwords, bank details and other personal details. The malware will then be instructed to transmit that data to the scammer at certain times, so the thief can then use this information to steal your identity, and potentially much more.

Also present is malware that acts as a remote desktop feature. Remote Desktop is a legitimate program that Microsoft bundle with Windows so technicians can potentially fix problems remotely without having to physically at the computer. However malware programs take advantage of features like this and give a scammer complete control over a victim’s computer, and lock the victim out. The thief can then do anything he wants on your computer, including stealing your personal information.

When malware in installed onto your computer it can bring up pop-ups. Pop-ups are usually the first sign victims notice along with slower performance when malware is installed. Mostly pop-ups (windows that pop up without the users consent or instruction) will just be advertising, but many can pose as fake login screens. Malware can determine what sites you visit and when you visit them, so if it registers that you are entering your banks website, it can instruct a pop-up window to appear with fake login details. These details are then either transmitted straightaway to a scammer or stored locally on your computer and transmitted to the scammer at regular intervals (like the key sniffing programs).

Another popular and potentially damaging symptom of malware being installed is auto-forwarding to websites the user has not instructed the web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer) to go. This can potentially make the problem worse as this websites the victim in forwarded to can install even more malware onto the computer. This technique can also have a similar effect to the example above but instead of bringing up damaging pop-ups, when the victim visits his e.g. banks website, the malware detects this and forwards the user to a malicious site that masquerades as his banks login page. Banking details are then duly stolen.

So other than malware and phishing attacks how else can identity thieves get your details? One other popular way is through advanced fee fraud. This is where scammers will tell the victim they are somehow entitled to a large sum of money. In order to get that money the victim is required to pay a series of smaller fees for various reasons. However the victims can and often do request photocopies of the victims identification as well as money. Passports, driving licences and birth certificates are popular identification that scammers of advanced fee fraud will request. The primary objective of advanced fee fraud is to get money from the victim, but a secondary objective is identification.

Another relatively simple and effective way of getting your details is to simply setup a fake website selling fake goods. Victims surf the site, pay for their items using credit card details which are then duly stolen. Unimaginative, yet deadly effective.

So what do scammers do when they steal your details?

The most obvious “next step” is to steal money or assets from the victim. If the thief has stolen bank/card details or Paypal details then this would be the next logical step for a criminal. Directly stealing from a victim isn’t always the intended objective however. Identity theft leads to Identity fraud and thieves will typically use these details for as long as possible to gain as much as possible. When a thief has your details they will often use these to commit further crimes, such as check cashing scams and money wiring scams. Using hacked EBay accounts or hacked Paypal accounts they can make illegal payments to other victims in order to receive goods for sale. Or they can pretend to be you in order to get money from your contacts, like in the Facebook Friend in Need scam. They can directly sale your personal details to other scammers for money or use your details as their own to win the confidence of other potential victims, which is popular in advanced fee fraud.

There is no one way to be completely safe from phishing, but your chances of becoming victim are greatly reduced if you adhere to some easy guidelines, such as never clicking links from people you don’t personally know. Run a good firewall program and run good antivirus software. Don’t give out passwords unless it was you who typed in the URL address. Never give out ATM PINs, no one should ever ask for them. When entering banking details make sure you are on the banks website, not an impostor site. Never give out very personal data through email, and always use your common sense. If something doesn’t feel right, ask for help.

We’ve tried to cover the basics here. Though the sad fact is covering every aspect of online identity theft is not possible as it is so diverse. The technologies used to commit these types of crime are evolving just as fast as the Internet is. Todays most common method may not be the same this type next year, though as always we’ll try and keep you updated.

ThatsNonsense.com

ThatsNonsense.com deals with debunking and archiving Internet nonsense we currently encounter in cyberspace.

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By: Mitchell Sears

Computer-related things tend to have a language all their own. While you do not need to know all of it, there are many confusing words and phrases that you are going to come across sooner or later.

Bandwidth. Bandwidth is the amount of data that your website can send each second, as well as the amount of data that the visitor to your website can receive. If either one does not have enough bandwidth, then the website will appear slowly.

For this reason, you should choose a host with plenty of bandwidth, as well as testing that your site doesn’t take too long to download on slow connections.

Browser. A browser is the software (see below) that visitors to your site use to view it. The most popular browser is Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, which comes with Windows.

Cookie. Cookies are data files that your site can save on the computer of someone who visits that site, to allow it to remember who they are if they return.

FTP. File Transfer Protocol. This is a common method of uploading (see below) files to your website.

Javascript. A common language for writing ’scripts’ on websites, which are small programs that make the site more interactive. Another common cause of problems for visitors.

JPEG. Joint Photographic Experts Group. This is the name of the most popular format for pictures on the web, named after the group that came up with it. If you want to put pictures on your website, you should save them as JPEGs.

Hardware. Hardware is computer equipment that physically exists. It is the opposite of software.

Hosting. If you’ve got a website out there on the Internet, then you’ll be paying someone for hosting. It is the service of making your site available for people to see.

HTML. HyperText Markup Language. A kind of code used to indicate how web pages should be displayed, using a system of small ‘tags’. The ‘b’ tag, for example, causes text to appear in bold, and the ‘img’ tag displays a picture.

Hyperlink. A hyperlink is when a piece of text on a website can be clicked to take you to another site, or another page on the same site. For example, if clicking your email address on your website allows someone to email you, then your email address is a hyperlink.

Programming. This is when the computer is given instructions to tell it what to do, using one of many ‘programming languages’. Programming languages for the web include PHP and Perl.

Server. The server is where your website is stored, and it is the server that people are connecting to when they visit the site. Note that server refers both to the hardware and software of this system.

Software. Programs that run on the computer, or that make your website work. Microsoft Word is software, for example, as is Apache (the most popular web server software). Opposite of hardware.

Spider. Do not be scared if a spider visits your website! Spiders are simply programs used by search engines to scan your site and help them decide where it should appear when people search. It is good to be visited by spiders, as it means you should start appearing in search engines soon.

Upload. Uploading is when you transfer data from your own computer to your website. For example, you might upload your logo, or an article you’ve written. Opposite of download.

URL. Uniform Resource Locator. This is just a short way of saying ‘web address’, meaning what you have to type in to get to your website.

Find tips about babysitting age and babysitting laws at the Babysitting Ideas website.

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Getting an information technology degree makes perfect sense in a world where the technology’s expansion rate shows no signs of slowing down. Those who love to work with computers and are looking for a solid and dependable career choice would be wise to consider the information technology field. No matter where one goes in the world, IT professionals will find their skills in demand.

It is no secret how much daily life has come to depend on computers and their various aspects. From computer programming to network engineering, the demand for intelligent and detail focused individuals are an essential element. This is especially true if things are expected to stay running in a functional and efficient manner.

Unbeknownst to many, there are a number of different career choices when it comes to the information technology field. While some careers are very detail oriented and have individuals working in solitary environments, others require the cooperation of many departments at a time. While some careers require an individual to think fast on their feet others simply require following preset instructions.

As long as a person has an interest in computers, there is likely a career in information technology that they will find fulfilling. As technology changes so do certain aspects of an information technology career. This guarantees an individual will never get stuck in a rut when it comes to their job.

More often than not, getting an information technology degree will also entail getting a particular type of certification in such areas as Cisco’s CCNA or Microsoft’s MCSE and other applications. These specialized skills can help further their career and gain just the earning power they have been looking for. In fact, many companies only hire individuals with qualifications held in these types of programs.

A reputable information technology program is one that works closely with vendors such as Microsoft to help students get certified in all programs from MCSA and MCAD to Comptia’s A+ or Net+. Because technology changes as rapidly as it does, students may find they will need to update their certification from time to time. However, this keeps them at the forefront of the newest technologies as they emerge.

As technology progresses, the need for computer savvy technicians also rises; however, IT positions are not just filled by those walking in off the street. Until a person gets the right skills with the right education, an IT job will be completely off limits. Taking part in an accredited program will get the wheels going on an individual’s IT career in no time.

Depending on what an individual hopes to achieve, he or she can spend as little as one year learning the ropes for a new IT career. Extensive degrees can take two to four years to complete. The bonus of getting an information technology degree is that a person can build their career goals in the direction that fits them best.

For those already in the field looking to advance themselves, an accredited school can offer financial aid. This can help cut back on the reservations that many adults have about going back to school. Many schools offer financial aid specialists that help individuals hatch just the right plan to get them where they want to go.

An information technology degree has helped many individuals get high paying jobs with both large and small companies in every industry across the board. Some information technology jobs can boast the highest starting salaries of any career choice available. This has made information technology jobs one of the most sought after careers ever.

Andy West is a writer for Virginia College. Learn more about obtaining an Information Technology Degree at Virginia College. Vertical Measures is a search engine marketing company.

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By: Mimi Rothschild

Technology and the knowledge of it are becoming more and more important every single day. As home-schooling parents, you may or may not be well versed in new technology and expanding uses of the internet. However, as home-schooling parents, you are in the unique and enviable position to use your dual role as a parent and teacher to learn technology skills along with your child. Build upon those skills to make your home-schooling experience that much better. Technology is, in short, important to incorporate in your home-schooling curriculum and design.

The first step for home-schooling parents to incorporate appropriate technology into their lesson plans is to buy a computer and read the instructions carefully. You may even consider signing up for a class or seminar at you local university or community college. It is important to get the basics down if you don’t already know them before introducing the technology to your children. Although you may need to learn the basics from someone else, you and your home-schooled children can do a lot of exploring and learning together. Recent research shows that 97% of teachers learned something new about technology and computers while they were teaching their own students how to use them. You too can use the teaching experience to learn something about technology yourself.

Another great benefit of appropriate technology to home-school and home-schooling families is the time management benefits. It is faster to research topics utilizing internet libraries and databases than it is to drive to the library for research projects and papers. Word processing on a computer is also faster and neater than on a typewriter. This can be utilized by your children and by yourself as you keep records of your home-school activities and home-schooling lesson plans. Indeed, over 75% of traditional classroom teachers reported that technology helped them improve classroom management and nearly 90% said that technology helped them improve lesson planning and instruction. Home-schooling parents and home-schooled children can both benefit from this increase in productivity. You can focus more time and attention on learning the content and doing hands on activities and spend less time on paper work. Furthermore, learning to use technology will help your home-schooled children keep up with and surpass their peers in traditional schools.

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, children’s rights activist, author, and Founder and C.E.O. of online education company Learning by Grace, Inc. Rothschild and her husband of twenty-eight years reside in suburban Philadelphia with their eight children.

Feeling that “our current system of education has broken its promise,” Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. to provide families with Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children all over the world.

In addition to her twenty years of experience as a homeschool mother, Rothschild has written a number of books dealing with education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Daily Education News Articles consist of feature stories on online homeschooling and alternative education.

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By: Tom Ball

Why is the Buddha smiling? Because it’s finally happened: meditation is  mainstream.            

 Of course, the true “Buddha mind” finds reason to smile from within and is said to be unfazed by such spacetime frivolities as cultural trends, but surely the “enlightened” among us, whoever they are, must be encouraged that meditative practices are being taken up in boardrooms of corporate America, taught at YMCAs, introduced to schoolchildren around the world and even advocated within the military.

Mindfulness, Zen, the Transcendental Meditation technique and many other practices have become household words. Hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific research studies have demonstrated the efficacy of meditation for improving health, preventing disease, accelerating personal growth and even reversal of aging.

But with so many different methods of meditation available, how does one choose a suitable, effective meditation technique for oneself or one’s family? Here are some timesaving tips from a longtime meditator and 35-year meditation teacher to help you evaluate which meditation might be best for you.

 Meditation techniques are not all the same!

The first step is to recognize that not all meditation techniques are the same. The various meditation practices engage the mind in different ways. Vipassna, also commonly (and perhaps loosely) known as mindfulness meditation, emphasizes dispassionate observation and, in its more philosophical form, the contemplation of impermanence, sometimes focusing on the interconnection between mind and body. Zen Buddhist practices are likely to use concentration, whether directed at one’s breath or at trying to grasp a Zen koan. The Transcendental Meditation technique uses effortless attention to experience subtle states of thought and ‘transcend’ by use of a specialized mantra. Christian Centering Prayer uses a word of worship to stimulate receptiveness to God. And this is only a small sampling of the variety of practices commonly lumped together as ‘meditation.’

Different techniques have different aims, employ a variety of procedures and naturally produce different results. In determining which technique among this wide variety of practices might best suit your purposes, start by asking yourself what you want out of meditation, and how much time you’re willing to give it. Some meditation programs emphasize regular or twice-daily practice over time to gain maximum benefit and evolve to higher stages of personal growth, while other practices are intended for an occasional inspirational boost or to chill when you’re stressed.

Another question to ask yourself: do you want a meditation practice that comes with a religion, philosophy or way of life? Many practices, such as Buddhist and Taoist practices, are interwoven into a conceptual world view that’s an intricate part of the practice—whether it’s an approach that contemplates the cosmos and human mind as inseparable elements of a single order, or a world view that strives to get beyond all dogma and see the world as it truly is, it’s still another mentally conceived world view. Other practices, such as the form of mindfulness meditation now popular in the West, or the Transcendental Meditation technique, are secular in nature and can be practiced without embracing any particular philosophy, religion or way of life.

Are you seeking to achieve inspiration and insights during the meditation experience? Meditations that fall into this category are contemplative techniques. They promise greater depth of understanding about the topic being contemplated and help the intellect fathom various avenues of thought. These types of meditations can be pleasant and emotionally uplifting, especially if there is no straining or mind control involved. Often these practices are performed with the guidance of a CD, instructor or derived from a book.

A scientific approach:

Are you looking for a certain health benefit, such as decreased anxiety or lower blood pressure? Though proponents of most meditation practices claim health benefits, frequently these claims of benefit cite scientific research that was actually conducted on other forms of meditation, and not on the practice being promoted. Yet research has clearly shown that not all meditations give the same results.[1] If you’re choosing a meditation for a specific health benefit, check the research being used and verify that a particular benefit was actually done on that specific meditation technique and not on some other practice. While you are looking into the research, be sure the study was peer-reviewed and published in a reputable scientific or academic journal. If a study showing a specific benefit—such as deep relaxation or reduced anxiety—was replicated by several other research studies on that same practice, then the science is more compelling. 

When it comes to reducing stress and anxiety, scientists have again found that all meditation practices are not equally effective. Practices that employ concentration have been found to actually increase anxiety, and the same meta-study found that most meditation techniques are no more effective than a placebo at reducing anxiety.[2]

Need meditation to lower your blood pressure? The Transcendental Meditation technique is the only mind/body practice that has been shown both in independent clinical trials and meta-analyses to significantly lower high blood pressure in hypertensive patients.[3] To determine if a particular form of meditation has scientific evidence supporting a specific benefit, you can do a search at PubMed or through Google’s academic search engine, Google Scholar. There are over a thousand peer-reviewed studies on the various forms of meditation, with the Transcendental Meditation technique and mindfulness meditation being the most extensively researched practices, respectively.

How much time do you have?

Another consideration is how much time it takes to master a particular meditation technique. Some meditation practices require many years to master and to achieve their stated purpose—or even get a glimpse of the goal—while other practices may take only a few months or even a few minutes to produce intended results. For example, relaxation CDs can have an immediate, soothing effect—it may not be nirvana, but in some cases relaxation is all that’s promised. If you don’t have the patience to persist in a practice that takes many years to attain success, it makes sense to choose a technique that requires less or no effort. 

Along these lines, does the meditation practice you’re considering require the ability to concentrate? If you have a hard time focusing for prolonged periods, or suffer from ADHD, you may find it frustrating to attempt a concentration type of meditation. Remember, scientific findings actually indicate that concentration techniques, though they may improve focus in some cases, can actually increase stress and anxiety.[4]

Meditation and the brain:

Want to meditate to enhance brain functioning? There are several types of meditation CDs marketed on the Internet as “scientific technologies” for improving your brain. If you look past the marketing slogans (“Meditate deep as a Zen monk—instantly!”) to see if there are any peer-reviewed scientific research studies verifying such claims, don’t be surprised if you don’t find any. This doesn’t mean the CDs will not improve your brain—perhaps they will—but I hesitate to recommend such unproven methods, especially if they feign to be scientific when they are not. 

Speaking of meditating deep as a Zen monk, brain researchers have reported EEG alpha coherence in the frontal brain area during Zen meditation—as well as during the Transcendental Meditation technique (which shows EEG coherence throughout the entire brain). Neuroscientists theorize this to be a positive effect, because the prefrontal cortex (PFC) “oversees” the whole brain, and having a more coherently functioning PFC should improve overall brain performance. Thus there’s evidence from neuroscience that certain meditation practices may be good for your brain. If the barrage of meditation CDs on the market that claim improved brain functioning were to show such prefrontal EEG alpha coherence, that might lend some credibility to their promises of improved brain function. Advances in neuroscience in recent years, and an influx of new scientific data on brain patterns during meditation, may soon expose claims of brain enhancement as true or false, based on what’s happening in the brain during meditation. 

Meditate for Relaxation:

If it’s relaxation you want, research shows that the body’s relaxation response can be induced in many ways—even by just sitting with your eyes closed and listening to soothing music. Because of the intimate connection between mind and body, the deeper you go in meditation and the more settled your mind becomes, the deeper is the state of rest for the body. Contemplation practices—one of the major categories of meditation techniques—like concentration practices, have their own particular and distinct effects on mind and body. Because contemplation and concentration practices keep the mind busy—engaged in a particular activity or mental task—they are not most conducive to the mind’s settling inward, and thus will not bring the deepest rest and rejuvenation to the body. Some methods, such as the Relaxation Response, Christian Centering Prayer, or relaxation CDs often employ a mixture of both contemplation and concentration, depending on how one approaches the practice. Beware: there’s no evidence that contemplation or concentration practices such as these will actually lower high blood pressure or significantly reduce anxiety. Easy listening meditation CDs that don’t require much active engagement on the part of the mind—especially ones that do not use guided voice instructions that keep the mind engaged in the realm of meaning and contemplation—may be your best bet if you want some mild relaxation and a little emotional upliftment.

I say “mild relaxation” because meta-studies of all available research on levels of rest during mind-body practices shows that most meditation practices, including the Relaxation Response technique, do not provide physiological relaxation any deeper than simple eyes-closed rest.[6]

If you want really deep relaxation, you need a meditation practice that takes you to the deepest, most transcendental level of your Self.

Secular or non-secular:

Certain meditation practices may conflict with your religion or beliefs. The practice of meditation, though found in almost every religion, has been predominantly associated with traditions of the East. Some of these practices require adherence to beliefs of Eastern philosophy, while others are merely mechanical practices (like watching your breath) extracted from those cultures and applicable to anyone. Granted, the East has much to offer the West—and vice versa—and most people find it possible to incorporate an Eastern-derived meditation practice from an age-old tradition without sacrificing their own personal belief system.

I could never sit like that!

A practical consideration: do you need to sit in a prescribed position to do a particular meditation practice? The popular image of a meditator in leotards sitting cross-legged in full lotus position may have you thinking, “I could never do that.” Don’t be discouraged. Even if you are unable to sit like a pretzel or for an extended period without back support, there are meditation practices that do not require any particular position and are best practiced in your most comfortable easy chair. Some forms of Zen and mindfulness are even practiced while walking!

Selecting a teacher:

Do you need a meditation instructor or guru? That may depend on the depth—or height—to which you aspire. The higher meditative states are not so readily achieved by instruction techniques learned from a book or CD. The very act of reading and self-instructing can interfere with your innocence and ability to get beyond the active, surface levels of the mind. This requirement for innocence during meditation is beautifully underscored in the classic little book entitled, “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind,” by Shunryu Suzuki. It can be a challenge to be innocent when you’re simultaneously playing the roles of expert teacher and diligent student.

And then the question arises: how do I know I’m doing it right? Without the expert guidance of an experienced teacher, howcan you know? In the great traditions of enlightenment, such as Buddhism, Taoism and the Vedic tradition, meditation was learned from sages who passed it on only to students who preformed sufficient austerities and showed receptivity and aptitude for learning. The act of “initiation” was considered sacred and the student showed great reverence for the teaching. Kings would give half their kingdoms or more to charity, just to earn the honor of studying with a master teacher of meditation—hoping thereby to gain liberation or enlightenment, full awakening to the true nature of life. Such was the regard for meditation in ancient times. These days, though many people may profess to be meditation teachers, they may not have the expertise you are looking for if you are serious about practicing meditation and committed to gaining higher consciousness and enlightenment. Check the teacher’s credentials and degree of training. Does the instructor represent a venerated tradition of meditation? Is the teacher upholding the purity and effectiveness of tested and proven procedures? Is the teacher directly connected to the lineage of a great, enlightened master who passed on to them the correct instructions for effective practice? 

How much should I pay?

Some people claim that because meditation is a spiritual practice, it should be given out for free, and in many cases it is. You can pick up a meditative technique as part of many yoga classes, from a library book or a friend’s CD. But many meditation courses require a course fee. Some teachers charging for meditation offer a structured course that includes follow-up and personal support—thus there is overhead and educational expenses. Remember the wise adage: you get what you pay for. If you are looking for regularly scheduled group meetings at a meditation center and ongoing follow-up, you may need to pay for that amenity. There is nothing unspiritual about paying for a service that directly benefits your health and wellbeing. In the West, where materialism dominates, it is new to think of paying for something we cannot hold in our hands. If you find cost a stumbling block to learning meditation, look at the cost effectiveness of the practice and what it will bring in terms of healthcare savings and increased efficiency and quality of life. And look into what the organization does with the money; the organization may be a legitimate non-profit supporting a humanitarian cause that you agree with, such as promoting world peace.

Deliberate—and Jump within!

The bottom line: assess your personal needs and strength of intention to incorporate meditation into your life. Be realistic about your abilities and the requirements of the practice. Do your homework—most meditation programs have a Website. And if you know someone practicing a type of meditation that interests you, ask for a personal testimonial. Evaluate the claims and the scientific proof behind those claims if there is any. Check the track record of the teacher and the organization. Then join the millions who are turning within to change themselves and the world.

 1.     Orme-Johnson, D.W., and Walton, K. (1998), “All approaches to Prevention are not the Same,” American Journal of Health Promotion, May/June, [5]: 297-298.

2.     Ibid

3.     Rainforth M, Schneider R, Nidich S, et al: Stress Reduction Programs in Patients with Elevated Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Current Hypertension Reports [9] 520-528, 2007

4.     Eppley, Abrams, & Shear, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, 957-974, 1989.

5.     International Journal of Neuroscience 14: 147–151, 1981; Psychosomatic Medicine  46: 267–276, 1984; International Journal of Neuroscience 46: 77–86, 1989; International Journal of Neuroscience 13: 211–217, 1981; 15: 151–157, 1981; Scientific Research on Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programme: Collected Papers, Volume 1: 208–212, 1977; Volume 4: 2245–2266, 1989.

6.     Eppley, Abrams, & Shear, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, 957-974, 1989.

Tom Ball earned a BA in Western Philosophy from Maharishi
University of Management, an MFA in Creative Writing from ColumbiaUniversity, and a PhD in Peace Studies from Maharishi European Research University. He has enjoyed a rich career of lecturing and teaching meditation across the US and around the world, and is a writer for The David Lynch
Foundation.Doctors on Meditation

PubMed

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By: Avery Mann

One Less Piece of Paper to Recycle

If you are planning to go off grid or even sell back energy you don’t use, there are some facts you should know about solar power. The first thing you should determine is how much of your electricity you want a solar energy system to produce. Because it is less expensive if, for example, you just want it to heat your water. The answer to this gives you a good idea of how many solar panels it will take to accomplish your needs. Does your roof have direct access to the sun’s rays, and if so, how large an area?  Did you know that the small amount that hits your roof, greatly surpasses all the energy that is transported through the utility company electric wires? It is for that reason that the proper system can more than handle all your electricity needs.  Here is another fact that will astound you. The entire total of  fossil fuels on Earth can be matched by the solar energy output of the sun on Earth, in less than three days.

Before we tread into the idea of designing the perfect system for your solar energy needs, you must first  understand what it is that the system entails. A solar panel is merely a collector. So the amount of area you have will determine how much energy is produced. It is for this reason that the recent advancements in Photovoltaic applications become so important.  Photovoltaic, also referred to as PV, is according to  Wikipedia, the field of technology and research related to the application of solar cells for energy by converting solar energy (sunlight, including ultra violet radiation) directly into electricity. The development of transistor and accompanying semiconductor technology, has drastically  increased photovoltaic power and efficiency.  Today, commonly available solar panels are 12% efficient, which is four times greater than only a few years ago.

Your Future in the Sun

Photovoltaic Power and You

The obvious reason for considering solar is fact that it is a renewable non- polluting source of energy. You should also know that it has no moving parts to break down, and requires very little maintenance. Another very important aspect is that contrary to most contractors’ misconception it is not a difficult installation. For those of you who live or are considering living in extremely remote or rural areas if electricity is available it is usually expensive. In those cases solar power is undoubtedly the right way to go. However, even in areas where power lines are nearby, solar may still be a viable alternative to being connected to a power company. An average home has more than enough roof area to produce enough solar electricity to supply all of its power needs. All that is needed is an inverter,  which converts direct current (DC) power from the solar cells to alternating current (AC), which are what most home appliances run on. A solar home, except for the obvious changes to the roof, will look and operate just like any home does when it was connected to the power line.

There Are Cost Saving Options

You Do Not Need a Builder

So now if you have decided to seriously look into solar power for your home, there are some guides available to help you save thousands of dollars, by doing it yourself. You must be careful however, because many instructional books and guides are  confusing and have complicated diagrams. So before getting started you must find the correct step-by-step instructions. You don’t need to be a builder.  Anybody can make solar panels. It’s really quite easy to make solar panels once you know a few industry secrets. You must make sure that the guide you chose has step by step instruction, detailed diagrams, plenty of pictures and video teaching aids.

So, how much will it actually cost, to make your own solar panels?  You can, with the right instruction, build your solar panels for less than $200 each. I suggest that if you don’t have the time or you’re just not willing to put in the effort, you can hire a couple of competent handy men to implement the project, and still save thousands. Real people, not corporations, have come up with efficient and extremely affordable programs that walk you through step by step instructions, on how to build and install renewable energy for your home.

My own extensive research has helped me narrow down the best of the best instructional guides, complete with blueprints, photos, and in the case of my number one choice, video for that do-it-yourself solar power  project you might be considering. Obviously, I can’t go into great detail in this article, but if I have piqued your interest, you can get all the facts of this or many other ideas on how to go green at my site Possibly GREEN. There you’ll find the right ways to live a greener life, including information on how to convert your car inexpensively, and even find green jobs in your area.

At 57, I consider myself to be a Jack Of All Trades And Master Of Nothing. I was a struggling actor for 25 years. During that time I learned a little about a lot of things, and would like to pass along some of that knowledge. I live in California with my beautiful wife and a menagerie of pets.

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By: Barry Millman
Overview

Your product needs User Documentation (manuals, instructions, etc), but your small company (20 to 100 employees) has no in-house staff to create that documentation. This article describes how to select and enable your “non-writer” employees to create Great User Documentation. You NEED Great User Documents

Your Product needs Great User Documents (Instruction Manuals, User Guides, Reference Manuals, Instruction Sheets, etc. ):

. Undocumented features become expensive flaws . All products have shortcomings; Great User Documents help your Users around these problems . Providing information beyond the minimum helps reduce technical support costs

Your Users deserve Great User Documents:

. To eliminate jumps in the documentation that the User cannot follow . To understand what the product will do and how it performs . To provide tips and knowledge to provide the best possible User experience

Great User Documentation will reduce support costs, increase User satisfaction, and increase your profit (fewer returns and more positive recommendations).

But You Have No Writing Staff

Yes you do! If you can find employees who are between projects, or want to take on additional responsibilities and acquire new skills, then these can be your writing staff.

However, you may be considering hiring an outside freelance writer. Perhaps that is a good choice. However, let me list some benefits of using in-house non-writers over freelance writers:

. Experience with the company (culture, management, style, physical plant) . Knowledge of the product, market, users . They may know the members of the design and development teams . Already set up with resources in your company (desk, phone, access to information resources) . Will be a resource you can use to upgrade or create new documentation . Will effectively employ someone who is between projects

Selecting Who Will Write

Ask your staff if they would like to write the User Document for a particular product:

. If you have any volunteers, then these are the employees you should consider to become your writers. . If you do not have any volunteers, then you might have to resort to coercion. Perhaps explain the benefits of writing versus other less-attractive busywork (or even temporary layoffs). . If necessary, assign someone or a group to the writing task.

Convincing Your New Writers

. Tell them that you will provide support, training, and time to do the writing. Make sure that you keep your promises. . Tell them that writing skills would benefit their career (communication skills are usually a benefit) . Variety will make their work more interesting . You will try to make this as no-risk as possible . Tell them that the Great User Document that they produce will benefit the product and the company (and them).

If they have other objections to the writing assignment, evaluate their objections, and determine if you have a reasonable argument to overcome their objections. If not, perhaps you had better find someone else for the writing project.

You Can Enable Non-Writers to Write

Most of your employees who have made it through an education system, and have been hired by your company, can probably write. They may be fearful of writing. I believe that if they can think clearly and explain something verbally to someone sitting next to them, then they can write Great User Documents.

To just thrust a writing assignment on the non-writer is unfair and will prove to be unproductive. You need to support the new writer.

How to Support Your New Writers

Training

. They need a complete method for writing. They need guidance on how to start, what tools they should use, and a method for producing great User Documents. . They need an effective organization for the User Document. They need to know what to include in the User Document and how to structure the document . They need an easy way to write the first drafts and how to revise them . They need a way to feel comfortable performing the previously stressful task of writing. Most people remember an adversarial relationship between themselves as writer and their reader (usually a teacher or critic). . They do NOT need grammar lessons. Hire an editor, and if cost-conscious, hire one from a university. See the editing article in the on the site listed in the “Resources” or “About the Author” section of this article.

Support:

. Access to the development and marketing teams; . Use of the development team to evaluate their writing (small chunks); . Access to the product, literature, marketing materials.

Resources:

. Style manual; . Editor; . Time to do a good job

The resource links in the “Resources” or “About the Author” section of this article will help your new writer get going.

Beware of Technical Lures

If your new writers come from your technical areas, they may want to spend time learning writing technology. They do not need it!

My point is not to spend the time learning new tools that might not benefit your company’s situation. Let’s look at the two popular lures:

1. Fancy Writing Software

Very few professional technical writers would use a word processor to create a large User Document. However, in all likelihood you will NOT be creating a mammoth User Document. Most likely your User Document will be less than 40 pages. A modern word processor (such as Microsoft Word, WordPerfect or Lotus WordPro, all are trademarks) will easily do the task.

2. Content Management System (CMS)

I believe that the documentation industry has incorrectly focused itself on Content Management Systems (CMS’s). CMS’s are reasonable tools for large companies like Microsoft, IBM, and Toyota who have huge numbers of documents. For smaller companies (like yours), CMS’s are a diversion from the real task, which is “how to produce the User Documentation that your product needs and your Users deserve.”

Aha! Your new writer might say that by writing in XML or by using a CMS he/she will be able to create the text in one format and easily produce that text in HTML, printed form, or as a PDF (Portable Document Format, used by the Adobe Reader). This is not a valid argument for your situation. Modern word processors have the capability of producing HTML documents, converting their output to PDF, as well as printing.

Another argument is that a CMS will enable writers to re-use content from one product to another. I believe that this argument is not relevant to companies with only a few products. While old-fashioned, a good library system and using cut and paste will suffice for the smaller company.

Instead, Focus On These

Rather than spending time learning new technology that may or may not help your writing project, your writers (in fact, all writers) should be focusing on what is important to the Users of your product. These are:

. Content: The material that you will provide in your User Document . Access to that Content: Enabling your Reader to easily find what he/she needs at the time, and to skip what is not needed

If your new writers do know how to use writing tools such as FrameMaker ™ or a Content Management System (and one is set up) then of course they should use these tools. But everyone should remember that the Reader (the User of your product) only sees the content via the accessibility to that content. Don’t let the technology get in the way of helping your Reader.

The Bottom Line

Most literate people, with reasonable support and resources, can be guided to create effective User Documentation. A good place to find resources is listed in the “Resources” or the “About the Author” section of this article.

Barry Millman, Ph.D., has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Psychology. He has been a consultant for over 25 years, an instructor, course developer, and award-winning speaker. For the past seven years he has been researching and creating resources to help organizations create great User Documents.

Visit: Technical Writing Resources to Help You Create Great User Documents. for resources to help you create the User Documents that your Product needs and your Users deserve.

Visit Reading Room. for more articles like this one.

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By: Bharat Book Bureau

Brand Enhancement by Electronics in Packaging 2010-2020

Reducing costs by 99%

Electronics is already used in packaging from winking rum bottles and talking pizza boxes to aerosols that emit electrically charged insecticide that chases the bug. We even have medication that records how much is taken and when and prompts the user. Reprogrammable phone decoration has arrived. But that is just a warm up. The key enabling technology – printed electronics – is about to reduce costs by 99%. Consequently, many leading brand owners have recently put multidisciplinary teams onto the adoption of the new paper thin electronics on their high volume packaging. It will provide a host of consumer benefits and make competition look very tired indeed. This is mainly about modern merchandising – progressing way beyond static print – and dramatically better consumer propositions. ( http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research-Reports/Brand-Enhancement-by-Electronics-in-Packaging.html )

Electronic packaging addresses the need for brands to reconnect with the customer or face oblivion from copying. That even applies to retailer own brands – biter bit. It addresses the greying of the population consequent need for disposable medical testers and drug delivery devices. Electronic packaging addresses the fact that one third of us have difficulty reading ever smaller instructions. Premium pricing will arise from greatly enhanced products, thanks to packaging that leverages the function of the product and is reusable as an electronic product itself. Then there are valuable electronic tearoffs as rewards and packaging that interacts with mobile phones. Startling technical advances will be brought to bear such as invisible electronics and stretchable electronics. Indeed, energy harvesting electronics will need no battery yet be affordable on mass produced disposable products. We shall even have the delight of scrolling instructions in a large font plus spoken instructions – all in a disposable label.

This unique new report is prepared by senior executives from the consumer goods and printed electronics sectors. The report reveals many ways in which brands can create a sharp increase in market share, customer satisfaction and profitability. For brand facing electronics companies that means a market of $7.7 billion by 2020, as analysed in the report. To gain very high volume, and therefore lowest costs, by selling across all industries, basic hardware platforms such as the very low cost talking label must be developed. These are discussed. There are 250 pages and a large number of original figures and tables – over 150. These detail market forecasts, statistics for associated industries, pros and cons, technology choices and lessons of success and failure – a lucid, compact analysis for the busy executive. There is much for both non-technical and technical readers.

Who should buy this report?

The report is vital for chief executives, brand managers, marketing and business planning managers, packaging executives and creative brand facing media staff in fast moving consumer goods companies. It is also meant for organisations supplying, buying and using healthcare disposables. The report is important for printers, packaging converters, label makers, electronics companies and those supplying electronic inks, paper and film. It will inspire those interested in the technology, marketing, investment, legal, regulatory, environmental and other issues. There are 34 profiles of developers and suppliers of this “e-packaging” technology. Purchasers of the report also receive one hour of free consultancy.

Contact us at :

Bharat Book Bureau

Tel: +91 22 27578668

Fax: +91 22 27579131

Email: info@bharatbook.com

Website: www.bharatbook.com

Blog: http://bharatbookresearch.blogspot.com

We are the leading information aggregator, facilitates and supports the business information needs. With over 115,000 reports, you can get instant access and insights on the studies in yo for market research , corporate / strategic planning by providing the latest information in the form of reports, journals, magazines and databases on varied industries like automotive, oil and gas, shipping, textiles, pharmaceuticals, energy, banking, finance, insurance, risk management, country intelligence, consumer & durable goods, chemical and more ur areas of interest. Contact us at +91 22 27578668 / 27579438 or email info@bharatbook.com or our website www.bharatbook.com

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By: Evans Smith

Are Homemade Solar Panels Possible, Economical, and Useful?

With energy prices rising steadily over the last few decades and no reason to think they’ll fall anytime soon, many homeowners are exploring the option of powering their homes with renewable, or “green”, power systems. The two most common home green energy systems are wind turbines and solar panels. Of these two, solar energy panels have emerged as the most popular, due to their solid-state nature – meaning that with fewer moving parts, they require less maintenance over the years.

Unfortunately, installing a solar power system in your home can be prohibitively expensive. Having pre-made solar power panels professionally installed costs at least $3000 – and the price tag only rises quickly from there. To reduce this huge cost, many homeowners are exploring the possibility of building and installing their own homemade solar panels. You may be one of them.

If so, you probably have a lot of questions. Can the average person really build a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) solar power system in their garage or basement? If they could, would it really be significantly cheaper than having it professionally installed? And finally, would homemade solar panels provide enough electricity to be worth all the time and effort? This article will seek to answer these questions.

What Are the Benefits of a Home Solar Power System?

? You can reduce or even eliminate your power bill.

? If you generate surplus electricity, you can sell it to your local power company.

? You can increase the property value of your home.

? You can get tax deductions for using eco-friendly home power systems.

? You no longer have to worry about power outages.

? You help protect the environment – solar energy produces no greenhouse gasses.

What Are the Benefits of Building Homemade Solar Panels?

? Money. Over half of a contractor’s installation fee is time and labor. If you provide this yourself, you can drastically reduce the cost of building and installing your own home solar power system.

? Time. You can build your homemade solar panels in stages, adding new panels and producing more electricity at your own pace.

? Education. By building a home solar power system yourself, you’ll learn how solar electrical technology works. You’ll be able to perform your own maintenance and repairs, further reducing your costs.

Where Can I Find the Materials to Build a Homemade Solar Panel?

Almost all the materials you’ll need to build a DIY solar panel (such as copper wire, plywood, glass, silicone, etc.) can be found at either your local hardware store (such as Home Depot) or electronics store (such as Radio Shack). The same goes for the tools and equipment you’ll need to build your homemade solar panels. Any tool you don’t already have in your garage or basement (such as a voltage meter), you can buy at your local hardware or electronics store.

The lone exception to this rule is the photovoltaic solar cells that you’ll need to build together into DIY solar power panels. Unless you live in a very large city with a specialized solar hardware store, you’ll probably need to order these online or you can make it on your own.

Where Should I Place My Homemade Solar Panels?

The two most common places to put DIY solar panels are either on the roof of your house, or on the ground in your yard.

The roof has emerged as the most popular location for two reasons. First, in order to convert sunlight into electricity, solar energy panels need a direct line-of-sight between them and the sun. Trees, other buildings, or any other obstacle that provides shade or otherwise gets in the way will block the sun from your homemade solar panels. The easiest way to solve this problem is to raise the solar power panels up higher than the obstacles. To do that, of course, you should place the DIY solar panels on the roof.

Second, solar energy panels are big, and take up a lot of space. Furthermore, you will probably need more than one to power your entire home. If you mount your homemade solar panels on the ground, you may quickly fill your entire yard. Mounting DIY solar panels in the roof instead has the advantage of keeping them out of the way and freeing up your yard.

Ground-mounted solar power panels, however, do have one big advantage: accessibility. It is much easier and safer to walk out into your yard than on the roof of your house to perform maintenance and repairs to your homemade solar panels. If you live in a part of the country where there are few trees, such as the Great Plains or the Southwest, and if you own enough property (like a farm) to mount several DIY solar panels and have room to spare, perhaps ground-mounted solar energy panels are the way to go.

What Direction Should I Point My Homemade Solar Panels?

Placing your DIY solar panels perfectly flat, facing straight up, is the best option. This way, no matter where the sun is in the sky or at what angle, sunlight is still hitting the solar panel somewhere. Unfortunately, however, many homes have angled roofs instead of flat, making the “pointing straight up” option impractical. In this case, mount your DIY solar panels on the south-facing side of your roof to collect the most sunlight. In the continental United States, the sun is in the southern part of the sky for the most part.

How Can I Build Homemade Solar Panels?

The answer to that question goes way beyond the scope of this brief article. What we can do, however, is point you in the right direction. The easiest and most efficient route for you to go is to buy a step-by-step instruction manual on how to build DIY solar panels from one of the many websites that sell them. These are usually $50 or less, and well worth the money.

Not all instruction manuals for DIY solar power panels are equal, however. Here are some things to look for when shopping online for a good instruction manual:

? Clear, Step-by-Step Instructions (instead of just overviews)

? Simple, Plain English (instead of confusing technical terms and slang)

? Multiple, Clear Illustrations (instead of just text)

? Demonstration Videos (although not necessary, they are very, very helpful)

? Shopping Tips (for solar cells, deep-cycles batteries, and other hard-to-find items)

? Good Reviews (from past customers)

? Price (more than $60 is too much)

If you can find a high-quality manual, you will start enjoying the benefits of DIY solar panels within 2 weeks, because the manual should be able to teach you to build homemade solar energy panels in just a weekend.

If you’ve enjoyed all the exciting information you read here about Homemade Solar Panels, you’ll love everything else you find at DIY Solar Panels.

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By: Samuel Bryant

An area of automation that would reduce the amount of work for librarians while increasing the ability of the patron to effectively use the computer and the Internet resides within the world of video instruction. These videos on CD can teach basic techniques in web navigation and software use. Instruction on at least the following would be desirable and are, in fact, available: Windows XP, PowerPoint, Excel, FrontPage, Word, and the Internet. These specific topics are all available through The Video Professor for under $100 each. The CDs allow the student to watch the program perform on the computer monitor while receiving verbal explanations from the Video Professor. Research should be done (preferably a cost-benefit analysis) to find out if patrons learn computer-use better through classes with real live teachers or through interactive video training. Teaching computer literacy requires a unique environment that should be conducted with the aid of the software or computer in question.

An area of needed research is in the method of video delivery for teaching. The CDs could be behind the counter, which would require a “check-in/check-out” procedure. The CDs could be stored on a CD/DVD server in a back room, which would alleviate the burden and risk of physically checking the disks out to the patrons. Another method of delivery could be a Video Server, which would allow hundreds of hours of video to be stored while serving hundreds of users simultaneously. The latter suggestion would help make the process of learning a new computer skill easier to initiate by placing a navigable menu of instructional videos within the range of the computer desktop. While many libraries use their resources to help teach young people to read, libraries should also be places to teach computer use and promote computer literacy. This is an area of education in libraries that may turn out to be a big part of what libraries become. This is an area that could bridge the gap from those who have the privilege of learning computer literacy in school and those who are not in school. Studies could be done in the area of computer education and the best environments for non-students to learn these skills. If computers become our society’s main reading material source, an enormous amount of information will be lost to citizens who cannot effectively navigate a computer the way most people today are able to navigate chapters in a book or isles in a library or bookstore.

In a survey question category of “which group is most underserved at your library?” a tally of only 9.5% was given for the disabled. However, a unique situation exists with the disabled in a simple survey like this. When a college student, for example, is underserved at a public library, the implications are nominal. If a person with near-blindness needed to read a document from the Internet and the technology to do so was absent, the implications for that individual would be strong. Although the number of people inflicted with disabilities such as this are in the great minority, the hill required to climb by the individual with the disability is major. This is why further studies on this topic should be done qualitatively (value of the technology to the individual patron) rather than quantitatively (number of patrons served by the technology).

An area of library technology I would like to see future studies done on is which types of adaptive technologies would be most beneficial to the population with disabilities. It is likely that this group of citizens is the one group who needs access to computers and the Internet the most. A simple magnifying glass can be used for reading while a more complicated system of software programs that reads aloud while scanning and highlighting words could be implemented. Other techniques include height-adjustable furniture and speech-recognition software. Of potential importance are the touch-screen monitor and the Braille translation software with a refreshable Braille display for people with visual disturbances.

Computer-time availability is an obvious issue with library patrons and will continue to be a major concern as long as libraries insist on keeping the amount of floor space dedicated to personal computers at a minimum. Although the library is independent of typical for-profit information vendors, it cannot avoid the fact that people are shifting their primary sources of information from print materials to electronic forms. If libraries ignore the trend towards electronic formats, they risk being left behind. It would be to the library’s benefit (and survival) that it views itself as a member of the “information business” rather than the book-lending business.

Please visit www.picnicsun.com, www.waterdecoy, and www.bonshops.com

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