Model Agency 411

Gaming notebooks were once only for the wealthy and not for the majority of us. They were small volume sellers and large profit generating items. They were the notebooks you dreamed of but were out of your reach. Everyone reckoned they were the best laptop computers and justifiably so. I would get really excited by them but I knew I couldn’t go out and buy laptop computers at the price points they were going for. Nowadays things differ a lot with bigger manufacturers also launching gaming laptops.

These are unquestionably high margin items for the international companies and they are aware of it. With such small markup on other laptops its no surprise they would like to be included here. Global manufacturers would surely find it easier to get purchasers to buy these laptop computers. Do the local retailers even have a chance with this type of competition? I’m fairly confident that the bigger companies will seek to squeeze the small ones out. Customers just feel tons more at ease making a big purchase from a familiar name.

The hype being created concerning the latest brand name gaming notebooks is making people perceive them to be the best laptop computers in history. This is actually the prime competitive selling point left for the littler players. I don’t think consumers will prefer to have the same spec like everybody in this kind of sector. Such purchasers are generally techies and can consider all the technical information. For a couple of buyers specifications and benchmarks are more valuable than aesthetics.

All consumers concur that its a good development. It will make prices to slip and make premium technology low priced for the market. Who can possibly envisage what will occur. I’m actually not that certain. High prices should remain and be normal with the latest laptop computers is what I’m guessing. More competition usually creates better technology at cheaper prices so the future will be good.

Maintaining Your Cisco Router Memory

It is important that you know how to maintain and use the different types of router memory. In order to use the following advice, make sure your router is configured to allow you to interact with the system software. See the user guide for your specific platform on using the setup command facility and on using setup for first time startup. This is only meant to be a vague overview. You should also have a basic knowledge of the different types of router memory: DRAM, Flash, EPROM, and NVRAM.

One such function you should be acquainted with is how to relocate DRAM router memory on Cisco 3600 routers. This particular memory is organized as one address space divided between processor and I/O memory. There are cases when you’ll have to manually relocate the memory between the two. This process may be accomplished by utilizing the ‘memory size iomem’ command. Using this command, you can allocate 60 percent of the address space to processor memory, and 40 percent to I/O memory. You can use the ’show version’ command in order to view the total amount of memory located on the server.

If you have a Flash B system, odds are you can partition banks of router memory into separate logical devices in order to maintain 2 or more software images. This will permit you to write to one portion of the flash memory while running software in another bank of flash memory. In order to do this you must have at least 2 sets of four chips available. There are many benefits to doing this. For example, it provides a simpler way of managing files, can download a new image into one Flash memory bank while an image is being executed from another, and because the partitioned system can support the same image twice, if one of the copies gets lost or destroyed you will still have another copy.

The last function to be discussed is how to Flash Load Helper to upgrade software. Flash Load Helper is a software option that allows you to upgrade software on run-from-Flash systems that only have a single bank of router memory. You can download a file using Flash Load Helper using the commands: ‘copy tftp: flash:,’ ‘copy rcp: flash:,’ and ‘copy ftp: flash:.’ Next to Monitor the Flash Load Helper, you can use the ‘more flh: logfile’ command. If you are using a remote Telnet device without a console connection, this method will allow you to output even when your Telnet device is disconnected.

What is a UUV? UUV is the abbreviation given to Unmanned Underwater Vehicle. It is a mini-submarine without anyone in it. Is it possible to use UUVs to farm fish in lakes, reservoirs and the ocean? Can UUVs keep a watchful eye on Algae Blooms and deliver micro-encapsulation timed release anti algae chemicals?

Can an UUV find the Lock Nest monster, find the secrets of the King Crabs, Migrate with the gray whales, guard our costs from drug smugglers and international terrorists all at the same time? The answer maybe yes. A UUV which uses ELF - extremely low frequency can keep schools of fish happy and watch over the dangerous growth of Algae Blooms. While cruising around under the surface they can come up for reloading by US Coast Guard or come up to greet smugglers, illegal aliens, pirates or even International Terrorists. There has been talk of such UUVs with single purposes

http://www.parthe.net/_cwg0703/00000055.htm

but why not lease them to corporate fish farmers, EPA for deleting unwanted Red tide style algae blooms such as off the coast of West Coast Southern Florida. The same units can be available for missions of Homeland Security, or rescue of people in pleasure craft? Multi-use UUVs can assist in ROI costs and we will discover other uses for them for science and security and R and D. Thus needing more units and driving costs down. Currently the development are quite high but costs can be spread out over many more units. It is important to note that when R and D dollars are spent on such homeland security products or in time of war, weapons, then we can all be the better for it. AUVs on other missions can warn of Tsunami Waves
coming into harbors, running up into rivers and retention basins or headed for populated shore lines. They can monitor seismic events and hurricane weather.

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles are now available and this technology will eliminate security issues, environmental problems and act as warning devices to protect our civilization.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Laptop shipments are estimated to be approaching 127million units this year, which is gigantic! Those searching for the new intel centrino 2 offerings could be kept waiting as manufacturers have already mentioned possible delivery shortages. This is one market which in my opinion will not be affected with all the economic trouble that seems to be going on. Brands are trying to organise the technology cycles but that doesn’t prevent anyone from coming and advancing things.

There seems to be a lot more selection and attainability of gaming notebooks these days. If you’re a gamer with a tiny budget the great thing is that you can get a gaming laptop a lot less expensive now because the average life is declining. Gaming on notebooks is indeed a reality now with the improvements in technology. More positives to come from developed manufacturing techniques is tiny, cooler parts that allow for slimmer, pleasing cases. Ok so there still is a gap in performance no matter how good gaming notebooks have become but that should always be there. Could gaming notebooks ever become extremely slim? I feel this is a market to watch.

Numerous small manufacturers provide custom built laptops to specialist segments. With custom built notebooks you commonly get to discover what brand of parts is going into the system. In the majority cases you can ask for all the primary parts you require and this is best suited to gamers, professional and power users. The majority of laptop computers are spec for the modest consumer which means you may not find what you’re searching for. Specialist users need custom notebooks because of this. The service provided by custom builders is also far more individual in my opinon. Yet another great point.

The future of upcoming portables seems great. A particular thing I haven’t spoken off is the development of cheap ultramobiles. Its strange how technology designed for the 3rd world nations have become a trend in the first world nations. These days consumers require sleek laptops but they additionally need big screens. I’m sure that companies already have their designs made up. I can imagine its not too long before we begin seeing gaming notebooks that weigh nothing. Even though laptop technology follows roadmaps there is forever going to be a gadget that transforms all that.

I found some really good gaming systems at http://www.rizeon.com/gaming_laptops/page.php

There are so many different choices in digital cameras. There
are many things to consider when you are deciding on the best
camera for you. You should think about why you want one and what
you are going to do with the camera the most. Are you going to
be using it on a daily basis to take all different kinds of
pictures, or are you going to use your digital camera for
special occasions? Whatever the purpose for your camera, you
will see that you will have many choices and you can find one
just suited for your needs.

Digital cameras have so many different options, just as
non-digital cameras do. You can zoom in and out like with other
cameras. You can also do other fun things with digital cameras.
There are certain kinds of cameras that allow you to add borders
to your pictures and have different backgrounds to use. Some
have red eye fix in them for your ease in use. These designs fix
red eyes in the pictures so that great shots are not ruined.

There are also digitals that have bigger memories than others.
If you have a camera that does not have a big memory, you can
buy SIM cards to give you more memory so that you can take more
pictures at one time. SIM cards are nice to because you can take
the card out to store the pictures on a computer or disc. This
is a great way to share your pictures with other through email.
Doing this will save you money and time when it comes to sharing
your wonderful memories through pictures.

You can also buy accessories for your digital camera to create
different lightings, backgrounds, and looks for your photos. You
can purchase a carrying case so that you will be able to keep
your camera safe when you are not using it and when you want to
take with you on trips. You can also get straps and other fun
things to add to the convenience of your digital camera.

If you are afraid to try a digital camera, you should not be.
They are easy to use and easy to understand. Make sure that you
read your manual for your digital camera because each is
different. This will make it a lot easier to operate your camera
and it will make you love your digital camera even more. You
will love it so much that you will take it with you where ever
you go.

As debates rage on across the globe on the economics of Offshoring work to India in the IT & ITES space (BPO), it is time to view outsourcing from the right perspectives. The Cost perspective is often harped upon by both Indian companies and their offshoring clients. However the root of Indian competitiveness in this space is not often discussed. This article only offers that historical perspective on why India is suited to be BPO Hub of the world.

“Off shoring” is the system of packaging a set of your organization’s tasks and hiring another company situated in another country to perform these tasks for you as a Billable Service. The service providing company provides you a dedicated workforce to perform these tasks for mutually agreed cost and quality terms.

Why India?

The crux of “Off shoring” is “COST” and better operating margins for the companies’ off shoring to India, China or any other country. But “COST” and “PREDICTABLE & CONSISTENT QUALITY” would be more like it.

India has an edge because you have decent quality English speaking people who are willing to do routine work (”Grunt Work”) at a highly competitive price. As long as it maintains that edge, remains consistent and predictable, India has a place as the Software backyard and the BackOffice of the world. A large IT Manpower pool and dominance of English in higher education system only helps to build India as a preferred choice for “Offshoring”.

The reason why India is able to have such consistent IT & ITES workforce has nothing to do with India becoming a big power in the IT Space or brilliance of Indian Programmers or the fantastic engineers of our IITs. It is a consequence of our McCaulay System of Education which over 170 years old .

McCaulay & India

Thomas Babington McCaulay (1800-1859) was posted in India in the first half of the 19th Century (1835 -1837) under Governor General William Bentick when India was just brought fully under the control of the British Empire. The British throne exercised control on India through its agency the British “East India Company”. The Company waged bloody battles for most part of the 18th Century in India to control political power and every possible resource in India. From 1784 onwards there was a “Board of Control” with members from the House of Commons which defined the relations between the Crown and the Directors of the East India Company.

Coming back to McCaulay; Thomas Babington McCaulay, a master of English prose and literature, was elected twice as the member of the House of Commons, and served as one of the commissioners of the Board of Control for 18 months (1831-1832) whereon he got involved in Indian affairs. The British crown wanted to appoint a person who was not in the offices of the East India Company as a member of the Supreme Council in India. In 1833 McCaulay was appointed to the Supreme Council of India and traveled to India. By the time he sailed backed in 1837, he laid the foundation for two of the most important systems which would change India as a country - the Indian Penal Code and the education system.

The foundation for English Education

In one of his speeches to the House of Commons in 1833 before coming to India, McCaulay outlined his plan for perpetuation of British governance in India through representative institutions of the government similar to the European model of governance. This institutional framework designed to manage the British supremacy required to be staffed with people who understood the language and the systems. So came up the need for training Indians to occupy these positions. McCaulay was of the opinion that Indians were perfectly in position to be trained to staff a new system of governance. To quote McCaulay “That the average of intelligence and virtue is very high in this country is matter for honest exultation. But it is no reason for employing average men where you can obtain superior men. Consider too, Sir, how rapidly the public mind in India is advancing , how much attention is already paid by the higher classes of the natives to those intellectual pursuits on the cultivation of which the superiority of the European race to the rest of mankind principally depends. . . .” . This observation made 172 years back is relevant even today and will find a familiar echo with many supporters of Offshoring to India.

McCaulay outlaid the plans for Indian Education System in the McCaulay’ Minute of Education which was reviewed and passed by Governor General William Bentick in 1835. William Bentick agreeing to McCaulay’s view concurred that the true objective of the British government should be the promotion of European Literature and Culture in India thus laying the foundation for a permanent position for use of English Language in Indian Education. Today English has come to stay in Free India. Whether the supporters of Indian languages like it or not, it is impossible to replace English as the medium of instruction in higher education, language of governance and the language of technology long after McCaulay and the British have gone. The medium of instruction in Colleges and Universities across India is English and will remain so for a long time in future.

It is this very foundation of English based education rooted in history that makes it easier for Indians to be a preferred choice for BPOs and offshoring work from US other English Speaking countries.

The root of Indian Work Ethic
The other important perspective which often is ignored is that McCaulay education plan was not just about teaching English to Indians. It was propagating a system of governance and making Indians suitable to occupy positions in the Institutions which represented this system.

To quote “We will create a system of education that will not change their color but will make them ‘white’ in their thoughts.” (There is no record to show McCaulay actually used these exact words but he must have said something on similar lines). Here we have to remember that in 1830s - “white” meant largely European. At that time Europe was in the post Renaissance era where most of the foundations for what would come to be called modern science and technology was already laid. The use of mechanization was dawning upon the modern world; this would eventually lead to the Industrial Revolution and the birth of the factory system which is the rock bed of any economy even to this day. McCaulay’s remarks on “white in thoughts” should be viewed from this perspective. McCaulay would never have realized that one day this bridge built to advance British dominance in India would also help free India to be able to do business and be on par with technological advances of other erstwhile British Colonies.

By the beginning of 19th Century the British dominance in India was complete. What was earlier a conglomeration of princely states with independent rulers had to be brought under a single system of governance. While the military power which helped British gain control over India in the 18th century was important, it would not help maintain a civil framework and also allow for the British rulers to discharge the fundamental duties of any ruler - to collect taxes and maintain law & order. They needed a framework of administrative and judicial institutions in India. The senior positions in these Institutions would for almost a century later be the exclusive preserve of the British, it did not make economic sense to employ British for staff positions in the offices of the government and many civil institutions. The only option was to train Indians for these positions. In a country as complex and elaborate as India it meant creation of an elaborate education system which would ultimately enable Indians to exploit job opportunities being thrown up by the British Indian Government.

The British Indian Government offered Indians the first real opportunity to be exposed to western Work Ethic. Some of the precepts of this Work Ethic would be

(a) Employment based on Qualification

(b) Fixed Work Timings,

(c) Designations associated with Job Roles

(d) Defined nature of Work

(e) Documenting work activities

(f) Job Hierarchy and promotion based on Seniority (it would still take sometime for Indians to break the Glass Ceiling and become officers in British Indian Government) and most importantly

(f) Fixed Monthly Salary.

This would be the first exposure of Indians to a new work ethic which they imbibed for over a century and would eventually build what is known as the Indian Middle Class. More than anything else, the last precept was a major attraction for a large majority of Indians. For somebody who could not suffer the vagaries of an agrarian life or did not have acumen of a trader, a job with a government institution offered opportunity for a decent livelihood as long as you had western education, communicated in English, where disciplined and obedient. That, being a part of the government increased your social standing was only a bonus. This was the primary reason Indians immediately gravitated towards this new work ethic and the education system which was the stepping stone for this opportunity. Today a large part of Indian government, trade, business and Industry still runs because of this Work ethic.

The Work Force to Staff Offices

McCaulay’s contribution through his education plan, more than teaching English, was to create a system which would churn out disciplined, obedient and productive staff to man the offices of the British Indian Government.

For more than 170 years later this system of Education has remained largely unchanged. It is too elaborate and too complex for anybody to change. The precepts of the system are so fundamentally strong that it would be impossible to change. Only new layers of Higher Learning have been added to the existing system through the IITs, IIMs and other Institutions of higher learning. But the Core of the education system, the Work Ethic it imbibes and the predictability of work force it produces is the same for the last couple of centuries. Individuals vary in the degree of their learning depending on the opportunities presented to them and their individual competencies. This self sustained system of English based Western Education and Work Ethic which offers Predictability of the work force are fundamental reasons which will help India to be a preferred choice for off shoring work and establish itself in the BPO Sector. China has only now realized the importance of using English as the business transaction language and is all set to teach English to its populace with vigor. Lower Employment Cost is no doubt a distinct advantage, but a history and system which is designed to produce predictable people to handle office jobs in English is a supremely distinct advantage.

The Flip Side

This 200 year old system of Education and all its associated values has its flip side. As I have stated in the above passages, irrespective of the nature of higher learning, the core of the educational system is to produce a work force which is predictable and obedient. The Work Ethic for which the British set the foundation has predictability, obedience and repetitiveness as cornerstones. This makes a large part of the Indian workforce very good at predictable and carrying out defined activities.

Questioning things the way they are done, trying to change the rules of the game, Innovation and Creativity are something which cannot be expected out the products of this system. This is primarily the reason that even in the IT space we have a very large number of IT Services and ITES companies. The largest number of CMM Level 5 Companies (CMM is all about Consistency!) but not a single IT Product company. The situation is no different in traditional manufacturing sectors. TATAs being able to design and manufacture a passenger car named - Indica was considered a breakthrough in the Indian industry, which almost 50 years after Independence was stilling producing vehicles on western and Japanese designs. Coming out with a new product in IT or any other Industry requires individuals who are not only Innovative and Creative (Latest buzzwords) but are strongly committed to Question the very existence of things as they are now. There are no doubt positive movements towards this direction, but it will be a while before our education system can produce such individuals.

Vijay V Bhat, Mechanical Engineer and MBA from Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD,India, currently employed as a Consultant with Infosys Technologies Ltd. The views expressed here are his and does not represent his employer. He has previously worked with manufacturing and automotive companies in India in the sales and marketing arena. He has also taught students in the Engineering and Management fields in Indian Colleges.(Also Visit :http://www.competeindia.blogspot.com)

As Desktop PC’s get smaller and laptop computers get faster the line between them is beginning to get blurred unless you take a look at the extreme sides of the spectrum. Desktop PC’s are coming out in smaller chassis’s and laptops, particularly for gaming and so called desktop replacements are getting larger and more powerful. I think its getting to the point where the performance of laptop computers is able to match desktops. The price gap is also not as big as it used to be either. Laptop computers have declined considerably in price and this makes them a more appealing alternative as they have the added bonus of being wire free and mobile. No need to keep them positioned in any particular area as with desktop computers that’s for sure. There is also a level of privacy and that personal feeling with laptops as usually you wouldn’t share it right? Desktop computers tend to be household purchases for all members of a family.

When purchasing laptops you can buy from the global brands or from the smaller outlets. Each channel has its own benefits. Usually with brands you have the safety of knowing you are purchasing a companies product and that company has and will be around for a long time. However more often then not, technical support is scarce, the internals are also nothing special, processing power costs an arm and leg and there is a lack of gaming laptops with the majority of them. Local manufacturers can basically give you the specification you want. You can get all of the high spec hardware without being charged premiums for them. The customer service is more personalised and you feel cared for. The only thing going against them is that they could potentially go out of business so it’s important to ensure you have a good warranty in place.

The cpu, memory and video chip are things to pay attention to when you are buying a gaming laptop. The cpu should be a dual core cpu like the intel core duo or amd turion x2 with a speed of over 2GHz as the minimum. 2GB is the minimum amount of memory necessary for gaming. To play games you need to have a dedicated viedo card. 256MB is the standard dedicated video memory to look for. I think an Nvidia 8600M gpu should be good for playing all the new games well. Nothing but the most powerful cards will do for extreme gamers.

Retail or the web? Where is the best place to find your gaming laptop or any laptop? Bigger brands would prefer you go through retail but honestly there is so much choice online and its all much cheaper than retail. Fact is you will find it very difficult to find the same variety of high specification laptops offline and even if you do you will end up paying too much.

Whether you’re on the road to the CCNA, CCNP, MCSE, or you’re on any other computer certification track, the odds are that sooner or later, you’re going to fail an exam. It’s happened to almost all of us, yours truly included. What you have to keep in mind in these times is that success is not a straight line. You’ve probably seen charts showing the growth of an industry or a business — you know, the ones that go from left to right, and look kind of jagged. The line goes up for a while, then down a bit, then up some more, then down a little.

The key? While every business has its setbacks, the net result is that the line goes up and progress is made. That’s how you want your certification pursuit and your career to go as well - upward!

I’m not asking you to be happy about failing an exam. You’re allowed to get mad for a few minutes, vow to never take another exam again, and be disappointed. What you’re not allowed to do is stay that way.

If you put your books away in a fit of anger, get them out. If you took some time off, it’s time to get back to work. Again, there’s nothing wrong with being unhappy about failing an exam. It’s how you handle that failure that counts. No inventor, executive, or entrepreneur has ever been right 100% of the time. Learn something from your failure. Was your study time quality study time? Did you get some hands-on practice with the technology you’re studying? Asking yourself these questions can be tough, but it can be highly valuable in making sure you don’t fail the next time. And there must be a next time - because the one thing you cannot do is quit.

Besides, take it from someone who’s been there - your temporary failure makes your eventual success that much sweeter.

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also join his RSS feed and visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Details are on the website.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” and “How To Pass The CCNP”, visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Get your CCNA study guide from The Bryant Advantage!

In my years as a psychologist, I have come to believe that most people seeking psychotherapy are unhappy not only because of earlier hurts and traumas, as well as present frustrations and problems, but because they cannot access earlier happy moments often enough. Resulting in not being able to experience enough positive states of well-being. It is these unique states of well being that I have come to label THE ENCHANTED SELF.

Many scientists of human behavior recognize that we do not yet, and perhaps never can, fully understand human nature. I have become more and more convinced that we do not. For example, what interests me is that we do not fully understand some people, who have apparently fortunate lives but experience little joy, while others, apparently less fortunate, experience great joy. Perhaps we have tried too hard to understand pathology in our science of psychology while we have not tried hard enough to recognize and understand what I call ego-states, or happiness.

When I first began to analyze data from the women I interviewed, I kept trying to understand how their enchanted adult lives evolved from the childhoods they talked about. I found that although there seemed to be some clear connections, many others were not clear at all.

The capacities of these women to reclaim positive aspects of their childhood, while discarding the dysfunction that was often also present, was astounding to me. It seemed as if a magic wand had been tapped on the women’s heads in their adult lives.

For example, when Edith talked about her childhood, she at first remembered only its dysfunctional aspects: the fighting between her parents and their constant criticality. I suggested that we go back and look again at her childhood to identify times when in spite of the pain of family life, she felt excited about her own life and about herself. With the encouragement, she could separate out positive memories of herself from dysfunctional family experiences and she remembered some wonderful times: delightful family picnics, fishing with her grandfather, etc.

An activity you can do to start on the positive road of Enchantment:

What are some golden moments in your childhood when you felt particularly happy? These moments can be from any age, from your earliest memories through early adulthood. When you find a golden memory, enjoy it. See yourself at that age and experiment with letting different senses reconnect to that happy time. Can you remember the way your body felt? Can you remember what activity you were engaged in? Were there any smells? What was the weather like? How did things look around you? What did your mood feel like? Take time to really enjoy this happy memory of yourself.

I wish you a joyful journey. I hope that your life feels whole and that you find your past, whether beautiful or painful, a repertoire of talents and capabilities is that are uniquely yours. I hope that your talents, capacities and potential will give you a sense of well being as they thrust you into the world in meaningful ways.

Barbara Becker Holstein, Ed.D., is a psychologist in private practice. Her book, THE ENCHANTED SELF, A Positive Therapy, published by Harwood Academic Press, is now available at your local bookstore. (The Sources, February 1999)

About the Author

Dr. Holstein is the originator of The Enchanted Self and a psychologist since 1981. She is the author of two books: The Enchanted Self, A Positive Therapy and Recipes for Enchantment, The Secret Ingredient is YOU!
Dr. Holstein speaks on radio, and appears on television in NY and NJ. She gives lectures, seminars, retreats and audio interviews on LadybugLive.com and is in private practice in Long Branch, NJ with her husband, Dr. Russell Holstein.