This will ease workloads on staff, keep operational costs down, and the animals are more comfortable in their cages. The animal waste along with the bedding is easily composted.Technology now makes it possible to save paper on a daily basis by sending emails. Worth mentioning, is the time saved as compared to communicating via the postal system. When sending a fax, if possible, refrain from using a cover sheet. For efficient paper use at the photocopy machine, set it to automatically print pages on both sides.

When making draft copies with the photocopier or printer, use the reverse side of any suitable scrap paper. We keep a box of this paper handy for visiting children to color and draw upon. The blank side of any scrap paper can be used for shopping lists, reminder notes, game scoring, or the perpetual to do list(s) that we all have. We often use sheets of adhesive labels in our office printer. The edges, top and bottom of each used sheet have 1/4" of remaining unused material.

These can be trimmed to convenient lengths and stored in a small jar (or other storage container of choice). These labels come in handy when labeling items destined for the freezer, jam jars, bulk foods or shop and craft supplies.Keep computer equipment such as external drives, printers and scanners powered off when they are not in use ? turn them on only for the duration that they are needed. Stand-by power (lights or clock displays) can be eliminated by either using a power bar or by manually unplugging the equipment. Sleep the computer during the day when not in use (lunch, coffee, or meetings) and turn all equipment off before leaving at the end of the day. These are some simple suggestions, yet they will save time, money, and resources, which is in the best interest of any office..

It is a way of transmitting voice data over the internet from point A to point B or more plainly, a way of making calls using the internet. And what do I need to do that? The answer to that is that it depends. But regardless of what method or system you employ, some basic hardware are needed. These are a broadband internet access and a computer, and depending on your service, an ATA adaptor, an IP phone, a speaker, a modem, or a regular phone. If you are wodering, here is how it works? Doing a voip call can be as familiar as picking up the phone and dialing the numbers.

It can also be as novel as pluging your earphone and typing your numbers. Which way you go will depend largely on your service. VoIPing with ATA provide one common way to use VoIP. But what is an ATA? It is an adaptor that converts the analog signal that is generated by your standard phone into a digital signal. It is this digital signal that is then sent over the internet.

The adaptor makes it possible for the user to connect a regular phone to the computer and then to the internet. In some instances, it may be necessary to install some software to be able to make calls. Having done that, you are ready to make calls as with your regular phone. Voiping with IP phones provides another option. IP phones have the feel and look of a normal telephone.

IP phones are different in that all the bells and whistles are programed into the phone. Also instead of pluging to a wall like a regular phone, IP phones plug into a router using an Ethernet connector. This feature saves you the trouble of software installation and also provides portability, since you can use your IP phone from other locations providing the same service. You can also do Voiping between computers. VoIP calls between two computers between computers are called computer-to-computer calls.

To do a computer-to-computer call, it is not necessary to have a service provider or a calling plan. What is needed is a good Voip software, a broadband or DSL internet connection, a speaker and a sound card. The VoIP software is what makes the connections and transmission possible. In most cases, these sofwares can be picked up for free on the internet. Except for the cost of purchasing your hardware and accessories and the cost of your internet access, there are no other costs associated with making these calls, regardless of how many you make or how long they are.

This makes these computer-to-computer calls virtually free. What is good about VoIP? Have you noticed how you can never know or understand all the charges that come with your regular telephone service? VoIP is not anywhere near as bad. Because the internet is a global thing, VoIP is not regulated by the FCC. As a result, it is not taxed the way the standard telephones are taxed. Instead, providers assess fees for access time for network use, and routing through landlines.

But this is not anywhere near the outrageous taxes that assessed on standard landline and nobody understand. Depending on your VoIP plan, it is possible to talk for as long as you wish, without encuring any additional charges, other than your regular service fee. In addition, you can have several people on the same call from different parts of the world without any additional cost. Also, it may not be necessary to maintain a phone line just to make a call if you have a broadband internet connection. This will save you the money that otherwise would go to pay for the telephone line.

This is because you will be making your calls through your broadband internet connection. In most cases, the quality of the call is comparable or better than regular phone. And unlike landlines, VoIP has the potential for portability. What is not so pleasant about VoIP? There are some not so pleasant things about Voice over IP phones. Here are they: VoIP services as at present do not always connect directly to 911 emergencey services.

This can creat unpleasant emergency situations. The FCC is however laying the ground rules to make 911 emergency connections a standard feature of VoIP services. Also, not all voip services are functional during power outages. And finally, directory assistance and white page listings are not usually standard features of VoIP services..

We look forward to seeing what the CSE students come up with." The students in Munoz-Avila's game-programming class study and develop algorithms, which are methods of encoding programs that tell computers how to solve problems. The students will use their algorithms to study the software robots, or bots, that are created to replace human beings in poker, hearts and other online games.Other goals of the students will be to determine how "smart" computers can be made and whether AI gives unfair advantages to the bots or machines against which humans play computer games.Munoz-Avila said that Jarret Raim, a graduate student in computer science, found the Poker Academy online, looked at its API (application program interface, a way in which programs communicate), and found it could "talk" to other programs, making it a good fit for the Lehigh game programming course."Our interest is that this game has a very nice API that we can interface with our machine learning programs," said Munoz-Avila.About Poker AcademyPoker Academy is a leading software developer of poker products. The company develops the world's most advanced Texas Hold'em poker learning tool, Poker Academy Pro, utilizing world renowned artificial intelligence developed over 10 years, designed to help users learn, adapt and improve their poker skills. Poker Academy Pro includes No Limit, Limit and Tournament play along with many feature-rich components. Poker Academy is headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, and has U.S.

office in Minnetonka, MN. For more details, please visit www.poker-academy.com.About Lehigh UniversityLehigh University, a nationally ranked teaching and research institution, offers distinctive interdisciplinary and hands-on programs, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, in colleges of arts and sciences, business and economics, education, and engineering and applied science. Lehigh is small enough for faculty to give students personal attention in classrooms and labs and large enough to maintain internationally recognized research centers and institutes in traditional disciplines and emerging fields. Lehigh is located in Bethlehem, Pa., less than 75 miles from New York City and Philadelphia. For more details, please visit lehigh.edu.Media Contacts:Poker AcademyAnthony Giombetti612-269-1894Lehigh UniversityKurt Pfitzer610-758-3017.

Long hours at the desk and family commitments make getting enough exercise impossible. Or do they? Until now yes. Until Break Pal, that is. Break Pal is a new software solution that just hit the marketplace. Break Pal not only solves the problem of how to fit enough exercise into a day, but solves several other problems associated with the desk job such as:? Decreasing the risk of computer related injuries such as neck and shoulder stiffness or Carpal Tunnel? Boosting productivity? Getting enough exercise? Increased motivation to exercise A miracle program? Maybe.So how does this work? Break Pal is based on the idea that all exercise is cumulative ? in other words, three minutes of exercise ten times a day is as effective as forty five minutes of exercise after work.

Federal guidelines also state that computer users should stop and take a break every thirty minutes, taking a few minutes to least get up and stretch. Better yet, how about a few minutes of exercise? Break Pal not only reminds the computer user to take a break but teaches him/her a unique new exercise, designed to get the blood pumping and provide a full body workout. Just before breaking a sweat, the user clicks a button and the program disappears to come back again in 30 minutes.Break Pal exercises can be done in a small space with no impact on the joints, and still provide a great workout. Cyber Liz, the digital version of co-creator and fitness instructor Liz Weaver, gently coaxes you out of your chair with statements like, "C'mon, I know you're busy, but you'll get more done and feel better if you work out with me for just a minute." She leads you through a quick tutorial (which can be bypassed) and then to the exercise. When you've had enough, one click and she's gone until next time.

These are not your typical quick stretch exercises but moves that will really get your heart pumping quickly. The idea is that the exercises are not only good for you, but fun. People just won't exercise without motivation, but they actually get up and do these rather than shutting it off. Our testers had great results. Three minutes every thirty minutes adds up to a full 45 minute workout at the end of an eight hour workday.

And that time will never really be los ? studies show that computer users who take regular breaks work more efficiently, which in turn easily makes up for the time on break. Fantastic not only for computer users but also for the companies that employ them: increased productivity means higher profits, and reduced risk of OOS means lower Worker's Comp costs. The premiere version of Break Pal is based on a martial arts aerobics workout and runs on a single user's machine. Future versions now in development will feature such exercises as T'ai Chi, Yoga, and even Belly Dancing."Keeping things fun and interesting keeps workers motivated," says Phil Weaver, co-creator of the software. Future versions will also run over LANs so the entire company can workout together.

Break Pal is available on CD or by download at www.breakpal.com.Phil WeaverBreak Pal139 Main StValley Springs, CA 95252(209) 772-1760www.breakpal.com.

And if you've ever attempted to talk a user through an operating system installation or a debug session, then you will understand that this just does not work in a corporate environment.Fortunately, we found one of the most useful products available anywhere at any cost. This little gem is called PcAnywhere, and it is sold by Symantec (the vendor most famous for it's antivirus software).PcAnywhere allows my staff to "take over" a system, just as if they were sitting at the keyboard and staring at the monitor. Since PcAnywhere does depend upon the operating system, it cannot be used to control the system boot and console, but it can do just about anything else imaginable.Thus, if a user has an error displayed on his screen, we can connect and see exactly what it says (and often what the user did). This saves countless hours of attempting to piece together what happened based upon a frazzled user's spotty notes of the occurrence, or of running over to the users machine to see it for ourselves before he did something else.You can use the file download and upload facility to transfer files easily and quickly, which is handy for grabbing files and performing installations. You can even chat with the person on the monitor in a separate window (I've never done this but saw it in the documentation).PcAnywhere works whether or not the machine is logged in, and it works very well on Windows NT, 2000 and XP (and I assume at least the more advanced Windows 9x operating systems).

You have some special buttons to issue the CONTROL-ALT-DELETE sequence when necessary, and you can even reboot or shutdown the machine if desired.Another feature that works very well is the many security options. You can tighten down the program (and it's very powerful so you probably want to restrict it very well) as much as you want, and you have the choice of several different encryption schemes and security models. Choose what fits your requirements best.On the downside, PcAnywhere does use a few resources, and when it is active (used remotely) the user may very well notice a slowdown. The older versions were a little unstable, but since version 9 we have noticed no problems of any kind with the program. One caution: PcAnywhere must be made very secure as it truly gives someone control over a system.

Choose your security well and be sure it is enforced.I could go on for hours about the usefulness of this program in the corporate environment. It has so many useful features that it really boggles the mind. I would highly recommend it if you have a need for remote control..

Premio attends several education-related tradeshows and conferences each year to meet with a variety school representatives and introduce them to the affordable products and services Premio has to offer.????"From day one, our company has been focused on the technological needs of the education market," Executive Vice President Kevin Wu said. "Our focus and dedication to the classroom is evident in our consistent ranking by the independent market research firm as a Top 10 computer vendor in the U.S. education market. Premio will continue to develop affordable products to help aid the learning process for both teachers and students." Schools nationwide depend on Premio to deliver state-of-the-art classroom equipment to facilitate a higher level of learning for each student. Premio actively supports the education community through a variety of programs, partnerships, donations, seminars and internships.

Premio also offers eSembler? gradebook and attendance software for K-12 districts. eSembler connects with any Student Information System (SIS) offering automatic class configuration with near real-time updates to student information. In addition to the education market, Premio markets its technology solutions to businesses, government agencies and consumers throughout North America.About Premio Computer, Inc.Founded in 1989 and based in Southern California, Premio? is a full-service technology company providing hardware, software, networking and manufacturing solutions to businesses, educational institutions and government agencies throughout North America. From the beginning, Premio's focus has been its line of built-to-order desktops, notebooks, servers and workstations. Premio not only builds its own family of products, but also offers its ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturing facilities to companies requiring turnkey built-to-order (BTO) and built-to-contract (BTC) manufacturing solutions.

Premio is a total solutions partner offering engineering and design services, logistics expertise, production, service and support. Regional operations in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas and New Jersey provide local service and support for its loyal customer base Currently ranked as a Top 10 computer vendor in the U.S. education market, Premio is also the maker of eSembler? for Education, an innovative web-based application for managing student information within a K-12 environment. For more information about Premio and its products, please contact the Marketing Department at 800-677-6477 or visit www.premiopc.com..

At http://wires.news.com.au/special/mm/030811-hubble.htm#panup2 you can watch a stream of beautiful visuals that are literally out of this world. The beauty of the photos, the fact that they are moving, and the musical accompaniment makes the whole trip quite ethereal. The other great aspect is the information the scientists have uncovered, mind-blowing ideas like the fact that some stars are 60 times brighter than our own sun, or the idea that there are thousands of stars in one tiny spot in the sky. The concept that galaxies are 150 million light years away-do you know how fast light travels? For the average human who spends their existence in one place working hard everyday to make ends meet, life can become somewhat monotonous and insulated. You forget that there's a whole world out there.

The Universe however might be a random thought that only appears once in a month. The stars seem so disconnected to our everyday reality, but the fact is that we are part of a much bigger picture-the biggest picture of all, infinite space. Maybe if we did focus a bit more ?outside the box' of our familiar routines we could grasp on to the magic and perfection that surrounds us all the time, the real neighborhood that we belong to.http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16616http://www.spaceweather.com/http://www.sec.noaa.gov/These are a few more sites I discovered that give us more insight or ?outsight' into what is going on around us. Again I find the Internet has become my medium for accessing knowledge about life. Without leaving the office or my house I can travel to the most beautiful places, real places, we're not talking Star Trek here people! I've seen many magical things in my life thus far: snow ?capped mountains, rainbows over waterfalls, sunsets on tropical beaches.

I've seen art, heard music, watched films; I've lived a very fortunate life indeed. But, to see these pictures and to learn about the incredible worlds outside our own?on a computer at home?it has taken me to a new level of understanding, new level of reverence for what it is we are part of. The only way to describe these galaxies, stars, and giant gas clouds close up is to speak the word ?magic'. You will never see real paintings like this, beauty that stretches for millions of miles.My computer screen has become a looking glass portal..

(She woofs with an accent, therefore...voof.) All is serene and peaceful as I effortlessly complete my few simple tasks that provide this opulent lifestyle. (Oh dear...spilled caviar on my Gucci slippers...don't you hate when that happens??)Yeah, right.Actually, my not-so-souped-up computer sits atop an old folding table while my six month old beagle puppy bays excitedly as he plays tag with the cat. (Bays? That sounds like a horse with a speech impediment. Barroos is more like it) The caviar is really jelly, and my feet would go into shock if they were ever in Gucci anything.So it's not the high life, but it IS my life.Once you're online, everything screams instant and incredible success. Lately I've seen ads with the headline, "Retire in 12 to 18 months".

All you need to do is cram an entire worklife into that time frame and then retire...to the grave.Get rich NOW...Make money NOW...But the real question has to be: What do YOU want?I'm sorry to say I'm not rich (sometimes sorrier than others), but the lifestyle I'm constantly developing more than makes up for it. Besides, I can't retire in 18 months. I have a Boy Scout camping trip with my son penciled in.With two boys, a dog, a cat, a wife and a household to keep together to boot, is the editor of WAHumor to hang on to his sanity by showing how insane the work-at-home community can be. Work at home? You deserve a laugh! Subscribe at WAHumor-subscribe@topica.comSend something WAHumorous to WAHumor@yahoo.comDo both and enter our monthly drawing!.

These contain the virgin pixel captures straight from high-end digital cameras, prior to any conversion to RGB or any subsequent processing/encoding. You will need someone skilled to handle them, though. 2. Properly tagged RGB tiff images -- again, a skilled operator will be needed for best results. 3.

CMYK tiffs prepared by a knowledgeable photographer. When feasible, separations should be prepared from the raw camera files, using the commercial printer's own printing profile settings if available, or at very least using Photoshop's "U.S. Prepress Defaults" with appropriate print environment settings (i.e. coated, uncoated, Web, sheetfed, newsprint, ink density, etc.). Mike Davis, the author of the said article, is the founder of Colorprep.

He specializes in making digital camera color separations look their best, serving printers, graphic designers and photographers. He is fully experienced with color preparation on any sort of printed work, be it adwork for publication, sheetfed commercial work, newsprint publications, as well as for backlit displays, outdoor boards, and the likes. In 1982, he underwent training at E. I. DuPont for direct screen color separations.

In 1992 he joined Baltimore service bureau Graphic Detail, Inc. in order to get in on the upcoming digital revolution and say goodbye to rubylith, paste-ups and opaqueing. Lately Mike recognized the coming demise of film in commercial photography and the lack of qualified prepress operators able to bring out the full potential of the new digital camera images. After studying color management from a prepress operator's viewpoint, Mike went solo in 2003. If you want help to achieve excellent colors in you prints, contact Colorprep.

He can also be reached by calling (410) 549-5564 or by visiting www.rgbcmyk.net.Preferably, images should be scaled to your layout and sharpened for the specific print conditions. You may even ask for the full size CMYK or RGB tiffs without the final press sharpening or any significant press gain compensation for later use at other sizes. To avoid discrepancies, deal only with prepress who understands the basics in color management, hardware calibrated displays and proper working environments. Skilled personnel secure the quality of your photos so you'll be assured of your precious memories..

The research can be completed in less than 10 minutes. To participate in the survey please visit http://www.interunitygroup.com/infrastructure .For additional information contact Richard Sneider of the InterUnity Group http://www.interunitygroup.com - 978-287-4480. Confidentiality - Individual responses will remain strictly confidential. About the InterUnity GroupThe InterUnity Group is the leader in applying Technology Intelligence to improve business performance. Recent clients include Fidelity Investments, Monster Worldwide, McKesson, Oracle, Gartner, and Sun Microsystems.Quality Measurement and Vendor RatingsInterUnity monitors the quality of vendor products and services.

The InterUnity Customer Satisfaction Index (ICSI) analyzes Customer Loyalty, Product Quality, Product Reliability, Customer Service, Business Performance Impact, Licensing Policies, Upgrade policies, User Expectation, User Satisfaction, and Customer Referral Level. BenchmarkingThe InterUnity Technology Knowledgebase (ITK)measures the impact on Business Performance of Information Technology decisions from over 2000 companies across 24 industries. The ITK enables companies to rapidly benchmark and demonstrate the value contribution of IT within their company. The ITK answers the following questions: - What is the business value being delivered by Information Technology? - How to deliver more with the same budget? - Which business areas are under-served and which vendors should be considered? - What best practices should be utilized? - Which applications or technologies are under-funded? InterUnity Research Reports- Enterprise IT Vendors: Cost, Expectation, and Satisfaction, 2004- IT Outsourcing Growth Rate to Slow, Sneider, Richard M., Research Brief, InterUnity Group, 2004- Emerging Trends in On-shore and Off-shore Outsourcing, Sneider, Richard M. et al, 2003- Optimizing Business Performance: Using IT for Competitive Advantage, Sneider, Richard M.

et al, 2003.