What is OEM?

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) refers to companies that make products for others to repackage and sell. Resellers buy products from these companies in bulk, without the costly retail packaging and customer service that comes with individually sold units. The product itself is essentially the same as more expensive, retail-packaged versions. OEM products are used in many industries, but are perhaps most prevalent in electronics.

How These Products Are Used

Generally, dealers of OEM products add something of value before reselling the merchandise. A vendor that does this is known as a Value Added Reseller (VAR). A VAR might build components, sub-systems, or systems from parts made by other manufacturers. These goods give VARs a wide range of creative marketing choices, which helps smaller dealers remain competitive in a marketplace.

Multiple VARs Working Together

OEM products can be utilized at several different levels of an industry. For example, assume a fictitious company, "Head Music," makes popular sound cards, but wants to introduce a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) drives to the marketplace. Not making DVD drives themselves, they enter into a contract with another company to supply drives to them. "Head Music" receives the manufactured DVD drives in bulk, affixes their own logo to the players, and then bundles them with their sound cards and repackages them as "Head Music DVD Drive and Sound Card."

Taking this a step further, another company can act as a secondary VAR and use Head Music's DVD and sound card package to build Personal Computer (PC) systems for sale. They contact Head Music and enter into a contract to buy the DVD and sound card combos in bulk. Head Music now acts as an OEM for this new company.

They ship bundles to the PC company, which acts as a VAR, without expensive retail packaging and at a substantial savings. The PC company installs the packages into their PCs, along with other products like motherboards and hard drives. Even the Operating System (OS) usually comes from a different manufacturer, for example a version of an OS from Microsoft®. When the VAR is finished, they offer a PC with brand name components and software at a competitive price.

Product Labeling and Tracking

OEM hardware and software often have different product numbers than retail packages, though manufacturers and resellers still track these products internally. Reseller and retail versions of software function essentially the same. There can be some differences, however, such as a software program tied to a particular component in a computer, allowing it only be used with that pre-built system and no other computers.

Warranties and Customer Service

The public can often purchase OEM hardware and software at a substantial savings. Hard drives are typical examples of these products, purchased in an anti-static wrapper without a box, cables and manual. The warranty is generally the same, with software drivers, digital manuals, and additional support available online, when not provided with the product itself. 

Some products, however, do have shorter warranties. This is true of some computer processors, for example, where the retail version carries a three-year warranty, but the OEM version includes only a one-year or 90 day warranty. Manufacturers provide support and warranty details with products, which should be read by anyone considering using them. A VAR that uses these products typically offers its own warranty on the items it sells, rather than coverage from the manufacturer.

What is the Difference Between http and https?

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) is a system for transmitting and receiving information across the Internet. Http serves as a request and response procedure that all agents on the Internet follow so that information can be rapidly, easily, and accurately disseminated between servers, which hold information, and clients, who are trying to access it. Http is commonly used to access html pages, but other resources can be utilized as well through http. In many cases, clients may be exchanging confidential information with a server, which needs to be secured in order to prevent unauthorized access. For this reason, https, or secure http, was developed by Netscape corporation to allow authorization and secured transactions.

In many ways, https is identical to http, because it follows the same basic protocols. The http or https client, such as a Web browser, establishes a connection to a server on a standard port. When a server receives a request, it returns a status and a message, which may contain the requested information or indicate an error if part of the process malfunctioned. Both systems use the same Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) scheme, so that resources can be universally identified. Use of https in a URI scheme rather than http indicates that an encrypted connection is desired. 

There are some primary differences between http and https, however, beginning with the default port, which is 80 for http and 443 for https. Https works by transmitting normal http interactions through an encrypted system, so that in theory, the information cannot be accessed by any party other than the client and end server. There are two common types of encryption layers: Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), both of which encode the data records being exchanged. 

When using an https connection, the server responds to the initial connection by offering a list of encryption methods it supports. In response, the client selects a connection method, and the client and server exchange certificates to authenticate their identities. After this is done, both parties exchange the encrypted information after ensuring that both are using the same key, and the connection is closed. In order to host https connections, a server must have a public key certificate, which embeds key information with a verification of the key owner's identity. Most certificates are verified by a third party so that clients are assured that the key is secure. 

Https is used in many situations, such as log-in pages for banking, forms, corporate log ons, and other applications in which data needs to be secure. However, if not implemented properly, https is not infallible, and therefore it is extremely important for end users to be wary about accepting questionable certificates and cautious with their personal information while using the Internet.

What are Network Devices?

Network devices are components used to connect computers or other electronic devices together so that they can share files or resources like printers or fax machines. Devices used to setup a Local Area Network (LAN) are the most common type of network devices used by the public. A LAN requires a hub, router, cabling or radio technology, network cards, and if online access is desired, a high-speed modem. Happily this is much less complicated than it might sound to someone new to networking.

In a network, one computer is designated as the server, and the others, clients. The server is connected to an external hub, which the clients are also connected to. Now that the computers each have one foot in a common electronic door (the hub), they can use the hub to pass signals back and forth. To direct these signals, the hub contains a device known as a router. The router is the equivalent of an electronic traffic cop that handles data traffic between the computers.

Sounds good, but how does the router know one computer from another? The answer is that every computer in the network must have a network card installed. These network devices each contain a unique address. In a hard-wired network, special cabling called Ethernet runs from the network card to the hub. In a wireless network the network cards and router/hub communicate using radio waves.

Network cards identify themselves on the network, sending all requests to the router with the unique return-address included. The router reads the “To” address and “From” address, and routes the traffic accordingly. In other types of networks all requests made on the local network are broadcast by the router to all machines on the network, but only the machine with the matching address responds, however this isn’t as secure because other machines can trap traffic that is not addressed to them.

Online access is optional in a local area network, but if included, a single online account can be shared by all computers on the network. When online access is available, the router not only directs traffic on the local network, but also handles requests made to the Internet and subsequent replies. The router acts as a gateway to the Internet, and also serves as a hardware firewall to keep unsolicited traffic from flowing back into the network from the wild.

One can add online access to a LAN by either attaching a router/hub to a high-speed modem, or by acquiring a high-speed modem that has a router/hub built-in. The high-speed modem must be compatible with the online service. Most modems are designed specifically for use with DSL, cable or fiber optics, though some models might be made to work with more than one technology, such as being DSL and cable compatible.

When setting up a LAN all network devices must be compatible. If building a hard-wired LAN using Ethernet cabling, the network cards will be designed with an Ethernet port. If building a wireless LAN, all network devices must not only be designed for wireless use, but must speak the same wireless language or protocol. As of spring 2009 the fastest and most current protocol available is 802.11n, while the older protocol still in widespread use is 802.11g. The router/modem and network cards must all be compatible with the same protocol to communicate with one another.

Wireless network devices can also carry Wi-Fi® certification, guaranteed to be fully compliant with the standards or protocol(s) that the product supports. Wi-Fi certification comes from the Wi-Fi Alliance, the organization responsible for developing wireless protocols. Many wireless network devices are marketed as being compatible with one or more protocols, but lack certification. The guarantee might be an important consideration when setting up a business LAN, but probably isn’t a concern for home LANs.

Know About EVDO,What is EVDO?

EVDO is a protocol for high speed wireless broadband. Also known as EV-DO, 1xEvDO and 1xEV-DO, it's one of several major Third Generation (3G) wireless data standards. Mobile devices that use EVDO technology can upload and download data quickly, and the technology is always "on" whenever there is a signal from the wireless tower. Unlike a WiFi® connection, a device with EVDO does not need to be near a wireless hotspot; instead, the cell phone can itself become a hotspot and share its Internet connection with other devices.

Officially, the name defined by the Telecommunication Industry Association for this technology is "CDMA2000, High Rate Packet Data Air Interface." The acronym EVDO is short for "Evolution, Data Only" or "Evolution, Data Optimized," a reflection of the fact that it is the next evolution of the earlier Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CMDA2000) family of wireless products. The EVDO standard was developed in 1999, but the protocol has been upgraded since then to improve its speed.

3G and CDMA

3G is designed to transmit voice and high-speed mobile data to people on the go. Several competing technologies are involved in the development of 3G networks as technology companies work on the best way to handle the mounting demand for wireless services around the world. Many firms invested in the development of 3G networks and technology use the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) approach, which has proved highly effective with mobile phone networks.

The biggest obstacle to implementing high speed wireless networks is the lack of bandwidth, or range of usable frequencies. Just as only so many radio stations can be squeezed onto the FM dial, only so much data can be transmitted across the available bandwidth. As the user load increases, the available frequencies tighten, and users can experience delays, dropped data, and other problems. Thus, providers have been working to find ways to use bandwidth more efficiently without sacrificing clarity and quality for their users.

How CDMA Works

CDMA uses advanced mathematical techniques to allow multiple wireless devices to transmit simultaneously on the same radio frequency. Every device, such as a cell phone, is assigned a unique mathematical signature. Transmitters apply this signature to the original signal and send a modified version. A receiver applies the inverse of the mathematical operation to recover the original signal.

The term "CDMA" is used both to refer generally to a channel access method and to the specific technologies that use that method as a backbone for radio transmissions. The intended meaning is usually clear from the context. CDMA2000, for example, is a data handling standard that uses CDMA technology.

How EVDO Works

Traditional wireless networks create a direct path between receiving and sending devices, much like traditional telephone networks. EVDO instead breaks data into individual packets, the same technique for data handling used on the Internet. Each packet is sent independently of all the other packets. This saves bandwidth for use by other devices; when neither party on a phone call is speaking, for example, the connection consumes no bandwidth. When an Internet site is accessed, no bandwidth is used until the site starts sending the web page.

The original EVDO protocol, called Revision 0, has a theoretical throughput of 2.4 megabits per second (Mbps). This is as fast as many wired DSL and cable broadband connections currently available in the United States. The upgrade to Revision A increases speed to a theoretical 3.1 Mbps. A third upgrade, to Revision B, was released in January 2010, although it is not fully deployed; Qualcomm, the developer, predicts download speeds as fast as 14.7 Mbps in some situations.

Qualcomm has produced impressive demonstrations of EVDO's capabilities. In one, a video conference was conducted with a participant traveling in a car at 60 mph (96 kph). Transferring the large amounts of data required for video conferencing is a major challenge, especially at such speeds. In another demonstration, a phone call was placed from a bullet train moving in excess of 150 mph (240 kph).

UMTS and HSDPA

The biggest challenge to EVDO has been the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). UMTS — which is sometimes known by the name of its radio interface standard, Wideband-CDMA (WCDMA) — uses larger bands for data transmission. This approach can be less vulnerable to interception and jamming than some other wireless technologies. Data transfer speeds are slower than with EVDO, however, with speeds of up to 2 Mbps.

HSDPA, which stands for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, was built on WCDMA technology, but with a number of significant changes in the way that data is handled. This protocol is considered 3.5G or enhanced 3G, a step above 3G but not quite fourth generation. HSDPA shares one transmission channel between multiple users, and schedules data transfer to take advantage of the best possible conditions; this means that data may be sent to multiple users at the same time. Different speed versions of HSDPA are typically available to consumers, with download speeds ranging from 1.8 Mbps to 21 Mbps or higher.

How Does This Affect Users?

An advantage of EVDO is that it uses the same broadcasting frequencies as existing CDMA networks. As purchasing spectrum from regulatory agencies is extremely expensive, this brings down the cost of building and using new networks. HSDPA, while offering faster download speeds with the higher levels of service, may also be more expensive for the consumer.

Mobile Internet users should remember that what standard is used for transmitting data is usually dependent on the network; a cell phone from Verizon in the US will have access to EVDO, for example, but not HSDPA. Users who will be traveling in foreign countries with wireless devices may want to check to see if they are supported on a given network. For frequent travelers, it may be advisable to consider investing in a device that will work reliably on international networks in order to avoid problems with dropped calls, inability to send data, and other issues.

As new wireless standards develop, the quality of wireless services tends to improve. Various options are not available in all areas, and may have differing rates of performance. Newer technologies can come with unexpected kinks and service plans may be more costly. Early adopters can also find it difficult to access technical support and assistance, as technicians may not be as familiar with the products they are using.

Know About Dual Core Technology

Dual core technology refers to two individual microprocessors on a single die cast chip. This is essentially two computer processing units (CPUs) in one. The advantage of a dual core chip is that tasks can be carried out in parallel streams, decreasing processing time. This is referred to as thread-level parallelism (TLP). 

TLP is also possible on motherboards that can accommodate two separate CPU dies. When TLP is accomplished in a single CPU through dual core technology, it is called chip-level multiprocessing (CLM). 

In dual core CPUs, each microprocessor generally has its own on-board cache, known as Level 1 (L1) cache. L1 cache significantly improves system performance, because it is much faster to access on-chip cache than to use random access memory (RAM). L1 cache is accessed at microprocessor speeds.

Dual core chips also commonly feature secondary shared cache on the CPU, known as Level 2 (L2) cache. Motherboards may also have a cache chip designated as Level 3 (L3) cache. While faster than RAM, L3 cache is slower than cache built into the dual core chip.

Dual core technology has advantages over double-core or twin-core technology. These latter terms refer to two independent CPUs installed on the same motherboard. Dual core chips take up less real estate on the motherboard, have greater cache coherency, and consume less power than two independent CPUs. However, dual core technology also has its drawbacks.

For software to take advantage of dual core architecture, it must be written to utilize parallel threading. Otherwise, the program functions in single-core mode, using just one data stream or one of the built-in microprocessors. Unfortunately, coding for TLP is quite intensive, as interleaving shared data can create errors and slow performance. Because of these and other issues, a dual core processor does not deliver twice the speed of a single-core processor, though there is a significant increase in performance under optimal conditions. Finally, dual core chips run hotter than their single-core cousins.

Whether a dual core processor is right for you will depend on what you plan to use your computer for. If the programs you regularly require are designed for TLP, then you may benefit greatly from a dual core chip. If not, you may be better served by a high-end single-core CPU.

What Is FLAC?

FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec, a leading compression technique that preserves original audio quality while reducing file size. FLAC is an open-source, royalty-free format that has been adopted widely for its many advantages in digital audio reproduction.

Compression techniques take large files such as wave (.wav) files and reduce the data bits while preserving as much of the audio landscape as possible. A well-known audio compression format is MP3 (.mp3). MP3 files slim down bulky wave and compact disk (.cda) files to a fraction of their original size, making MP3 an ideal format for portable audio players. The MP3 format allows a vast library of songs to fill a very small storage footprint. However, there is a trade-off in audio quality.

FLAC surpasses MP3 quality by preserving the original soundscape in exact detail. The FLAC format reduces the original file size by roughly 30-60% with no loss of quality, hence it is a lossless format. This differs from the MP3 format which is a lossy format, or a format that loses quality in the conversion process.

One of the great strengths of FLAC is its very fast decoding time, or ability to stream even on modest hardware. Technical specifics in the framed architecture also allow it to be error resistant, in that each frame has the information it needs to decode itself. If a frame is corrupted, the data lost in the stream is a mere blip. 

This differs from other types of lossless formats where the entire stream would essentially become corrupted.

Another feature of FLAC is that it can handle up to eight channels of audio for preserving surround sound recordings. FLAC is also a good choice for archiving audio CDs, as one can always use the FLAC file later to convert to future formats. A further advantage of FLAC is that it supports replaygain, a technique for ensuring that recorded sound files play at the same volume level. 

The only real disadvantage of FLAC files is that the compression ratio is not as steep as other codecs. Files will be somewhat larger. However, with all of the advantages of FLAC, this is a happy trade off for many audiophiles. 

Considering the falling prices of flash cards, portable players, and storage devices, the FLAC format will likely only gain support. FLAC files can play on iPods® with installation of the open source firmware replacement, Rockbox (though this might affect warranty). FLAC files can also be played on other portable devices and on home or auto compact disc players that support the FLAC format.

Top 5 Antivirus of Year 2012 for Windows

Get rid of the fear of viruses, Trojan horses and other malicious attacks harming your Windows. In this all new year of 2012 we suggest you some of the best antivirus of year 2012 for your PCs after surveying  and studying their performances in detail. Their efficiency and smart performances are quit evident with their user ratings.

Best Antivirus of 2012

Avast Free Antivirus

Avast Antivirus is not new to any of us but it certainly has got some new improved features in its new upgraded version of Avast 6 , an excellent security suite with user friendly interface makes it one of the most popular and top rated Antivirus. The only change is the addition of the Additional Protection tab to the left nav area, which hosts the new AutoSandbox and WebRep feature controls.

AVG Antivirus Free Edition 2012

AVG’s new version has done justice to all the three requirements of fast scanning, great performance and easy to operate  for proving itself one of the best Antivirus software programs. A slight change in the interface of the year 2012 is the one fix-button for automatically repairing security breaches and a yellow X appears when your computer is at risk and disappears as soon as it is repaired. There are a couple of more improved  changes like patent-pending technique for identifying one of the most obnoxious threats to ever reach your computer, to assure your safety in this better version of AVG which you can find out following the site.

Norton Antivirus 2012

Norton Antivirus is one of the oldest, most trusted and no doubt one of the best antivirus of 2012 widely used all over the world. This is the new and improved version of it making the levels of your computer security higher and better. It helps you blocks the spywares, malicious threats, viruses, bots and worms and keeps your computer virus free. Its new rapid pulse update feature keeps your computers security updated with every minute. Its blocks all the browser exploits and you can now surf and download without the fear of harming your windows.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2012

Rated # 1 by Toptenreviews.com, BitDefender gets the gold award by becoming the best antivirus of 2012. It should be the best choice to spend your bucks for getting this in your computers. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2012 is an ultimate silent security plan for your computers which keeps all the spywares, viruses and also take cares of your twitter and facebook profiles from privacy threats.

Kaspersky Antivirus 2012

Kaspersky is another good choice to invest in and get excellent results in terms of your computer security from all the malicious threats and viruses. It keeps you updated with all the internet emerging threats and viruses and keep working very minute to update your computers security.