Showing posts with label Communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Communication. Show all posts

Home Network - How To Set One Up

A home network is very easy to build. Most modern homes have any number of computers, printers, faxes, music systems and devices. These are increasingly being integrated so that each device can 'talk' to all the others and interact with them. While many of the possibilities are still being explored, the best place to start for the average person is with a home computer network.

Basically, if you have more than one computer in your house you can connect them, with ethernet cables or wirelessly, so that you can share your internet connection, share files and operate peripherals such as printers from any terminal.

As well as more practical advantages, having a home network is also ideal for leisure activities like gaming. As the technology advances, it is now becoming possible to hook networks up to gaming consoles, music speakers and even televisions.

However, for the purpose of this article we will just start with the basics. The two main choices when setting up a home network are a cable network or a wireless network. These are fairly self explanatory. Wireless networks are increasingly becoming the norm these days and are very handy if you have a notebook so you can connect from anywhere in the house. Wireless also has the advantages of having no cables cluttering your home. However, if you want to simply connect two desktop computers, using an ethernet cable could be a cheap and easy option if you do not have wireless.

Wireless networks are extremely inexpensive, you can hook up a few computers for less than $200. The great part of wireless networks is that all computers on the wireless network can use the same internet or other resources such as a scanning machine and printer. So if you are looking for a great way to share data and resources among your home computer, choose to build a home network.

If you don't want cords running all over the place, you can easily get rid of them with a wireless home network. Wireless home networks are extremely simple to set up. You only need a wireless router and a wireless networking card for each additional computer you would like to hook up. Most wireless networks can send and receive data lightning fast at megabytes per second.

Connecting two computers

The most basic exercise in networking is simply connecting two computers. This is very simple if you do not have an internet connection. So long as the two computers have networking interfaces you can simply connect using an ethernet cable.

However, most computers produced within the last couple of years have Wi-Fi. If so, an ad-hoc wireless network can be created between the two computers by configuring both terminals to ad-hoc mode. This is pretty simple to do in both Windows and OSX.

Similarly, if the computers have Bluetooth or infrared capabilities you can create a basic network, although transfer speeds can be slow. Of all these options, the cable network will provide the best transfer speeds. However, Wi-Fi speeds are improving all the time.

While there is only a limited amount you can do with a basic two-computer network, it is good practice if you have never set up a network before.

Setting up a network router

If you wish to incorporate an internet connection into the network, as most of us do, you will need to set up your home network with a router. This will also allow you to add more computers to the network as well as peripherals.

However, this process is a good deal more complex. Nevertheless, it is doable and is a skill that is well worth having. Once you do this once it will be will be a breeze the next time.

While cable routers are still commonly used, wireless is the way of the future so we will concentrate on wireless routers for this article. Before you start, you should have a few things to hand. Your computer and your router, of course, instructions for your wireless router, an ethernet cable, and your ISP's contact details.

Your first steps are to plug in and turn on your router, connect it to your modem and to your computer (it is best to connect your computer and router by ethernet cable for the set-up process).

Now, you can use your browser to connect to your router's built-in installation software. The urls http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.0.1 will usually open up your router's administration page. You do not need an internet connection for this. If this doesn't work, consult the router's instructions.

Log in to the administration page using the router's provided username and password, usually 'admin' and 'admin' by default. Now you will have to enter the following information:

- Internet connection information
- You may have to input PPPoE information
- You may possibly have to change the default MAC address

If you run into difficulty here consult your ISP's instructions or contact them. They will be able to guide you through this process.

When all the information has been inputted, save it. You should be ready to go now. All going well, your computer should have received an IP address from the router. Try opening your browser to see if you can address to some websites, any websites will do.

If you can access these websites you can unplug your cable and now connect wirelessly. Any other computers, notebooks and other wireless devices should also detect the signal and connect without any problems.

You now have a fully functional wireless home network. Be aware though that your network is most likely open and accessible from any computers in range of the signal so you should take steps to secure it. There is plenty of excellent information available on the internet on how to do this.

How Wireless Technology Improves Human Standard of Living

Wireless fidelity, or WiFi, is an amazing technology that allows you to network your computers, office, home, etc. without the need for wires. This makes networking so much easier and less messy because wires are not used. The computers simply connect to the network via radio signals. Because of this easiness, many businesses, schools, malls, restaurants, cafes, stores, airports and other businesses have set up wireless hot spots that allow anyone to log onto the network. This is amazing for individuals that need to be able to work from any location, however there are some disadvantages because hot spots can be used by unauthorized users if not adequately protected through different security safeguards.

You can detect the presence of a tiny speck of anthrax in a vast public space, or count the fish in a 4,000 square mile area. You can hear a gunshot hundreds of yards away and use your super-powerful vision to zoom in on a criminal as he tries to escape. You can look in the eyes of a person you've never met, and tell me her identity.

Best of all, with every passing day, your superhuman senses grow stronger. You acquire new ones, too. No, you didn't get bitten by a radioactive spider or exposed to gamma radiation. You're not a mutant X-Man.

You are just lucky enough to be alive during the birth of a new class of computers, called sensors. They are multiplying faster than chocolate stains at a nursery school birthday party.

In the time it took me to write this far, the human race deployed thousands of new sensors into the world. Some are old-hat sensors like burglar alarms and smoke detectors. But others extend and supercharge our senses in ways that seem ripped out of the pages of your favorite comic book.

If a tree grows in the forest and no one is there, does it make a noise? Sensors are being added to forests - often to study the behavior of wild animals - and the answer is a resounding yes.

Sensors called drifters have been floating on ocean currents for several years now, sending back information not only to researchers but also to elementary school classrooms. In the process, we are learning immense amounts about our oceans and climate.

Thanks to sensors, Air Force pilots in Colorado Springs now control drone planes that run bombing missions in Afghanistan; the pilots' biggest problem is coming home to a normal family life at 5 pm, after operating in a war zone.

Sensors extend your senses to the very little, and the very distant. They can detect pathogens at the molecular level, and monitor the Earth - or other planets - over vast distances. Pictures from satellites show the impact of human development on places such as Mexico City, Las Vegas and the Amazon.

Never before have you - or any other human - been able to see in such detail how our world changes from one day to the other, or one year to the next.

Changes are impacting the growth of the superhuman senses:

1. Sensors are increasingly becoming wireless, which means they can operate almost anywhere
2. We are figuring out how to get sensors to use very small amounts of power, or even to generate all the power they need from their environment (i.e. solar power, or power from natural vibrations)
3. Sensors are shrinking rapidly
4. Sensors are being networked together

Altogether, these changes mean that sensors will literally be woven into the fabric of our world.

Think of a new Internet of sensors, which will extend your senses in ways that are difficult to imagine. Do you know where your children are right now? Soon, your answer will always be yes.

In fact, it's already a mistake to think that Google only searches web pages. Through the web, you can already access millions of sensor readings, from radar screens and satellite imagery to sensor data from nature preserves such as Great Duck Island

If you have ever read a comic book, you know that gaining superhuman powers will change your life. Peter Parker didn't come home with new spider powers and go on with life as usual. These powers turned his life upside down. Likewise, these new powers will change the course of human history. Quickly.

Sensors will reveal the truth about our history, environment, interactions, and universe. Just look at NBC's Olympic coverage, and you'll get an idea what I mean. They can now superimpose one ski racer's run over his competitor, so you can see precisely when and how one racer got the edge. No more vague generalities; we can now see 1/100ths of a second differences between two performances.

Knowing the truth excites some people, and terrifies others. Just ask Superman what it's like to have x-ray vision. Sometimes it's pretty depressing to know the truth.

Take a moment and look around. In less time than it will take the Yankees to win another World Series, sensors will be in your clothing, walls, pets, vehicles and body. Of course, you may be an early adopter, in which case all of these are already true.

Bluetooth Wireless Networking

Bluetooth technology offers three distant types of primary ranges, based on crop ranges. Class 1 devices are the most controlling, seeing they importance own up to 100 mW of aptitude, reserve a regular antenna giving them a compass of around 130 - 330 feet.

The class 2 devices are lower dynamism, offering up to 2. 5 mW of skill. A regular antenna will gift them a scale of around 50 - 100 feet. Class 3 devices usability polished less qualification, up to 1 mW of competency to betoken exact. Stash a regular antenna, they will obtain a scope of around 16 - 33 feet.
Rolled though you may not catch on existing, Bluetooth wireless technology has never been intended for person other than short distance types of communication. Shroud Bluetooth wireless, the short area is all a gain.

For one, the short reach will cut the quarters of monkey wrench between your devices and those that belong to others who are nearby. Overall, this is a basic type of security, designed to protect you and your devices.
Secondly, the lower competency used for short compass means a longer battery oomph. Most Bluetooth devices will arouse their gift from a battery, suggestion that element you amenability halt to never cease the battery enthusiasm is very same material.

The wireless networking offered by Bluetooth is in truth among the highest, identical though palpable uses short scale communication. Bluetooth is used shadow wireless controllers, the internet, and even wireless headsets.
For the best in short range technology, Bluetooth is extremely hard to beat. If you ' ve never tried Bluetooth before, now is the time. It ' s the best with wireless networking, especially for those who enjoy hands free talking on their cell phone.

Other wireless technology such as Garmin GPS utilizes complex wireless systems that let you know where you are, on any place in the world.

Internet Fax Services

Are you interested in Internet fax services? The advantages of web fax services are many and subscribing to internet fax services is worth the money you spend on it. This article will help you to know all about internet fax services, advantages of online fax services, and what online fax service providers can offer to their customers.

Using internet fax service is an easy way to send and receive fax messages over the internet. Online fax services provide great advantages to its subscribers at affordable rates. By subscribing to internet fax services a customer can send and receive fax messages from anywhere at any time - what one need is a computer, an internet connection and an email ID.

Most of the internet fax services companies provide a paid service and a free service. The difference between these two is that if a customer needs to utilize all the features of an online fax service he/she need to subscribe for a paid fax messaging service. Free services are offered with various limitations such as only receiving faxes or sending a limited number of faxes.

The advantages of using web faxing are that the users can send and receive as many faxes simultaneously or send all faxes instantly. Another major advantage is that, the there is no complexity of a conventional fax machine and those never-ending paper jams. The technology is quick and even cheaper than traditional fax messaging. So why spending time and energy with the traditional fax machine - subscribe for an online fax service now!

The main advantage of internet fax services is that online fax technology makes sending and receiving fax easy and fast. One can even use the service even if he/she does not have access to POTS (Plain Old Telephone) as the internet fax services act as an intermediary to handle the fax sending and receiving process. This allows the users to send and receive faxes, especially those marked with “URGENT” anytime they want.

Using internet fax services is quite easy, the technology is similar to email services to a certain extend. To start using web fax services, first you need to subscribe with an internet fax service provider. The service provide assigns you a unique internet fax number. Same as email ID, this is the address to which other users can send in their fax messages. The subscriber also has to create an email id in the service provider domain, in order to send and receive faxes. This is where the users are supposed to type their messages and it is where the incoming fax messages will be delivered by the service provider. Once the user sent the fax message, the message will be dispatched to the service provider's server, where it is converted into a suitable file format before eventually forwarding it to the recipient's mail box or fax machine, whichever is applicable.

With online fax service you need not have to worry about providing an extra space for you fax machine. Internet fax services can save much of your office space and you can use utilize internet fax services to handle all of your specialized communication needs.

Internet fax services can save your hard earned money to purchase expensive ink cartridges or having the funds to pay the office supplier to send the faxes for you. You can send the fax messages at the convenience of your home or office. The maximum infrastructure one may require is a computer, a reliable internet connection and an email ID.

Sending internet fax message is quite easy. What a user has to do is to simply type the message in the text space of the electronic mail and press the send button. The fax message will be transfer the network based server of the service provider, where it is converted into a suitable file format before eventually forwarding it to the recipient's mail box or fax machine, whichever is applicable.

Online fax facility is offered by several companies - most of the companies ask the users to join in any of their monthly subscription packages. There are also several companies which offer free internet fax services. In free online fax services, the user cannot enjoy all the advantages or features offered in a paid internet fax service. That is there may be limitations such as only a specific number of fax messages per month or the user can only receive messages. Therefore, selecting a paid online fax service will be better for the user to enjoy all the benefits of internet fax service.

Web faxing or email faxing is an efficient technology which bridges the gap between traditional fax machines and web based communication. Internet fax services eliminate the operational cost and complexity of using fax machines and provide the users the flexibility and easiness to send and receive fax messages. After all, internet fax service is another communicating tool which makes life easier.

Choosing A Voice Recognition Software

A voice recognition software allows the user to use their voice as an input device so they can dictate text directly into the computer as well as give the computer commands such as open, save or close. Current software has come a long way from the first voice recognition software that was available.

The older software used discrete speech which meant distinct pauses had to occur between words. Current software uses continuous speech voice recognition and is capable of recognizing speech up to 160 wpm. It uses what is called a neutral net to learn to recognize voices. Accuracy has improved a great deal in the past few years.

When shopping for voice recognition software be sure to have the answers to these questions:

1. What operating system is the software compatible with?
2. What amount of memory is required?
3. What speed of processor is required?
4. What type of learning curve does the software have?
5. Will it work with existing word processing software?
6. Does it come with a microphone?
7. How fast is it?
8. Will you need a USB microphone?
9. Is it macro capable?

There is quite a variety of Voice Recognition Software packages currently on the market. Here are just a few to check out.

1. Conversa Messenger - A desktop messaging system for small businesses that allows you to access your voicemail, e-mail, and faxes by voice. It's easy to use and has continuous speech recognition.

2. Dragon Naturally Speaking Essentials - For ages 9 and up; it provides an introduction to continuous speech recognition with a vocabulary of more than 250,000 terms and 160,000 active words.

3. Dragon Naturally Speaking Professional - Allows you to dictate up to 160 words per minute, launch applications, complete forms, and do other complex tasks. Dragon also has specialty programs such as Medical Suite and Legal Suite.

4. Eloquently Started - Designed for physicians for producing medical records. It comes complete with a sophisticated database and is designed for producing detailed medical reports quickly.

5. Realize Voice - Uses the Whisper speech recognition engine that requires no training, although you can train it to improve its vocabulary. It can open and close windows and carry out basic task functions.

6. Interactive Voice Assistant IVA - This assistant will not only let you talk to it, it will talk to you; and you can tell your assistant what to do in English. It is capable of dictating email, sending, replying, searching the Internet and carrying out other basic computer tasks.

7. Micro Intro Voice II - A complete voice input and output system with an accuracy rate of more than 98%. This is a powerful piece of software and it's available for large or small networks.

8. ViaVoice Millennium Pro - It uses continuous speech and is capable of desktop navigation; inputting, editing, and formatting text; proofreading; and direct dictation. There are also legal and medical dictionaries available.

These are eight of the voice recognition software choices, but there are many other excellent programs. Do a quick search online and you'll have lots to choose from. Do your research and ensure the voice recognition software you choose will meet your needs.

Digital Voice Recorders

Dictaphones or Digital Voice Recorders (DVRs) are ideal for recording voice memos, interviews, conferences, meetings and phone conversations. The term Dictaphone is a brand name that refers to the version that uses cassette tapes to record, as opposed to the newer Digital Voice Recorders (DVR) that the save the audio to memory.

Digital Voice Recorders are available in various capacities depending upon the length of recording time, which depends upon the internal memory. Another factor that effects the maximum recording time is quality setting of the recording. Digital Voice Records give a superior quality setting for absolute clear recording with lower quality setting. Lower setting uses lower sampling rate, and that's why less memory. This results in leaving more space for other recordings. As a result poor quality setting will permit maximum recording hours, while good quality setting will just allow few recordable hours.

Many Digital Voice Recorder companies advertise the maximum hours a device can record. At highest quality setting, this device will show poor results. So do not go with advertisements.

Digital Voice Recorders are extremely convenient and handy. You can go with them to any lecture hall, conference hall or even to a exhibition, it will help you recording all data. The memory of Digital Voice Recorder is fixed, means memory have no moving parts. In the case of cassette recorders, you need to rewind the cassette but with Digital Voice Recorder, you are free to listen just after you had completed your recording. Here rewinding is not required in Digital Voice Recorder. Upon finishing recording, you just need to press play to listen your recorded data immediately. Search, tracking, pause, and play through any recorded files are all general features.

Files in a Digital Voice Recorder are saved with a numbering form with a date-and-time stamp. Most of Digital Voice Recorders have four to five folders where you can store your messages and memories in a recorded voice format. Digital Voice Recorder can also include important functions, which will permit you to transfer messages from one folder to another, deleting messages and splitting messages.

How To Buy Dictaphones and Digital Voice Recorders

Digital voice recorder is a small hand-held portable device, which is used to record voice memos into the memory chip, and play memos back. It can be used to record conferences, conversations or lectures. Any standard Digital Voice Recorder can not be used to record music as their sampling rate is lower than what is normally required for good quality musical reproduction.

Digital Voice Recorder (DVR)
- Use your USB port to save typing time by directly transferring audio files from your DVR to your computer

- With the DVR there is no need to rewind; when you finish recording you simply press the play button to playback immediately

- Each audio file you record to your DVR is automatically saved under a number with a time-and-date stamp

- The DVR usually has between 2 to 5 folders to separate audio for better organization

- Some DVR's allow you to move messages between folders and split or delete messages

- You won't cause a distraction during meetings or conferences changing tapes and you won't miss anything important whilst doing so

- Some DVR's come with software that automatically converts the voice file to text for easy transcription

- Newer DVR's have expandable memory and come with external memory cards. Look out for this as it gives you more flexibility with recording time and makes it easier to download audio to your computer

- The DVR is normally powered by 1 or 2 AAA alkaline or rechargeable batteries

Cassette Tape/Dictaphone
- Choose between Mini, Micro or Standard; Mini cassettes (15min per side) hold half of the content of Standard and Micro (30mins per side)

- Cassette Tape Dictaphones can be played on any player that takes the respective size

- With digital you only have a limited amount of space to store recordings (if you have no external memory card) - whereas with a cassette tape Dictaphone you can simply exchange tapes if you run out of room

- Battery life is longer in a Dictaphone than a Digital Voice Recorder

- A Dictaphone is a cheaper alternative

- There is no digital storage on a Dictaphone cassette tape

- Reuse the cassettes - you can buy a machine that automatically erases micro and mini cassettes

- Many come with equipment specifically for recording phone conversations

Desktop or Portable Voice Recorder?
Desktop DVR's or Dictaphones are generally cheaper and are ideal for recording phone conversations or are used in conjunction with transcription software. There are numerous models of portable Dictaphones varying in size and ability, but are all ideal if you are on the road or need a Dictaphone or DVR for times of inspiration.

Push Button or Thumb Slide Recorders?
Push Button Cassette Recorders usually have the ability to insert dictation but it can be very difficult to find the point you want. With the Thumb slide switch it is much easier to review and control with rewind review capability, rewind, insert, play and stop.

The Mode
There are three levels of recording quality and differing recording times. The longer the recording time the lower the quality.
- High Quality (HQ) - 43 mins approx.
- Short Play (SP) - 65 mins approx.
- Long Play (LP) - 121 mins approx.

Advertisers usually display the longest recording time, so keep in mind that the Dictaphone or DVR will record at less than half of that on high quality. This is particularly important for DVR's, as the higher quality mode uses much more memory and you don't want to be halfway through a meeting or interview and find you are out of memory.

There are usually two levels of sensitivity available on a Dictaphone or DVR. LOW is the best for dictation, as the microphone tends to be uni-directional in this mode and will focus on your voice. HIGH sensitivity picks up sound in all directions along with unwanted background noise.

Dictaphones and Digital Voice Recorders: Other Features to Consider

- Voice Activate System (VAS) - Dictaphones or DVR's with VAS will automatically record when they hear your voice (or other sound) without having to push any buttons. Great for when your hands are tied up.

- Alarm - to remind you when to record or a timer that you can set to automatically record between two times

- Tie clip microphone - for hands free recording

- Earphones - for play back when you do not want to disturb others

- Rechargeable batteries and a battery level indicator

- Microphones can either be built in or detachable. If you want your Dictaphone or DVR for a higher quality of recording such as music, then look for one with a microphone jack

- Speakers - most are built in but some models have detachable speakers that can be used for presentations.

- Digital storage - some come with more than others

- Hands free or foot control - keep your hands free for typing or playing an instrument

- Automatic backspace - automatically reverse the desired number of seconds for input or playback

Transcribers and Docking Stations
All digital transcription systems require you to use a foot pedal connected to your computer. This enables you to transcribe files from your Dictaphone or DVR from audio to text by listening and typing a few seconds at a time. Docking stations make it very easy to download the files you have recorded to your computer. Some docking stations also recharge the batteries on your recorder, which is ideal if your Dictaphone is in high use.

Some Digital Voice Recorders include USB capacity to download a voice file to the computer. Latest models include software, which can automatically convert any voice file into text. This facility is very useful for easy transcribing. Some model can use flash cards (externally) to increase internal memory. This feature is known as expandable memory. Digital Voice Recorders are generally powered by rechargeable batteries or 1-2 AAA batteries.

Bluetooth Technology

If you have recently purchased a cellphone you may have been told whether or not your device was Bluetooth capable. Bluetooth technology enables a completely wireless headset that attaches onto the ear of the user. It allows the user to communicate hands free with no additional wires. Bluetooth technology prides itself on being very secure and having privacy as one of its main focuses. The device looks almost space age like something out of Star Wars since it fits directly on the ear and is very small like most advanced technology.

Bluetooth comes equipped with a 2.45 GHz which is a tranceiver that sends and receives in an unused frequency. It is able to be accessed around the world. Also, each bluetooth has its own 48 bit address. The connections are in the format of point to point or multipoint in nature. The furthest range allowed is ten meters at this time, so it is a short range wireless device. Data travels at a speed of one megabit a second.

Why Own a Bluetooth?
The most obvious reason to own a Bluetooth is for the ability to talk hands free while moving around or driving. Many state are beginning to implement traffic laws that forbid the usage of cellphones without a hands free device. Bluetooth technology will become all important for people that are on the go that need to reach the home or office while driving. Not to mention they are very convenient while shopping at the supermarket and one forgets what they were supposed to purchase. It allows the user to call home to find out what needed to be purchased.

Using The Bluetooth
Bluetooth is by far not just to be used as a hands free device for a cellphone. In addition, Bluetooth can allow for the exchange of information between multiple devices such as: digital cameras, GPS receivers, laptops, mobile phones, PC's, printers, and video game consoles. The communication passes through a secure, short-range radio frequency. It is licensed on a global level.

In the United States, Bluetooth gets positively no esteem. Bodily is however, becoming new and added accepted in notebooks, PDAs, and especially cell phones. Bluetooth will give wireless users a conduct to transmit inconsequential amounts of data over short distances.

Soon, Bluetooth is diverse stiff competition from unseasoned wireless technology. Referred to in that UWB or Ultra Wideband, true promises data transfer of up to 480 MB a second - bout most current Bluetooth devices transfer data up to 721 KB a second.

For the stage being, Bluetooth devices are just so cropping up. Below, we will regarding at some of the accessories offered stifle Bluetooth technology. Language to the dashboard
When pairing legitimate squirrel a cell phone, the CCM Dispirited Gi joe car utensils becomes a tremendous speaker phone that plugs into the turn adapter of your vehicle. The
din cancelling microphone will lower inwardness din efficiently, hole up the sizeable buttons forging adaption the speaker country a snap. Although the Glum Gi is far from blue or sleek, corporal 's veritable practical.

Embryonic tuning box Part MP3 actor and fraction hands for free phone, the compact and lightweight Sony HBM - 30 is an attractive gadget that lets you accept calls lie low little
traverse of your tunes. When you amuse an inpouring call legitimate will automatically discontinue your tune, therefore you speak into the built in microphone that you boundness lethargic around your glance or pair to your garb.

The pen
With Nokia ' s SU - 1B digital pen, you albatross conception and cause hand written notes in ink on a major pad therefrom transmit them from the pad to your Bluetooth phone. Being an option to typing on a cell phone keypad, the pen is bona fide handy, although a pricey tool from MMS fans.

Snapshots
If you hunger to throw together slide shows salt away your camera photos, the Nokia SU - 2 double viewer will lease you disply your pictures on a TV or projector. Aptly hook this square gray device to your TV ' s input shroud the built in cable, then beam the pictures to the SU - 2 from your Bluetooth enabled phone and the photo fest will begin.

This device is a snap to set up and use, although it displays resolutions of up to 640 by 480. If you have a newer phone that takes high resolution photos, you won ' t be able to use the Nokia SU - 2 image viewer.

Keep in mind, the 640 by 480 pixel photos will appear blocky on TV screens, no matter what you do. If your phone can send batches of photos, you can create a slide show - although Nokia claims you can use sequentially beamed shots as well.

Support Vector Machines (SVMs) Classifiers

There has been an increased applications of statistical methods in different fields and for different purposes in the past years. These differences made the deficiencies of the existing methods apparent. However, it was not until the Internet became a hit in 1990 that the dissatisfaction with the then current statistical methods considerably grew since the methods are proving to be more and more disadvantageous. This eventually incited the diligent search for a more innovative statistical approach that can be used in classifying large amounts of information.

In the early 1990s, Vladimir Vapnik along with a group of other mathematicians and scientists developed a new statistical approach that is more efficient particularly in dealing with large classification problems. This new approach was called “Support Vector Machines” (SVM).

What are Support Vector Machines you ask? This is a mathematical procedure that makes it possible to teach a computer to classify large amounts of data. The results are said to be more reliable compared to using the old statistical methods. A support vector machine is an approach for building functions from a set of labeled training data.

To fully understand how a support vector machine works, it is imperative to also understand some basic factors first. Classification is normally associated with training and testing data that is made of certain data instances. Each instance in the training set hold one "target value" (class labels) and numerous "attributes" (features). The main objective of a support vector machine is to create a model that calculates target value of data instances in the testing set that are only given to attributes.

A support vector machine has two main functions. The first one is that it can be a classification function (wherein the output is binary: while the input is in a category). Meanwhile, the second function is that it can simply be a general regression function.

With regards to the classification function of support vector machines, it basically works by searching a hyper surface in the space of possible inputs. This hyper surface will then try to split the positive examples from the negative ones. The split will be selected to have the largest distance from the hyper surface to the nearest of the positive and negative examples. Naturally, this would make the classification accurate for testing data that is near, though a slightly different from the training data. There are numerous ways to train support vector machines and the simplest and fastest method is called “Sequential Minimal Optimization.”

The output of a support vector machine is of an irregular value, and not a subsequent prospect of a class given an input. However, there are recently created algorithms that could map support vector machine outputs into posterior probabilities.

Support vector machines classifier are powerful tools, specifically designed to solve large-scale classification problems that are often encountered when classifying text. For instance if you look in a one of the document that belongs to a large group of documents that is actually a related set, if you consider all the words found in the entire set, you will find more words missing from the document compare to the number of words found in the document. This is classification problem is called the sparse data matrix. Classification problems such as large number of documents along with a large number of words and the sparse data matrix, needs a classification engine that can obtain a much faster and more efficient result.

As with everything else in the market, support vector machine classifier can also be obtained from the Internet nowadays. A quick search in the net will provide you with a various system and method that could help you build fast and efficient support vector machine classifiers that are suitable for different problems, particularly ones that are related to large data classification problems such as classifying pages from the Internet as well as other problems related with sparse matrices and large numbers of documents. Though most method may differ in their make up, they have one common factor and that is all of them utilize a technique called the "kernel trick" in order to apply linear classification techniques to non-linear classification problems.

There are some methods that impose upon the least squares nature of such problems, and use the exact line search in its customary process then uses the conjugate gradient method that is suitable to the problem.

However, support vector machines are not without its share of drawbacks. One problem in support vector machine classifier is the lack of computer memory that are needed for support vector machine handling of the data normally caused by text-intensive problems like the ones found in classifying large numbers of text pages found on the Internet.

One solution that has enhanced the ability of computers to learn to classify such data is called “chunking”. Chunking refers to the process wherein the problem is broken down into more convenient pieces that are within the means of the available computer resources. Examples of chunking decomposition techniques used to decrease such problems for support vector machines are the SMO and SVM Light.

However, there is one disadvantage here though. The speed improvement is only moderate, particularly for designing classifiers like the ones needed for web pages that usually contain the largest and most difficult text problems. Keep in mind that speed is imperative. Therefore a support vector machine classifier design that is considerably faster and with a precision that corresponds to the existing classifier engines is needed in order to decrease the training time of support vector machines.

Regardless of the occasional drawbacks, a support vector machine classifier is still a tremendously powerful method of acquiring models for classification. It provides a mechanism for selecting the model structure in a natural approach that offers a low margin for error and risks. Support vector machines classifier has truly become significant tools in today's modern society. Is it any wonder why mathematicians and scientists alike are still continuously searching for new ways to further improve these new learning machines?

Frequency Considerations for Recreational 2-Way Radios

If you are in the market for 2 way radios for personal use, you have an immediate and important choice to make: What radio frequency band do you require?
The 2-way radios obviously utilize 'wireless' communication methods so when using a 2 way radio you are transmitting and sending your message through the air -- the same air that is currently carrying television signals, commercial radio signals, Ham radio signals and literally thousands of signals from other private 2-way radios. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the job of controlling all of these communication signals so they don't run into each other; to accomplish this they have reserved frequency bands for use by certain types of communication (signal sending) devices. There are two frequency bands in use for recreational 2 way radios, these are called Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS).

In 1996, the FCC reserved a set of radio frequencies they called the Family Radio Service (FRS) band, specifically for short-range 2 way radios (radios that operate no more than 2 miles away from each other) with a small power output (up to 500 milliwatts or one-half watt).

About fifty years before the FCC created the FRS band they had reserved a set of frequencies for higher power 2 way radios that operated over a longer range this is the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) band. The GMRS band is for radios with a power output between one and five watts and a range over 2 miles. The FCC regulates the 2 way radios that operate on the GMRS band and requires users of this type of radio to obtain a license and pay a fee. The GMRS license is good for five years and costs are charged. The license must be obtained by an adult (the radios operating under the license may be used by minors but only with the licensed adult's knowledge and permission).

When buying 2-way radios, your choice is between a set of radios that operates only on one of these frequency bands or a set of radios that is able to operate on either one of these frequency bands. This determination will obviously have to be made based on the maximum distance the radio users will be from each other. If the radios are to be used within two miles of each other, FRS will be the best (and least expensive) choice. If a greater distance is consistently required, 2 way radios that operate on the GMRS frequency band will be required. If the need for distance is uncertain or if you want the option of occasionally transmitting up to five miles a FRS/GMRS hybrid is the radio set to choose.