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TV Guide Magazine USA – July 14 2014 (23MB)

TV Guide Magazine tells you what’s worth watching. With its unparalleled access and authority, it’s the only publication devoted exclusively to television. It includes celebrity interviews, in-depth previews, sneak peeks and authoritative reviews from critic Matt Roush.<img alt="mediafire magazines download" class="aligncenter" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHv5cCUuGQ5NWSPBQ49sN_Xv-qc3l3yC-HtIncOv9ddoWii7mLh26tcNgNbMCh4aiTi6YF6iuOv7OanvFNHUMYByph4JwYdbPlytZQ6E0zcUwqFeFlSylJBRf05i6MChX6iCnSm9yM4MHE//" title="mediafire magazines download" width="400">TV Guide Magazine USA – July 14 2014English | 116 pages | True PDF | 23MB<img alt="mediafire magazines download" class="alignnone" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBo3oXdftOdZ7Hu0rDdkJuOlPQ-cq8PRh13Ne1lc_CBDS-9uY6xe1ftGSLpxrMvE2FnEtYiOOaaK2t8-KqM5G8wpyeNZ-seiC-OP_FNBeiUcbuJvCgBTqJXaphFpcnCCpt7otH3XRVAZO//" title="mediafire magazines download" width="154"> <img alt="mediafire magazines download" class="alignnone" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGfEFPyRNcjXP5_BeAxLiLhyXI4KQP7rRgpyWWTgiNCUadEobbaLgW-u8GjEq_plLTC5Z2pH2wR-dKJWiIJK3YHnQ2LCm5saDDZpFJjmZqGmLM3n5WGlJR_YTEX_xrJW9YSMg9tgHx_pb//" title="mediafire magazines download" width="154"> <img alt="putlocker magazines download" class="alignnone" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFd0Vfi2ycu_oojEBOm33XzqL-OaAT3TJ0d8VzU_xfW8lLvTmUuJuQyLDkXvA-ctXpf2UxwoYxwAUDF7eow86QahPqeoMWKyoWj8RZAAbCcaq5EtYXm4OkClikL8ZYEriwJ0fXzNBXVNgV//" title="putlocker magazines download" width="254"><img src="C:\Program Files\ABS\Auto Blog Samurai\data\My first blog !\Magazine\loading.gif" title="Processing your request, Please wait..."> Processing your request, Please wait.... <a href="http://magazinesdownload.org/tv-guide-magazine-usa-july-14-2014-23mb/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the original article here</a>

TV Guide Magazine USA – July 14 2014 (23MB)

TV Guide Magazine tells you what’s worth watching. With its unparalleled access and authority, it’s the only publication devoted exclusivel...

Buyers Guide to Parental Control Software

The Internet is now part of our everyday live and people are learning more about both good and bad sides of the internet. Everyday almost we hear stories about predators looking for children on the internet in chat rooms on social communities as MySpace. Parents are more aware that there are lots of information, pictures and people on the net that can be harmful for children out there on the on hate site, pornographic site and etc. Then there is the problem of kids overusing the internet and developing internet addiction and therefore not showing up for school, getting bad grades and quitting their sports and hobbies.Parents want to guide and watch their children but at the same time know they cannot be there all the time sitting with them when they are online. So even though parents are aware of the danger of the internet, talk to their kids and monitor them at home, parents know it is not possible to be the one that keep them safe all the time on the internet. They also know even if they trust them well, there are accidental search that can lead to harmful and material even they are not looking for it. So deciding on buying parental control software is considered a logical and responsible step more parents are taking.Buying parental control software could be something you just take few minutes in doing. You sit down in front of the computer, "Google" some right words for it, press a link and buy a product. At the same time there is not certain that best software's are those that will appear in top ten of Google search and you might be want to consider thinking what do I want my parental control software be able to do for me?You could start buy asking other parents what they are using and asking for their experience. You could also try to browse around test look at their sites and read about that software; even send email to the sales apartment. You should check if the software has a 15 days trial period so you can test the software. Check for things like is the software being updated, which is very important in this day by day changing online world were dangers of the internet is always changing and software that the parental control software needs to work with is also updating and changing.The biggest question you need to ask yourself when deciding on buying <a href="http://www.responsiblesurfing.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">parental control</a> software is the function of it. What do you want the parental software to do for you? Parental control software do not all have the same features and possibilities and you should therefore spend some time on thinking "what kind of parental control software do I need" Most of them will do different things for you and you may need different things for best safe surfing in your family. The possibilities are enormous. Let's go over few things parental control software may have in their toolbox, so for you to use it in your buying guide you can look for those things you want to have when browsing through parental control website doing your own parental control software review.Filtering: Does the software have filtering option? Most software will filter (pornographic filter, hate site filters, making bomb filter, violence filter etc. sites for you, but you may want to think how and how much control you have over the filtering system. 1. Does the parental control software have a database of blocked and family friendly sites? 2. Does the software allow you to create additional filtering list of sites you want to block? 3. Does the software have ability for you to only allow certain sites you choose and filter all other sites? 4. Does the software have a allow list have the ability to allow sites permanently and therefore overriding all other filtering system. 5. Does the software have dynamic content filter that block sites based on the content on each site you open?Blocking software: You may also want to know if the parental control software is also blocking software, allowing you to block software's you may think is harmful.1. Does the software Block p2P file sharing like e.g. torrent software that are often used to download illegal software, music, movies, games and adult material?2. Does it block chat programs?3. Does the software block games that are considered more addictive e.g. MMORPG games?4. Does the software allow you to choose additional software from the computer and block it?Monitoring Software: You may want to check if the parental control software allows you to monitor the overall use of the computer and give you a good report on what has been happening. Does the software monitor all keystrokes that will enable you to read what has been written on the computer based on the software the words were written in? You may also want to have a screen shots recording in the software to able you to see how what has been happening in a form of picture of the screen. The screen shots recording is also good as a proof if something bad happens, e.g. Predator harassing the child, or some other child bullying the child on chat application. With screen shots you have a proof of what has happened after these incidents. Some software also has email monitoring of incoming and outgoing emails. Last option you may want to check for if the software monitors all cut and paste-ing on the computer both picture and text.Time control software: This is a feature that can be extremely important in avoiding the computer will take too much time from school work, friends, sports and possibly preventing internet addiction. You may want to look closely into if the software allows you to specify how many hours a month, week and per day. You may want to control differently at what time of day and different between weekdays and weekends. At last the possibility of controlling some specific behavior such as applications or watching movies could be an option you want to check forProtecting Privacy: The internet is a dangerous place for kids with predators lurking in chat rooms the importance of protecting privacy is important factor in buying a safe surfing tool as parental control software. Therefore a software that allow you to block user for sending out private information as address or phone number and/or take screen shots and notify you when private information are being sent from the home computer.Alerts and Reports: <a href="http://www.responsiblesurfing.com/articles/15/default.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_new">Parental control software</a> is not as useful if it never tell you what is happening. Good report system is important to go over the computer use and good alert system that notify you in an email or SMS can be extremely important to be able to get alert as soon as something bad things happen.There are many other factors to look for, how easy to use the software is, is it doing what it is supposed to do, what kind of support can I a get and does the website provide me with some other useful tools or information's. There are of course other things as well to look for as does the software provides me with specific tool for specific things I am aiming to avoid or control. These specific things could be related to e.g. all the emerging internet addiction, that is gaming addiction prevention, gambling addiction prevention, pornographic and cybersex addiction prevention. Are there some helpful tools for younger children or older children .You may also want to look at how sure am I of being able to control the computer and my kid's not just get around the software. You want to choose a software that is password protected, can be set in stealth mode and stop others from changing anything in the computer control panel.Most important thing is to take your time searching, reading, asking, testing and in the end when you are happy choosing the right parental control software.			 			 				Bjorn Hardarson is a clinical psychologist with ten years of therapy experience, around 15000 therapy sessions. For more information on buying parental control software he recommends <a href="http://www.responsiblesurfing.com/" target="_new">http://www.responsiblesurfing.com</a>

Buyers Guide to Parental Control Software

The Internet is now part of our everyday live and people are learning more about both good and bad sides of the internet. Everyday almo...

Software as a Service - A Guide to Transforming Your Software Product into a Service

There is growing market demand for more economical and efficient enterprise applications to an ever-expanding global market. The combination of the ubiquitous Internet and the availability and legitimacy of open source software is creating substantial opportunities and economies for software vendors to deliver Software as a Service (SaaS).Software as a Service is a model in which the software vendor provides an Internet hosted version of their application (in house or at a managed 3rd party site) that is accessed by customers from the website and paid for on a per-use, per-project or subscription basis.The SaaS model offers significant benefits to software vendors and their customers. The SaaS model offers customers cost-effective subscription-based or per-use pricing, eliminating the need for substantial capital outlays to purchase perpetual software licenses. It also eliminates the initial outlay and on-going costs and risks of installing, supporting and maintaining in-house hardware and the associated IT staff. In addition, user access and application performance can be dramatically improved with Internet-based, on-demand, 24x7 systems. The SaaS model opens new markets to software vendors. Established software companies can broaden their market reach by offering SaaS solutions to small and midsized enterprises. Other benefits include the financial advantages of predictable recurring revenue streams and strengthened relationships with customers. Software vendors migrating to or developing products from the outset as SaaS offerings will have a significant competitive advantage when competing with traditional license-model vendors.Realizing the benefits of the SaaS model may require fundamental changes to a software vendor's business model, software architecture and operational structure. This white paper provides an overview of the issues associated with the software application itself and the development considerations associated with moving to a SaaS model.Time is of the essence. As with any new business model, the rewards often go to early market entrants. Accelerating the time-to-market of your software deployment is critical to your business success. Outsourcing product modifications to implement your SaaS offering, with the assistance of an expert services team, and engaging an optimal on-demand service delivery firm will accelerate your time-to-market and insure an on-time, on-budget, on-scope implementation.The Challenge of Transforming Your SoftwareWhile there are a multitude of benefits in providing Software as a Service, traditional software companies may face challenges in moving to this model. First, your software must be web-enabled with all functions carried out by the user using a web browser. If you have a client-server application, you must replace the functionality implemented in the client with HTML, and possibly other technologies (XML, Java, etc.), that can be displayed by a web browser over the Internet. Next, in order to gain operational efficiency, your software needs to be multi-instance. You move from single-instance to multi-instance by loading multiple copies of your software on a single set of servers. Multi-instance enables you to share the cost of a server across multiple customers. Additional productivity enhancements and economies may be gained by moving to multi-tenant SaaS, or replacing proprietary commercial software with open source software. Web services provide an opportunity for integration with other applications and data flows.Single Instance ApplicationsTraditional client/server applications are single instance. They require software to be installed on the user's computer to carry out computations and provide functionality. Clients often implement highly interactive features and enable the user to manipulate large amounts of data. This can be very difficult to implement in a traditional HTML, request/reply web application interface that requires frequent page refreshes. Migrating from client/server to an Internet-based SaaS model is highly dependent on your specific application.Today, new Rich Internet Application (RIA) technology is available from Macromedia, Laszlo Systems and others that give web applications the look-and-feel and functionality of a desktop application or client. RIA requires little or no software be installed on the user's client computer. The most that is needed is a small browser plug-in or Java applet. This fundamental change to the user interface converts your client /server application to a single-tenant web application.Web applications may be single instance or multi-instance. A single-instance web application is typically installed on dedicated servers in the customer's data center and used only internally, behind the firewall. At installation time, your software is configured to consume whatever system resources are needed and available on the computers.When a web application is offered as a service over the Internet, it should be hosted in a professional data center. This will minimize costs and delivery high quality service to your customers. If you have a single instance application and more than one customer, one approach is to install a new instance of your software on a dedicated server for each customer. This may work for a few customers or some big accounts, but it does not scale effectively for large numbers of customers. It also cannot be used for small and medium sized customers that cannot afford the set-up costs.Moving from Single to Multiple InstancesAn alternative to individual customer dedicated servers is to install multiple copies of your software on a single set of servers. This is called multi-instance. Multi-instance enables you to share the cost of a server across multiple customers. Most business applications use a database and each additional copy of the software installed requires a new database instance as well.Installing multiple copies of your software on one set of servers may not be as easy as it sounds. Installation procedures need to be modified so that each instance is installed without disrupting resource allocation or the security of the other previously installed copies of the software.There is a limit to the number of instances that can be installed and eventually system resources will be consumed. System resources include shared memory, process semaphores and other internal operating system parameters. So the question becomes, "How many copies of your software can you install on a server?"Obviously, you can keep installing instances of your software until resources are exhausted. However, you must also consider the performance of the system under load by users. Typically there are a maximum number of simultaneous users your software must support and minimum performance or response time requirements that must be met to satisfy customer commitments.An accurate answer to the "How many copies of your software can you install on a server?" question is derived by testing the software as you add additional instances. This is best done with automated testing software tools that can simulate the desired number of users placing a load on the system.The testing process is to determine the optimal number of instances and the resulting performance. This is accomplished by installing additional instances of your application, and carefully monitoring system resources and running user load tests using variable traffic modeling to determine the point at which returns diminish.This process of maximizing the number of instances on the servers can take one to three weeks depending on the size and complexity of your system, the quality of your installation process whether you have already created automated user load testing scripts and procedures.Minor code changes may be needed to move to multi-instance. For example, if your application reads and writes a file with a hard-coded filename and location on the disk, then the file must be created in different locations for each instance to avoid conflicts between each instance. These problems will be discovered and changes will need to be made during the one to three weeks.Next Steps - Improving Functionality and Reducing CostsOnce your software is running effectively as a multi-instance SaaS application, you may want to pursue a multi-tenant architecture. In a single instance, multi-tenant architecture, multiple customers share a single instance of your software. Migration from multi-instance to multi-tenant can be a significant project and may even require a rewrite of your application from the ground up. The efficiencies gained in moving to multi-tenancy need to be closely examined. You might find your resources better spent in other ways.Another possible step would be to focus on driving costs out of your model. Many applications have dependencies on expensive proprietary databases and/or middleware. Significant savings can be realized by migrating to lower cost or open source alternatives. An investment here might provide significant savings in operating costs that would be transparent to your end users and very beneficial to your bottom line.You might also consider adding web services for inter-process communications. This will be particularly appealing if your application is part of a workflow with information passing-to or gathering-from another application. Designing with web services in mind will minimize long-term integration requirements.A Single Instance, Multi-Tenant Web ApplicationSoftware companies have created web applications for over ten years now. These are often installed on the Intranet of a customer and only used internally, behind the firewall. This single instance of the software is used by just one customer. This is both single-instance and single-tenant.You saw above how you can install and test your software to make it multi-instance -- having multiple copies running on one server. However, each copy is a single-tenant web application.Single-tenant web applications can be modified to support multiple customer tenants on the same instance. Multi-tenant web applications minimize the amount of hardware needed to support multiple customers. Also, customers can self-provision their use of your software by signing up for an account and entering payment information. This minimizes, and often eliminates, the amount of support needed to set up a new customer.One of the modifications to support multi-tenant is the creation of a user interface for user provisioning of accounts in the system. Another modification, depending on the requirements for integration with other enterprise systems, is an LDAP interface for convenient provisioning and administering of user accounts. Modern database technology can enable quick duplication of the data model so each customer has its own copy of each table in the database. This is an elegant way to keep customer data separate when stored in the single database instance used for the service.Templates for configuration of the software should be provided to accelerate customization and adoption of the service by new customers. Templates support various scenarios of system usage by customers.A system management dashboard showing system use by all tenants may be required. A mechanism must be available to measure system usage for purposes of billing as well as monitoring system load. Administrative accounts for customer support purposes may also need to be implemented.It may be necessary to enhance the reliability of the back-end, using database technology to implement parallel servers at physically distant locations, to ensure constant up time during periods of natural or man-made disasters.Maintaining Performance of Your Multi-Tenant Web ApplicationMulti-tenant applications must deal with several issues that are not as pronounced in single-tenant and client/server systems. Because multi-tenant systems are available over the public Internet, usage may be unpredictable. Therefore, demand planning must be done more carefully. The systems should be instrumented to detect increasing usage so additional hardware and bandwidth are provided to maintain service levels.Driving Down Costs by Moving to Open SourceMany software developers are agnostic about the application server and database software used by their applications. The customer often dictates these choices. If your customers want to use Oracle as the database, then you must support this popular choice. Your software must have modules to support each database technically. Business-wise, you pass along the cost of the database license to the end customer, if they do not already own a license.But what database should you choose for your software when it is offered as a service? There may not be a need for the technical features of an expensive commercial database. Moreover, the economics of offering your software as a service may preclude the expense of a commercial database license fee.Therefore, many companies converting their software to a service will choose one of the low or no cost open source databases available today. These database choices are now widely used and robust. Advanced features such as redundant clustering and automated backup capabilities rival those of commercial databases.If your application does not yet support one of these databases, a few technical issues need to be overcome. The format and syntax of most SQL used to access and manipulate data in a database is standard. However, almost every database vendor extends SQL and many applications use these extensions, such as special functions to modify and compare data. There can be many variations in how each database vendor treats cursors, triggers, data types and package variables. If you use SQL extensions in your application, you will need to recode these SQL statements to work with the target open source database.Migration to on demand delivery models works cohesively with bootstrapped technology deployment and investment. Even if the open source database software does not have all the features you want to have or if they run a little slower, you may have no choice economically when you first start offering your <a href="http://www.opsource.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">software as a service</a>. It may not make financial sense for you to invest tens of thousands of dollars in a commercial database license while you can only charge a few hundred dollars per subscriber. Over time, as your subscriber base grows, you may choose to switch to the commercial database. Until you can afford it or activity levels grow to high levels, open source database solutions may be your only practical solution.Another relatively expensive part of your software is the license required for a commercial Java application server. This is another category of software where several open source options exist. Generally, conversion over to an open source application server is relatively straightforward. All must comply with the specification for Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and your code should not need any modifications.However, there are differences in how you install your code in the application server. The installation and set up process is well documented for all open source application servers. You must modify your installation process to accommodate the requirements of the application server you use.Again, the business case is clear. A huge community of users has made open source application servers a safe choice. The cost of a commercial application server is difficult to justify when you are just starting out offering your software as a service. As with the conversion to-and-from an open source database, you can always switch back to a commercial application server as your subscriber base grows.Web Services For Data Transfer and IntegrationWhen customers install your software in their own data center, behind their firewall, they are able to integrate the software with other applications and data sources. When you make your software available as a service over the Internet, then integration is not as easy. Authentication and encryption must be provided to enable safe data transfers.The most popular approach to data transfers and integration over the public Internet is with web services, the SOAP protocol and WSDL. If your application has an Application Programming Interface (API) in a native language like Java or C++, you will need to create a web services interface that uses the API to communicate with your software and enables bidirectional data flow with the external world using SOAP.Time to MarketTime is of the essence. As the new SaaS model is adopted, early entrants will have a significant advantage. Evolving your application to web-enabled, multi-instance will allow you to become a SaaS player quickly. Time to market issues should be considered when deciding whether to partner with experts or pursue migration and infrastructure development in-house.The Advantages of Outsourcing Software DevelopmentOutsourced developers, who are experienced with SaaS, can help you move forward quickly in migrating to this new model. They can provide installation and load testing to determine the optimal set-up for your multi-instance configuration; adapt your software to migrate from multi-instance to multi-tenant; or develop a multi-instance or multi-tenant application from your client/server application.Importantly, an outsourced developer can modify your existing software product without disrupting the flow of new features and enhancements that your present customers expect. With a managed outsourcing relationship, you can continue to focus on your current business while outsourced developers are creating software to support your new business model. Outsourced developers will provide you both a cost and time savings in reaching the SaaS model.To take the competitive lead in your space by leveraging SaaS, you should consider working with experienced vendors to guide you through the process of transforming your application.			 			 				About John Rowell John Rowell is the Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of <a href="http://www.opsource.net/" target="_new">OpSource, Inc</a>. Over the past decade, Mr. Rowell has held senior management positions with leading managed hosting, telecommunications, and Internet services companies. He has extensive experience building, operating, and managing complex global IT infrastructure systems that are able to scale to meet dynamic business requirements. OpSource, the SaaS delivery experts, is focused on providing the operational infrastructure and ongoing services that enable software companies, On-Demand businesses, and Web applications providers to deliver and maintain the highest quality Web-based solutions. For more information about OpSource, visit <a href="http://www.opsource.net" target="_new">http://www.opsource.net</a>

Software as a Service - A Guide to Transforming Your Software Product into a Service

There is growing market demand for more economical and efficient enterprise applications to an ever-expanding global market. The combin...

Get it Right the First Time - A Small Business Guide to Software Selection

IntroductionWhat to Buy - That is the QuestionBuying decisions are the essence of life in the commerce-driven 21st century. From everyday decisions like selecting lunch from a restaurant menu, to getting a new car, to major company acquisitions, much of our time is spent "buying".And these choices are anything but simple. Each marketer professes to be the sole champion of our consumer rights and pummels us with enticing advertising messages, about how their wares are "the best". Seductive as these messages are, no product or service is quite the same. The difference may be glaring - that of "better vs. worse", or a subtle tradeoff between price, quality, feature set, customer service, or durability.It is therefore important to keep our wits about & develop a systematic approach to the buying decision. Our view should be broad & farsighted, rather than buying based only on what immediately meets the eye. Hasty decisions leave us with flashy features never used, or hefty repair bills of products that came cheap.A good example of a systematic approach is when you buy a car. A myriad of factors are considered & weighed, which impact the owner for the next decade. This includes brand, performance vs. style, price, safety, terms of finance, mileage, maintenance, resale value & so many other factors.Selecting SoftwareIn our new "wired" modern reality, software is no less important than products & services in our everyday lives. Whether it's a personal email program, chat software for instant connection, collaboration software to organize scattered employees, or an ERP implementation to manage company processes - there's no surviving without them!But we're somewhat more used to buying products & services than software, which is a relatively recent phenomenon. In many ways, selecting software is no different from selecting a product or service. Although intangible, software, also address a very real need, on which personal & professional success often depends. Naturally, some of the same purchase factors apply - brand, service, & maintenance costs.In spite of the patronizing obviousness of the above, software selection is a grey zone; an underdeveloped arena. This accounts for the high incidence of "shelfware" - software that are bought with grand intentions, but end up on dusty shelves. This is because unlike products & services, it is not so intuitively evident that software have "life cycles" & need to be "maintained", "updated", & "repaired".Therefore, purchases are made based on what immediately meets the eye - technical features. This mistake is understandable, because technical features are well documented & advertised, & easy for the buyer to use as decision criteria. But with this approach, factors that are just as pertinent, but not so immediately obvious, get left out. Some research & serious thinking is needed to gauge these "hidden" factors.Key Factors To Consider1) Company History & ExperienceThe vendor needs to be sized up before we even go on to consider the software itself. Company background is essential because, unlike traditional companies, software companies are often small, & often beyond national boundaries. Since these companies would likely be handling our sensitive data, we need to do a background check. Some related questions are:How Long Have They Been Around?As in most cases, we can reasonably assume that past record is a good indicator of future performance. Important questions are - How long have they been around? How long have they been in the field? If they're offering business collaboration software, have they been in this industry long enough? Even if the software is new, do they have experience developing related software?What is Their Niche?Does the company know your niche well enough to know your needs? If you are a small/mid sized business, a company mainly serving the Fortune 500 is not for you. If you work from home, it is unlikely a solution serving large offices will meet your needs.The Ultimate Testament - The CustomerThe ultimate judge of software is its users. To get a true picture, it is important to look at how customers are using the software & what their comments are. Does their site include a client's list or page? Check out what customers say under testimonials, or you could even get in touch with the customers yourself for comments.DangersThere are certain things about the software industry that a buyer should be wary of. Software startups have shorter life spans than traditional companies & ride high on a success wave, but go "pop" when the industry bubble bursts. This was exemplified by the "dot com burst" of 2000. Whether the current spate of "Web 2.0" companies constitutes another expanding bubble which will inevitably burst is debatable, but it makes sense to be wary & bet your money on dependable companies with proven track records.2) CostThere's no denying the importance of cost effectiveness in buying decisions across the board. Yet costs should be seen in a broad perspective, because low entry costs may well result in higher total costs along the product's life.Features vs. PriceA cost-benefit analysis makes sense, & costs need to be compared with the software's range of features & functionalities. A document management system may not be the cheapest, but it may allow you to also set up a virtual office. Going for loads of features also constitutes a trap, because users never get around to using half of them.Needs vs. PriceAnother question is whether there is an overlap between features & needs at all. Many features may not relate to needs sought to be addressed. You should clearly define your needs, & classify features as "needed features" & "features not needed". Another possible scheme of classifying features could be "must have", "nice to have", & "future requirements".3) Ease of Use/AdoptionAn adoption & learning curve is involved with every new software purchase. It needs to be integrated with current systems & software, & the end users have to be brought up to speed using it. If the software is chunky & too complex, adoption resistance can occur.Ease of UseThe software should have an intuitive interface, & use of features should be pretty much self evident. The shorter the learning curve training a new user, the better. The software should also have the ability to easily fit into the existing systems with which it will have to communicate. For example, a collaboration software might allow you to use some features from your Outlook itself or even share Outlook data.AdoptionTo get a measure of "shelfware", i.e., software that is purchased but never used, some studies peg the number of shelved content management solutions at 20-25%. At a million dollars per implementation, that's pretty expensive shelfware! According to another study in the US, 22% of purchased enterprise portal (ERP) licenses are never used.No doubt, "Shelfware" is a result of ill thought out purchase decisions. These studies clearly underline the importance of making an educated purchase. One possible way to protect against shelfware is the new concept of software as a service (SAAS) hosted software. The software is hosted by its developer, & buyers have to pay a monthly subscription, which they can opt out of anytime.SupportNo matter how good a software is, there are bound to be times when one can't find out how to work a particular feature or a glitch crops up. Some software solutions may require you to hire dedicated support staff of your own, while others may be easy to use, and no specialized staff may be needed, and still others may offer free support. The cost of hiring support staff needs to be factored into the buying decision.Provider support may be in the form of live human support, or automated help engines. In case of human help, the quality of solutions, availability & conduct of support executives matter. Support can also be in the form of an extensively documented help engine, or extensive help information on the company site. This form of support is often more prompt & efficient than human help.TrainingTraining is another form of support which deserves special mention. Free training seminars or their new avatar - webinars (online seminars) - greatly help in getting up to speed with the software at no extra cost. In some cases the company might offer paid training, which may be essential, & hence this cost needs to be factored into the purchase decision.MaintenanceMaintenance costs & efforts have a major impact on the performance & adoptability of software, & hence form important criteria of the buying decision. In case the software is hosted at the company's end, it is of utmost importance that the software be available online at all times, or the "uptime". Uptimes are covered under the "service level agreement" & range from 98% to 99.99%. A minimum uptime of 99% is what one must look for.The company's upkeep is also important. Efforts to constantly improve upon the software underline a commitment to providing quality service. Are bugs fixed promptly & on an ongoing basis? Are they just releasing software & not updating it? One should develop a habit of keeping up with the company newsletter, release notes or the "what's new" section on their site. Periodic newsletters & a "what's new" section are indicative of a dynamic company.4) FamiliarityThe "feel" of the software is another important criterion. The software should keep with the basic layout & navigation schemes we are used to. This makes for quicker transition.One good way is to compare with the OS in which we would use the software. Does it have the same basic schema as the OS environment? A software with Mac schema on Windows wouldn't sit that well. Or we could compare it with other software which we are used to. If you are switching to a low priced solution from an expensive one, choosing software with a similar "feel" would make sense. Does it retain most of the main features you are used to?5) SecuritySecurity is a top consideration because he software company will likely be handling information critical to us - business, financial or personal. We need to be well assured of our data's security & there are no risks of it being compromised. This needs research, & the extensiveness of which depends on the sensitivity of our data.What safety features does the provider have?Encryption, or coding of information, is used by most companies to protect the integrity of their clients' information. There are different types of encryption, each of which is associated with a different level of security. DAS is one, once popular but now known to have loopholes. SSL 128-bit encryption is associated with top notch security. Password protection is another important facet. Is the software equipped to withstand manual & automated attempts to hack your password? The ability of the system to detect a hacking attempt & lock up in time is important.Data BackupIn extreme cases of system breakdown caused by a facility fire, natural disaster or technical glitch etc, it is important that your data is frequently & adequately backed up. Data backup should be frequent & adequate.Certain factors are to be considered in backup practices. The first is the frequency of backups. If there is a long gap, there is a possibility of data being lost in intermittent periods. Secondly, what are the security arrangements at the facilities where your data resides? Is it manned & guarded by security personnel? What other safeguards are in place? Is there a good firewall? What is the protection against virus attacks? What procedures are in place for disaster management?Track RecordAs with company background, a little research on the security track record makes sense. Has the company ever been vulnerable to attacks before? What were the losses? How did the company react? How many years has the company had a good record? New companies will have a clean record, but that isn't necessarily indicative of good security.The Server SystemThe server system where the sensitive data actually lies is very important. Is it state-of-the-art? The server infrastructure could be owned by the software provider themselves or outsourced to a dedicated company providing hosting solutions. Outsourced hosting is a good thing because hosting companies have extensive expertise & infrastructure for security, & this frees up the software provider to concentrate on the software itself. The company might not have an elaborate setup at all, running the software & processing data through computers set up in the garage somewhere acting as servers. This should get your alarm bells ringing!Conclusion - A Systematic Selection ApproachNow that we have discussed all the relevant factors in detail & have a better perspective of the subject, it is important to develop a systematic approach to analyzing these factors.What factors are important to me?Although all of the above factors are relevant, their relative importance may differ from customer to customer. For a company with deep pockets, price comes lower in the list. For a company using collaboration software to process business information, security is high priority. Again if a solution forms an important part of a company's business, it is important that it integrates well with existing systems. For dynamic industries like real estate, short training times are important.Know Thy SoftwareBy this step you would have selected software. But that is still not the end. For all our theorizing & researching, the software still has to pass its toughest test. Most software allows you a free trial period. It would be a good idea to seriously use this period to analyze the software.It is important to stay focused during this testing period because the impact is going to be long lasting. Follow systematic planning. Identify objectives & needs, develop a testing plan, lay out the timelines and designate people from different departments to try out different features. Set responsibilities & goals so that testers take their job seriously.THE DECISION!Don't hesitate to put the burden onto the company to prove itself. Let the company prove to you the features that seem important to you. For example, if security is of prime importance, ask the company to display how their solution scores high on security. Don't hesitate to call them if you have questions.Test their service levels to see if it lives up to their promises. If you submit a ticket, is it promptly responded to? Is a good solution provided? If the problem requires live help, do you get it fast enough? When you call in with a problem, is it a live person or an automated message you converse with?This is as extensively as you can analyze software. You're educated enough to make a choice which will most likely not fail you. You shall surely not be disappointed in your decision.			 			 				<a href="http://www.hyperoffice.com" target="_new">HyperOffice</A> - Robust Online Collaboration Solution

Get it Right the First Time - A Small Business Guide to Software Selection

Introduction What to Buy - That is the Question Buying decisions are the essence of life in the commerce-driven 21st century. From ever...

Real Estate Software - An Agent's Guide to Software

Each, day thousands of real estate professionals go online to research real estate software. But what is real estate software, and how can it help you improve your real estate business? These are the questions we will address here.What is Real Estate Software?When we talk about real estate software, we're actually covering a wide spectrum of software products. In general terms, real estate software is any software that helps you manage some aspect of your real estate business.The "some aspect" part of that definition is important, because to date there is no real estate software that will help you manage all aspects of your business. Instead, most types of real estate software are designed to help you manage a certain element of your business, like contract preparation for example.Various Types of Real Estate SoftwareBelow, we look at some of the most popular types of real estate software. As you will see, each type of software is designed to help you perform a certain part of your real estate business. Please note that this list is not all-inclusive. There are more types of real estate software than I could possibly cover in this one resource. So at the end of this guide, I've listed some additional resources where you can find any type of real estate-related software imaginable.Content Management SystemsSome types of real estate software are designed to help you manage property listings on your website. Basically, these are content management systems (CMS) that have been adapted for real estate purposes. A good example of such a program would be Realty Manager by Interactive Tools.Such programs allow you to add, edit or remove property listings (including house photos) within your real estate website -- without any knowledge of web coding. If you have listings on your website that require constant management, you can see the convenience of this kind of real estate software.Real Estate Contract SoftwareAs the name implies, this type of real estate software helps agents prepare real estate contracts. As you well know, contracts are a big (and often time-consuming) part of the real estate business. So anything that can streamline and simplify the process would be welcomed by real estate agents. That's what contract-management software strives to do.One of the best features of real estate contract software -- a feature you should look for when purchasing this type of software -- is the ability to create contract templates by pulling in required disclosures and other commonly used items from your city and state. This way, once you have the real estate contract software set up how you want, you would simply enter new client details and listing prices to generate contracts.Real Estate CMA SoftwareOnce again, the name tells you what this type of real estate software does. CMA software helps you prepare comparable listings / sales reports that you can show to clients. The biggest benefits of this type of software are time savings, professional appearance, and basic mathematical functions. CMA software will help you produce an attractive and informative CMA report in less time than doing it without software assistance.Contact Management SoftwareContact management software is not to be confused with contract management software. Though they only differ by one letter, these two types of software have nothing in common. Contact management software helps you manage your contacts, or client communications.Most of these applications are built around databases. You enter client information into the database (with details such as name, phone number, neighborhood of interest, etc.), and then you can easily search the data later.When choosing a contact management solution, look for one that allows customization of the data fields. You want the ability to create whatever info fields for each contact that's important to you. All of these programs will let you enter the basics, like name, phone number, address and the like. But what if you wanted to also label people with buyer vs. seller? Or by price range? Or by the neighborhoods they're interested in? You'll need this kind of flexibility, and any good contact managements solution should offer it.Real Estate Educational SoftwareThis is another popular type of real estate software. As the name implies, this kind of software helps you advance your professional education. The most common types of real estate educational software are the test preparation programs. These programs help you prepare for state licensing exams and other real estate-related professional exams. For just about every real estate exam you can imagine, there's a piece of software that can help you prepare for it.Virtual Tour SoftwareVirtual tours are extremely popular among real estate professionals these days. Home buyers love virtual tours, so when you add them to your real estate website, you've increased your website's value for your key audience. The only problem is, virtual tours are not an easy thing to put together. That's where this type of real estate software comes in.One way to create virtual tours is to have a virtual tour company do it for you. With this option, you shoot the photos or film footage yourself, and send it to a virtual tour company who creates the finished product. But for the more adventurous agents, there is also the virtual tour software path. Using this software, the agent creates his or her own virtual tours, using photos taken by the agents themselves.Real Estate Website SoftwareThis software covers a pretty broad spectrum. Real estate website software can help you with many aspects of your website, from creating graphics to capturing leads. But one product rarely does it all. Most types of real estate website software are highly specialized, performing a certain aspect of website enhancement.ConclusionSo we've seen that for every type of real estate business function, there's a piece of software to help you do it more efficiently and (ideally) more effectively. Does that mean you need all of the real estate software on this list? Obviously not. My advice is to look at the business functions where you spend the most time, and shop for a software product that can simplify that process for you.It's also a good idea to play around with different types of real estate software before buying. Most software vendors have either a free trial or an online demo through which you can judge the product for yourself. If you come across a software vendor who offers neither of these trial options, then keep shopping. When purchasing real estate software, always follow the rule of "try before you buy."* You may republish this article online if you retain the author's byline and the active hyperlinks below. Copyright 2007, Brandon Cornett.			 			 				Learn More The author has created an ehanced version of this article with links to related resources, software vendors and more. To learn more, visit the author's guide to <a href="http://www.learnaboutsoftware.com/real-estate-software.php" target="_new">real estate software</a>, located at: <a href="http://www.learnaboutsoftware.com/real-estate-software.php" target="_new">http://www.learnaboutsoftware.com/real-estate-software.php</a>

Real Estate Software - An Agent's Guide to Software

Each, day thousands of real estate professionals go online to research real estate software. But what is real estate software, and how ...

TV Guide USA – 16 June 2014 (60MB)

TV Guide USA – 16 June 2014 (60MB)

TV Guide Magazine tells you what’s worth watching. With its unparalleled access and authority, it’s the only publication devoted exclusivel...

Top 5 Free Internet Radio Recorders – A Guide to Best Radio Recording Tools

Radio stations once reigned the world of entertainment. However in today’s ever changing world of technology, the way we listen to radio stations had greatly evolved. All you need to do is to connect to the Internet and stream different radio stations from all over the world.Really that easy you can now relish live music, listen to talk shows, radio dramas and all others. Along with the popularity of Internet radio stations come Internet radio recorders. There are many reasons why one needs to record online radio stations. For example, you want to grab popular tracks, save a copy of favorite music or record radio discussions for later playback. To this end, it is very important to have a great and quality Internet radio recorder. Tons of them are available on the market but for your convenience, we have reviewed only the best. Check them out after the jump.Top 5 Free Online Radio RecordersApowersoft Free Audio RecorderFor those who want to save some spaces on hard drive or simply don’t want to install additional programs, you can check out the Apowersoft Free Audio Recorder. It is an online-based app that does not require you to sign up, install or pay fees, just go straight to the web app and record online radios. It can record any sound playing from your computer in all the common audio formats with high quality preservation.Using it is also simple, just click the “Start Recording” button from its webpage and choose “Allow” when Java notification pops up. After launching the recorder, all you need to do is to hit the “Record” icon to capture live radio streams. Additionally, you can use this radio recorder to convert audio files as well as create scheduled tasks for utmost convenience.<img alt="Apowersoft Free Audio Recorder" data-cfsrc="http://www.megaleecher.net/sites/default/files/images/apowersoftrecorder.jpg" data-cfstyle="max-width:100%;height:auto">Free Sound RecorderWith its lightweight file size of just 10.71MB, the Free Sound Recorder does the job good when it comes to recording audio streams. It allows you to save recorded files into WAV format and gives you an option to edit or convert it according to your desires. You can equally use it to record sounds from external input devices, schedule recordings and personalize hotkeys and more.Before utilizing the software, you should install and open the program on your desktop PC. Then, hit the Red recording button to capture playing sounds whilst clicking the “Stop” button will end the recording process. However, bear in mind that although free, some features of it are only available for premium users.<img alt="Free Sound Recorder" data-cfsrc="http://www.megaleecher.net/sites/default/files/images/soundrecorderfree.jpg" data-cfstyle="max-width:100%;height:auto">AudacityIf you are looking for a tool which is able to record and edit audio free and efficient, Audacity is a great choice. Audacity is an open-source recording and editing software capable of capturing high quality audios without spending a single dime. It can record live radio streams, playing MP3s and audios from external sources with a single click. Moreover, it is equipped with sound effects and editor for you to personalize your music. Just like any other Internet radio recorders, using Audacity to capture live streams is easy. You can click red round button to start recording, and you can hit yellow squared button to terminate it. Conversely, beginners will find it hard to manipulate grabbed audios due to Audacity’s too technical editing functions.<img alt="Audacity" data-cfsrc="http://www.megaleecher.net/sites/default/files/images/audacityrecorder.jpg" data-cfstyle="max-width:100%;height:auto">RadioCatchAnother free Internet radio recorder you can try is RadioCatch. This tool can record live radio streams, web playing MP3s and all audios played on your computer. What makes it a great Internet radio recorder is that it lets you search radio stations. Additionally, there is an option to create your own radio station playlist allowing you to add only the contents you want.Scheduled recordings, built-in music player, and voice active system are just some of the things RadioCatch offers. The only downside of this software is that it supports a limited number of file formats. Also, you cannot use the same application to convert audio files according to your needs.<img alt="RadioCatch" data-cfsrc="http://www.megaleecher.net/sites/default/files/images/radiocatchrecorder.jpg" data-cfstyle="max-width:100%;height:auto">Weeny Free Audio RecorderJust like any other radio recording software, the Weeny Free Audio Recorder can record all sounds playing from your computer. Streaming music contents, live radio music, sounds from external sources and line-in devices, Skype conversations, name it and the program can freely capture it. This Internet radio recorder is popular amongst users due to its small size of just 2.8MB. Using it to capture favorite songs from radio stations is simple, all it takes is a single click from the “Recording” button.On the other hand, it can only support MP3 and WAV audio formats. It doesn’t have conversion functions as well as editing features. What you’ve got from Weeny Free Audio Recorder is a simple sound recording tool, no more and no less. <img alt="Weeny Free Audio Recorder" data-cfsrc="http://www.megaleecher.net/sites/default/files/images/wennyrecorder.jpg" data-cfstyle="max-width:100%;height:auto">Now, you don’t have to spend a fortune just make use of an efficient and truly free Internet radio recorder. When choosing the right tool, look for the one with great music recording capability as well as flexible functionalities like editing and converting.

Top 5 Free Internet Radio Recorders – A Guide to Best Radio Recording Tools

Radio stations once reigned the world of entertainment. However in today’s ever changing world of technology, the way we listen to radio st...