2013 ~ Kwikri Services

Tuesday, 31 December 2013

KCPE 2013 Results

here is the list of Top one hundred in the country

the list of Top ten in every county

STILL UPDATED MORE TO COME

The results for 2013 KCPE are out. This year, 844,475 pupils sat for the KCPE exams. This year’s KCPE results will be a perfect New Year gift for the candidates compared to last year that saw the results release pushed forward following teachers’ nationwide strike.

If you want to check your 2013 KCPE results, send your Index number to 22252 or visit www.knec.ac.ke

Knec Chief Executive Officer Paul Wasanga asked parents and pupils not to send an SMS to any other number/ short code. He also requested the parents and pupils to send only ONE sms to avoid clogging the system and making it slow

All the best to 2013 KCPE candidates. We wish you a bright future ahead!

Top 13 Profitable Niches in Q4 2012 – 2013

There are different blogs present on the internet but, all the owners are not getting more money from their blogs. Bloggers can kill 2 birds with a stone by providing the quality content according to the requirements of the readers and earn revenue for themselves because blogging becomes the way of self-employment now.

For this therefore there should be a niche to make research, communicate with the people to come to know about what the people spend their money and where they go online. The niches should be best where you will be able earn more money as a successful blogger. But, do not compromise on your standards anyway.

Picking up a pen and paper to write just because you want to earn money through blogging is a wrong approach. Before you start writing, you must be aware of the right place to go and also look to anticipate the working method. The 1st step to blogging is trying to find out what people desire and how will you manage to get traffic on your blog (Read: 5 Basic Tips to Achieve Quick Web Traffic). I’ve listed the top 13 profitable niches below :

1. Technology

The people usually go towards what they are looking for. For example, if they love mobile phones blackberry, iPhones, iPad, android, etc. then, you can generate more cash by making them available with the useful information about latest gadgets and latest tech tips in this niche.

2. Icons

Achievement always attracts the friends and everyone either unconsciously or consciously wants to identify those people who are successful in their lives. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo is a successful footballer, so, he has the largest fans on Facebook (about 47m fans). There is a huge market to know about famous icons- celebrities, musicians, swimmers, footballers, athletes, boxers, wrestlers, etc.

3. Blogging helps

Some sort of help is required by the new bloggers in the different niches of blogging like scripts, HTML, widgets, writing gadgets, SEO, etc. They can earn more revenue by getting help from blogging tips and tutorials. There comes a great difference by adding tutorial e-books, videos, etc.

4. Health tips

If ever you visit the specialist hospital then, the thing that will confuse you will be the patient’s count– females, males, children, adults, that group in order to know the various specialist doctors. The question is that why they come to visit the hospital? Offering health tips for the problems which people face can make you wealthier. Best researched subjects on women health, men health, muscle building, weight loss, disease anticipation, etc. can help the people a lot by getting superior care of the health and all together you can also earn a huge sum of money on it.

5. Web design

Everything like business, hospital, school, games, sports, etc. are shifted to the internet to build the awareness of their presence. So, it is the necessity now a day to know how to develop or design a website. Even by teaching the people about that how to develop or design a website and also newest methods to do it can generate more profit.

6. Marriage tips

The marriages are collapsing nowadays due to the increase in the ratio of divorce worldwide. People with relationship need help, and they want to know that how they can shun the pitfalls in relationship. So, you can help them by solving their problems and can receive monetary compensation. The earning might not be in a direct form; it can be by advent positioning on your blog or by other ways.

7. Money and Business

Poverty is a humiliation and everybody wants to thrust above poverty. The society doesn’t respect and accept poor people, and they are considered orphans. Hence, it is understandable that poor people try hard to stamp out of poverty. Poor individuals are barely acknowledged in the society. So, majority of the people are combating to avert poverty. It would be really a good idea to make a blog which contains ideas of making money. It would also be helpful if you can make them learn ways to establish business with no or little capital and to be financially stable. If you give away tips that are worthwhile, your blog will catch the attention of the users very quickly and your blog work same as ATM machine.

8. Social media

Almost all of us have now got accounts on twitter, Facebook, pinterest, Badoo, Google+, Myspace etc. A human being is always interested in networking with each other. If you use social media as a carrier for your blog, it will be very helpful for you. With the help of social networks, you would be able to attract a lot of readers and earn good money too.

9. Software

Software is required to do any kind of work online or on a personal computer. A lot of people are worried about hacking and virus attacks. They want to keep their accounts safe and also creating websites which are interactive. People also want to execute their work on auto-responder. So, people are looking for information related to software. If you can make a website which tells the readers about the latest software and give them helpful information about software, then you will be able to make good money.

10. News

Everybody, today urge to know more. So, if you maintain a blog which tells the public about the latest happenings and news, then you would be able to attract people to your blog. This is the reason CNN, Fox news and CBS are doing worthwhile businesses.

11. Sports

Sports blogs are always in fashion. People are always interested to know about sports. If you write about any sports such as basketball, football, wrestling, rugby, baseball, swimming, athletes, boxing, cricket, it will make your blog eye-catching for the reader.

12. Funny hubs

Are you born with a funny bone? Can you make people smile? Then you will be a successful blogger. If you can share funny picture, videos on your blog or share jokes you will become a rich person.

13. Accommodation

It is a fact, that a large number of people in the world face problem related to accommodation. In this day and age, a lot of town and cities face the issue of overpopulation. People find it difficult to find accommodation. If you give information related to accommodation, a lot of people will read about it which means money for you. You must put up information related to available homes and rooms.

A blogger can earn a lot of money if he or she is able to find the right target market. The idea of the blogger is simple. You should give the reader, what they want. As long as you are capable to satisfy the reader, you will be able to make money by blogging.

Did I Miss Something?

I’ve shared with you the top 13 profitable niches that are highly profitable (if you’re blogging for money), in my opinions. If you wanna add one or suggest something, please use the comment box below.

DTV is more advanced than the older analog technology. Unlike analog television, which uses a continuously variable signal, a digital broadcast converts the programming into a stream of binary on/off bits—sequences of 0s and 1s. This is the same way that computers store information in data files; each bit represents a small part of the picture, and all the bits combine to reproduce the original picture.

Digital television converts the picture into a stream of 0s and 1s.

The primary advantage of digital broadcasting is that these binary bits recombine to reproduce an exact copy of the original material. The picture and sound received from a digital transmission are always identical to the original source.

Even better, over-the-air digital signals don’t weaken over distance, as analog signals do. As long as the signal can be received, the picture is perfect, with no degradation or ghosting. Because digital signals are composed of binary bits, a 1 is always a 1, and a 0 is always a 0. There is no fuzziness or snow in the picture, no ghosts caused by interference.

In addition, digital is a more efficient technology. A digital transmission requires less bandwidth than does a similar analog broadcast; this lets local television stations broadcast two, three, or even four digital channels in the space of a single analog channel. This “multicasting” technology means you’ll receive more variety in programming from your local stations—all delivered with superior digital quality.

NOTE

It’s important to note that DTV is not the same as high-definition television. Whereas all HDTV is digital, not all digital broadcasts are high definition. Learn more in Chapter 3, “Digital Versus High Definition: What’s the Difference?”

for more about digital vs analogue TV read here

KCPE -2013 results set for December 31

This year's KCPE results will be released on December 31, the Kenya National Examination Council has said.

In a notice in the print media yesterday, the council “informed parents and guardians, candidates, stakeholders and the general public that the 2013 KCPE examination results will be released on Tuesday 31 December 2013.”

This year, 844,475 sat for the exam in 24,000.

Candidates will be able to get their results through mobile phones via SMS code 6062.

In September, Knec said students will get printed result slips two weeks after the release of the results.

“Schools will use log-in’s to access the result slips portal on the Knec website,” Knec CEO Paul Wasanga said.

Head teachers will stamp the slips and issue them to candidates. Candidates will be required to read through their result slips and raise any issues within six weeks of the date their results are released.

The marking of KCPE examination took place between November 26 and December 3 while KCSE was on December 6 to 23.

from The star

10 Benefits Of Having Your Own Domain Name

10 Benefits Of Having Your Own Domain Name

Want an edge over 95% of the affiliate marketers on the web? Get a domain name. A domain name is like setting up an address for people to stop by and do business with you.

1. Professional appearance.

The first one reeks of cookie cutter or replicated websites and there are thousands of others out there EXACTLY like it. The second one shows independence and singularity. For this example, hundreds of thousands of people have clicked on a Power Mall website. The chance of click-through to your affilitate generated website is slim and getting slimmer every time another signs up for this opportunity. More people will click on the second because it is something they have not seen before. You move from the crowd promoting the cookie cutter website to standing apart and representing yourself as your own business.

2. Recall of your website.

Look at those website names again. Which one is easier to remember? Which one will look better on a business card? Are they going to get your replicated site if they the search for Powermall because that is what they remember or are they more likely to remember onlinesavingsforyou.com?

3. Promote yourself and not just your affiliates.

At some point, you may decide you do not want to continue to represent the affiliate site you are promoting now. Any of the ranking you have achieved in a search engine will be worthless to you.. If you have your own website, you simple change your content, remove the link to the opportunity, add a new link or whatever and maintain your presence.

4. You can build a contact list with your own capture page.

Anyone in internet marketing knows the list is the vehicle to success. If you are promoting several different affiliate businesses using only their back office auto-responders, you are missing the opportunity to cross sell to your other opportunities. You need to set up a capture page using your own auto-responder to collect their contact information, before you send them to your affiliate website.

5. Give yourself a true web presence.

You can create your own content with your name creating credibility. Use your website to promote yourself while you promote your affiliates. As you develop multiple streams of income, you can use your domain to promote them with your branding. As you build your presence, you will be building your credibility.

6. A real email address.

Think about it. Which shows more credibility as an online marketer?

AnnMartin@OnlineSavingsForYou.com or aprilsmom@yahoo.com? It is as simple as that.

7. Able to promote multiple products.

Because you have your own domain with your own website, you can promote multiple products or opportunities from one place. When you use websites like MySpace, Ryze, DirectMatches, etc. to market, you take people to your website and not put in four or five affiliate links.

8. Investment in your online future.

You have made a move toward having an online business by signing up as an affiliate so you have an obvious interest in online business success. You need to think about your future as an online marketer and what will take you to the next level. A domain name of your own is the next logical step. You will learn a tremendous amount of information online and but all will point you toward getting your own domain name to be in business.

9. It is easy to do.

You can get a domain name for less than $10 for a one-year registration. Hosting can cost you less than $20 month. Doesnt it make sense to put these tools to work for you?

10. Puts you into business psychologically.

If you have made a commitment to a domain name, virtually that puts you into business. You need to use that to pull yourself into business mentally and physically. Get to work! Learn as much as you can but most of all, start promoting your domain!

If you dont understand the benefits of having your own domain name and how it can make your business explode, you really should rethink your desire to have an online business. Your domain name will be the cornerstone and provides a base for building a solid online business.

Who still wants a desktop PC?
Despite the recent shift to mobile computing, many PC old-schoolers, gamers, and professionals remain loyal to the desktop platform due to familiarity, performance and/or feature demands, and upgradability. For parents, businesses and institutions, and other users, desktops also have appeal due to their immobility. It's harder to steal a desktop, and (sorry, kids) tougher to use it on the sly.

Even if the desktop platform is no longer the center of the computing world for many, enough people still buy them and enough vendors still sell them to sustain a diverse market. Here, I'll offer some general guidelines for picking the best desktop for your specific needs.

Rules for buying a desktop PC:

Apple's new $799 Mac Mini finally matches its good looks with strong core features.

1. Buy the best desktop you can afford, but one that has only the features you need:Ever-improving technology means that today's dream PC is tomorrow's paperweight. Generally speaking, buying a PC with a faster CPU, more RAM, and a larger hard drive today will give you a longer window before the system starts to feel obsolete.

Beyond those core components, though, you should be selective about the features you pay for. A fancy graphics card isn't that important if you're not a gamer. And a Blu-ray drive has limited value if you're not going to watch Blu-ray movies. More PCs are sold as fixed configurations these days, so it's harder to pick and choose components. When you can, shedding extras you don't need can save you money. And on a traditional tower PC, if you find you do need a certain component, you can always add it post-purchase.

2. Consider an all-in-one: All-in-one PCs -- iMac-style PCs that offer a large monitor, with the guts of the PC built directly into the back of the screen -- make up the fastest-growing desktop category, and every mainstream vendor makes one. You can find them across the PC price spectrum, and in a diverse array of screen sizes, both with and without touch input.

Among the benefits of all-in-ones are easier set-up and a cleaner appearance than separate tower-and-display setups. Built-in Webcams enable video conferencing without the need for a separate camera peripheral device. With fewer wires, it's easier to bring an all-in-one into a non-office environment such as a kitchen or a bedroom. An all-in-one with a larger screen can also work well as a secondary home entertainment center.

All-in-one PCs have their limitations, of course. They often have the laptop versions of their listed CPU and graphics card, which tend to be less powerful than the desktop equivalents. They usually lack the upgradability of desktop. And while monitors usually last longer than computing components, if your all-in-one's display does develop issues, replacing it means buying a whole new computer.

3. Timing is key: It hurts to miss out on a deal, and it hurts more to buy a computer only to find a new CPU or other major component on the market for the same price a few weeks later. Solving both problems means research. Yes, Black Friday can be a great time to find a deal, but PC vendors also launch sales and "instant rebate" programs year-round, seemingly at random. Look around at all of the major PC vendors' sites, comparison shop, and don't be afraid to put off a purchase for a week or two to see if you can get a better price.

To ensure you get the most current tech for your dollar, it pays to read the news. If you like a certain PC vendor, or you're loyal to Intel or Nvidia, search around for news of products that have been announced but not yet launched. That way you can time your purchase to get either the most recent hardware or a great deal on the previous generation.

The categories
You can slice up PCs in a lot of different ways, by chassis design, by vendor, or by operating system, to name a few. I prefer to go by your intended use for the computer, and then by price. Within those parameters, it's easy to slice off only the most relevant portions of the PC landscape.

General-purpose PCs (under $1,000): If you're simply looking for a workaday PC for Web browsing, general office-type tasks, and light-duty media consumption and editing, you don't need to spend more than $1,000 -- and rarely even that much.

For the most budget-conscious user, any mid-tower around $400 or $500 will do here. You can go lower if you look to refurbished machines or extreme deals, but generally speaking, a current, budget-priced Windows PC will start around $400. A slim tower PC, a smaller version of the familiar tower desktop, can be a great choice here.

If you're a Mac loyalist, or want more hard drive space or a bit more computing power, you'll want to look in the $700-to-$800 price range, where you'll also start to find low-cost all-in-ones alongside more common tower desktops (and the Mac Mini for you fans).

Spend $1,000 and you can usually find a fully loaded all-around desktop that will net you a faster CPU, a large hard drive, and a discrete graphics card. Unless you want to dabble in gaming, video editing, or some other advanced multimedia task, general-purpose buyers rarely need to spend this much.

Gaming PCs ($1,000-plus): You can absolutely get away with a sub-$1,000 gaming desktop if you're willing to settle for lower image quality settings and choppy performance. For dedicated PC gamers, though, you will want to spend for at least a mid-range 3D card and a decent CPU, which will put you in $1,000-to-$1,500 territory.

The good news is that you don't need to spend much more than that to play current titles at 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution and decent image quality. Yes, those $5,000 desktops will have crazy-fast load times, gigantic hard drives, and let you play on three monitors at ultrahigh settings and at even higher resolutions, but those kinds of PCs are far from necessary for a perfectly solid PC gaming experience.

Luxury PCs ($1,250-plus): You could also call these "lifestyle" PCs. This class of desktop tends to be an all-around higher-end computer with a focus on media consumption, particularly video. Most of the recent class of 27-inch all-in-ones falls into this category, along with some more 24- and 23-inch models. Higher-end towers from Dell and HP also land here.

PCs in this category tend to have TV tuners, Blu-ray drives, and generally higher-end computing components. The all-in-ones will have a touch screen and occasionally gesture controls.

Media or specialized professional PCs ($1,250-plus): Business PCs aren't much different than mainstream general purpose PCs, but for media editors and others with particular work-related performance or features needs, the desktops most suited for you tend to be more expensive.

Apple's 27-inch iMac is both a luxury PC and a specialized all-in-one.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Typically this class of user requires a large display and/or a high-end, workstation-class graphics card or storage array. The 27-inch iMac can satisfy those needs for a lot of users in this category. Dell also has an XPS One 27 all-in-one with the same high resolution display as the big screen iMac, along with more current processors. For serious graphics work, or if you need storage that's fast or with enterprise-class stability, you might get away with a standard tower, but the specialized graphics card and hard drives you need will drive the price up.

CPUs/processors
Like it or not, you'll still have to pay at least some attention to specs and components. Here are the current Intel and AMD processors, and where you're most likely to find them.

AMD: This company (also the parent of of the GPU maker formerly known as ATI) has recently launched the second generation of A-Series accelerated processing units, previously known by the code name Trinity. Rather than CPU, or central processing unit, AMD these days uses the term APU, or accelerated processing unit, meaning that a CPU and a discrete-level GPU are combined.

Named the A4, A6, A8, and A10, these new processors claim to double the performance over the previous generation of AMD APU chips. They tend to offer slower general performance than Intel CPUs in the same price range, but better performance in 3D games. Note that far fewer desktops are available with AMD processors than Intel ones.

You may also run across AMD's E-series chips at the very low end of the desktop spectrum. AMD has a list of current processors

Intel: If you're looking at a desktop PC, chances are it has an Intel CPU in it. The current line confusingly has the same product names as the previous two generations. But the new chips, introduced in the second half of 2012, are also known by the code name Ivy Bridge (the previous generation was Sandy Bridge).

The 2012 Ivy Bridge (or third-generation) CPUs are easy to spot, as they have a part number that begins with the number 3; for example, the Intel i7-3770 CPU. A similar Sandy Bridge chip from 2011 was called the Intel Core i7-2770. A more detailed list of processors is available from Intel

· Core i3 Found in many budget desktops, this dual-core CPU is fine for everyday computing.

· Core i5 Intel's mainstream quad-core processor, found in many desktop between $600 and $1,000, as well as some more expensive, large-screen all-in-ones.

· Core i7 Expect to find Intel's flagship CPU in more expensive performance machines, although unless you're a gamer or serious video editor, it's unlikely you need this much power.

· Pentium and Celeron -- Yes, Intel still makes these lower-end chips, which have been the bane of our Labs testing team for years. If at all possible, avoid desktops with these parts. Step up to a low-end Core i3 instead, even if it's an older version.

Hard drives and storage: Your new desktop is going to have either a traditional spinning-platter hard drive (HDD), or a solid-state hard drive (SSD), which is flash memory, similar to what you'd find in an iPhone or an SD card. We've also seen a few examples of hybrid drives, where a small SSD (perhaps 20GB or 32GB) is paired with a larger HDD. In theory, this lets the system boot faster and helps apps open quickly, but stores bulky music and video files on the standard hard drive.

More and more hard drives will look like this Intel Solid State Drive 520, or smaller.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

HDD Found in the vast majority of desktops, platter hard drives are large and inexpensive. Look for at least a 500GB hard drive, even in a budget system. Most drives run at 7,200rpm (revolutions per minute), but some run more slowly, at 5,400rpm. You won't really notice a difference in day-to-day PC use, but you will appreciate a faster hard drive when you transfer large files around or when you want to load a game or render a video file.

SSD These drives are much faster than traditional mechanical hard drives, but they're also much more expensive, with smaller capacities. You can usually find them as optional features in higher-end customizable PCs.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of ports and extras do I need? A couple of USB ports are a minimum. Most desktops now include at least two USB 3.0 ports, which are faster than the older USB 2.0 version, but only when used with compatible USB 3.0 devices, such as external hard drives.

For all-in-ones, many models, but not all, will include an HDMI input. This is a great feature that allows you to connect an external video component, such as a cable box or a game console, to your all-in-one to use it as a second display. With an HDMI input, you can turn your all-in-one into a true home media hub, which is a convenient option in space-constrained rooms such as a den, a bedroom, or a home office.

What kinds of ports and extras can I skip? DisplayPort for video or Thunderbolt (another high-speed data connection) are needed only if you have compatible hardware. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both potentially useful, not to mention tidy, but they're not crucial given the desktop's stationary nature (assuming, of course, that the PC will be near an Ethernet port for Internet access).

Do I need an optical drive? The answer is starting to trend toward "no," and a few all-in-ones have gone without. Some people are definitely still tied to CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs as storage or media playback formats. And while you may have legacy software that's available only on disc, almost every current application is available for download, minimizing the need for optical drives going forward. Note that you can also add an external USB-powered DVD drive to any PC for under $40.

Do I need a graphics card? Unless you plan on playing serious PC games on your desktop (Skyrim, Battlefield 3, and so forth), you can get away with using the graphics capabilities built into desktops by default. Intel's current version is called HD 4000, and while it's not for serious gamers, you should be able to get away with playing casual or older games, or even newer games such as Diablo III if you keep the visual settings set to "low."

Shouldn't I just get a laptop or a tablet instead? If all you're doing with your desktop is watching Netflix movies, reading online news, and playing Bejeweled, a tablet can make sense. And if you fall into the general-purpose user category outlined above, you can often get away with a laptop.

The advantages of a desktop are larger hard-drive space, full-speed CPU and graphics cards, and, for towers especially, expandability and the ability to replace components yourself. Desktops also make sense for those who want to prevent user mobility.

What's better, Windows or Mac OS X? A loaded question. Windows users appreciate the flexibility of that operating system, allowing for extreme tweaking and personalization. It's also available on a nearly limitless variety of hardware. Apple's operating system, on the other hand, is available only on a handful of desktops and laptops. That said, the joint hardware/software platform makes for a much more stable/predictable overall experience, and many prefer the user-friendly OS X layout and controls. Finally, Windows has a much larger available software library, especially when it comes to free software and games.

What about Windows 8? The newest version of Microsoft's operating system debuted in October 2012. If you purchased a desktop before that but after June 2, 2012, you can, in most cases, upgrade to Windows 8 for $15. Other upgrades generally cost $40. That said, upgrading between operating systems can cause a lot of problems, so make sure to back up important data first. Nearly every PC maker also has new desktop models specifically designed to work with Windows 8 and its iPad-like interface and touch support. By now, any new desktop you buy will have Win8 pre-installed on it, so virtually every PC buyer will be using it eventually. For a list of new Windows 8 laptops, desktops, tablets, and hybrids,

spoofs fake sign language interpreter

fake signs language from South Africa will make History For more click here

Instagram launches direct messaging

Instagram has announced a new private messaging feature called Instagram Direct, which will allow users to send a photo or video privately to up to fifteen followers.

"Sometimes you want to be able to share not with everyone, but just a specific group," Instagram founder Kevin Systrom said at the company's announcement in New York.

An update to the Facebook-owned Instagram mobile app released Thursday includes a new tab labeled, "direct," Users can tap that tab to send photos specifically to their friends and have conversations around those photos. There will also be a new option to "send to 1" on the app.

The direct messaging feature will work in real time, enabling users to tell which of their friends have viewed the photo. They'll also be able to chat with friends in real time.

Related: Check out CNN on Instagram

"It's like you're gathering people around a photo or moment and being able to have a conversation around them," Systrom said.

Unlike the copious rival messaging services, including Twitter (TWTR), WhatsApp,Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) Hangouts, Facebook (FB, Fortune 500) Messenger and scores of others, Instagram users can only direct-message text along with photos. Messaging private texts only isn't an option.

Systrom noted that the feature is in its earliest stages. Right now, users can choose which friends they want send directly to. In the future, there could be the opportunity to create groups or send multiple pictures directly.

Systrom dismissed rumors that Instagram would launch a Snapchat-like, feature, enabling users to let their direct images and messages disappear after a set time.

"What we're best at is archiving and sharing with their friends," he said.

Systrom also addressed Instagram's ongoing effort to advertise. Instragram launched adson its service for the first time this year, but -- at least for now -- Instagram Direct will remain ad-free.

"It's way too early to advertise on Instagram Direct," he insisted.
from money.cnn.com

Laptops are an integral part of running a modern business and are most useful for their portability. However, there are still many different types of laptops; what you need for your line of work will greatly influence what type of laptop you will need to select. Some have more power, some have more features and some are designed for maximum portability without taking up too much space.

Power & Graphics

Some laptops are designed with power in mind for those who work with video and image editing, graphics and photography. These laptops need the power to render and edit high-quality images and video. If your business needs laptops to perform a variety of tasks, an i5 or i7 processor is of high quality and performance without being too expensive. You'll also want a decent graphics card, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M or the AMD Radeon HD 7690M XT. However, if you're looking for basic tasks, such as word processing and data sheets, a normal integrated graphics card will perform just fine.

Portability

All laptops are portable to some extent, but while some are big and bulky, others are thin and light. If you're constantly on the go, an ultralight laptop or netbook may fit your needs; these laptops are very thin, and often weigh as little as three to four pounds. By contrast, the bulkier laptops with larger screens can weigh as much as seven or eight pounds. What ultralight laptops offer in portability, however, they lack in function: They have fewer ports, such as USB, and some lack CD/DVD drives for the purpose of keeping the laptop small. They are also much more fragile; the durability of any laptop is important if you're constantly moving it around. If you're considering a laptop to be used on the go, also consider whether the laptop has Bluetooth and WiFi capability, or even laptops with 3G/4G access built in.

Storage

With the expanding availability of cloud storage services, computer storage isn't as much of an issue it used to be. But if your business deals with any work that involves very large files, you'll need as much hard disk space as you can get. Text files don't take up too much space, but photos, graphics and videos take up a lot of hard drive capacity very quickly. If you have a lot of files to store, a 750GB hard drive should give you plenty of room without a high price tag, though you can also go higher and get a terabyte or more. For basic use, 250GB should be more than adequate. If you are running out of room but don't want to swap hard drives, a cheap external USB hard drive can be purchased to supplement your hard drive space.

Ports

The ports on any laptop are important if you need to connect your computer to any peripherals. For example, if you need to plug in a mouse, a printer and a USB drive at the same time, a laptop with only one USB port won't do you much good. Likewise, if you need to use a special hookup, like FireWire, HDMI or eSATA, you want to make sure the laptop you get has the ports you need. These can be found in the product's specs pages.

Battery Life

One of the essential features of a laptop is the ability to run it anywhere on battery power, so good battery life is a must. Naturally, computers that have more power will suck more energy more quickly, but some laptops with similar specs are designed better than others. A good battery should power your computer for about seven hours, providing you aren't running a number of heavy processes with the screen fully lit. When you're looking at different types of batteries, lithium ion (Li-Ion) is the best type to use; its predecessor, nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, have a "memory effect" that can reduce your battery life over time if you don't discharge them completely.

Consumer Reviews

Specs pages give a lot of details about computers, but they don't give you the details about performance during everyday use. Read the customer reviews on each page to see how well a laptop performs for different people and in different circumstances. Also check out publications like cnet and Consumer Reports, where the reviews are more unbiased and in-depth, often with ratings and comparisons against other, similar laptops.

What is e-learning?

What is e-learning? Quite simply, e-learning is using technology to deliver training anytime, anyplace.

It can be known as a number of different things and spelled in a number of ways including online learning, online training, elearning, e-learning and e learning.

7 great reasons to use e-learning

What is e-learning used for? There are a number of benefits associated with implementing e-learning and our customers come to us for different reasons. Here are some of the top reasons why Learning Pool customers use our services.

1. Scalable, Efficient and Fast

E-learning gives you the ability to quickly create and communicate new policies and training. By using our Authoring Tool and our Learning Management System (called our DLE) you’ll be able to roll-out to large audiences cost-effectively.

2. Capacity and consistency

E-learning offers the ability to achieve high levels of coverage among your target audience and ensures the message communicated is consistent. This means all learners get the same training.

3. Higher Learning Retention than traditional learning

Blended learning results in higher knowledge retention rate as it appeals to a wider range of learning styles. There’s also the added ability to refresh or update coursework whenever it’s needed and learn at a pace that suits your learners.

4. Using e-learning saves you time and money

It reduces time away from the workplace, cuts down on expensive travel and reduces the need for costly classroom-based training.

5. Measuring learning activity and proving return on investment

Using our Learning Management System, tracking Learner progress is a breeze and reporting on activity is a button press away.

6. Reduce your carbon footprint

By delivering your training online and testing your staff through online quizzes you’re providing alternatives to paper-based forms of learning and testing.

7. Flexibility and finding hard to reach people

E-learning can give staff the freedom to learn when and where they want, and at their own pace. You can train staff who would usually be in remote locations and have trouble getting to and from classroom training venues.

How to Crack Wi-Fi Passwords with Your Android Phone and Get Free Internet!

Want to take advantage of your neighbor's super fast Wi-Fi connection? If they're smart, they probably have it password protected (otherwise you wouldn't be reading this, would you?). But if you have an Android phone, you can get back at them for always parking in your spot and slamming the door when they get home at 2 a.m.—by stealing...er, borrowing, their connection.

A group of researchers came up with a hack to get around hardware limitations and add monitor mode to Android devices to allow them to crack Wi-Fi passwords.

Monitor mode lets you see all the traffic going through a network and how many devices are connected to it, but it can also be used for more nefarious purposes. If you're patient enough, you can crack the WEP key on a network by capturing data packets in monitor mode.

To add monitor mode to an Android device, the researchers reverse engineered the Broadcom radio chip. They modified the firmware on the chipsets in the Nexus One and Galaxy S II, which are the same ones used in the majority of mobile devices. The code is posted on Google Code, but you'll need to know which chipset you have and download the right one for your phone.

Once you've downloaded the code, it's as simple as extracting the .zip file, then running the setup and configuration files. They've included instructions for each chipset and a few different devices on their blog, so head over there to find the specifics for yours.

After it's up and running, check out one of our tutorials to learn how to use it to crack the key. So, next time your neighbor wants to borrow your power drill, rest assured that you're "borrowing" something much more valuable from them!

China holds two bloggers as it expands crackdown on rumors

Police in China have arrested an influential blogger and are holding a cartoonist in a widening crackdown on online "rumor-mongering", friends and a lawyer for one of them said on Thursday.

Hundreds of people have been detained since August, say Chinese media and rights groups, as the government has stepped up its campaign to banish rumors. Most have been released, but some are still being held on criminal charges.

The latest moves targeting the bloggers appear to suggest the new government, led by President Xi Jinping, is expanding its crackdown on dissent, although some critics have warned the move could backfire on Communist Party leaders.

"The use of these dictatorship tools to combat the criticism and grievances within civil society could be counterproductive," said Zhang Lifan, a historian, adding that it could fuel mistrust. "It may not be beneficial for maintaining the regime."

Dong Rubin, 51, who runs an Internet consulting company, has been arrested in southwestern Kunming on "suspicion of falsely declaring the capital in his company's registration", state news agency Xinhua said late on Wednesday.

Dong was also suspected of illegal business operations and the crime of "creating disturbances", Xinhua added.

Dong, who was previously invited by officials in southern Nanjing to speak about being an "online opinion leader", is well known for participating in a 2009 online probe into the sudden death of a man in a detention house in Yunnan province.

State broadcaster CCTV showed images of Dong admitting to "exaggeration and selectively publishing information" to benefit clients. In September, state media also aired a confession by Chinese-American venture capitalist, Charles Xue, one of China's best known online commentators.

Dong's lawyer, Yang Mingkua, told Reuters by telephone it was not convenient for him to be interviewed, but referred to a legal opinion published on his microblog.

"When the air is filled with voices that are unharmonious, that is not a sign of weakness, but a symbol of strength," Yang wrote on the microblog in September, describing Dong's case. "The freedom to speak and criticize is a citizen's right."

Yang said Dong believed he was "fundamentally innocent" in his actions on the Internet.

In Beijing, the capital, cartoonist Wang Liming was taken into custody at midnight on Wednesday and has not yet been freed, his friend, Wu Gan, told Reuters by telephone.

Wu said police told Wang's girlfriend they summoned him for forwarding a microblog post about a stranded mother holding a baby who had starved to death in the flood-hit eastern city of Yuyao.

"Suppression of this kind by the Chinese government is of no use," Wu said. "Rumors arise because there's no freedom to communicate on the Internet. Arresting people will not solve the problem because the problem does not lie with the people, but with the government."

The detentions come slightly over a month after China unveiled tough measures to stop the spread of what it calls irresponsible rumors, threatening jail terms of three years if untrue online posts are widely reposted.

China's top court and prosecutor have said people will be charged with defamation if online rumors they create are visited by 5,000 internet users or reposted more than 500 times.

Liu Hu, a Chinese investigative journalist accused of corruption was arrested on a defamation charge late in September, his lawyer said last week.

The Internet clampdown reveals the insecurity of the leaders of the ruling Communist Party, said Bo Zhiyue, a professor of Chinese politics at the National University of Singapore.

"They are trying to send China back all the way to the Stone Age," Bo said. "Where is the hope for political reform? Zero."

From reuters