Posts from — January 2009

1. Don’t Mix Batteries. To prevent equipment damage, and possible injury, never mix batteries with different chemistries or voltages in the equipment at the same time.
2. Keep batteries in original packaging until ready to use. This helps to identify damage, such as swelling and leakage of LiSO2 batteries.
3. Do not use incompatible batteries and chargers.
4. You should purchase manufacturer or carrier recommended products and accessories wherever possible. If unsure about whether a replacement battery or charger is compatible, contact the manufacturer of the battery or charger.
5. Do not accumulate used batteries, dispose of on a regular basis.
6. Do not crush, puncture or put a high degree of pressure on the battery as this can cause an internal short-circuit, resulting in overheating.
7. Do not get your battery wet. Even though they will dry and appear to operate normally, the circuitry could slowly corrode and pose a safety hazard.
8. You should properly dispose of your old batteries and equipment.
9. Follow battery usage, storage and charging guidelines found in the user’s guide.
10. Remove batteries from equipment for long term storage to prevent damage from battery leakage.
11. Don’t force batteries into equipment. The batteries can be hard or dangerous to remove, causing personal injury and/or damaging equipment and battery.
12. Don’t mix new and old batteries in equipment to prevent charging of old batteries by new batteries. This could force the old batteries into voltage reversal and a violent venting.
Don’t short circuit (metal tools).
13. Never attempt to charge primary batteries. Even very small charging currents can cause batteries to explode violently.
14. Don’t over discharge batteries. Remove them when they no longer power the equipment.
15. Increase the life span of your battery by following the manufacturer’s directions for using the battery.
Bridget Mwape writes for the Ink Cartridges website at: http://www.ink-cartridges-uk.org.uk/ and the mobile phones site at http://www.find-a-mobile.org.uk/ which offer printer cartridges and mobile phone accessories including batteries and chargers.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Ahh… the lure of the lake… its sparkling blue water… the refreshing coolness as it splashes over your skin on a hot summer’s day. There’s nothing quite like it, and with so many ways in which to enjoy spending time there, it’s no wonder millions flock to their local lakes each year.
While the desire for fun and relaxation may be everyone’s draw to the lake, it’s important that sun and water safety be first and foremost on every lake lover’s mind. With so many types of lake activities, there are equally just as many ways that accidents can occur. The following safety tips will help to ensure that you and your loved ones have positive lake memories and not negative or even tragic ones.
1.) Sun Protection – It may sound simple, but nothing ruins a day at the lake like a painful sunburn, and with incidents of skin cancer ever rising sun protection should not be taken lightly. To help prevent sunburns, sun damage, premature aging, and skin cancer, you and your family should not rely on sunscreen alone. Choose a good quality waterproof sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Reapply it every two hours as recommended on the label and after swimming, sweating, or drying off with a towel.
Wear a lightweight shirt with sleeves, a wide brimmed hat, and sunglasses for further protection. Even the eyes and scalp can get sun burnt. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Your body will not stay hydrated just by being in the water. Furthermore, avoid the sun if at all possible between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm, when the harmful effects of the sun are strongest.
2.) Swim Safely – Learn to swim and ensure that all of your family members know how to swim. If you or your loved ones don’t know how to swim, contact your local American Red Cross chapter and enroll in a swim course. Choose a clean, well-maintained, supervised area. An area with a lifeguard is even better. Any swimmer, even good ones, can have an unexpected emergency in the water. Never swim alone. Stay clear of areas with murky water, drop-offs, and underwater plant life as these can be dangerous. Avoid diving. Enter the water feet first. It’s much safer.
3.) Boating and Personal Watercraft – An outing on a boat or the use of personal watercraft such as jet skis can be very rewarding. They can also be very dangerous if basic safety rules aren’t followed. Before operating any boat or watercraft, make sure you know your local laws and regulations on operating them and obey them. The driver and any others on board should wear coast guard-approved life jackets that are in good repair.
Be extremely cautious around swimmers, other boats and watercraft, and others in the water. Operate at a low speed until you are in the open water away from swimming areas and docks. No horseplay! Do not pass close to other boats or watercraft and do not jump wakes. Not only is this behavior dangerous, it is usually illegal.
In addition to the guidelines set forth above, never mix swimming or boat/watercraft operation with the use of alcohol. A little common sense along with the desire to keep yourself and your family safe will go a long way to ensuring your lake activities create pleasant memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime.
Jason Collmorgen operates a guide to Branson, MO providing information on lodging in Branson, Missouri For more information visit: SelectBranson.com

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Do you frequent gyms for workouts and body fitness? Then you would be quite familiar with the sight of Swiss exercise balls. Nowadays, most gyms have Swiss exercise balls, especially for those who are interested in building up their abs. Chances are you might have been one of them.
If you are not yet familiar with the Swiss exercise ball, then here are some of the routines. You could do these by adding certain twists in your workout routine to excite the nervous system – all with the use of a handy Swiss ball.
1. Push–ups
You can make this exercise a lot easier or even harder, depending on what your body requires, with a Swiss ball. If you want to take things easy then you can lie with your face down. The Swiss ball must give support to your hips.
Then, you could make the routine more difficult by crawling forward and allowing the Swiss ball to roll going to your feet.
2. Alternating Superman
You can lie with your face down atop a Swiss ball. Use your toes and fingertips to attain balance. Then, rise up one of your legs and its opposite arm and hold them up parallel with the ground. You must position your arm in an angle of 45° and point out your thumb upward.
If you like to perform the advanced version, then you just simply elevate yourself atop the Swiss ball and fly like Superman. Do net let your arms or even legs touch the ground for at least a minute. This routine is certainly a great training in achieving balance!
3. Whole body Swiss ball exercises
This is the ultimate exercise to achieve functional training for flexing up muscles and joints.
4. Forward Swiss Ball Roll
Perform this by kneeling behind the Swiss exercise ball and placing your forearms on it. Then, you have to start inhaling and drawing your umbilicus within and then roll forward doing synchronized motion at the joints of your hip and shoulders. While doing this, it is necessary to go only as far as you are able to and maintain ideal spinal alignment.
Other types of Swiss ball exercises are the Supine Hip Extension and Knee Flexion and the Supine Lateral Swiss Ball Roll.
In order for you to maintain safety and effectiveness in performing Swiss exercise ball workouts, always check out if your ball and the area for your workout are cleared out of any tiny stray fragments like thorns, tacks, staples, grit, etc. Your ball might be punctured by any of these objects and deflate your enthusiasm for the workout.
Furthermore, if the floor is quite slippery, make sure to use an exercise mat. You must also take care and prevent the ball from sliding underneath your body while you are making routines with it.
In addition, as with any other gym workouts, make sure that you have performed the appropriate warm-ups. Performing workouts through Swiss exercise ball is fun and surefire way of staying fit as long as you perform them with caution.
For tips to reshape your body with the exercise ball, visit http://www.exerciseballworkout101.com

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

You probably don’t think of hiking as being a dangerous activity and indeed ninety-nine percent of the time it’s anything but dangerous and provides millions of people with a great deal of pleasure and often a sense of adventure. It’s easy to forget however that you are often out in the wilderness and far away from civilization and so, when accidents do happen, even quite minor accidents can quickly become serious if you’re not prepared.
Here are just a few basic safety tips to ensure that your hiking trips don’t land you in trouble.
Tip No1 – Consider taking a partner of friend along.
If you’re going for a short hike in a nearby area which is a well-traveled area with easy terrain then there’s often no need to worry about heading out alone. However, if you are hiking through wild country, perhaps heavily forested areas with winding trails and steep canyons, then the possibility of getting lost or sustaining injury becomes very real and you should consider carefully whether or not you are wise to head out on your own.
Taking a partner along can have many advantages, especially if that partner is an experienced hiker.
At it’s simplest ‘two heads are better than one’ and if you do get lost or run into difficulty you’re much less likely to panic if you have somebody with you to help solve the problem. If you do sustain an injury then having somebody with you to administer first aid and, if necessary to go for help, can not only be useful, but can literally save your life.
Tip No 2 – Let somebody know where you’re going.
As a novice hiker you should certainly stick to clearly marked and well traveled routes and should not start to stray from these routes and start ‘exploring’ until you have gained some experience and also had an opportunity to learn and practice the basics of map and compass work. However, it won’t take you too long before you’re ready to tackle some more adventurous hiking and, at that point, the possibility of getting lost or injured and needing help arises.
For this reason you should always tell somebody where you’re going and when you expect to return so that they can send out a search party if you don’t return as expected.
Tip No 3 – Take along some basic equipment.
While there’s no need to take everything including the kitchen sink with you, it’s a good idea to always carry a basic ’survival kit’ with you and your local hiking club will be able to give you excellent advice on the sorts of items that this should include.
The sort of things we’re talking about here might include matches and a lighter, a first aid kit, a good knife (something practical rather than a simply impressive one hundred gadget affair) and a flashlight.
It’s also a good idea to have a map and compass with you and a fully-charged cell phone.
Tip No 4 – Take along some basic provisions.
Water or other fluids like sports drinks are clearly essential as you can lose a great deal of fluid even over a short period of time on a hot day. Dehydration can dramatically reduce your physical performance. You should remember however that water weighs about 8 lbs per gallon, so take enough but not too much.
If you’re thinking about cutting down on the amount of water that you can carry and planning on drinking from local streams, then don’t. Natural water sources may look inviting but they are often loaded with bacteria and can make you very sick very quickly.
Also take along enough food to last you. There’s no pleasure in being hungry out on the trail but remember that you can last a lot longer without food than you can without water so, if it comes to a trade-off, carry more water and less food.
Tip No 5 – Use your common sense.
It’s all too easy when you get out into the wilderness to get carried away with your own enthusiasm and try all sort of thing which, with hindsight, you quickly realize were just plain stupid. Mother Nature may be both beautiful and inviting, but she is also quite indifferent to your fate when you do something stupid.
Joining your local hiking club will put the resources of the club at your disposal and allow you to get advice and information on all aspects of hiking, including such things as which are the best waterproof hiking boots to buy. It will also allow you to make new friends and companions for those more adventurous hiking trips.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Nail guns are highly useful tools for fastening wood and other materials together quickly and efficiently. They have made hand nailing virtually obsolete for professional builders and now for do it yourselfers as well.
The biggest advantage of nail guns is their ability to rapidly fire a fastener into the substrate and to do so repeatedly. In high speed applications like framing and roofing nails, the nail guns are usually set to fire a nail anytime the muzzle makes contact with the surface as long as the trigger is pulled. They can fire rapidly almost like an automatic weapon.
Last week, while doing a minor carpentry project in my barn, I was reminded of just how fast a large framing nail gun can deliver three inch framing nails.
While nailing in some bridging between floor joists, I was holding the bridging lumber with one hand and the nail gun the other. As I was building some overhead storage to get some of the clutter off the floor, I was standing on some of the soon to be stored clutter. Not exactly stable footing.
When using a nail gun with a contact trip, like most framing nail guns are set for, you have to have just the right touch to prevent the gun recoil from causing it to fire a second nail right on top of the first one. Normally this is easy as you just swing the gun and let it bounce off the work as the nail fires.
However, if you are trying to put a nail just where you want it, you can also compress the muzzle and then pull the trigger to fire the nail. This works well when you develop the right touch to let the gun recoil off the work piece. Experienced carpenters do it all the time.
However, if you happen to loose your balance just as you pull the trigger, I found it is possible to fire not just two but three nails into the same hole. Only the first one makes it in – the other two go off in random directions.
Fortunately this time, I mostly missed my body parts that were in line with the nail path and got by with just a minor scratch on my thumb. It did swell up nicely and still hurts a bit today.
So here are some nail gun safety tips to add to the list in the owners manual:
1. Understand the difference between sequential trip trigger and contact trip triggers. Be sure you are using the right one for the right work. The Bostich catalog has a good description of how each trigger works and when they should be used.
2. When trying to accurately place a fastener with a contact trip nail gun, be as sure of your target and the backdrop as you would if you were firing a pistol. There is always the possibility of a double shot that will not be contained by the wood. Keep body parts out of the possible line of fire.
3. When using a pneumatic nail gun, be alert to the added hazard of the air hose. Compressed air has its own hazards, but having an air hose stretched through a construction site adds to the already hazardous environment. Watching roofers with pneumatic nail guns always reminds me of the story about Mark Twain in the city: He said one day he saw a fellow on a ledge threatening to jump. A large crowd had gathered below but Mark Twain said he was the only one in the group with the presence of mind to throw him a rope and pull him down. The air hose always looks like someone has already thrown the roofers a rope.
4. When holding a work piece to be nailed, be aware that the force of the nail gun will drive through any obstacle in the wood like knots or other fasteners. The path through the wood is not always certain however. Nails have been know to come out the side of wood and in some cases even made a U turn and come back at the gun. Keep you hand at least the length of the fastener you are shooting away from the muzzle at all times when joining wood.
5. Don’t use rusty fasteners. Using old nails in a nail gun can not only damage the gun, but they can send rust and scale out toward the operator. Be sure to use new clean nails for safe operation.
6. Wear your safety glasses or face shield. Not only can the nail gun send errant nails your way, but the force of the nailing operating can splinter the substrate as well. And if you ignored number six above, rust and scale can be ejected as well. So protect your eyes. It is a lot easier to use a nail gun safely when you can wee what you are working with.
7. Maintain the nail gun properly. Regular maintenance and lubrication will reduce the possibility of jams and misfires that require potentially dangerous repairs and unjamming procedures.
8. Read and follow all the manufactures safety rules and procedures. They have likely already been sued over something there
Mike Strawbridge is the owner of Straw Solutions Performance Improvement Coaching. He enjoys applying his experience and knowledge to help others create safer and more profitable work environments.
For more industrial product information, see==> http://www.induprod.com

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

As children and teens use the Internet more than ever before, parents continue to face potential problems arising from the trend. Stories highlighting issues affecting teens and kids alike run rampant on television news channels. We’ve all heard of the potential risks attached with youngsters using sites like MySpace and Friendster, such as predators obtaining personal information or even classmates bullying someone via their online profile. Plenty of studies and recent industry reports indicate the browsing habits of youth and their parents’ concerns.
• Over 60% of teens ages 13-17 report having a profile on a social networking site.
• Nearly half of teens with profiles were asked to share personal information with someone they didn’t know personally.
• Over 50% of parents feel the Internet mainly has positive impacts on their kids.
• About 70% of teens have unintentionally encountered adult content when surfing the Web.
• Only 1 in 4 teens who received inappropriate messages online alerted a parent or guardian.
• Nearly half of parents surveyed don’t check out what their children type in chat rooms or instant messages
• Over half of parents surveyed don’t have or don’t know if parental control and monitoring software is installed on their PC’s.
6StarReviews.com reports that parental control software is a viable means for concerned parents to regulate what goes in and out of their PC’s. Net Nanny, for example, blocks all adult content and allows parents to fully monitor where their child surfs and what they’re saying in chat rooms or instant messages.
Child Safe, another popular product, is not only simple to use, you can have comprehensive Internet usage reports emailed right to you. Though monitoring your child or teen’s activity is beneficial, it’s still important to allow them some leeway and discuss Web safety in terms they will understand.
Kelly Liyakasa is staff writer for 6StarReviews.com, a site dedicated to giving YOU, the consumer, the best product and web service reviews around. If you like saving time and money by having someone else review leading sites and products, then Visit our site at 6StarReviews.com

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Security is important not only for your Internet safety to prevent identity theft and for your home to prevent burglary, it’s also important for your surrounding property and other materials like your mailbox and postal mail. Because the sad fact is that although a load of personal info passes through your mailbox nearly every day, the majority of people don’t give a second thought to theft prevention with their mailboxes. And sadder still, identity theft has been on the rise lately, due in part to easy access on the part of thieves to your private info accessed through your mailbox.
A major point of focus in mailbox theft is that although there are a lot of different types of mailboxes from slots to wooden and metal boxes that rest against the front outer wall, to those attached outside to posts and many more. Yet most of them are outdated, at least with regards to security. Yes, the mailboxes open freely so that people can insert mail. But they open and can remain open freely for anyone, good or bad.
And inside the boxes open to the general public, you receive plenty of mail on a regular basis – a basis that could easily be tracked by anyone form month to month – with complete private info about yourself and your accounts. Bank statements, credit card and loan statements, utility bills, checks and other precious documents arrive regularly. A thief who can be only seconds ahead of you can easily gain access to your info in a heartbeat.
Then the thief can use your info, your identity, your accounts. And you could wind up out a lot of money, time fighting charges and aggravation with the entire mess.
Fight back with these tips:
• Replace your old mailbox with a mail slot in your door or a box with a slot for the mail carrier and key access to the bottom for you.
• Think about getting a post office box instead.
• Stop mail while you’re away for extended periods.
• If you are expecting people to drop by while you are away, an ex-spouse or a house sitter, friends of adult children, etc., for example, hinder mail access by stopping delivery or setting up a key-access only solution for getting your mail if you are not comfortable with other people seeing your mail.
So when you think about identity theft, think about your postal mail, too. Every piece of mail contains some type of identity that guides the document to your home. So use caution and plan ahead for your safety and your family’s safety.
Author and internet entrepreneur Bernard Pragides offers expert advice and tips regarding identity theft. Learn more about identity theft and fraud by visiting his blog at http://www.identity4life-blog.com and his website http://www.IdentityProtek.com for more helpful information.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Internet, threats and vulnerabilities: Introduction
Internet is becoming the primary source for information and entertainment. Daily a huge number of users visit the Internet for their concerned purposes of whom there are people of every ages. Be it a classroom, office, home PC or an Internet Cafe the access to the Internet is extensive and could be used for simply anything. With so much going on over the internet, there is one more thing Internet has been made a source for – Cybercrimes.
Hackers and explicit content providers have made internet a great source for their works as there is a less risk involved in internet activities and the possibilities are limitless. Internet offers them privacy, ease of marketing and less risk which is why many illegal works are carried out over the internet. When you connect to the Internet and open up your browser window you are basically opening a window to all those internet threats and are open to any sort of illegal activities. One click and there you go! Being over 18 years of age doesn’t mean that you are safe from all internet threats. Anyone can be a victim of it. These threats may include virus attacks, ID theft, stealth of personal information, scam, and of course porn.
If you just think about all these threats for a second then you would realize how much we are open an unsecured against them and how little our security is to prevent such internet threats. You do that and then open up any news website to see how many news clippings you can get for people becoming a victim of internet threats. Believe me, you will find hundreds and thousands of such examples not only on individual level but on organizational level too and not just small organizations got victimized due to it but also large organizations with huge networks and security systems got their data stolen or someone hacked into their bank vault and stole all the money. This all is very hard to avoid but precaution is the best way of prevention.
Filtering Internet Packets
Data over the internet is sent in the form of packets so filtering the data sent over the internet could be referred to as filtering internet packets. For instance, if you want to enable an enhanced security on your home PC to observe the activity of your kid and to make sure he/she stays out of any illegal traffic, you can install a Packet Filtering Software. This software will be filtering internet packets and also will be maintaining a log of all the activities. Packet Filtering Software Products have become so intelligent these days that they can even read the activities in a chat room. You will be able to create custom filters just in case if you need to block any of the illegal websites so when the user will try to access it, it will redirect him/her to a custom webpage warning them to not to visit the website. This way you will pretty much be able to get rid of porn websites and illegal chat activities. One of the best features you will get with these Packet filtering Software Solutions is that they can be hid so the user would not even feel that his/her activity is getting tracked down and will continue to use the PC normally.
Other Benefits
You will also get other benefits with these Internet Packet Filtering Software Solutions. Personal firewall, email filter, virus scanner, Spyware Guard etc would may also come with a package. Getting this whole suite will even save you a lot on bucks and will enable you to fully secure your PC.
For further information on Internet Thefts and Filtering Internet Packets, please visit: http://www.topcompanyreviews.org/internetfilters.php

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

If you use your credit card online, then you’re exposed to phishing attack. It’s not just credit card users, but others who always entering their information through the Internet are also exposing themselves to this type of threat.
Phishing is define as stealing sensitive information using social engineering tactics. The phishers will attempt to duplicate trusted websites to retrieve your information.
Recently, researchers have found that the phishers can used a domain
trusted by phishing filters to retrieve information from innocent users.
This can become a headache because this attempt can bypass anti
phishing filters and steal your information with the anti-phishing software installed.
How we can avoid this from happening? Nowadays, even trusted
domain cannot be trusted.
I would like to suggest you to be very careful when entering
your information to any website. Especially the websites that you
do not trust.
If you’re using the Internet Explorer 7, it has a built-in
phishing filter. This built-in phishing filter can checks whether
the website you’re visiting is a suspicious website or not. But,
don’t rely on this filter too heavily.
Install a third-party anti-phishing software. It can help
to protect you from phishing website. One anti-phishing software
that I recommend is CallingID.
Remember to not click the link inside any emails you receive
asking you to log in. If you receive an email asking you to
update your banking information or something like that, type the URL
directly to the web address. Do not click the link provided
in the email. For example, if you receive an email from Paypal
asking you to log in, type the Paypal URL directly to the
web address instead of using the link provided in the email.
This can prevent phishers to steal your user name and password.
Everyday there will be attempt to steal our information and
if we let our guard down, we might become their next victim.
Before this happened, remember to take all the security
measures that you know.
Even though we cannot have a water-tight security, but,it’s best
to take all the security measures that we can afford rather than
have nothing against the phishers.
Azwan Asmat is the author of Chuang Computer Tips Want to know the secret of securing your PC from dangerous spyware, adware, and malware pro

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Spam emails are junk emails or bulk emails sent to numerous recipients. Spam emails are usually aimed to advertise something, scam, or sending virus and trojan.
If we do not take precaution against spam, we will always receive it even though we’ve changed our email address, it’ll keeps coming to our inbox. Therefore, in order to block the spam emails, these are four proven tips that will block the spam emails completely.
1. Whitelist
Keep a whitelist. Whitelist is a list of everyone who can send emails to you and you can receive the emails if the person on your whitelist is the one who sent it. However, by using the whitelist, you’re having a problem receiving newsletter or ezine if you forgot to add their email addresses. This is the problem of using whitelist. But, by using it, you will not receive anymore spam emails. Any emails that are not in your whitelist, will be sent to spam inbox.
2. Blacklist
Blacklist all the senders that you don’t know or email addresses from previous spam emails. It will prevent the spammer to send more spam using the same email address to your inbox. A blacklist can blocks several email addresses and it will blocks any blacklist emails from entering your inbox.
3. Spam Blocker
If you’re serious in fighting spam, consider investing in spam blocker software. Spam blocker software will filter the emails that you receive and distinguish it between spam or normal emails. There are many spam blocker software and you can search it on Google.
4. Report The Spam Emails
This is one of the methods that I like. If you receive more spam emails, report it to spamcop.net. Create an account with them and send your spam report to them. They will send the report to the hosting company of the email used by the spammer and the hosting company will do what is necessary to stop the spammer from sending anymore spam.
Spam is one of the threats that we faced when we’re using the Internet. Even though some of the spam emails are not harmful, but it is a waste of time deleting it and it’s annoying. Some spams are harmful to our computer because the spammer will send viruses or trojan as attachment and if we’re not careful enough, we will become their next victim.
Azwan Asmat is the author of Chuang Computer Tips. Want to know the secret of securing your PC from dangerous spyware, adware, and malware programs that can ruin your PC, your finances, and your sanity?!! Visit http://www.chuangcomputer.com/pcsafety/ for more info.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/