Computer Training For Emergency Services Personnel

by Ian Traynor

Emergency Services personnel receive extensive training in their academy. In the initial phase of training, the subject matter is mainly academic. Law enforcement personnel, for one, cover topics such as state law, drug recognition, hazardous materials recognition, and more thorough hours of classroom instruction. The remainder of the training cycle is hands-on training.

In a portion of the hands-on training, computers play a major role. For instance, for law enforcement there are ‘shoot or don’t shoot’ scenarios: These are played out on a video game like system, in which the officer stands on a padded surface that detects every movement (ducking, kneeling, shifting side-to-side). While standing on the surface, the officer has a weapon ‘holstered’ and is provided scenarios in which he or she must decide whether or not to shoot a subject. During this training, the officer’s every action or inaction is monitored up to and including verbal commands given to the ‘subject’. This type of computer training has proven vital over the years in terms of evaluating prospective law enforcement officials.

Within the world of emergency services, certification is mandatory. Emergency services personnel include fire, police and EMS officials. In most states, these people are required to maintain certification through a points system. Emergency services personnel must earn points through course completion. There is also annual certification in different subject matter and annual recertification for those courses already taken.

In addition to the points earned for required academic subjects, there are points awarded for similar training courses. These ‘extra’ subject matter are often considered an acceptable substitution for required subjects.

In the past 15 years, budget constraints and other factors have meant that subject matter is being reorganized in order to accommodate computer training. This has been cost effective for both state and local agencies. Because budgets are not stretched as then, funds can be made available for special projects and other needs.

There are many ways in which computer training is received by emergency services personnel. Among the many important classes, for example, are hazardous material recognition classes. These courses are beneficial to complete for two reasons. First of all, the material in question can be covered easily during a shift, and instant results are given. Because a computer-training course can be completed during a shift, it’s cost effective for small departments and saves on such things as wear and tear on vehicles, travel expenses, and time lost to training.

For those who wish to obtain training on a subject that would normally require on-site attendance at a training conference, this is of significant benefit. Computer training courses such as those that cover drug recognition are quite easy to find and are generally recognized as valid by the respective law enforcement trading divisions in various states.

While a policemen may be discouraged from taking such a course during duty hours, it is entirely possible to complete such a course during off-duty hours. Again, this type of computer training course benefits not only the officer, but the Department.

One of the biggest benefits of computer training for emergency services personnel is that it allows them more time for a significantly neglected aspect of their lives: family time.

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Learn Photoshop…Resizing vs. Resampling

by David Peters

First things first, there IS a difference between photo resizing and resampling. Although they are both a Photoshop tool designed to change the size of an image, using the two terms interchangeably is not accurate. The method of resizing and resampling is actually performed differently. This difference is determined by how the image itself is changed. If this sounds complicated, it’s really not. One small checkbox option defines the two. Opening the Image Size dialog box, you will see a checkpoint option at the bottom corner. This is the box you choose to resize or the resample of the image.

Under the Image Menu at the top of the screen, will be what is called the Image Size dialog box. This again is the one option determining resizing or resampling. An image is actually composed of tiny dots of color together called pixels. How the number of pixels is changed or not changed defines resizing versus resampling the image. Photoshop terminology refers to this as altering the pixel dimensions. Keeping the pixels number the same and only changing the size you wish the picture to print is called resizing. Photoshop refers to this is changing the document size of the image. But, if you in fact change the amount of pixels making up the image, it is known as resampling.

Image Resizing – Changes the size the image will print out as without changing the number of pixels in the image. Image Resampling – Changes the number of pixels in the image.

It is pretty simple once you know the difference, but how does it relate to your computer and how hard is this to really do? You can do this quickly and easily with your own photos in just a few simple steps

Photoshop’s Image Size dialog box contains some key pieces of information and is separated into two main parts. Pixel Dimensions make up the top half, while the Document Size portion is underneath. Pixel Dimensions shows the width and height consisting of the number of pixels the image is made up of. It also displays the file size of the picture. The Document Size part also shows width and height, but these are the dimensions at which the image will print. The image resolution, also found in the Document Size section of the Image Size box is what these numbers are based from. So remember, he Pixel Dimension will change how an image is displayed on your computer screen or even on the web, whereas changing the Document Size dimensions will affect the print size of the image. Pixel Dimensions = web Document Size = print

Before we begin, it is important to understand what information is contained in the Image Size dialog box. Photoshop’s Image Size dialog box is divided into two main sections. The Pixel Dimensions section is on top, while the ocument Size section is below it. The Pixel Dimensions portion displays the width and height of the image in pixels, and also tells us the file size of our picture. The Document Size section tells how the width and height at which the image is going to print. This is based on the image resolution, also found in the Document Size section of the Image Size box. An easy rule of thumb is that the Pixel Dimension section is what you would change for displaying an image on the web or your computer screen. The Document Size is what you would use to change the dimensions at which the image will print. Pixel Dimensions = web Document Size = print

Also in the Image Size box are three more options below the Document Size section: Scale Styles – Deals with Layer Styles and how they’re affected by resizing or resampling the image. Constrain Proportions – Enabled by default, links the width and height of the image together. If you make a change to the width of the image, for example, Photoshop will automatically change the height, and vice versa, so that the proportions of the image remain the same and don’t get distorted. Resample Image – THE IMPORTANT ONE!!!

We won’t go into detail about the Scale Style and Constrain Proportion, because it is that last box that is the key to resizing vs. resampling. Keep in mind that resizing keeps the pixel dimensions the same and only changes the size at which the image will print, while resampling physically changes the number of pixels in the image. The Resample Image option will be checked by default. This means that even though the dialog box still says ‘Image Size’ at the top, it is now basically the Image Resample dialog box with the checkmark. All of the variables in both the Pixel Dimensions and in the Document Size will be available to you.

The Scale Styles and Constrain Proportions options at the bottom of the Image Size dialog box may or may not be grayed out. When ‘Resample Image’ is unchecked, you will not have access to these options. Scale Styles is grayed out because it’s only used when the number of pixels in an image is being changed. With the number of pixels in the image remaining the same when Resample Image is blank, the Scale Styles is not necessary.

There are also a few other changes that happen depending on if the box is left checked or unchecked. The Scale Styles and Constrain Proportions options at the bottom of the Image Size dialog box are grayed out when Resample Image is not checked. Scale Styles is grayed out because it’s only an issue when the number of pixels in an image is being altered. Since the pixels number of the image remains the same with Resample Image unchecked, the Scale Styles is not needed.

Constrain Proportions is also grayed out when Resample Image is unchecked. This is because there will not be the option of changing the number of pixels in the image either. This option results in the proportions of the image being fixed. An image is 100 pixels wide and 50 pixels in high, no matter the size it is printed, the width will always be twice the size of the height. If the width value in the Document Size section is changed, both the height and the resolution values will also change. Change the height value and the width and resolution values will change. Change the resolution value, and the width and height values will change. They all work together together. The only change that can be made now is how large or small the image will print. Simply entering new values for the document size or by changing the resolution will do this. The Constrain Proportions option is also not needed when all you are doing is resizing the print size of the image.

Image Interpolation Options When Resampling Images

There is one more box that is grayed out when the Resample Image box is unchecked. To the right of the Resample Image option is a drop-down box called either ‘Bicubic Sharper’ or simply ‘Bicubic.’

These options will be grayed out because they only will work for images that are being resampled. If all you are doing is changing how large or small the image will print on paper, you won’t need these options.

Summary Image resizing – Keeps the number of pixels in your image the same and affects only how large your image will print (the Document Size). Image resampling – Physically changes the number of pixels in your image (the Pixel Dimensions). Resample Image – Option at the bottom of the Image Size dialog box controlling if you are resizing or resampling an image. Checking the Resample Image , you are resampling the image. Unchecked, you’re simply resizing the image. Resample images by changing width and height values in the Pixel Dimensions section of the Image Size dialog box. It is used primarily when optimizing images for the web or computer screen. Resizing images by changing the width, height and/or resolution values in the Document Size section of the Image Size dialog box is used for printing the image.

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Why use game cheats on the Nintendo wii?

by Mark Dale

Cheat codes are becoming increasingly popular on the Nintendo Wii, but is this seen as a good or a bad thing by the gaming world? First, let’s discover the reasons why gamers use game cheats so you can decide for yourself if gamers should use them.

The Nintendo Wii game console was created for people that were growing increasingly alienated by the complicated game play and instructions for the newer video games. In many occasions, video games have turned into movie like sequences where the player was allowed to only perform limited tasks. In these types of games all of the imagination, skill, and fun had been removed from the games.

What computer and video game producers saw as the latest state of the art games, others saw as a huge step backwards in game play and interactivity. The Nintendo Wii was specifically designed to solve these constraints by bringing fun and interactivity back in to the gaming market. They actually took this interactivity to a level that had never been seen before and have attracted a whole new breed of gamers.

Never before outside of an arcade have people become so involved in video game play and never before have people been forced to get off their armchairs to play video games. However, it was without surprise that this new revolution would soon get flooded by Wii game cheats for all those that wanted them.

So what are Wii cheat codes?

A cheat code is a special sequence of controller buttons or characters that you can use to alter the game you are playing. Entering a code will provide you with special features or abilities in a game. This allows you to cheat your way through a level, or gain special abilities, such as unlimited ammo or unlimited lives.

Are Game Cheats a bad thing then?

Wii cheat codes can take much of the fun out of Wii games. This is because the gamer will miss the whole purpose of what it means to play games the way they are meant to be played. Games on a Wii are based upon interaction between the player and the game, so using cheats to try and get an false advantage just so you can finish a game faster is something that true game players should not ever do. It can ruin a game and takes most of the entertainment and challenge out of it. If you abuse Wii game cheats for this purpose then you will miss out on many skills and challenges that Nintendo designed the Wii to do. Not only that, but video games can be expensive so cheating to finish a game sooner is wasting your hard earned cash.

When are game cheats good?

Have you ever been stuck on a level of game and no matter how hard you try you just cannot get to the next level? In these circumstances, a cheat code can be the only option. You may only be 20% into a game and just about given up on it. However, using a cheat code can get you to the next level allowing you to get much more game play than otherwise possible.

Think before you cheat!

Wii video games are designed with player interaction in mind, so cheating to get an unfair advantage is kind of missing the point. It really makes no sense to start punching in cheat codes just for the sake of it, because by removing the skill and interaction from a game you have nothing left.

I would recommend you avoid cheat codes for the Wii, unless you really struggle to get through a level and need a bit of help. You should always try and play the games the way they were meant to be played and cheating just for the sake of it takes most of the fun away.

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3 New Methods to Conduct A Reverse Cell Phone Number Lookup

by Davion Wong

Conducting a reverse cell phone number lookup helps one to identify the owner of a cell phone number. It will also reveal some interesting private details as well. While the cell phone numbers are largely in the private database, there are actually some legal methods to conduct checks to find out who owns the number. And you can do so without the help of a private investigator.

Lookup at Search Engines

You might not believe it, but daily, thousands upon thousands of people make their cell phone numbers publicly available, when posting an ad or resume, subscribing to a service, revealing their contact through online forums, etc. Use Google or any other major search engine to perform a reverse cell phone number lookup – if you are lucky, this method may work just fine for you.

The main advantage of such search is that it is free. The disadvantages are obvious too: you have no guarantee that your search will be successful and the results correct. Besides, you are unlikely to find any details besides the person’s name.

Free Reverse Cell Phone Number Lookup Services

There is a bunch of free phone number directories and some of them list cell phone numbers as well. These cell phone numbers are posted by the owners themselves and can not be called comprehensive. Free cell phone number directories are a nice effort by some enthusiasts, but they stand nowhere close to professional services.

As in previous case, the advantage of such directories is that you don’t lose anything as they are completely free of cost. At the same time, in most instances, they turn to be a waste of time. You should understand that their database is just a drop in the ocean as compared to professionally established directories.

Professional Paid Reverse Cell Phone Number Lookup Directories

Paid phone number directories tend to be comprehensive and have a huge database of all cell phone numbers and others like private, unlisted and even pager numbers. These numbers are often collated via various sources and a lot of resources go into the compilation. As such, it is not free. But it is also not expensive either. The payment amount varies from service to service and is often tied to the kind of usage you demand. Some charge per check while others charge a low one-time fee for unlimited checks.

Paid reverse cell phone lookup services do offer a lot of advantages and value for money. The good ones not only give you the phone number owner’s name and address, you can also perform a full background check. This will reveal tons of information about the person you are looking up on.

Discover from my blog how a professional reverse cell phone number lookup can help you find the person you are looking for in a matter of minutes.

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Internet TV Software: Why It’s Good to Get One

by Rashel Dan

You’ve heard of Internet TV software. The question now is, should you get one? Imagine this scenario: you come home from work, exhausted and cranky, and would just like to settle down in front of the television and watch your favorite ballgame, when suddenly your wife steps in from the kitchen, turns to you and says, “Honey, let’s watch Oprah”. Dreadful, right? But with Internet TV, you can just smile and say, “Sure, you watch it; I’ll go upstairs,” grab your laptop, switch it on and enjoy your ballgame in peace.

This article will enumerate several benefits and advantages of getting Internet TV software, and at the end show you how you can enjoy TV over the Internet in just a matter of minutes.

- No hefty, monthly bills

With internet TV software, there’s no need for subscription bills. By getting Internet TV, you can enjoy watching your favorite TV shows just by paying a one-time, small setup fee. No more subscriptions and recurring charges – ever! Imagine how much that’ll save you on cable and satellite TV subscription fees over the years!

- Wide choices of TV stations from all over the world.

Now, you can enjoy more channels than with your cable TV. In fact, you get over 3,000 channels from over 70 plus countries all over the world. With that, you have the variety that you need. You can choose sports, news, weather, politics, religion, music, movies, radio stations, education, shopping, kid’s channels, premium channels, and so much more. You also get to see local, regional, and national broadcasts. So, if you’re from Texas but currently staying in California, then you can still tune in to your favorite local favorite news station. It will really give you a better understanding with what’s happening around the world.

- Downloading the software – It’s easy

Download the software, and voila! Instant TV on your computer. It’s that easy. Once you have paid for the item, you will get the software immediately. You will be redirected to the download site, and then you can enjoy the numerous stations only moments after payment.

Once you’ve downloaded the software, there will be instruction for you to follow to start the broadcasts. And that’s it! No waiting for the mail, no shipping or handling charges. Enjoy full service once payment for the software is processed.

There’s no need for an additional hardware, TV card, satellite dish or receiver. And, it’s available for anyone from all over the world, so for as long as you have an Internet connection and computer, you’re good to go. It’s very easy to use, 100% legal, and the software works with all Windows versions.

Think about it. If you’re one who would like to enjoy pure entertainment from TV at your own time, whenever and wherever (laptop!), then you should seriously consider getting Internet TV software. With its many benefits and advantages, you could never go wrong.

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Notebooks For The Future

by John Woodhouse

All purpose Notebooks represent the sweet spot for the industry. Budget notebooks are aimed at cost conscious buyers who want a basic computer at an afordable price.

This category comprises of thin and light models with 13.3- inch or 14-inch screens, as well as the typical main stream portable with a screen up to 15.4 inches in size.

Mainstream models that includes security,connectivity and durability are ideal as business purpose note books for the professional user.

Manageability features of the business NoteBooks are security ,connectivity and durability and a stable platform so the OS image of units deployed now will match machines available in the near future .

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How To Speed Up My Pc

by Michael Baker

People looking to speed up their PC can rest assured it can be done in 3 very simple steps. I know how frustrating it is to have a slow computer, to get computer errors, and just to have to wait on the computer for anything. So, I wanted to give you the 3 things I did to speed up my pc.

Run a defragmenter

When you store stuff on your hard drive, the computer just puts your files into the first open areas it finds. Even if the file does not fit, it breaks, or fragments, the file to part of it will fit in there. The problem here is when you go to launch the file, the computer must go and find all of the parts and put it back together. A defragmenter can help put these together on a regular basis.

I put in the max amount of memory my computer would hold

With the cost of computer memory being where it is today, you should put the most memory you can in your computer. If you are not sure how much it holds, just do a search online with your model number and it will tell you how much memory you can use. This will have an immediate impact in the speed of your pc.

Run a registry repair software

This is one of those areas most people do not really think about. Probably, because they have never even heard of the registry. And, if you have, you have no idea how to get there, which is a good thing because you can really mess things up in here. This is the area that tells the computer how to operate. It gives the programs specific instructions on how to do stuff. You can imagine if this area is messed up what would happen. The computer would be looking for stuff in the wrong places, which would cause it to be extremely slow. A registry repair tool can fix this.

By using a registry repair software, you are able to scan your computer, normally for free, and see how many errors you have. Then, once you find all of the errors, the software will fix every one of these. Now, your computer should be running back at top speed.

When used in combination, these things above definitely gave me my answer how to speed up my pc.

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Internet TV: Watching TV on PC

by Rashel Dan

Yes, internet TV is possible. Ever since the Internet was discovered, there’s no stopping to what it can do. Several advancements have been made to make life easier. Now you don’t have to wait for weeks or even months for the postman to bring you a letter from a cousin abroad. With the internet, you can send and receive e-mail from all over the world in just a matter of seconds. And looking for the phone number from your favorite restaurant? Why bother with the phone directory when you can do it over the internet? Today, the internet can do almost everything, wiping out the use for other outdated tools.

With the advent of internet TV, will it be safe to assume that the internet will soon replace TV? The idea is not far from happening. Watching TV over the internet presents itself with many benefits and advantages compared to watching TV over regular satellite and cable TV services.

With it, you don’t have to argue with your wife or bratty teenage daughter over which channels to watch. You can just switch on your computer or laptop, and watch your favorite TV series in peace.

Not just that. Ever felt burdened by how you have to set aside money from your monthly salary so you can pay your cable or satellite TV monthly subscription? Oh, the price you have to pay for entertainment. But with TV on the Internet, you can enjoy watching TV for only the price of a one-time, small setup fee. Yes, that’s right. No monthly fees and no recurring charges ever.

And the issue of TV stations? Well, this is where things get exciting. Watching TV over the Internet will give you access to over 3,000 channels worldwide! And by worldwide, it means getting TV stations from over 70 countries. So, if you would like to enhance your foreign language skills, say Spanish, go ahead and watch their soap operas to pick up a few Spanish phrases.

Now, there are more options at your fingertips. You have choices on what to watch, from music, sports, movies, news, weather, politics, religion, educational, kid’s channels, shopping, and many more. In fact, you can even watch ‘secret’ stations that the government wouldn’t want you to watch, like the station that broadcasts live and uncensored footage from the war in Iraq. It will really give you a better understanding on what’s happening around the world.

And you need just a few simple things. No, not another of those extra hardware and TV card such as a satellite dish or receiver. All you need is an Internet connection and a computer. It’s very easy to use, 100% legal, and works with all versions of Windows. It also works wherever in the world, too!

Think of how much you can do just by being able to watch TV on your very own computer. Have it on your laptop and bring TV with you anywhere and anytime. Watching your favorite ball game on the way to work? Now possible. There’s simply no end to the possibilities.

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10 Ways to Protect Against the Dreaded Computer Virus

by Roberto beiro

You may already have had a bad experience with a computer viruses. If this is true then you may have been due to opening an email from some one you didn’t know, or from downloading a ton of different files off the internet. Either way, if you want to ensure this doesn’t happen again, the you should read this article to guard yourself against the annoying computer bugs.

I have put together 10 tips that you can follow in order to avoid being infected by a nasty virus that could potentially turn your PC into a disaster zone.

1. Get yourself some antivirus software from a respected company such as Norton Antivirus software. You should set it up to run automatically every time you turn your computer on.

2. Make sure to keep your antivirus software up to date by either using the automatic update feature that many come with or make it a habit to manually check at least once or twice a week for updates on your own.

3. Set your antivirus program to scan for potential viruses each time you open a word-processing document like the ones that get sent through email. Viruses found in word-processing documents are called Macro Viruses.

4. Downloading software from the internet should be done as little as possible. There are many neat programs available on the internet, but unfortunately there are many viruses that go along with them also.

5. Resist swapping data with the use of floppy disks or other mobile storage devices between various computers. If exchanging programs between computers is unavoidable just make sure to scan the storage device(s) for viruses before transferring data from one computer to the next.

6. When tranferring data using a floppy disc, the disc must be formatted first.

7. Don’t install any software that hasn’t been purchased from a well known and trusted vendor.

8. Never use pirated software. This is both illegal and a very good way to invite an unwanted computer virus.

9. You must scan all programs you download of the web, BEFORE you open and install them on your computer.

10. Probably the most important and neglected method of disaster recovery are periodic backups of all important files found on your computer. Should a virus happen to get through your lines of defense you may need to replace the virus corrupted files with fresh ones that have been kept for such an occasion.

Finally, it is not guaranteed that if you follow the above steps that you will not be the victim of a computer virus,but you can sure bet that if followed you will greatly reduce the chance of being an unsuspecting recipient of such an unwanted program.

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Which is The Best Windows registry repair tool?

by Zachary S Bartlett

If you own a computer, it’s nearly certain that you will, at some point or another, get a Windows registry error. These errors may seem scary, but in reality, they’re pretty easy to fix. All you really have to do is download a Windows registry scanner and repair tool from one of many different websites devoted to registry software.

These tools will have your computer up and running pretty quickly, but there are so many out there that you may not know which one to download.

Most basic Windows users don’t know much about the Windows registry or how to go about fixing it. In this article, I’ll discuss some of your options for not only registry cleaning and repair but also registry maintenance and things you can do to keep your computer running at its best.

RegCure:

RegCure is a very easy to use Windows registry repair tool. RegCure is designed for the novice computer user. The download and initial scan are free, and RegCure will repair all your registry problems when you register for the full version. Also, RegCure is the cheapest Windows registry utility out there, so you get the most bang for your buck.

RegistryEasy:

Many people have heard of RegistryEasy since it’s one of the most popular tools out there. As far as Windows registry utilities go, RegistryEasy is, like its name suggests, easy to use. Even if you’re a basic computer user, RegistryEasy is pretty intuitive. All you need to do is download the software, scan your registry, and see what errors pop up. Now, to fix errors with RegistryEasy, you’ll have to buy a license, but even that is very easy to do.

System Mechanic:

System Mechanic is the big boy of registry repair tools, and it will take care of just about anything your system might have going on. System Mechanic is more than just a Windows registry repair tool: it can defrag your memory and hard drive, find ways of making your web browser work better, and do much, much more. System Mechanic’s price tag is a bit more than most straight Windows registry tools, but it comes with a 30 day trial version, so you can see exactly how powerful it is before you buy it.

Other Programs:

There are several other types of tools out there that can help you keep your Windows registry working at optimum performance, including spyware and firewall programs. The very popular Spybot program, for example, will not only eliminate spyware from your computer but also tell you when something is trying to change your Windows registry. The firewall program by Comodo will also alert you when something wants to change one of your registry entries and give you the chance to deny the change.

When delving into the wealth of different Windows registry repair software available, be sure to keep a few things in mind.

*Do you have to buy a licensed version to repair errors?

*Does the program scan for ALL types of Windows registry problems?

*Does the program provide other registry utilities, like a registry compactor?

*Does the program create a registry backup?

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