X-NAZA

SOLAT

2010-04-19T12:30:00.000+08:00

Tidak dinafikan ramai umat Islam zaman sekarang yang tidak mengerjakan solat.

Tapi saya percaya ramai di antara mereka pernah dididik tentang kewajipan solat dan pernah mengerjakannya.

Mungkin akibat kelekaan duniawi, ibadah suci itu telah terperosok, jauh di dalam lubuk hati, sama ada sedar atau pun tidak.

Yang nyata, aku tidak pernah berasa benci atau marah kepada mereka yang tidak mengerjakan solat, apatah lagi untuk memandang hina golongan ini.

Kerana solat itu sendiri adalah soal hati dan keikhlasan. Tanpa keikhlasan, tak mungkin perbuatan solat itu mencapai maksudnya.

Namun begitu, janganlah kita berasa selesa dengan kejahilan. Jangan pula berasa bangga dengan ilmu dan amalan. Sebaliknya, berazam dan berusahalah untuk mengerjakannya dengan istiqamah di samping memperbaiki segala kelemahan yang ada.

Untuk mengingatkan diri saya sendiri dan para pembaca, izinkan kami berkongsi panduan tentang teknik motivasi memulakan solat setelah lama meninggalkannya.

1. Sematkan azam, bulatkan tekad

Sebaik sahaja tersedar dari lamunan (sedar rupanya dah lama tinggal solat), cuba fikir sedalam mungkin tentang apa yang anda lakukan, apa yang tak sepatutnya anda lakukan, dan apa yang sepatutnya anda lakukan.

Dari situ, tanam keazaman yang kukuh bahawa anda ingin mengerjakan solat, dan tidak akan meninggalkannya sampai bila-bila. Kerana itulah tujuan anda hidup di atas muka bumi ini sebenarnya.

2. Cari masa dan tempat yang sesuai, sunyi, jauh dari dugaan

Kemudian tetapkan masa di mana anda akan mula menjalani kehidupan sebagai seorang yang mengerjakan solat. Lebih cepat lebih baik. Ingatlah, berdosa besar bagi orang yang melengah-lengahkan solat.

Sebaiknya, cari tempat yang sunyi dan jauh dari dugaan. Jauhi rakan-rakan yang tidak solat atau suka mengejek, sekurang-kurangnya untuk waktu itu sahaja. Masjid juga adalah tempat yang baik.

3. Solat sekali dahulu, baru ada kali kedua

Walau sekuat mana pun azam, sebulat mana pun tekad, sebaik mana pun masa dan tempat, tanpa solat yang pertama, takkan jadi solat yang kedua dan seterusnya.

Oleh itu, mulakan sahaja tanpa berlengah. Bak kata iklan NIKE - Just do it!

4. Buat nota peringatan dan galakan

Kalau ada masa dan semangat yang berkobar-kobar, tuliskan kata-kata peringatan dan galakan di atas sehelai kertas (besar atau kecil).

Kemudian yang besar tampal di dinding, manakala yang kecil diletakkan dalam wallet atau poket baju.

Tips ini mungkin kurang sesuai jika anda tinggal bersama rakan-rakan yang tidak mengerjakan solat. Dibimbangi ada yang kata anda nak tunjuk bagus.

5. Fahami maksud setiap bacaan dalam solat

Jika anda kurang bersetuju dengan point ini, saya nasihatkan supaya cuba dahulu. Anda pasti akan merasai kelainannya.

Bukan faham satu-satu ayat, tetapi satu-satu perkataan. Di situ akan bermula keindahan solat, di mana anda akan rasa seolah-olah khusyuk itu mula hadir dalam diri semasa mengerjakan solat.

6. Baca perlahan-lahan mengikut tertib

Sewaktu solat, baca perlahan-lahan untuk meningkatkan rasa manis, indah dan seronok.

7. Tingkatkan imaginasi

Sewaktu menghayati maksud, tingkatkan imaginasi anda. Bayangkan keindahan bertemu Allah yang menjemput kita untuk sujud kepada-Nya.

8. Doa mohon kekuatan dan sokongan

Panjatkan doa kepada Allah s.w.t dengan memohon kekuatan dan sokongan untuk berubah menjadi hamba-Nya yang taat. Hendaklah diamalkan sejurus selepas setiap kali solat.

9. Tumpu perhatian pada hari-hari yang dilalui

Tumpukan perhatian anda pada hari yang anda sedang lalui dengan mengerjakan solat. Berilah pujian kepada diri anda dan berikan tahniah kepada diri anda setiap kali anda berjaya mengerjakan solat.

10. Dapatkan adrenaline sewaktu mendengar azan

Adrenaline boleh digunakan sebagai pembantu dengan memberi suatu kejutan semangat yang berkobar-kobar untuk terus pergi menunaikan solat tanpa berlengah-lengah.

Jika anda dapat menanam adrenaline ini sehingga menjadi tabiat, anda pasti akan meninggalkan segala kerja yang anda lakukan, apabila terdengar sahaja azan berkumandang. Best tak?

11. Berfikir secara positif

Fikirkan diri anda sebagai seorang yang mengerjakan solat sebaik sahaja anda memulakannya dan sentiasa peringatkan diri anda sedemikian.

Sekiranya ada rakan anda yang mengajak anda ke mana-mana sebelum sempat anda menunaikan solat, katakanlah saya belum bersolat, tunggu sebentar atau pergi dahulu.

Ingatlah bahawa anda telah membuat pilihan positif untuk mengerjakan solat.

12. Dapatkan sokongan mental dan rohani

Berikanlah peringatan kepada keluarga, kawan rapat dan rakan sekerja yang anda telah mula mengerjakan solat dan memerlukan kerjasama serta sokongan daripada mereka.

Mintalah rakan-rakan anda yang tidak mengerjakan solat supaya menghormati keputusan anda.

13. Lawan kemalasan dalaman dan godaan syaitan

Dari semasa ke semasa anda akan merasai suatu kemalasan, kebosanan, dan sebagainya, yang mana semua itu sebenarnya hanyalah godaan syaitan dan kemalasan diri sendiri.

Oleh itu lawanlah sehabis-habis mungkin. Ingatlah anda lawan ni pun tak lama. Lama kelamaan ibadah ini akan sebati juga dalam diri anda, dan tidak perlu dipaksa lagi.

14. Banyakkan bahan bacaan tentang solat

Kerapkan diri anda membaca kisah-kisah nikmat solat untuk membangkitkan semangat. Baca juga tentang dosa meninggalkan solat untuk membangkitkan rasa takut pada Allah s.w.t. Moga-moga dilimpahi rahmat dan keberkatan oleh-Nya.

Kesimpulan

Jika topik ini dirasakan tidak berkaitan dengan anda, ingatlah: Hari ini mungkin bukan hari anda. Esok lusa tiada siapa yang tahu. Diharap dapat dijadikan panduan kita bersama.

10 TABIAT MEROSAKKAN OTAK..........

2010-01-07T09:27:00.000+08:00

1. Tidak mengambil sarapan pagi
- Apabila seseorang tidak mengambil sarapan pagi, paras gula dalam darah akan menjadi rendah. Ini akan mengakibatkan kekurangan bekalan nutrisipada otak dan menjadikannya kurang aktif.

2. Terlebih makan
- Ia akan membebankan pembuluh darah otak dan mengurangkan kuasa mental otak.

3. Perokok
- Asap rokok akan mengakibatkan sel-sel otak terjejas atau terbakar dan boleh menga kibatkan penyakit 'Alzheimer'.

4. Penggunaan gula yang berlebihan
- Pengambilan gula secara berlebihan akan mengganggu penyerapan protein dan nutrisi. Selain daripada itu, ia akan mengganggu perkembangan otak yang sihat.

5. Pencemaran udara
- Otak adalah pengguna oksigen terbesar dalam badan manusia. Pencemaran udara boleh menyebabkan pengurangan bekalan oksigen ke otak dan keaktifan otak.

6. Terlebih tidur
- Tidur adalah bagus untuk merehatkan otak tetapi masa tidur yang panjang boleh mengakibatkan sel-sel otak kita mati.

7. Menutup muka ketika tidur
- Tidur sambil menutup muka akan mengakibatkan otak menerima lebih banyak karbon dioksida berbanding oksigen dan ini akan membawa kerosakan kepada otak.

8. Membiarkan otak bekerja semasa kita berada di dalam keadaan kurang sihat
- Bekerja semasa anda kurang sihat boleh mengurangkan keberkesanan otak dan juga membawa kerosakan kepada sel-sel otak.

9. Kurang berimiginasi
- Berfikir adalah satu cara terbaik untuk melatih otak kita. Kurangnya berimiginasi boleh menyebabkan tahap kecerdasan/keaktifa n otak menurun.

10. Jarang berfikir
- Jarang berfikir akan menyebabkan otak kita kurang aktif. Oleh itu, perbincangan yang membina boleh menambah keberkesanan kecerdasan otak kita.

PERINGATAN..............

2010-01-07T09:03:00.000+08:00

Islam meletakkan garis panduan umur seseorang Islam mengikut tahap2 berikut;

1) Mumaiyiz
Tahap dimana seorang kanak2 sudah boleh membezakan baik & buruk. Dan setiap insan berbeza dari segi umur mumaiyiz nya. Mereka ini jika berbuat salah tidak berdosa & jika berbuat baik tiada pahala, ibubapa yang menanggungnya sehingga sampai umur baligh, iaitu bagi anak lelaki sukar ditentukan secara tepat seperti datang mimpi, dsbnya. Bagi anak perempuan sehingga datang haidnya, maka jelaslah balighnya.. Islam tidak menetapkan umur tertentu seperti orang barat.

2) Pemuda/i
Bermula dari umur baligh hingga umur 40tahun. Namun pada umur ini belum cukup kuat akalnya. Pun begitu sudah layaklah menanggung amanah & dosa pahalanya.
Jika ada sikap2 buruk di antara umur ini, masih ada ruang untuk berubah sebelum tibanya umur 40tahun.

3) Orang tua
Bermula umur 40tahun dan ke atas. Ketika ini seseorang telah dianggap sudah amat matang. Nabi SAW juga menerima wahyu ketika berusia 40thn, ketika akal manusia sudah stabil & lengkap.Yg mana Allah Maha Mengetahui hal keadaan hamba2 ciptaanNya.

Jika sesuatu tabiat2 buruk berterusan melepasi 40thn maka ditakuti dia akan mati dgn tabiat2 buruk itu tanpa dapat mengubahnya lagi. Sebaliknya jika seseorang itu sudah dapat mengubah tabiat2 buruk itu seblm umur 40thn, maka insyaAllah tabiat baik itu akan kekal sehingga waktu matinya.

Sabda Nabi SAW, bermaksud ;

“Barang siapa yang telah dipanjangkan umurnya dalam keadaan Islam, beriman & beramal soleh sehingga sampai umur 40tahun MAKA Allah akan memberikan beberapa hadiah iaitu RahmatNya kepada orang itu, iaitu dia akan dijauhkan drpd 3 jenis bala, iaitu GILA(al junun), kulit terkopak2 (al juzam) & penyakit sopak (al baros) iaitu kulit menjadi sebahagian putih2.”

Apabila seseorang itu sampai umur 50tahun dalam keadaan Islam, beriman & beramal soleh, maka Allah akan mempermudahkan hisabnya, yg mana Malaikat tidak akan menulis amalan dosa2 yang kecil sedangkan amalan baik akan masih terus ditulis. Namun kita haruslah ingat bahwa Allah menyembunyikan KEREDAAN & KEMURKAANNYA, maka kita wajib berusaha menghidari dosa walaupun kecil kerana ditakuti dosa2 kecil yg berterusan yg kita buat itu (cth:merokok, pakai seluar pendek, tak tutup aurat dgn betul) yg menjadi kemurkaan Allah. Sebaliknya berusahalah berbuat baik walaupun kecil kerana mungkin itu yang menjadi KEREDAAN Allah.

Apabila seseorang itu telah mencapai umur 60tahun dalam keadaan Islam, beriman & beramal soleh, Allah akan beri rasa suka & cinta utk bertaubat kepada Allah SWT & suka membuat amal2 soleh kerana nak kembali pada Allah. Jika sebaliknya Allah tidak akan beri hadiah ini.

Apabila telah mencapai umur 70tahun Allah akan cinta kepadanya, bahkan seluruh Malaikat yg berada dilangit akan menyayanginya dengan syarat dia berterusan melakukan segala perintah Allah & menjauhi laranganNya dan juga telah melalui umur2 dan mendapat hadiah2 tersebut di atas.

Apabila telah mencapai umur 80tahun, Allah akan terima segala amalan baiknya walaupun dia tidak sepenuhnya ikhlas & Allah tidak catit amalan dosanya yang kecil. Sesuatu amalan yang baik semata2 kerana Allah dikira ikhlas. Tapi amalan yang dibuat kerana Allah dan juga kerana manusia juga dikira oleh Allah sebagai ikhlas. Pada umur ini Allah terima amalan nya walaupun dia lupa. Malaikat yg mencatit dosa tidak lagi mencatit dosa2nya, sedangkan pahala berterusan dicatit.

Apabila telah sampai umur 90tahun dengan syarat dia telah menerima hadiah2 pada umur2 sebelumnya, maka Allah akan memberi RahmatNya di mana Allah;

Mengampunkan segala dosanya yang lalu dengan Allah seperti orang yg mengerjakan haji. Namun bukan dosanya dengan manusia.
Menahan orang ini di muka bumi supaya Allah tambah RahmatNya kepada orang ini
Juga memberi izin pada orang ini untuk memberi pertolongan pada ahli keluarganya di akhirat kelak supaya terhindar dari Neraka atau dikeluarkan dari Neraka.”
Sesungguhnya orang yang bersabar akan diberi ganjaran pahala oleh Allah SWT. Maka mereka yang menjaga orang tua seperti di atas akan diRahmati Allah & dipermudahkan urusannya.

Tips dari Saidina Ali kw;

*** “Jika ingin menjadi orang yg apabila tua TIDAK NYANYUK, tak mengenal benda sebaliknya menjadi orang tua yang bermanfaat & segar otaknya maka sedari muda lagi amalkan MEMBACA AL QURAN” ***

Tanpa kita minta, kita akan disayangi ramai orang apabila membaca AlQuran itu menjadi amalan yang berterusan.

Doa pada umur 40tahun : (Surah Al Ahqaf Juzuk 26 : Ayat15)

Bermaksud ;

” Ya Allah Ya Tuhanku berilah aku peluang, RahmatMu utk aku bersyukur kepadaMu Ya Allah atas segala Nikmat yang Kau kurniakan kepadaku & juga Nikmat yang kau beri kepada kedua orang ibubapaku dan semoga Engkau beri peluang kepadaku untuk melakukan amal soleh yang mana Engkau redai. Ya Allah, semoga engkau memberikan zuriat yang baik & soleh dan semoga Engkau mengislah (memperbaikkan) zuriatku ini. Sesungguhnya aku ini bertaubat kepadamu dan sesungguhnya aku ini dari kalangan orang2 Islam (org yg mengamalkan Rukun2 Islam)”

PERIHAL MANDI

2010-01-07T08:09:00.001+08:00

Mandi

KAJIAN terbaru berkaitan dengan mandi mendapati ia bukan saja bertujuan

untuk membersihkan diri daripada kotoran, tetapi menjauhkan stress serta

berperanan penting meningkatkan sistem kekebalan tubuh. Penyelidikan yang diterbitkan dalam New England Journal of Medicine menunjukkan penderita diabetes yang menghabiskan masa selama setengah jam berendam dalam air suam dapat menurunkan tingkat gula darah sekitar 13 peratus.

Kajian di Jepun pula menunjukkan 10 minit berendam dalam air panas dapat memperbaiki kesihatan jantung terutamanya untuk lelaki.

Berikut beberapa manfaat mandi kepada individu yang mengamalkannya.

Mengeluarkan racun:

Mandi air panas sekitar 32 hingga 35 darjah Celsius membuka ruang yang

dapat membantu mengeluarkan toksin. Mandi air panas membantu menurunkan

tingkat gula darah, menyembuhkan sakit otot dan membantu menjaga usus besar

supaya bekerja dengan baik. Waktu yang dianjurkan ialah selama 10 hingga 20

minit.

Mandi air sejuk sangat baik untuk meredakan ketegangan. Ia dapat

menyempitkan darah dan meningkatkan tingkat gula darah... Suhu yang

dianjurkan ialah sekitar 12 hingga 18 darjah Celsius.

Jangkitan kulit : Penyakit kulit tertentu seperti ruam atau gatal-gatal

boleh diatasi dengan menambahkan soda penaik (sodium bicarbonate) ke dalam

air mandian. Ia bertindak sebagai antiseptik. Isikan air ke bekas mandian

dan tambahkan soda penaik dan aduk sehingga rata. Digalakkan untuk berendam

selama 10 hingga 20 minit.

Selesema dan sakit kepala : Merendam kaki dalam air panas membantu

menyembuhkan selsema, sakit kepala dan menyegarkan kembali kaki yang lelah.

Masukkan air panas secukupnya dalam bekas sehingga menenggelamkan

pergelangan kaki kemudian tambahkan beberapa titis minyak seperti

lavender, peppermint atau lemon. Selepas basuh dengan air sejuk.Lakukannya

selama 10 hingga 20 minit.

Insomnia : Merendamkan kaki dalam air dingin sangat baik kepada anda. Yang mempunyai masalah imsonia atau memiliki masalah tidur. Masukkan kaki

sehingga ia merasa dingin. Perubatan ini berguna bagi kaki lelah,pendarahan

hidung, selsema dan sembelit.

BUAT RENUNGAN KITA SEMUA..................

2010-01-06T13:12:00.000+08:00

Tidak semua wanita yang tidak mahu berkahwin itu terlalu memilih suami yang berpangkat dan bergaji besar. Ada juga dikalangan mereka yang bercita-cita ingin mencari lalaki yang berilmu dan beramal diatas segala apa yang telah diperintahkan oleh Allah swt.

Oleh itu mereka terpaksa bertangguh untuk mendirikan rumahtangga dan untuk mencari seorang lelaki yang beramal saleh di akhir zaman ini ibarat payahnya mencari sebutir mutiara asli. Sebabnya, ramai suami dewasa ini mencuaikan tanggungjawabnya di dalam mendidik ahli keluarganya malah tugas itu diserahkan sepenuhnya kepada isteri dan guru sahaja.

Kita percaya hampir ke semua suami berjaya menunaikan tanggungjawabnya di dalam memberi nafkah zahir(seperti makan, minum, pakaian dan tempat tinggal) kepada ahli keluarganya. Tetapi bagaimana pula dengan tuntutan nafkah batin? Rata-rata masyarakat sekarang memahami bahawa tuntutan nafkah batin itu sekadar untuk melepaskan keperluan seks melalui jalan yang sah dan tidak lebih dari itu.

Bila sesempit itu pandangan mereka, maka timbullah berbagai masalah di dalam rumahtangga. Contohnya, ahli keluarga tidak pandai bersembahyang, tidak pandai mengaji Al Quran, cuai berpuasa dan tidak tahu hukum halal dan haram. Isteri dan anak-anak hidup terbiar tanpa asuhan dan dididkan Islam yang sewajarnya.
Nabi saw telah mengingatkan para suami dengan sabdanya yang bermaksud: "Takutlah kepada Allah dalam memimpin isteri-isterimu, kerana sesungguhnya mereka adalah amanah yang berada di sampingmu; barangsiapa tidak memerintahkan sembahyang kepada isterinya dan tidak mengajarkan agama kepadanya, maka ia telah berkhianat kepada Allah dan Rasul-Nya."

Menunaikan nafkah batin bererti mengajar isteri dan anak-anak dengan ilmu serta didikan agama yang sempurna sehingga terbentuknya sebuah keluarga yang dianggotai oleh mereka yang soleh dan solehah. Barangsiapa yang cuai atau lari daripada tanggungjawab ini bererti dia telah menempah jalan ke neraka. Nabi saw pernah bercerita menerusi sabdanya yang bermaksud: "Tidak ada seseorang yang menjumpai Allah swt dengan membawa dosa yang lebih besar daripada seorang suami yang membodohkan ahli keluarganya. "

Apakah ilmu-ilmu dan didikan yang mesti diajarkan oleh seorang suami kepada ahli keluarga? Setiap suami bertanggungjawab mengajar anak isterinya ilmu-ilmu fardhu ain iaitu tauhid, fekah dan tasauf. tujuan mempelajari ilmu tauhid supaya aqidah mereka bertepatan dengan fahaman ahli sunnah wal jamaah. Contohnya, mempelajari sifat yang wajib, mustahil dan harus bagi Allah dan Rasul. Mempercayai rukun-rukun Iman dan rukun-rukun Islam.

Kita diwajibkan mempelajari ilmu fekah sebagaimana penekanan Allah menerusi firmannya bermaksud: "Ketahuilah! Bahawa dianjurkan bagi seorang suami memerintahkan isterinya(dan mengingatkannya dengan nada yang lembut) dan menafkahinya menurut kadar kemampuannya dan berlaku tabah (jika disakiti oleh isterinya) dan bersikap halus kepadanya dan mengarahkannya ke jalan yang baik dan mengajarnya akan hukum-hukum agama yang perlu diketahui olehnya iaitu hukum bersuci, haid dan ibadah-ibadah (yang wajib dan sunat)."

Justeru itu, suami mesti mengajarkan isterinya cara-cara mandi hadas dan berwuduk serta masalah haid, nifas dan wiladah. Juga mengenai cara-cara menyucikan najis serta pembahagian air yang wajib untuk dibuat bersuci, hukum halal dan haram serta banyak lagi.

Tujuan mempelajari ilmu tasauf pula supaya setiap amalan yang dilaksanakan itu benar-benar ikhlas dan dijauhkan daripada bersifat riyak, ujub (hairan kepada diri sendiri) sombong dan lain-lain lagi.
Selain daripada perkara-perkara asas tersebut suami juga bertanggungjawab mendidik isteri, berakhlak mulia terhadapnya dan terhadap anak-anak, ibubapa, sesama isterinya sekiranya ada, rakan-rakan, jiran tetangga serta masyarakat.

Suami perlu memberitahu isteri tentang adab seorang isteri bersopan santun dalam segala percakapan dan tindakannya. Juga tentang akhlak semasa bersama anak-anak iaitu berbual dengan mereka dengan bahasa yang baik dan jangan suka memaki-hamun mereka dengan bahasa yang kesat. Kerana sesungguhnya kata-kata ibu itu mengandungi doa; jika tercetus dari mulut ibu kata-kata seumpama "Beruk punya anak1" maka lahirlah watak beruk pada si anak yang sukar untuk dilentur perangainya.

Ajarkan juga isteri supaya menghormati dan beradap sopan ketika berhadapan dengan ibubapa dan mertuanya. Memuliakan keluarga suami lebih daripada yang lain. Sentiasa memberi nasihat kepada isteri jika ia suka mengumpat, berleter atau memfitnah jiran tetangganya. Ingatkan isteri supaya jangan suka menceritakan keburukan dan kelemahan suami kepada orang lain.

Selalu ingatkan isteri supaya banyak bersabar dalam menempuh segala ujian dan perintah-perintah Allah swt. Ajarkannya batas-batas aurat dan batas-batas pergaulan seorang wanita. Pastikan auratnya terkawal ketika pergaulan dengan sanak saudara, sahabat-sahabat perempuan, dan ketika berhadapan dengan lelaki yang bukan muhramnya. Dan supaya isteri tidak keluar rumah tanpa izin daripada suami.

Isteri yang berjaya dididik dengan baik akan menjadi insan yang patuh kepada Allah dan taat pada suaminya dikala susah mahupun senang. Dia akan menjadi insan yang sentiasa menjadi pendorong serta penasihat kepada suami dalam hal-hal kebaikan, malah sentiasa mendoakan keselamatan ke atas suaminya pada setiap waktu.

Kesimpulannya, inilah sebahagian daripada tanggungjawab suami dalam menunaikan nafkah batin kepada isteri. Kiranya suami jahil dan tidak mampu untuk mengajar isteri dan anak-anak, dia wajib berusaha mencari guru yang mampu mengajar. Semoga dirinya dan ahli keluarganya terselamat daripada seksa di akhirat kelak.
Ibnu Abbas pernah berkata: :Berilah pengertian agama kepada mereka (ahli keluarga) dan berilah pelajaran budi pekerti yang bagus kepada mereka."
Kebenaran tetap ada walau dalam kesamaran

The all-new Honda City unveiled

2008-12-28T08:15:00.000+08:00

The all-new Honda City unveiled

Posted by: Andy Mervin George

Honda Malaysia today unveiled the third-generation Honda City compact sedan in Kuala Lumpur.

The all-new City comes with numerous firsts in its class, combining style, performance and practicality, but more on that as you read on.

Not just the regular City car for the ladies here

There are two variants available, these being tagged Grade E and Grade S. The Grade E comes with additional paddle shifters, rear reclining seats with an underseat tray and 16-inch sport alloy wheels.

Exterior style-wise, the City adopts what Honda calls an ‘Arrowshot Form’ design outlook from end-to-end. Strikingly, the front end resembles a transformable robot from an animated movie, whilst the tail lamps look very much like those found on the BMW 3-Series.

The i-DSI block is history, so the new City goes about its business with a single powerplant choice, this being a newly-developed four-cylinder 1.5l i-VTEC engine which pushes out 120bhp at 6,000rpm and 145Nm of torque at 4,800rpm. Compliant with Euro 4 level emission standards, the City is deemed the most powerful compact sedan in the market to date.

The advanced i-VTEC engine is now mated with a five-speed automatic transmission with Shift Hold Control and is the first in its class. Gone too is the CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) gearbox, an omission brought about by the rougher style of driving encountered here, according to surveys carried out by Honda Japan’s R&D division.

Compensating for the absence of a manual transmission gearbox (a five-speed manual is available in both Thailand and Singapore) are the paddle shifters in the Grade E, which provides the driver with a sportier means of changing gears.

Functional minus the clutter, and it brings out a gutsy feeling in you

The steering wheel is now of the tilt and telescopic type, and the footrest is now wider as the accelerator and brake pedals have been shifted more to the right. The car comes with EPS (Electric Power Steering), and safety comes in the form of dual SRS airbags and front seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiters.

Stopping power is reinforced with ABS (anti-lock braking system) with EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution), while BA (Brake Assist) amplifies the driver’s foot force with minimal pedal input.

Entertainment for the occupants inside the City is provided by an advanced audio system that is compatible with MP3 players, iPod, USB memory or a mobile hard disk drive. In the Grade E variant, you get a six-speaker system with steering wheel audio controls, while the Grade S makes do with a four-speaker arrangement.

The all-new City does not compromise in rear passenger convenience with a fold-down armrest that also houses integrated cup holders.

Another first in its class, the City’s rear trunk is able to contain a whopping 506l of cargo, which is equivalent to being able to store four nine-inch-wide golf bags.

As mentioned, the Grade E’s rear seats can be folded in a 60:40 split configuration for extended luggage carrying capacity, and is fitted with an underseat tray to stow away wet umbrellas or footwear.

There are a total of five colours to choose from – Alabaster Silver Metallic, Bold Beige Metallic, Polished Metal Metallic, and new colours Crystal Black Pearl and Deep Lapis Blue Metallic. Unfortunately, a striking signature colour called Habanero Red Pearl, as well as a very pretty Tafetta White, is not available.

The Honda City is manufactured in Malaysia, with 30% of the parts sourced locally, including the seats and instrument panel, while the rest are from Japan.

Get into the City and it makes you happy

According to Atsushi Fujimoto, managing director of Honda Malaysia, the previous City was still doing quite well into the end of its run, having registered a total sales volume of 8,000 units from Jan to Nov this year. With the arrival of the new one, Honda Malaysia is targeting to sell about 1,500 units of the new City on a monthly basis, and pre-launch bookings have been brisk, with more than 1,500 orders to date - as of launch time, the waiting period is a month, though that is surely to change if more orders come about.

The City rolls in at RM84,980 for the Grade S and RM89,980 for the Grade E (both on the road, with insurance) and comes with a three-year warranty or 100,000km and six months free service or 10,000km, whichever comes first.

A Modulo accessories package is available to spruce up the City’s exterior, and this consists of front, side, rear and trunk spoilers, all for an additional RM4,750.

SOURCE: THE STAR ONLINE

Time out for timing belt

2008-11-26T21:26:00.001+08:00

Time out for timing belt

THE timing belt is one essential car part that has to be replaced regularly and motorists are advised to strictly conform to the recommendations listed in the owners manual, according to Germany’s automobile association ADAC.

Most car makers list a certain amount of kilometres or the age of the vehicle when the timing belt needs replacing.

Normally, the timing belt has reached the end of its tether after the car has clocked between 100,000km and 120,000km.

But Maximilian Maurer, an ADAC expert, points out that even if an older car has low mileage, the timing belt could need replacing.

"A timing belt is made of rubber and rubber simply has a limited life span," Maurer points out, warning that it can even be dangerous to neglect a replacement.

"The timing belt can tear suddenly causing the engine to stop working immediately. That could lead to really tricky situations or even an accident," he says.

Not only that. If a timing belt breaks, it normally means that the engine needs a complete replacement. The belt connects the crankshaft to the camshaft of a combustion engine which, in turn, regulates the opening and closing of the valves.

If the system suddenly stops working, a piston can slam into an opened valve, causing much damage.

SOURCE: http://www.thesundaily.com

VOLKSWAGEN'S

2008-10-27T07:35:00.001+08:00

Volkswagen’s Tiguan arrives

Posted by: Andy Mervin George

Volkswagen Group Malaysia has launched the Tiguan 2.0 TSI compact SUV.

MD of VGM, Mr. Andreas Prinz is proud of the new Tiguan

After capturing the lead in the German SUV market, the Tiguan is making its debut inMalaysia with its full-spec Track & Field variant, one of the three variants available worldwide.

The Tiguan name comes from combining a mixture of two animal names - tiger, which reflects quickness, power and elegance, and leguan (or iguana), which indicates a capability of surviving in harsh habitats.

The Track & Field Tiguan comes equipped with a new four-cylinder 2.0l turbocharged direct injection petrol engine. Effectively, this is known as the 147TSI version in some markets, and the block kicks up a wholesome 200bhp at 5,000rpm and maximum torque of 280Nm on the initial 1,700rpm, so the compact SUV has a lot of muscles to flex, be it for city or off-road driving.

Vibrant ambience, good for crusing or offroading

The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox with Tiptronic, and drives on a 4MOTION full-time four-wheel drive system.

Among the equipment spec levels on the Tiguana are off-road mode, electronic stabilisation program (ESP), ABS with Brake Assist system, six airbags, an electronic differential lock (EDL) and traction control system (TCS), as well as 17-inch Boston alloy wheels wrapped with Michelin rubbers.

Also offered on the Tiguan is Park Assist, which as the name suggests, helps to park the car using its onboard Park Pilot function for parallel parking spots, hands-free. The driver just needs to work on the pedals to move and stop the vehicle. This feature comes as standard fitment.

It's a crossover, apparently

To keep passengers entertained, there’s an integrated 6-disc changer with touch-screen feature and a total of eight front and rear loudspeakers. Unfortunately, there is no GPS on the Tiguan for now.

Fully imported from Germany, the Tiguan is available in seven metallic colours and two solid colours. To match these colours, the Tiguan’s Vienna leather upholstery comes in two colour options – Brown or Titanium Black. The vehicle is priced at RM251,121 (on-the-road, without insurance).

For more pictures of the Tiguan, check out our Gallery.

SOURCE: http://star-motoring.com/

GEN 2

2008-10-11T08:38:00.000+08:00

Better driving with Gen 2
by Y.S. Khong

THE Cam Profiling System, or CPS, is the latest development by Proton and the 1.6-litre Gen 2 CPS is the first of the Protons to get this improved engine.

The CPS engine produces 125PS at 6,500rpm, and 150Nm of torque at 4,500rpm, compared to the previous generation engine which only had 110PS at 6,000rpm, and 148Nm of torque at 4,000rpm.

Note that the power figures for the CPS are developed at a higher-engine revolution than the previous engine – this is simply because the CPS allows the engine to breathe better, and thus make better power.

The basis of the CPS is that it allows cam timing to be varied, much like a variable valve timing system.

The older engine was tuned for power but what it gained on the straights, it lost on the roundabouts. It necessitated a ‘sporty’ cam profile to give the 110 horses, which also meant the low-end torque had to be sacrificed – the result was an engine that was ‘racy’ and happy at higher revolutions, but gutless at the mid and lower ranges.

Now with the CPS, the same engine is able to provide better low and mid end torque, while not running out of breath at the higher end.

The Gen 2 CPS also comes with some interior improvements that give it more value for money. The seat design has been changed, together with the colour scheme.

The test car we got was the H-Line, with two-tone seats that have contours on the sides to give it a more ‘bucket’ effect, and a new dashboard design that does not have the little clock in the centre of the dash, and there is a glove box now.

The rear hatch opening mechanism is better now, thanks to the addition of a stronger air/hydraulic cylinder that helps to raise the boot-lid.

Wheel design also has been changed to a fresh design. Some minor changes have also been made to the front grille and bumper.

On the road, the Gen 2 CPS drives better, with the mid-range power drop not evident any more, while the engine seems happier at higher revolutions.

The suspension remains an all-wheel independent set-up, something that is getting harder to find in cars of this price range and size, nowadays.

While I won’t write off cars with beam axles at the rear, an independent rear actually represents better value for money as it costs more to produce.

Fuel economy appears to have improved about 10%, with the on-board information system telling

me that my overall fuel consumption was 7.2 litres per 100km, whereas with the previous engine’s consumption figure (as indicated by the same onboard system), it was anything between 8.5 to 10.5 litres per 100km.

As with the new-generation Protons, the handling of the Gen 2 is remarkably good, a happy result of the Proton-Lotus relationship. Driving the Gen 2 CPS is a more pleasurable experience now.

With the advent of time, the overall build quality has seen some progress, and the car is put together quite well.

Prices range from RM53k to RM60k, and that said, the Gen 2 CPS makes a good-value proposition.

SOURCE: THE SUN ONLINE

Chevrolet Volt

2008-09-22T11:17:00.001+08:00

Production version of Chevy Volt unveiled

Posted by: Anthony Lim

General Motors has unveiled the much-anticipated production version of its Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle. The design of the Volt production car has evolved from the original concept that was unveiled at the 2007 North American International Auto Show.

Volt's up, you say?

Many of the design cues from the concept vehicle however endure in the production Volt, including the closed front grille, athletic stance, rear design graphics, outside rearview mirrors and more.

Inside, the Volt offers the space, comfort, convenience and safety features expected in a four-passenger sedan, with a variety of interior color, lighting and trim options. Modern controls and attractive materials, two informational displays, and a touch-sensitive infotainment center with integrated shifter will distinguish the Volt's interior from other vehicles in the market.

The Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV) uses electricity to move the wheels (which feature specially developed low rolling-resistance tires sitting on 17-inch forged aluminium alloys) at all times and speeds.

Spiffy interior should win friends.

For trips up to 40 miles, the Volt is powered only by electricity stored in its 16kWh, lithium-ion battery; more than 220 lithium-ion cells are contained within the Volt's battery pack. The electric drive unit delivers the equivalent of 150bhp of power and 370Nm of instant torque, and a top speed of 160kph.

When the battery's energy is depleted, a gasoline/E85-powered engine generator seamlessly provides electricity to power the Volt's electric drive unit while simultaneously sustaining the charge of the battery. This mode of operation extends the range of the Volt for several hundred additional miles, until the vehicle's battery can be charged. Unlike a conventional battery-electric vehicle, the Volt eliminates "range anxiety," giving the confidence and peace of mind that the driver will not be stranded by a depleted battery.

Volt a lot of promise, for sure.

The Volt can be plugged either into a standard household 120v outlet or use 240v for charging. The vehicle's intelligent charging technology enables the Volt's battery to be charged in less than three hours on a 240v outlet or about eight hours on a 120v outlet. Charge times are reduced if the battery has not been fully depleted.

The Volt is expected to be built at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck manufacturing facility, subject to GM successfully negotiating satisfactory government incentives. Production is scheduled to begin late 2010 for models in the United States.

SOURCE: http://star-motoring.com

D.I.Y LAPTOP REPAIR

2008-09-11T08:51:00.001+08:00

DIY Laptop Repair: More Costly in the End

Author: Anthony Williams Sr.

We all cringe when our computers start showing noticeable glitches; software programs that don't run right or a screen that starts to fade in and out. You want these issues fixed fast and for as cheap as possible. The simplest solution seems to be on the 'net: diagnose, repair and restart your laptop yourself.

For many of these problems handy solutions can be found online with step-by-step manuals written in plain English and with photographic guides that can be easily followed. However, for hardware problems and especially for Dell laptops in particular, these tutorials can get you into a whole mess of trouble if you are not experienced with laptop repair.

It is very easy to destroy your Dell laptop computer while attempting a little DIY.

Software

If the source of your Dell laptop issues appears to be entirely software based then you can realistically diagnose and fix the issue with help from forums and Internet guides.

If the worst happens you can always restore your computer to factory settings and start from scratch (this is why you should always backup your data religiously!).

Dell laptops come with a great little step-by-step procedure for restoring the operating system or the entire computer in case of major problems. Of course if your computer has been infected with a particularly nasty virus then you still may need the help of a professional to revive it.

Hardware

If all you want to do with your laptop is upgrade your memory then this too can be accomplished through a little DIY. However, there are specific steps involved and you must be able to complete these steps exactly as written to ensure your computer will still fire up afterwards.

One of the major issues when replacing memory or any computer part is static electricity. One little zap and the components are destroyed. That is why professionals use devices to remove static from their work area so this kind of accident isn't possible. For the home user you will have to make sure you keep the new memory board in its packaging until the very last moment. You will also have to ground yourself so that you can't transfer a shock to the inside of your computer. Handling these parts also takes precision work to ensure they don't become damaged on install.

For All Other Issues and Repairs

While many people on the Internet make laptop home repair appear easy, the reality is that it isn't. One of the main issues regarding laptop repair is that you have crack open the casing on your laptop to get to any faulty parts.

Just opening the case is a difficult thing. For Dell laptops you have pry out the rubber pads underneath in order to expose the screws that hold your computer together. This sounds easy but the fact that most people give up home repair in this stage should give you an indication of the difficulty. Also some manufacturers apply glue to these screws to keep them from loosening.

If you manage to remove the screws then you are faced with unsnapping the plastic bezel from the body without breaking it. Once inside you need to be able to diagnose the issue and replace any defective parts, all without accidentally damaging or frying any of the fragile components.

Most people try DIY laptop repair to save money. However, if done improperly you could be looking at not just a repair bill but also a whole new computer . In the long run it works out cheaper to let the experts handle your Dell laptop repair.

SOURCE: http://www.articlesbase.com

HYUNDAI EPSILON

2008-09-07T06:32:00.002+08:00

When small is beautiful
by Angela Sargunan

HYUNDAI Motor Company launched its all-new i10 five-door hatchback recently. This feature-packed runabout answers the needs of motorists in combining safety and functionality with emphasis on minimal operating costs.

It runs on the enhanced Epsilon 1.1-litre engine which gives more power through improved air intake and exhaust system, delivering excellent handling with a maximum torque of 99.1Nm/2,800rpm.

The vehicle also passes today’s stringent safety regulation with a reinforced body structure incorporating high-tensil steel against frontal crash and side impact.

It has a high mounted stop lamp integrated into the rear roof spoiler for enhanced visibility, ABS, dual air bags and a battery saver.

The i10 comes with front ventilated disc brakes and rear drum brakes, actuated by a master servo unit which ensures safe and immediate stops.

Front suspension is MacPherson strut with coil spring while back is coupled torsion beam axle with coil spring.

Wide tracts and a long wheelbase further contribute to the high speed and cornering stability of the i10, which runs on 14in alloy wheels.

A functional and attractive dashboard with logically-located controls makes driving a real pleasure. Even the transmission shift lever is located next to the dashboard for unbeatable convenience.

There’s a choice of manual or automatic transmission. The five-speed manual is ergonomically placed and precise to operate while the smooth and thrifty advanced four-speed automatic transmission adds big-car city convenience to the i10.

Both are located in the lower centre fascia and have a short stroke gearshift lever for easier and cosier driving.

Its unprecedented spacious interior can match that of cars in the larger engine capacity class. Figure-hugging seats offer a comfortable experience for the whole family while foldable rear seats enable the extension of luggage space in a jiffy.

“We are excited about our latest model and addition to our wide range of quality vehicles,” said Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors chief operating officer Dennis Ho at the launch.

“The i10 raises the benchmark for minis the world over in general and Malaysia in particular.”

The i10 is priced at RM48,999.80 (on the road) for the four-speed automatic and is available for bookings now.

SOURCE: http://www.sun2surf.com

ALL JAZZ-ED UP

2008-08-29T12:04:00.001+08:00

All Jazz-ed up

THE premium All-New Jazz was unveiled recently in an exclusive ‘fashionable’ presentation on a specially-made ‘car-size’ runway.

Models paraded in clothes created by Malaysia’s top fashion designers and stylists Melinda Looi, Jonathan Cheng, Khoon Hooi and Cris Yong that were inspired by the car’s features and image.

But the star of the show was, without doubt, the All-New Jazz.

First introduced in 2001, the first-generation Jazz appealed to consumers as an unconventional car that exceeds their expectations of a compact car in terms of stylish design, reliability, practicality, fuel efficiency and drivability.

The global Honda model made an impressive cumulative sale of 2.3 million units worldwide with Japan, and the Asia and Oceania region accounting for half of its sales.

It also opened a new five-door hatchback segment in the region’s automotive markets, and bagged numerous awards from acclaimed research houses and automotive media in Europe, South Africa, Japan and Southeast Asia.

"The second-generation Jazz presents one of the toughest challenges in the development of a car of its kind as its predecessor had set such a high benchmark in the compact five-door hatchback segment," said Atsushi Fujimoto, Honda Malaysia managing director and chief executive officer at the unconventional launch of the All-New Jazz.

He described the All-New Jazz development as an ‘evolution’ that took the award-winning elements of the first generation and improved on them within the limits of price and size.

"This is much more challenging than changing a car’s total design; it pushes us to innovate further so that our customers get even more value out of the similarly compact All-New Jazz," he said.

Also at the launch event was Kohei Hitomi, chief engineer from Honda R&D in Japan, whose team took on the task of developing the second-generation Jazz.

He explained that the development concept was focused on three areas: to develop a model that can be placed in the centre of the compact car category; to offer strong product competitiveness; and to deliver new values to customers.

The result is a premium compact five-door hatchback with further improvements from the first-generation Jazz, which includes its design, utility, drivability and fuel consumption.

Fujimoto added that the All-New Jazz will continue to appeal to determined young singles, both males and females, and discerning families who seek to be unconventional yet enjoy a car that is highly practical and reliable.

Key highlights of the second-generation Jazz are its dynamic exterior styling, best-in-class spaciousness and comfort, class-leading performance and drivability with good fuel efficiency, and advanced safety features.

Externally, the advanced super-forward form enhances the aerodynamic and energetic appearance of the car.

Internally, the cabin features an ingenious layout that increases spaciousness equivalent to an average medium-sized sedan, providing passengers a natural feeling of comfort.

It also makes way for an extended and larger wind shield which provides better visibility for the driver.

Another noteworthy achievement is its enhanced utility. It provides a variety of seating and trunk utilities that maximise seating flexibility and cargo space.

This includes extension of space and usage via the enhanced Ultra Seat, which operates in the Utility, Long and Tall modes.

These three modes enable car owners to load objects of different sizes into the car, enhancing the practicality of the car for today’s car owners and drivers.

The Jazz is powered by Honda’s newly-enhanced 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine, which combines with the five-speed automatic transmission (5AT) to offer excellent drivability, performance and fuel efficiency.

It comes in the 1.5-litre i-VTEC Grade S and Grade V variants, both of which command a power output of 120PS, which is the most powerful in its class.

While the Grade S offers all the essential features of the All-New Jazz, the Grade V variant offers additional features such as paddle shift, and exclusive fittings that gives the car a sportier look.

In terms of environmental friendliness, all variants have been designed to meet the Euro 4 emission level.

The safety performance of the All-New Jazz comes with the revolutionary G-CON technology with a body structure designed to spread out and disperse collision impact so as to limit cabin intrusion to effectively minimise driver and passengers as well as pedestrian injuries.

It is also fitted with dual SRS airbags and ABS system.

In Malaysia, the All-New Jazz is available in four colours: cerulean blue metallic; alabaster silver metallic; taffeta white; and crystal black pearl (available from November onwards).

To reward the first 300 customers of the All-New Jazz, Honda Malaysia has also commissioned the three designers to come out with the designs for 300 pieces of exclusive polo T-shirts, with each piece having its own unique design.

The All-New Jazz model 1.5S is priced at RM104,800 while the 1.5V goes for RM109,800, inclusive of insurance.

SOURCE: http://www.sun2surf.com

PAY PER CLICK

2008-08-27T16:34:00.001+08:00

What Are Pay Per Click Reports?

by: Derek Rogers

A pay per click report will inform you of how many visitors you have had to your website, what keyword they used to get there, and some monitor how long they were there. These reports can be daily, weekly, or monthly. There are free pay per click services however they do not give you all the information that you can get from a paid service.

Companies mainly use a monthly report on the traffic to their websites. In order to utilize the pay per click service to it’s utmost ability, they must report data from web marketing as well as other crucial information. This will allow the user to examine their marketing strategies to decide if they are working.

Some pay per click companies put a tracking code in your website to monitor sales. How many customers have signed in and what they are interested in is also tracked. Most will prepare a report that is easy to understand. It will contain information about the sales generated by the people using pay per click, visitor breakdown, and anything else they think is of particular interest to the website owner.

The benefits of using pay per click are invaluable to companies that want to use their website to generate more income for the company. With so many people having access to the internet, it is the number one way that customers seek and find the company that they want to use for their needs. These reports will allow you to see how well your company is doing by how many internet visitors you have each day.

One of the benefits of using a pay per click report is the tracking of keyword use. When advertising your business, keywords are used to direct traffic to your website. When you use pay per click the reports you get will show which keywords worked the best and which ones you need to replace. A good keyword will have more hits on it and the keywords with the least hits means you need to find another. By doing this you will know the difference.

The reports can show you how to optimise your initial web site page to get more visitors. There are certain items that people look for when going to a web page. With the reports from pay per click, the ones that work the best will be suggested so you can get the most from your website.

Pay per click reports can help you to know for sure how many people have logged into your website. It is the best way to be aware of just how well your advertising is doing. You could advertise in the newspaper, on a billboard, or by direct mail but how are you going to know the number of people who have seen your advertisement? Plain and simply, you are not.

By using pay per click you will know the exact number of visits to your website. This report will become an important tool to help you make the most of your web page and give you the knowledge you need to optimise the site you use for generating income.

SOURCE: http://www.articlecity.com

BMW X6

2008-08-24T20:31:00.002+08:00

Thursday, August 21, 2008

BMW Malaysia launches the X6

Posted by: Anthony Lim

BMW Malaysia launched its X6 Sports Activity Coupé earlier today. For the moment, only a single variant form – the xDrive35i – is available, though other models in the range are to follow next year.

X marks the new spot.

The X6 xDrive35i is powered by the N54B30 3.0l six-cylinder twin turbo engine which made its debut in the 335i Coupé, and this one offers 306bhp and 400Nm, as well as a 0-100kmh time of 6.7secs and a top speed of 240kmh for numbers. The block drives a six-speed automatic transmission, with gearshifts via the electronic gear selector lever or via steering wheel paddle shifters.

The four-seater’s exterior sports a striking front end, with large air intakes, a stretched side-line and high waistline, and though the rear end initially takes some getting used to, the overall lines don’t run too far from the X scheme of things.

Likewise the interior, which will be familiar territory to anoraks of the marque, and one of the highlights of the cabin is the highly adjustable luggage compartment on what the company calls a four-door coupe; load carrying volumetric space starts at 570l and goes up to 1,450l with everything at the back folded down.

Familiar, for sure.

The Spartanburg-assembled vehicle comes equipped with xDrive all-wheel drive, Dynamic Stability Control, Active Steering and Dynamic Performance Control. The last is essentially a mechatronic system serving to distribute drive forces infinitely to the rear wheels regardless of engine output. To obtain this, the final drive is combined with two superimposed gearsets and two electronically controlled multiple-plate brakes serving to infinitely vary the otherwise symmetrical distribution of drive forces when driving in a straight line.

As such, variable distribution of drive power is ensured not just between the front and rear axle via xDrive, but also by means of Dynamic Performance Control between the two rear wheels; effectively, the system is able to actively distribute drive forces even in the overrun mode and with the clutch disengaged.

The DSC system in the X6, tagged DCS III, offers a host of TLA functions as part and parcel of its inventory; these include ABS, Automatic Stability Control (ASC), Trailer Stability Control (TSC), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Dynamic Brake Control (DBC) automatically maximising brake pressure when required in the interest of minimum stopping distances, Automatic Differential Brake (ADB), Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and finally standard cruise control with its own brake application function.

But the rear will offer a fresh take on things ...

Passive safety equipment includes three-point inertia-reel seat belts on all seats, frontal and side airbags as well as head airbags at the side, and crash-activated headrests at the front. Other safety measures include bi-xenon dual headlights including a daytime light function, fog lamps, two-stage brake lights, and runflat tyres.

Standard equipment include iDrive with personalised favourite buttons, a MP3-capable CD-player with an AUX-in socket, multi-channel hi-fi audio system, four-zone automatic air conditioning, back-up camera, navigation system, Head-up Display (HUD), Adaptive Headlights, Bluetooth, Comfort access, electric glass roof, automatic tailgate operation, and sports seats and sports steering wheel.

Finally, the price. The X6 xDrive35i is priced at RM698,800, on the road, without insurance, with BMW Service Inclusive + Repair.

SOURCE: http://star-motoring.com

BMW 650i

2008-08-14T10:31:00.001+08:00

BMW 650i Pros And Cons

Autor: admin

The BMW 6 series was relaunched in 2004 with the BMW 645i. This car was a two door, four passenger luxury sports car. This car is ideal for a sports car enthusiast who would prefer a larger, more practical car compared to the 650's 2 passenger, lighter peers. In 2006, BMW upgraded the 645i to a 650i by increasing the engine a little. When including options and taxes, the 650i tends to run at about $80,000, so it's not exactly cheap. Here are the pros and cons of the car:

Pros

Amazing handling: The car is amazing to drive. When you drive the car, you feel as if you have total control over the vehicle. A car such as the Mercedes CLS (also priced near $80k) just cannot match this car's handling. The BMW 650i definitely has the handling one would expect from a German-made luxury sports car.

Gadgets: The BMW 650i comes with BMW's Idrive, an all-encompassing electronic system. The Idrive controls the navigation system, music, air conditioning, as well as communication system. The Idrive also has voice command, making it easy to use when driving. Some believe the Idrive is a bit difficult to operate. That's hogwash. Within two weeks of owning the car, anyone competent enough to use a computer or a DVD should be able to operate the Idrive flawlessly. The Idrive is the gadget-lover's ultimate car toy.

Interior: The interior of the 650i is beautiful. It has modern, classy feel to it. Your taller passengers will certainly appreciate being seated in the front though, as the back is not exactly spacious.

Acceleration: With a V8 and 360 hp, the car isn't exactly going to be outrun by a Civic. The acceleration and amazing breaks can also help you get out of accidents that other cars wouldn't be able to avoid.

Cons

Reliability: Expect to make stops at the service center every now and then. While it is a wonderful car, it is prone to electronic and tire issues.

Price: At about $80,000, it's not exactly in the everyman's budget. But if you are willing to spend this much money on a car, the 650i is definitely a good one to check out.

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.articlecircle.com

D.I.Y WEBSITE PROMOTION TRICKS

2008-08-12T12:22:00.002+08:00

The Do-it-Yourself Website Promotion Tricks

Autor: mahoney01

Website promotion suggests that submitting your site to directories first is more important than submitting to search engines. These two are different in such a way that sites submitted to directories are only approved if it has high quality and useful content, whereas search engines just simply accept submissions of sites or pages.

In submitting a website to the directory, make sure that you read and follow the directory’s rules and instructions. Keep in mind that the editors will be very discerning of your web content.Submitting to search engines definitely helps in website promotion but this takes quite a while, usually around 3-6 months.

There are things to consider when submitting to search engines, you must prepare your website. Also, you will need to learn SEO or search engine optimization. You may do this by optimizing your website by improving the elements of web design like loading time, browser compatibility, etc. Another is keyword optimization wherein you make use of appropriate keywords; these would greatly help in your website.

Other website promotion techniques are:

• Link popularity - wherein you let people link your site to theirs. In this way, you can generate more new visitors and at the same time improve your ranking in search engines.

• Write articles – that are useful to your website and let other people publish these like in article directories. You may also opt for email newsletters that include a link to your website. In this way, your subscribers are informed and updated on what’s going on in your website promotion.

• Post to a forum or discussion boards. Forums are greatly increasing their popularity and this is a good way to spread the word about your website promotion.

• In line with posting a forum, you may also want to use a signature file, a text that is appended at the end of your every post.

• Improve website promotion through banner ads displayed in other websites related to your content. But be sure that your ad is well-designed.

• Write a press release – this can definitely help in website promotion. You have to write an article about your website and submit it to different publications and you’ll get new visitors in no time at all!Now you know what to do, know what you have to avoid as well. One of the common mistakes made is relying on free web hosting service.

It’s harder for search engines to detect your website if it is hosted on a free host. If you mean serious business and eyeing it as long-term, then paid web hosting is the way to go. There are some companies that promise to submit your website to thousands of search engines at a very low price, do not be fooled.

Majority of these directories and engines have very minimal traffic. Website promotion can be tricky but with good research, you and your business will succeed before you know it.

Source: Free Articles

MAKE MONEY WITH GOOGLE ADSENSE

2008-08-11T16:15:00.002+08:00

Make Money With Google Adsense

- Ten Step System to Make Top Google Adsense Money

Autor: Andrew Bell

1. Keywords and Competition To make money with Google Adsense it all starts here by choosing high paying Google Adsense keywords to make more money. Look for keywords that are searched for frequently, but have little competition and build web pages around these keywords. Your pages will still display the high paying Adsense ads to make you more money.

2. Good Domain Name Register keyword rich appealing names.

3. Interesting and Unique Content Creating unique and interesting content for your visitors so they return will make you even more money with Google Adsense. Your own content is best, or you can go to the article sites and use their content (as long as you abide by their rules), but add an introduction and a summary to make it unique.

4. Professional Looking Website Many quality templates are available for you to produce Google Adsense websites. Use images sparingly to avoid distracting visitors from your content and clicking on your Adsense ads. Professional looking sites make money; don´t build a website that looks like your dog created it.

5. Optimize Pages Well optimized pages rank well and will make good Adsense money: — Title: Your keyword and a few extra words — Meta Description: Use your keyword and make it appealing — Meta Keyword Tag: Only use your keyword and one or two related keywords. — Keyword Density: Aim for 3% - 5% keyword density — Internal Linking: Use keywords in links

6. Adsense Placement It´s well known that Google Adsense ads displayed at the top and middle of the page make more money than those down the side or at the bottom. Make your Google Adsense ads blend in with your page.

7. Blog Create blogs and add links to your site and to some of your posts. Blogs that have regularly posts rank higher and get listed faster than websites (any links get spidered too). Write at least two posts a week and use Google Adsense on your blogs to make more money.

8. Google Site Map Getting indexed fast will make you more Google Adsense money. Create a Google site map and send it to them and your site will get indexed fast.

9. Articles Few use this method of generating free traffic to make money from Google Adsense. Articles also give you quality one way links. For a new site write two to three articles a week.

10. External Links Nothing will improve your search engine rankings more than having quality one way links to your site. Good links will also give you more traffic to make even more money from your Adsense ads.

Source: Free Articles

CHINA PROMISES SAFE GAMES

2008-08-10T15:33:00.001+08:00

August 06, 2008 Categories: World

BEIJING: China declared yesterday it could guarantee a safe Olympics, even as it announced that Islamic militants were trying to wage a holy war aimed at destroying the Beijing Games that begin in three days.

“Terrorists” from home and abroad seeking an independent Muslim State for China’s northwest Xinjiang region were involved, authorities said, as security was increased there after an attack on Monday that killed 16 policemen.

The terror alert came as athletes continued to arrive in Beijing ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony to launch the Games, which are being seen as a coming-of-age party for China after three decades of dramatic economic reforms.

“We can see clearly that these forces are trying to wage a psychological and violent battle against the Olympics,” said Shi Dagang, Communist Party secretary of Kashgar, a city in the Xinjiang region that borders Central Asia.

“They want to turn the year 2008 into a year of mourning for China.”

Shi said Xinjiang police had arrested 18 foreign “terrorists” this year and that a major threat came from the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a UN-listed terror group that reportedly operates in Xinjiang and Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, Beijing Olympic organisers sought to reassure the 10,000 athletes and 500,000 other expected foreign visitors coming to China for the Games that they should not be concerned about security.

“We can guarantee a safe and peaceful Olympic Games,” organising committee spokesman Sun Weide said.

China has already employed intense security throughout Beijing and across the country in the lead-up to the Games, with some veteran sporting officials saying they had not seen such a show of force since the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

In Xinjiang, members of its Muslim Uighur ethnic group have complained for months of a massive security crackdown that has seen many people detained.

In Beijing, some athletes appeared more concerned that the final preparations for the biggest event of their lives were being hampered by the city’s poor air, which has persisted despite emergency clean-up measures.

Indonesian weightlifting team official Syafraidi Cut Ali said his squad were under strict instructions to stay in the open air as little as possible.

“We stay in our bedrooms and the dining rooms, not in the open,” Ali said.

Members of the US cycling team were also seen arriving at Beijing airport wearing masks.

However the International Olympic Committee’s medical commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist said pollution levels were not as bad as first feared and blamed the media for exaggerating the issue.

He said the media’s reporting had convinced such stars as Ethiopian greats Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele and British marathon runner Paula Radcliffe that competing here might damage their health.

More than one million of Beijing’s 3.3 million cars were taken off the roads last month and many heavily polluting factories were temporarily closed down in an effort to improve the city’s air quality. — AFP

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.mmail.com.my

7 WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR TRAFFIC

2008-08-06T14:47:00.003+08:00

7 Surefire Ways To Increase Your Traffic Starting Yesterday

by: Terry Leslie

To help you out in generating more traffic for your site, here are some seven surefire ways to increase your traffic starting from yesterday.

1) Invest in good advertising with search engines Google’s Adwords and Yahoo’s Overture provide great advertising schemes that are very truly popular and assures great traffic. Although with this surefire way to increase your traffic would cost some money. While some would shy away from spending money to increase traffic, it is imperative in this case to do so because Adwords and Overture is the top surefire way to increase your traffic. You could see for yourself the success this search engine advertising methods have reaped rewards for so many companies. Lots of site feature these advertising system and many have signed on to reap the benefits. Do not be left behind. Every penny is worth it with using Google and Yahoo’s advertising.

2) Exchange or Trade Links with other sites With exchanging links with other sites, both of you will benefit from the efforts both of you do to enhance your sites traffic. When one site features another sites link, they could provide one another with the traffic one site generates. The efforts are doubly beneficial because it would seem like both of you are working to generate more traffic. The more links traded with more sites the more traffic could be expected.

3) Use Viral Marketing Viral marketing allows you to spread the word about your company and product without any costs or if ever low costs only. This is a marketing method that can be quite sneaky; you can attach your company’s name, product or link to a certain media such as a funny video, entertaining game, an interesting article or a gossip or buzz. With this method, people get infected with the creativity and entertainment of the medium that they will pass it on to many people.

4) Search and use proper keywords or keyword phrases for your sites content Search engines look for certain keywords that they would show in their results page. In doing so, having the right keyword and keyword phrase is a high requirement in ranking in high in search engine results. You could write your own content or you could hire someone to do it for you.

5) Write Articles that can lead traffic to your site Submit articles to sites that would contain the same subject that your site deals in. If you sell car parts write press releases and articles about cars and car parts. Attach your sites description and services at the end of the article as well as the link.

6) Join forums and form online communities Capture a market and show your expertise and credibility. When you found a good foundation for your site, people will trust you and your site and will pass on to many people their trust. Traffic will certainly increase because they know that you can provide what they need.

7) Lastly, Offer newsletters. If many people know what you are about and your existence is shared with many others, you will find a loyal traffic that can provide you with more traffic by recommendation. If you arouse the curiosity of your customers they would be pushed to help you with your traffic. In the mean time, Good Luck on your journey to success…

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.articlecity.com

MERCEDES-BENZ E280 AMG

2008-08-03T08:02:00.002+08:00

Luxury all the way

The Mercedes-Benz E280 AMG gives new meaning to power on the road and new perspective to sporty design
by Y.S. Khong

THE powerful Mercedes-Benz E280 is now available with a look-good AMG body kit, plus a sports suspension package for the more discerning and demanding buyers of this icon of success.

The E280 series is designed to cater to the higher-echelon customer who demands more power and is willing to pay for it. With a V6, 3.0-litre, 24-valve engine producing 231 horses and 300Nm of torque, the E280 can accelerate from zero to 100kph in 7.3 seconds, and achieves a top speed of 248kph.

The inclusion of an AMG Sports Package makes it even more potent on the road. The package consists of a body kit, larger wheels and tyres, and an up-rated suspension.

The AMG body kit consists of a re-styled front and rear apron, 18-inch alloy wheels – 8.5in wide at the front with 245/40R18 tyres, and 9in wide at the rear with 265/35R18 tyres.

Also included is an AMG exhaust system, tuned to give the engine better response and a more sporty exhaust note. The deep-throated roar of the V6 through this exhaust system is a head turner when you whiz by at high speed.

Other standard features for the E280 AMG include a sun-roof and an on-board navigation system. Drive is to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Paddle shifters on the AMG Sports steering wheel, sports pedals and foot rest in brushed stainless steel with rubber studs add to the sporty feel.

The AMG Sports handling package includes up-rated coil springs and dampers, plus newly-developed spring link bearings for more neutral handling around corners.

Safety is not forgotten with the anticipatory ‘Pre-safe’ system from the Mercedes S Class and the ‘Neck-pro’ head restraints, with sensors that will move the headrests forward within milliseconds during a rear impact to minimise whiplash injuries.

ABS, BA, and ESP are standard issue, with the addition of an adapting braking system adapted from the S Class. In wet conditions, the system automatically ‘applies’ minimal braking to keep the discs and pads dry, and it also ‘pre-engages’ the brake pads when it senses a sudden ‘lift-off’ on the accelerator to minimise the time it takes for the pads to ‘bite’.

On the road, the behaviour of the E280 AMG Sports is totally different from that of a standard E Class. Additional get-up-and-go makes the E280 AMG more responsive to throttle, and it actually becomes more fun to drive.

With its close ratio seven-speed transmission, it can out-accelerate most cars on the road, and overtaking is a cinch.

Taking the E280 AMG through the old Bentong road is a breeze. You forget that this is a two-ton, large sedan when you get such sporty and neutral handling.

The E280 AMG feels ‘planted’ all the time. Body roll is minimal, and the dampers soak up all the undulations without any problem. The sports suspension is firm, but not harsh; I was pleasantly surprised to find it was quite comfortable.

Fuel consumption is rated at 9.4-9.7 litres per 100km. In real world conditions, I got 440km from RM148 of fuel, (fuel tank capacity of 65 litres with eight litres reserve), and that was with some heavy-footed driving on some stretches.

Not that it would matter to those who can afford to shell out RM438,000+ for one of these cars.

articles source: http://www.sun2surf.com

AIR ASIA OFFERS

2008-08-01T10:57:00.001+08:00

Friday August 1, 2008

AirAsia offers cheap fares at travel fair

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd will offer fares as low as RM15 from Johor Baru to Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with the 10th Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (Matta) Fair to be held in Johor Baru from today to Sunday.

The company said fares would also be priced as low as RM40 from Johor Baru to Penang with two flights available daily while the Johor Baru-Kota Kinabalu daily flights would be priced as low as RM70.

AirAsia said it would also include several regional destinations as an added treat for travellers.

“A one-way flight to Jakarta or Surabaya is offered from as low as RM50 from JB with three flights a week for each route,” the statement added.

Daily flights to Macau would also be offered with fares from as low as RM100, it said.

The airline said it would also give away free return flights from Johor Baru to Macau, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta and from Kuala Lumpur to the Gold Coast, Banda Aceh and Vientiane.

Four free seats are allocated for each destination. AirAsia regional head of commercial Kathleen Tan said the fair gave the company an opportunity to reach out to the public. – Bernama

articles source: http://thestar.com.my

MAINTAIN A COMPUTER

2008-07-30T19:57:00.002+08:00

Learning How to Maintain a Computer

Author: Benedict Yossarian

Computer maintenance, sounds like a dreadful task. It can well be frightful, but more terrifying than this are repair costs and hard drive crashes. Maintenance may not guarantee the blockage of each and every threat that surrounds the machine physically like dust and other elements as well as logically like internal bugs and glitches.

However, if proper maintenance is applied, one might actually form a long and lasting bond with little to no breakdowns, meltdowns, and crashes. Most people would only realize the importance of maintenance after a couple of crashed units and a few thousand dollars of repair bills. In our population, there are those who invest in formal training that offers intense hands-on sessions and in-depth reference materials.

However, these specialized classes may be quite expensive. See here, computer maintenance is not that identical to computer repair---meaning knowing how to actually maintain a desktop computer is not a quick trip to a sweet destination.

The topic at hand concerns more on keeping one's own computer in tiptop shape. A maintenance class may or may not incorporate hardware repairs and installation.

Hardware CleaningFirst of all, it is essential that the pieces of hardware be cleaned regularly, though this is easier said than done. Sometimes dust build-up can only be removed utilizing a spray or vacuum solely intended to remove any accumulation. And if possible, keep your computer, CPU, and every peripheral off the floor.

If a collection of dust (and oftentimes cobwebs) be tangled in the fan, then overheating is not far behind. And as we all know, overheating can be equated to crashing. If you are planning to wipe the dust off, do not use a damp cloth. This may come as an insult, but sometimes, common sense is not so common.

Shutting DownContinuing the tone in the previous paragraph, people seem to have a hard time following simple instructions. Admit it, we are all guilty of pressing the power button more often than we care to remember. May be because we are in a hurry or probably because hanging and logging are two frequent events that prompt our fingers to immediately press the power button instead of shutting it down properly.

This negligence may prove to be damaging in the long run. Bear in mind that this disregard accounts for over seventy percent of the causes that trigger the development of errors leading to a computer breakdown.

Software UpdateThe software installed and the operating system itself must be regularly updated and evaluated. A weekly error check will facilitate to repair errors. Aside from this, virus check is also vital. Nowadays, virus is an ever present item.

Whether it is a virus, a worm, or a bug, all of these can infect our system. Discontinue DownloadingIf you are one of those individuals who cannot help but download everything in sight, then you are simply giving your computer a one-way ticket to the frozen recesses of the techno world.

Download is one of the few words that will initially provide delight and will eventually transform into dread and doom. From songs to movies and every byte of download in between, these may be a carrier of numerous Virus, Trojans, Spyware that will gnaw on your system.

So whether it is in maintaining the computer or its components, the best way to learn how is to actually carry it out. The best methods and points will make little or no difference if the users neither perform it nor acquire any hands-on experience from it.

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.articlesbase.com

AFFILIATE PROGRAMS

2008-07-29T21:54:00.001+08:00

5 Useful Tips For Participating In Affiliate Programs

It is essential to select the proper advantage of selection of the proper affiliate program to get the advantage of selection of proper program.

It is essential to properly get review of each plan and select the proper plan accordingly. It is important to select the suitable plan according to your needs. It is important to understand the proper affiliate program as per your needs.

It is important to get the proper advantage of the affiliate program as per your needs. It is important to get the proper advantage of the selection of affiliate program. There are five reality of participating in the affiliate programs.

Here are the tips to get the reality as per your needs:

1. It is important to select the proper affiliate program to get the advantage of participating in the suitable program. It is essential to get the suitable program to get the advantage of it.

2. You must have to see that you can get higher commission on the sale or point to get the idea about the commission you get from the affiliate program.

3. It is essential for you to participate with suitable energy. It is essential to maintain the better spirit to get the more business.

4. It is necessary to get the proper banners to get the proper advantage of addition to get the proper advantage of the Add banner.

5. Based on the plan you need to get the proper chance to take the advantage of the various benefits to take the advantage. It is essential to get the suitable advantage.

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.easyarticles.com

EXTRA MONEY ONLINE

2008-07-27T07:44:00.001+08:00

Ways To Make Extra Money Online: GPT Sites and More

by Meka Powers

There are several ways to earn extra money on the internet. Most of them are scams and some are actually legit. Then you have to determine if you want a program to use that is completely free or includes some kind of small upfront fee. I will be discussing the free methods of earning extra money online. This article will mainly focus on the get-paid-to field.

There are plenty of sites on the internet that pay you money for doing things. There are some that are legit and some that are not. Here are four of the most familiar types of programs you will notice on the internet.

GPT: This is really the main category of all the freebie sites. GPT stands for get-paid-to. You get paid to do common things like filling out offers, joining websites, and doing surveys. These are just to name a few.

PTC: This is a program that lets you earn cash by clicking on advertisements, emails, and similar links. PTC stands for paid-to-click. Very simple process. Most of these sites will pay you .01-.02 cents per ad you click.

PTR: This program pays you to read emails that will most likely consist of advertisements. PTR stands for paid-to-read. This program is similar to paid-to-click.

PPP: This program pays bloggers to post about various topics or products. PPP stand for pay-per-post. If you like to blog then this would be great for you.

Those were just a few of the different types of programs where you can actually make free money online. Other free programs includes getting paid to play games, post on forums, starting discussions, searching the internet, and more. The get-paid-to field is growing more popular and you will see more opportunities like the ones mentioned above, so look out for the scams. There are many websites that will list the scams in each of these fields.

I have discussed some of the free methods revolving around the get-paid-to industry. You should now have an idea of what types of free programs are out there that will pay you for doing simple things. Lots of people have discovered this to be a great way to make extra money online and you can too.

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.goarticles.com

MAKE A WEBSITE

2008-07-20T13:58:00.002+08:00

How To Make A Website On Your Own Domain

by Richard Adams

If you're wondering how to make a website on your own domain then you'll be pleased to know that it's a lot easier than you might initially think.

The first step of course is to buy your domain name and web hosting account. In some cases website owners opt to use two different companies, and in others they choose to use the same company.

The decision tends to come down to price in the end though I have generally found it most practical to have your domain and website registered with the same company.

Once you've set this up you will be able to start to make your own website on your own domain.

There are almost as many different ways to make a website as their are websites themselves, but let's take a closer look at the 3 most popular techniques.

To begin with there are a range of pieces of web design software currently available that range in specification (and price) from free up to several hundred dollars.

Examples of software to make websites are:

Nvu Front Page Dreamweaver

These are of course just a tiny selection of those available and the list goes up in cost.

These are what are known as WYSIWYG website software - which stands for What You See Is What You Get. They enable you to make a website much as you would a desktop publishing document. That is to say that you don't need to know any computer code, you just draw boxes, right words, stick on pictures and so on, and the software itself turns your designs into code.

It is also possible to get hold of premade website templates that you can edit with WYSIWYG website software to make them your own and such designs give you a head start in creating a really professional final site.

The second to make a website on your own domain is to actually learn the computer code that websites are made of. Known as HTML - which stands for Hypertext Markup Language - this code is reasonably easy to learn. I personally always recommend new web masters learn at least a little HTML as it can make building your site and getting it just right so much easier.

One final method is to use content management software, otherwise known as CMS. This CMS is particularly useful as it allows you to get the best of all worlds. There are plenty of free templates you can use (or edit) for a really professional look, yet it's super-simple to add your website content.

Personally speaking I favor the final option the choice really is yours. I would suggest you take a look at some of the free or low cost options and try them out to see which you get on with best and which results you like best.

Once you've beuilt your website using one of the techniques described, the final task so visitors can see it at your domain, is to upload to your web hosting account using a process known as FTP.

Using a free piece of FTP software you will move the files that make up your website from your computer to your web hosting account and as soon as that short process is done, you will have completed making a website on your own domain.

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.goarticles.com

BLOG

2008-07-17T07:59:00.001+08:00

What Is A Blog?

By Biana Babinsky

Every time I speak about blogs and blogging, I get questions about what is a blog. From a business owner's standpoint, a blog is almost a business journal. Your business blog is a tool that helps you keep your customers and web site visitors up to date with what is going on with your company. You can use it to communicate with your potential customers, share your expertise with them, let them know about your upcoming events, new products and much more.

Sometimes people ask me what is a blog behind the scenes, from a technical perspective. From a technical point of view, a blog is software that helps you create your connected blog posts and organize them on your web site, with you only having to type in the post itself. Your blogging software helps you take care of the rest.

If you do not have a blog yet, here is how you can start your own blog and use it to promote your business:

- Decide Which Blogging Software You Are Going To Use For Your Blog. There are many different blogging web sites, as well as different blogging software options available. Some are very easy to install and use, others are very versatile and yet others don't even require you to have your own web site - you can use their web site to create and use your blog.

I recommend reviewing a few different options to find out which option is right for you and your business.

- Decide What You Want To Accomplish. Never start any marketing endeavor without knowing exactly what you want to accomplish by using it. What do you want to accomplish with your blog? Do you want to increase your sales? Do you want to bring more qualified prospects to your business? Do you want to introduce your thoughts and ideas to a larger community?

Organize your blog's design and offerings based on what you want to accomplish with it.

- Decide On The Name And Topics For Your Blog. Find a good name for your blog. Since you are using the blog for business blog, your goal for the blog is to have your target market read it.

Based on that, you need to find a name and blog topics that are of interest to your target market.

- Start Blogging! Don't wait to get started. Once you have your blog created and your blog design finished, start blogging! It takes time to build traffic and following with a blog, so the sooner you start blogging, the sooner you will be able to start promoting your blog and getting traffic to it.

Now you know the answer to the "what is a blog?" question. Now you can start your blog and use it to promote your business online!

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.goarticles.com

YOUR TRAFFIC

2008-07-13T22:46:00.003+08:00

7 Surefire Ways To Increase Your Traffic Starting Yesterday

by: Terry Leslie

To help you out in generating more traffic for your site, here are some seven surefire ways to increase your traffic starting from yesterday.

1) Invest in good advertising with search engines Google’s Adwords and Yahoo’s Overture provide great advertising schemes that are very truly popular and assures great traffic. Although with this surefire way to increase your traffic would cost some money. While some would shy away from spending money to increase traffic, it is imperative in this case to do so because Adwords and Overture is the top surefire way to increase your traffic. You could see for yourself the success this search engine advertising methods have reaped rewards for so many companies. Lots of site feature these advertising system and many have signed on to reap the benefits. Do not be left behind. Every penny is worth it with using Google and Yahoo’s advertising.

2) Exchange or Trade Links with other sites With exchanging links with other sites, both of you will benefit from the efforts both of you do to enhance your sites traffic. When one site features another sites link, they could provide one another with the traffic one site generates. The efforts are doubly beneficial because it would seem like both of you are working to generate more traffic. The more links traded with more sites the more traffic could be expected.

3) Use Viral Marketing Viral marketing allows you to spread the word about your company and product without any costs or if ever low costs only. This is a marketing method that can be quite sneaky; you can attach your company’s name, product or link to a certain media such as a funny video, entertaining game, an interesting article or a gossip or buzz. With this method, people get infected with the creativity and entertainment of the medium that they will pass it on to many people.

4) Search and use proper keywords or keyword phrases for your sites content Search engines look for certain keywords that they would show in their results page. In doing so, having the right keyword and keyword phrase is a high requirement in ranking in high in search engine results. You could write your own content or you could hire someone to do it for you.

5) Write Articles that can lead traffic to your site Submit articles to sites that would contain the same subject that your site deals in. If you sell car parts write press releases and articles about cars and car parts. Attach your sites description and services at the end of the article as well as the link.

6) Join forums and form online communities Capture a market and show your expertise and credibility. When you found a good foundation for your site, people will trust you and your site and will pass on to many people their trust. Traffic will certainly increase because they know that you can provide what they need.

7) Lastly, Offer newsletters. If many people know what you are about and your existence is shared with many others, you will find a loyal traffic that can provide you with more traffic by recommendation. If you arouse the curiosity of your customers they would be pushed to help you with your traffic.

In the mean time, Good Luck on your journey to success… OR if you would like to succeed immediately to create financial freedom working only 4 hours a week, check out http://www.Secrets2InternetFortunes.com AND for a Limited Time, you will also receive a FREE copy of a limited number of the amazing 60 page eBook “52 Highly Profitable Instant Online Business Ideas That You Can Steal As Your Own And Start Today On A Very Tight Budget!”, which is jam packed with so many ideas you can use to instantly create an automated income for life! That’s my GIFT to You as a way of saying thank you for reading my articles.

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.articlecity.com

AFFILIATE MARKETERS

2008-07-10T13:10:00.002+08:00

4 Things Affiliate Marketers Need

by: Tabitha Palmer

Here's my response, along with some information on what it takes to be successful as an affiliate marketer and tips on how to make affiliate marketing work for you as an online home business. You may not think that having a home business provides as much security, but you won't get laid off and you won't be called back into the office, and you should almost always get along with the Boss. In my mind, all of this makes the idea of starting a home business all the more appealing. There are thousands of work at home jobs and home business opportunities on the Internet.

After a LOT of research, as well as plenty of trial and error, I have learned some very important things to look for in home businesses, work at home jobs, affiliate programs and all the other types of work at home business opportunities. My preferred niche is in affiliate marketing, this vs. traditional marketing is by far easier and more lucrative in the long run. You can build a higher residual and passive income this way. My opinion, of course, but try it out for yourself and see that I know what I am talking about.

Useful Tips

1) Starting a successful online business begins with research.

Look into every aspect of your business, Are you going to need inventory, storage, up front money? Websites, domains, and hosts are very important factors in research! The wrong web host and you are doomed from the beginning*. Write it all down so you can look back from time to time. Research your niche, by that I mean what kind of business would best suit you and your needs. What are you good at? Think about this question before you go any further and write down your answers so you can research them.

2) Websites, domains, and web hosts are crucial in your success.

Like I said above*, Most Internet businesses, that have a drive to succeed, focus all of their time and resources on building a great site, and then trying to drive tons of traffic to that site. I recommend staying away from Free web hosting for a business , Most free hosting has drawbacks such as they reserve the right to place ads of all kinds on your site, this looks very unprofessional and will make you lose business in the long run, so beware, free isn’t always good. Check out reviews on the host of your choice to make sure they have good credibility standards on the internet. I personally recommend Host 4 Profit as they have always had great customer service, and they, to my knowledge, are rarely if ever down like some hosts I’ve ran across in the past. Anyway, research this one immensely.

3) One of the biggest key factors in building a successful online business is traffic.
Only after you have chosen the right name and host for your business should you move to this step. There are many Free ways to get traffic on the web; Articles, blogs, free advertising sites there are plenty of, traffic exchanges like Traffic Swarm, Traffic G, etc. Making sure you get enough backlinks to your site makes the Big difference. Search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN will not pick you up if they can’t find you. Make your website available to be found by getting your link on everything you can, but always staying within the rules of advertising, otherwise you do more damage than good to your business. If you have NO traffic, you have NO sales. No sales equals No Business. You see the effect here.

4) Perseverance, it’s not something you can find online it’s something you have to find within. I know you’re thinking now why did I put that in there. Perseverance is what you will need most when you start and try to maintain an affiliate marketing online business. When you work at home you get to set your own hours and granted you can even work while still in your PJ’s but at home there are constant distractions to stop you from staying on task. Someone will stop by, the kids will start fighting, emergencies arise, the phone never stops ringing, etc… You name it, it will be sure to happen. This is why perseverance is in my top 10 tips to maintain a successful online business. You must make it a point every night before going to bed to make a ‘to do’ list for the next day concerning your business. This strategy has helped me most of all and it keeps me on task.

Quote of the Day:
"Any Statement made after the phrase 'I AM' has power, whether positive or negative, it will have power"

To Your Success and Happiness In your NEW Life!

Copyright © Tabitha Palmer

articles source: http://www.articlecity.com

MAKE BIG MONEY

2008-07-07T13:01:00.001+08:00

Simple Ways For You to Make Big Money Online

by Larry McCullough

Trying to make money online can be a frustrating and humbling experience. All of the advertisements and rumors of making fast cash with minimal work, are well, a bunch of crap. Sure, a few people may have hit pay dirt not doing much but I don't know any of them. Most of the people I know that are successful online, spend time researching their options, creating a plan and then working that plan. With that being said, there are various ways to earn online. I will discuss some of the best ways below.

1. Affiliate Marketing: Affiliate marketing is a fast way to start making money quickly. Because you don't have to worry about creating or designing your own product, you can get started quickly. You are a given a link to a completed website and the only thing that you have to do is to promote it. While this used to be far easier a few years ago, it can still be very profitable. It will just take a little bit more work. Consider creating a simple website that provides information on the same topic as the affiliate product you are trying to sell. Be sure to collect email addresses, as you may be able to market other products to this same group. Market affiliate products using articles, social networking sites, forums and pay-per-click.

2. Selling Your Own Product: Selling your product is another great way to make money online. Depending on how you go about your product development, this could be a fast or slow process. One way to speed it up, if this is a concern, is to purchase PLR rights. Often times Private Label Rights come with a ready made website. For a few bucks, you have your very own e-book and website to sell it from. However, this method has its' disadvantages, namely, other people will be selling the product and perhaps for cheaper. To combat this, consider, re-writing the sales letter and purchasing new graphics. Also add special and unique bonuses to make your offer appear more attractive.

3. Ebay: Many people are still making money on Ebay. Ebay has cracked down on digital products. However, you can still sell them, just put them on CD and send them out. You can also use the classified ad format listing to sell digital products. I use it and have had some success. If you want to sell physical products, find a good drop shipper or wholesaler.

4. Offering Services: If you have a marketable service, this is a good way to make money. Many people make money by writing articles, Press releases and site reviews for other webmasters. Other people offer coding and web design.

5. Blogging: Blogging can be a fun way to make a lot of money. The way to accomplish this is to first, monetize your blog. You can do this by selling affiliate products, your own products, selling advertising space or placing Adsense like ads on your blog. Also be sure to optimize your blog for the search engines just like you would a website. Next you need drive traffic to your blog and develop a following. Writing press releases, articles, joining forums and pay-per-click, are all ways to get traffic to your blog.

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.goarticles.com/

GOOGLE ADSENSE MAKE MONEY

2008-07-05T21:20:00.000+08:00

Google Adsense Make Money Online ?

by nitinmainro

There has truly never been a better time to be a writer. With written content being the number one thing people search for on the internet, there is practically limitless opportunity for writers to find avenues to publish their work and make money.

You set up a personal blog that you can use to write about whatever it is you want to. Some people use the opportunity to write highly searchable content in order to earn money. Other people write more personal opinion pieces and connect with other readers in a dialogue about a certain topic.

It is fairly easy to sign up for a free blogging content management system. There are many blogging platforms out there. First, think about what you want your site to be about, think of a good name, and then start writing, and start making money online.

I recommend to people who are just starting out publishing to start writing for a site that already gets ample traffic. This way, writers get instant exposure and can even start to earn money. Later, when you decide to start your own private domain blog, you can promote it anywhere else you already publish your work. If you can find an opportunity to write for someone else's website and put a link to your own website, this could be a good way to get some readers to your website.

I've tried out a lot of the sites where you can write and earn with the Google Adsense advertising program. Start a website and you can earn money from your published content for eternity, and you can delete it any time also. It's yours so you can do whatever you want with it.

An added bonus is that you can make money from your blog from the advertisements on your pages. If you are familiar with Google Adsense, then you already basically know how this works. Adsense is Google's advertising program, which is very prevalent on the web.

Almost any site you visit will have some Adsense advertisements on it. They are very simple, usually just two or three lines of text promoting a product or service that relates to the content of the site. The owner of the site on which these ads are posted earns some money through the Google Adsense program for each time someone clicks on the ads. So bloggers can get paid to write. Popular bloggers with multiple sites can make some decent money.

A quick thing about Adsense: when you sign up, you get a personal code that you can post on any site that you own or can gain ad revenue from. It is your code and no one else has access to it. You are also paid directly from the Google Adsense program.

articles source : http://www.goarticles.com

TIPS NEW BLOGGERS

2008-07-03T07:26:00.001+08:00

3 Invaluable Tips That All New Bloggers Should Be Utilizing

by Garry Wynters

As a new blogger I'm constantly on the look out for simple proven methods that will increase the amount of traffic that my blog receives. I will progress onto the more complex methods once have mastered the basics.

These 3 tips outlined below are the basics and if they are done correctly I'm sure your readership levels will gradually increase. The best thing about them is that you don't have to spend a penny on them, all you need to do is use a little bit of time and energy, and if you aren't prepared to that do build up your blog, give up now.

Leaving Comments on Other Blogs - leave at least 10 comments on blogs you have never commented on before, every day. Do not just respond with only one line, write something that shows you have read the article and make it reasonable intelligent.

Submit All Your Article to the Following Social Sites - It goes without saying that the articles, which you publish on your blog, are of a good quality. Submit all your articles to the following' Deli.icio.us, Digg, Reddit, Stumbleupon, Technorati.

Write One Controversial or Celebrity Based Article Eve
ry week - I would recommend writing about something or someone that has been in the news a lot in that particular week.

Don't expect the world too soon, what's the rush, if you preserve and work at it, and constantly evaluate and learn, you will succeed with your blog.

articles source: http://www.goarticles.com/

SPEED UP

2008-06-30T12:59:00.002+08:00

5 WAY TO SPEED UP YOUR PC

Free up disk space

By freeing disk space, you can improve the performance of your computer. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.Use Disk Cleanup to:

• Remove temporary Internet files.

• Remove downloaded program files (such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets).

• Empty the Recycle Bin.

• Remove Windows temporary files.

•Remove optional Windows components that you don't use.

• Remove installed programs that you no longer use.

Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.
To use Disk Cleanup

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.

2. In the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list.
Choose the files that you want to delete.

3. Clear the check boxes for files that you don't want to delete, and then click OK.

4. When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the specified files, click Yes.
After a few minutes, the process completes and the Disk Cleanup dialog box closes, leaving your computer cleaner and performing better.

Speed up access to data

Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk when the file is opened to piece it back together. The response time can be significantly longer.

Disk Defragmenter is a Windows utility that consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk so that each occupies a single space on the disk. With your files stored neatly end-to-end, without fragmentation, reading and writing to the disk speeds up.
When to run Disk DefragmenterIn addition to running Disk Defragmenter at regular intervals—monthly is optimal—there are other times you should run it too, such as when:

• You add a large number of files.

• Your free disk space totals 15 percent or less.

• You install new programs or a new version of Windows.

To use Disk Defragmenter:

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.
Click Analyze to start the Disk Defragmenter.

2. In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment, and then click the Analyze button. After the disk is analyzed, a dialog box appears, letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.
Tip: You should analyze a volume before defragmenting it to get an estimate of how long the defragmentation process will take.

3. To defragment the selected drive or drives, click the Defragment button. Note: In Windows Vista, there is no graphical user interface to demonstrate the progress—but your hard drive is still being defragmented.
After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results.

4. To display detailed information about the defragmented disk or partition, click View Report.

5. To close the View Report dialog box, click Close.

6. To close the Disk Defragmenter utility, click the Close button on the title bar of the window.

Detect and repair disk errors

In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.

As you use your hard drive, it can develop bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing (such as file saving) difficult, or even impossible.
The Error Checking utility scans the hard drive for bad sectors, and scans for file system errors to see whether certain files or folders are misplaced.

If you use your computer daily, you should run this utility once a week to help prevent data loss.

To run the Error Checking utility:

1. Close all open files.

2. Click Start, and then click My Computer.

3. In the My Computer window, right-click the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors, and then click Properties.

4. In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab.

5. Click the Check Now button.

6. In the Check Disk dialog box, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start.

7. If bad sectors are found, choose to fix them.

Tip: Only select the "Automatically fix file system errors" check box if you think that your disk contains bad sectors.

articles source: http://www.microsoft.com

TIPS EBOOKS

2008-06-27T10:36:00.001+08:00

7 Tips For Writing Your Own Information Products (Ebooks) and

7 Good Reasons For Why You Should!

by Tracey Beaney

Let's start with the tips:

1.Always research the market before you produce your product. You may find Southampton Football club a fascinating subject, but many others won't! Spend time researching the keywords people use to search for information in Google or Yahoo search engines. How may times these keywords are used will indicate how much demand there is for information on a subject. You will also need to assess how much competitions there already is in the marketplace.

2.Aim for a niche market, you need to be a big fish in a small pond. That way, you have more chance of your website ranking higher in the main search engines, which is how people will find your site.

3.Always provide good quality information. Imagine you are the customer and assess whether you would be happy with the product for the price you are charging. You should aim to give such good quality, NO-ONE will return their product, and you will avoid any charges for refunding payments.

4.Prepare an outline for your product so you know what to include, where to start and where to finish. Ask friends, family, colleagues for their input, what they would expect to find in your finished book.

5.Use other people's knowledge. You do not need to be an expert in all sorts of areas, you just need to know where to find the relevant information. You can find this knowledge on the Internet (obviously), in the library, in the brains of your friends and colleagues! Also, consider copyright free out of print books - you are free to reproduce any information from this source.

6.If you produce a successful product which sells, see how it can be "tweaked" to suit other markets. You may be able get it translated to suit a big overseas market. Or rewrite it slightly to suit a different age range of customers.

7.Keep in touch with your customers, seek their feedback, even over supply them with free information - you need to build a relationship with your customers, so they will trust you enough to buy from you again.

And now the reasons why you should write or produce your own information products:

1.All the profit is yours! You don't have to pay 90% plus of your book sales to a publishing company. Your only deadline will be the one you set.

2.You have complete control over the content of your own ebook.

3.You will not have to carry any stock.

4.You will know exactly who your customers are.

5.You will build up your own "list" of customers to whom you can sell products again.

6.You can take one book, split it and sell it as several different products, ie newsletters, training course, audio cd. The options are endless.

7.No one can stop you from being a "writer" / "information publisher". The only person who can stop you - is you! So, put your thinking cap on, hit that keyboard, and GET STARTED!

articles source: http://www.goarticles.com

MONEY FOR WEBSITE

2008-06-25T06:29:00.003+08:00

How To Make A Website And Make Money Off It

by Richard Adams

If you're looking for answers on how to make a website then make money off it then you'll be pleased to hear that it may not be as difficult as you initially thought.

Increasingly learning how to make a website is getting easier and easier thanks to new pieces of software being introduced on a regular basis.

For example, you can use Google's Blogger service to set up a free blog in a matter of minutes. Their set up wizard will guide you through selecting a template to use and color schemes so you can come out the other side with a perfectly functional and respectable website with no expense.

As I'm sure you can imagine, there are limitations on such a setup and so many people opt instead to build their own website. It's possible for under $5 or so a month ot have your own website with your own website address and so really look like a professional.

Having your own website address helps to brand your site, helps in achieving decent search engine rankings and finally makes it easier for visitors to come back again. In general, advertisers, as we will cover in just a few minutes, are more likely to advertise on professional-looking sites and so it may well be easier ot make money from making your own website too.

To make a website I suggest getting hold of some software that will make the whole process a lot easier. Microsoft have a package called Front Page which is very popular as is Dreamweaver though it is considerably more expensive and difficult to use.

Finally you can use online design tools. These website making packages generally come with everything you need included in one useful package - your website address, web hosting account, web design software and so on, but tend to be far more expensive than any other option as you are paying for the convenience more than anything else.

So now you know the basics of how to make a website let's take a look at some options to help yo make money off it.

Adsense -

Adsense is Google's own advertising network. Mainly offering text ads like you see down the right hand side of Google when you do a search, together with limited numbers of image ads the Adsense program is often the first place bloggers start to monetize their site.

The beauty of Adsense is the ease of use. You sign up for an account, and after you get approval by Google, you can select from a range of different sized ad boxes (so there is a solution for virtually every website) and paste the code into your blog.

As soon as you've done this, Google will automatically work out what your website is about and start displaying adverts that are relevant to your target audience.

Then whenever someone clicks one of your adverts, you make money.

Sell Advertising -

When you start getting decent numbers of visitors you will be able to sell advertising to companies looking to connect with just your sort of visitors. If you run a website on dog training, then companies offering dog training classes and products are obvious potential advertisers for you and could earn you considerable sums of money.

Affiliate Products -

You can promote the products of another company on your website, and if and when one of your visitors buys from that company, you will earn a commission on what they spend.

There are affiliates making hundreds of thousands of dollars each month so there is a huge potential here to make money.

Personally I would suggest you get Adsense implemented on your website early on then spend some time learning how to make money off affiliate marketing so you're earning while you're learning.

articles source: http://www.goarticles.com/

TEXT MESSAGING

2008-06-22T14:08:00.003+08:00

How to prevent Spam Text Messaging

by Jessica Thomson Click Here!

You may check your email everyday or once every two or three days, but chances are you will find it cluttered with ads of performance pills, offers of all sorts and what have you.

Some even carry headings like 'From Lisa with love' or 'David sends you roses', making you tempted to open the mail. You open it only to read some disgusting stuff bad enough to print here. That's spam or spam text messaging for you.

Here's how you can avoid it: --Check message headings Just click a button/link called View Full Heading. See the 'reply to' address and check whether it is the same as the sender. If it is not the same then it may be spam. --Don't encourage "Forward to friends" mails Such mails usually have the entire list of the persons who have forwarded the mail and also to those whom the mail has been sent. It also carries their email addresses.

This is easy target for spammers to spot. Also avoid signature campaigns, as these are also often the tricks adopted by potential spammers. --Read your messages in a "text only' format Don't view movie clips, pictures HTML documents from senders you don't know. By opening one of these, you may download virus or unwanted spyware.

Switch to a Hotmail account as it automatically filters such mails. --Preview Messages By previewing your messages you can know if it contains spyware or is unwanted mail. --Use a Unique Email address If you have a email address that is common enough it is easy pickings for spammers software. --Use alternate Email addresses Use an alternate email address to give out to mailing lists and newsletters.

Keep your email address you give out to friends confidential. --Hide your Email address If you do have to give out your email address on a site, keep it in wraps. You can do this by omitting the '@' sign and write 'at' instead.

Your email should look something like 'My name at yahoo dot com'. --Avoid the major free email services Spammers find the major email providers as happy hunting ground so avoid using them as your first choice. --Use spam blockers Use a spam blocker or filler service to prevent spam mail. --Change the privacy setting You can do this by making the spam filter your highest setting.

When you receive spam mail report it as this can help to track spammers and also discourage potential spammers.

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.goarticles.com Click Here!

TIPS

2008-06-21T15:22:00.003+08:00

10 Tips To Improved Personal Budgeting Click Here!

Here are some tips to improve our personal budgetting. :) See it for yourself! 10 Tips To Improved Personal Budgeting

By : Matt Shupe

1. Clip coupons.
This is the single most important rule of personal budgeting. Why? Simply because a few minutes spent clipping coupons could end up saving you multiple dollars in the checkout line.

2. Buy in bulk.
If your favorite products are on sale, buying in bulk may cost you more at present but could end up saving you a lot in the future. Some good examples are items that do not have an expiration date, such as soap, shampoo, toiletries and other household items. Canned foods, which carry a long expiration date, are also ideal for buying in bulk.

3. Saving your change can be a great help in your quest for personal budgeting.
You would be surprised how quickly change can add up and, even if it’s $50 or $100 per month, your coins can add up to some serious cash. Many people discard their coins or simply toss them around without thought, but saving them in a bowl or dish will help a great deal when it comes to personal budgeting.

4. Put a portion of each paycheck into a savings count each week or month.
Whether it’s a few dollars or several hundred, always make sure that you are putting aside some amount of money into a savings account. If possible, deposit 10-20% from each paycheck.

5. Avoid impulse shopping. This type of buying is what ultimately leads to buyer’s remorse.
In order to avoid it, think about what you want to shop for and make sure that you avoid any last minute additions unless they are absolutely necessary or you can afford them without being in a crunch.

6. Shop the sale racks.
Everyone enjoys sprucing up their wardrobe now and then so, when it comes time to add a few new pieces of apparel, stop by the sale rack for big savings. There’s nothing wrong with keeping a few extra dollars in your pocket, which can be later be used for life’s little essentials.

7. Avoid using high-interest credit cards unless you can repay them within six months. Otherwise, you are more likely to get swallowed up with interest and end up paying for the original purchase several times over.

8. If you do use a credit card for purchases, try to use one with an introductory APR or a regularly low interest rate.
This could end up saving you big bucks every month and also in the future, which is one of the most important rules to personal budgeting.

9. Request free samples.
A number of websites, including StartSampling.com and WalMart.com, offer customers the opportunity to request free product samples of certain items. Everything from skin lotions and shampoo to dog treats and household products are up for grabs to all who ask. In addition, many manufacturers offer free samples of new product releases directly through their own website.

10. If you find yourself in increasing credit card debt, call the creditor and request to be placed on a hardship program.
This type of program allows for lower interest and smaller payments for a specified amount of time. Depending on the creditor, it can be in effect for several months or until the balance is paid in full. This method will not only help your immediate personal budgeting, but will also give you additional financial freedom in the future when the debt is paid in full.

Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com

DRINKING A COKE

2008-06-21T09:40:00.000+08:00

What Happens to Your Body Within an Hour of Drinking a Coke?
by Joseph Mercola

Drinking soda is bad for your health in so many ways; science can't even state all the consequences. Here's what happens in your body when you assault it with a Coke: Within the first 10 minutes, 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. This is 100 percent of your recommended daily intake, and the only reason you don't vomit as a result of the overwhelming sweetness is because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor. Within 20 minutes, your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar into fat. Within 40 minutes, caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. Around 45 minutes, your body increases dopamine production, which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain - a physically identical response to that of heroin, by the way. After 60 minutes, you'll start to have a sugar crash.

ARTICLES SOURCE : http://www.goarticles.com

GOOGLE

2008-06-19T10:51:00.000+08:00

Google Launches Google Search Appliance and Google Mini in Malaysia

Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced the availability of the Google Search Appliance™ and Google Mini™ for customers in Malaysia. Local businesses and organisations can now utilize Google's search technology to search across their internal content, including company intranet, databases, business applications and public websites. Additionally, Google announced the appointment of Ingram Micro (Malaysia) as the sole distributor for Google Enterprise search products in Malaysia. "The Google Search Appliance and the Google Mini enable businesses of all sizes to quickly and easily search for information behind their firewall, all while using the simple Google interface," said Richard Suhr, Enterprise Lead for Google Southeast Asia. "By combining Google’s deep knowledge of search with more understanding and control for environments behind the firewall, we are helping Malaysian businesses to harness the value of their information asset. Through our relationship with Ingram Micro, we're able to offer our enterprise search products to companies and organisations in the Malaysian market.” The Google Search Appliance can index millions of documents, and its security features ensure that users can only search the information that they have permission to view. The Google Search Appliance starts at RM197,300 (MSRP) to search up to 500,000 documents. With the Google OneBox for Enterprise feature of the Google Search Appliance, employees can also access relevant, real-time information from a greater variety of corporate information stored in enterprise application solutions, such as CRM, ERP and business intelligence systems from Business Objects, Cognos, Cisco, Employease, Microsoft Exchange, Netsuite, Oracle, Salesforce.com, SAP, SAS and others. Organizations can also create OneBox modules to access applications built in-house.

The Google Mini is designed for website and departmental search or to enable smaller businesses to add Google search to their corporate networks. With plug-and-play simplicity, Google Mini can be set up in under an hour and requires minimal ongoing administration. The Mini comes in multiple versions. The most affordable Mini searches up to 50,000 documents for RM20,900 (MSRP) – including all hardware, software and a year of support. Additional versions search up to 100,000, 200,000 or 300,000 documents. "There is a high level of interest from customers and resellers for Google's Enterprise products," said Ms. Mui Li San, Product Manager, Google Enterprise, Ingram Micro (Malaysia). "We will be working closely with Google to support the reseller channel and make it easy for customers to use Google search to quickly and easily find their internal business information."
Google's enterprise business grew more than 100 per cent last year and currently has more than 10,000 companies worldwide using Google enterprise search products to help employees find business information. To learn more about the Google Search Appliance and Google Mini, please visit www.google.com.my/enterprise.

More about Google Search ApplianceLaunched in 2002, the current fifth generation of the iconic yellow Google Search Appliance hardware provides universal search capabilities for secure access to enterprise content systems and includes significant improvements in reach, security and relevance. The Google Search Appliance helps organizations benefit from Google's research and engineering efforts in "universal search" (a term that describes how search technology can work across information silos to give the best answer every time a user enters a query). This notion is vital for businesses, where content often resides in separate repositories.
To help break silos and reach into more enterprise content, the Google Search Appliance includes an enterprise connector framework for access to enterprise content management (ECM) systems. This framework extends the already sizable reach into 220 file formats, file shares, intranets, databases, applications, and hosted services. The connectors, which are available under open source licenses, include EMC Documentum, IBM FileNet, OpenText Livelink and Microsoft SharePoint.
Security has been enhanced to include support for Microsoft Windows Integrated Authentication (WIA), secure crawling and serving of file system content and significant performance increases in the SAML-based Authentication and Authorization API.

More About Google MiniIntroduced in 2005, the Google Mini sets a new standard for sophisticated search features in a small, simple and affordable appliance. The Google Mini offers sophisticated search features for finding and sharing information within small businesses and departmental groups, including document and user-level security across all business content. Google's access control capabilities integrate with existing security systems, ensuring that employees can access only information they are authorized to view.
Also available on the Google Mini, the Google OneBox for Enterprise feature lets businesses provide secure access to any information – such as contact and calendar info, HR benefits, sales leads, or purchase order status – through the convenience of a Google search box.

Site administrators can now link the Google Mini search results page with Google Analytics™ to provide more detailed information about how people use search on their site in order to improve the overall site experience. The Google Mini also automatically generates sitemaps - allowing webmasters to expose more public content for crawling and indexing by Google.com.

About Google Inc.Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.

ARTICLES SOURCE: WWW.PUTERA.COM

GAS

2008-06-17T06:49:00.002+08:00

Gas Saving Tips by Jonathon Hartman

Do you remember when you could purchase a full tank of gas for less than twenty-five dollars? It seems like that was ages ago. Then, gas mileage was not a big concern of mine. That is no longer the case. I want to save every extra mile per gallon that is humanly possible. I'll let you in on my top ten secrets on how to increase your gas mileage.

1. Keep your engine tuned. A car that is maintenance on a regular schedule will have a longer life, and it will also get better gas mileage. Following the car manufacturer's recommendations; a tuned engine will increase your gas mileage by up to four percent.

2. Replace your engine oil. Minimizing friction and engine heat and reducing gas consumption can be accomplished by using the proper grade and type of oil. Change your oil according to the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual. This is a great way to increase your gas mileage by up to two percent.

3. Check and repair air filters regularly. Filters make your car's engine more effective. It can create more force and energy which results in better gasoline consumption. When replacing your filter, look for quality paper filters rather than reusable air filters. Replacing clogged filters can increase gas mileage up to ten percent.

4. Inflate your tires properly. Under inflated tires waste fuel and wear out the tire tread. Use the tire pressure imprinted on the tire wall since it's the most accurate. Proper tire pressure can increase your gas mileage up to three percent. When checking your tire pressure, make sure you use an accurate tire gauge. It's worth the few extra dollars to buy a better tire gauge.

5. Check your wheel/tire alignment. If you wheels or tires are out of alignment, the car will pull to either the right or left. This pulling requires extra energy to continue in a straight line and thus reduces gas mileage.

6. Fill your gas tank using the minimum required octane. For most cars, regular octane is the recommended gas. Buying higher octane gas is a waste of money unless your engine is knocking. Check your owner's manual for the right octane level and do not buy a higher octane gas.

7. Get a fuel system treatment or use a fuel injector cleaner. Carbon deposits commonly form on carburetors, fuel injectors, intake valves, intake ports and combustion chambers. These carbon deposits plugged up the injectors which causes the fuel to vaporize poorly. These treatments or cleaners can help you maximize your vehicle's fuel efficiency.

8. Unload your trunk. Take out the things that you don't need from the trunk and just keep the basic emergency equipment. If you reduce the weight of your car, it will improve you gas mileage.

9. Anything attached to your roof will increase drag, so avoid this. Wind resistance can play a big part on the miles per gallon that you car uses.

10. Check your gas cap. Make sure that the seal is not broken or cracked. It can actually let gas simply escape from the car.

Because gasoline prices are continually rising, it is wise to take a bit of time and effort to maintain your car and keep it in peak condition. You can spend your money on the things that you enjoy, simply by using these tips to help reduce your gasoline costs.

ARTICLES SOURCE: www.goarticles.com