2008 international Conference on Biotechnology Education

June 14-19, 2008

San Diego, CA

Each year, the International Conference on Biotechnology Education integrates the Biotechnology Institute's core programs into a unique national conference that focuses on best practices, competitions, hands-on professional development sessions linked to education and skill standards, mentoring workshops, and career development for students interested in biotechnology. The conference coincides with the BIO International Convention.

How Do I Apply for the Conference?

To attend the Biotechnology Institute's International Conference on Biotechnology Education, qualified teachers and students may apply through one of the programs listed below. Click on the program for more details.

2008 International Conference on
Biotechnology Education

Programs:

National Biotechnology Teacher-Leader Program
Application Deadline: April 1, 2008
For middle or high school and two- or four-year college faculty
Planned events include Best Practices Day, hands-on sessions linked to education and skill standards, workforce training, teaching strategies, content updates and field trips to local biotech sites of interest. Participants recognized as National Teacher-Leaders are asked to conduct outreach professional development at the local, state or national level based on the Teacher-Leader Program. Participants also will have the option of attending the subsequent BIO International Convention for FREE.

Genzyme-Invitrogen Biotech Educator Award
Deadline: To Be Announced
This award recognizes exemplary teaching at the high school level that has positively impacted students’ understanding of biotechnology’s promise and challenges.

Minority Fellows Program
Deadline: Extended to March 1, 2008
For minority and indigenous undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students and faculty
Fellows are paired with industry Mentors and are introduced to the biotechnology industry and attend sessions on new and emerging technologies, mentoring, scientific content updates, and field visits to local industry and research facilities.

Dow AgroSciences-Lilly BioDreaming Poster Competition
Deadline: To Be Announced
For students grades K-12
Students are invited to submit a poster to showcase their artistic talent and their commitment to the public understanding of the promises and challenges of biotechnology.

sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge
See Regional/State Challenge Deadlines
For high school students
This annual competition recognizes outstanding research in biotechnology.

Past Conference Information

Highlights from the 2007 Conference on Biotechnology Education!

Highlights from the 2006 Conference on Biotechnology Education!

http://www.biotechinstitute.org/

Biotechnology

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Insulin crystals

Biotechnology is technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity defines biotechnology as:^[1]

""Biotechnology" means any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use."

Biotechnology is often used to refer to genetic engineering technology of the 21st century, however the term encompasses a wider range and history of procedures for modifying biological organisms according to the needs of humanity, going back to the initial modifications of native plants into improved food crops through artificial selection and hybridization. Bioengineering is the science upon which all Biotechnological applications are based. With the development of new approaches and modern techniques, traditional biotechnology industries are also acquiring new horizons enabling them to improve the quality of their products and increase the productivity of their systems.

Before 1971, the term, biotechnology, was primarily used in the food processing and agriculture industries. Since the 1970s, it began to be used by the Western scientific establishment to refer to laboratory-based techniques being developed in biological research, such as recombinant DNA or tissue culture-based processes, or horizontal gene transfer in living plants, using vectors such as the Agrobacterium bacteria to transfer DNA into a host organism. In fact, the term should be used in a much broader sense to describe the whole range of methods, both ancient and modern, used to manipulate organic materials to reach the demands of food production. So the term could be defined as, "The application of indigenous and/or scientific knowledge to the management of (parts of) microorganisms, or of cells and tissues of higher organisms, so that these supply goods and services of use to the food industry and its consumers.^[2]

Biotechnology combines disciplines like genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, embryology and cell biology, which are in turn linked to practical disciplines like chemical engineering, information technology, and robotics. Patho-biotechnology describes the exploitation of pathogens or pathogen derived compounds for beneficial effect.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Energy Information How Geothermal Works An Overview of Geothermal Information Oregon Geothermal Resource Map Where are Geothermal Resources Located? Oregon Geothermal Working Group Ground-Source Heat Pump Information Outside Links How Geothermal Works Geothermal comes from the Greek words meaning earth heat. From earliest times, people have used geothermal water that flowed freely from the earth's surface as hot springs. Today we drill wells into geothermal reservoirs to bring the hot water to the surface. Once the hot water travels up the wells to the surface, they can be used directly to heat buildings or to generate electricity in power plants. Overview of Geothermal Energy The city of Klamath Falls uses geothermal energy directly to supply heat for a district heating system. Geothermal heat sources in several other Oregon counties supply heat to buildings, swimming pools and resorts and industrial uses. There is no generation of electricity from geothermal sources within the state of Oregon. However, there are several sites where geological data suggest a resource sufficient for power generation may exist. The potential for production of electricity from Oregon´s geothermal resources has been explored at three sites in Oregon. In 1996, CalEnergy Company received a site certificate from the Energy Facility Siting Council to build a 30-megawatt geothermal power plant near the Newberry Volcanic Monument in Deschutes County. However, despite considerable investment in exploratory drilling, the company did not find a source of heat and steam sufficient for generating electricity. The company canceled the Newberry project and is now pursuing a similar project in northern California. Other exploration has occurred near Vale and in the Alvord Dessert near Borax Lake. The latter site is no longer feasible due to the risk of harm to the endangered Borax Lake chub. The exploration at the Vale site failed to locate a geothermal source adequate for generating electricity. Resource uncertainty as well as high development and exploration costs are substantial barriers to future development of geothermal sources for power production. The location of potential geothermal sources in environmentally sensitive areas has been a barrier to siting geothermal power facilities in the state. http://www.oregon.gov

Biogas Technology

Anaerobic Digestion Digester Technology Types of Anaerobic Digesters The Process of Anaerobic Digestion Manure Digesters Wastewater Landfill Gas Anaerobic Digestion In recent years, increasing awareness that anaerobic digesters can help control the disposal and odor of animal waste has stimulated renewed interest in the technology. Dairy farmers faced with increasing federal and state regulation of the waste their animals produce are looking for ways to comply. New digesters now are being built because they effectively eliminate the environmental hazards of dairy farms and other animal feedlots. It is often the environmental reasons - rather than the digester´s electrical and thermal energy generation potential - that motivate farmers to use digester technology. This is especially true in areas where electric power costs are low. Anaerobic digester systems can reduce fecal coliform bacteria in manure by more than 99 percent, virtually eliminating a major source of water pollution. Separation of the solids during the digester process removes about 25 percent of the nutrients from manure, and the solids can be sold out of the drainage basin where nutrient loading may be a problem. In addition, the digester´s ability to produce and capture methane from the manure reduces the amount of methane that otherwise would enter the atmosphere. Scientists have targeted methane gas in the atmosphere as a contributor to global climate change. Digester Technology Biomass that is high in moisture content, such as animal manure and food-processing wastes, is suitable for producing biogas using anaerobic digester technology. Anaerobic digestion is a biochemical process in which particular kinds of bacteria digest biomass in an oxygen-free environment. Several different types of bacteria work together to break down complex organic wastes in stages, resulting in the production of "biogas." Symbiotic groups of bacteria perform different functions at different stages of the digestion process. There are four basic types of microorganisms involved. Hydrolytic bacteria break down complex organic wastes into sugars and amino acids. Fermentative bacteria then convert those products into organic acids. Acidogenic microorganisms convert the acids into hydrogen, carbon dioxide and acetate. Finally, the methanogenic bacteria produce biogas from acetic acid, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Controlled anaerobic digestion requires an airtight chamber, called a digester. To promote bacterial activity, the digester must maintain a temperature of at least 68° F. Using higher temperatures, up to 150° F, shortens processing time and reduces the required volume of the tank by 25 percent to 40 percent. However, there are more species of anaerobic bacteria that thrive in the temperature range of a standard design (mesophillic bacteria) than there are species that thrive at higher temperatures (thermophillic bacteria). High-temperature digesters also are more prone to upset because of temperature fluctuations and their successful operation requires close monitoring and diligent maintenance. The biogas produced in a digester (also known as "digester gas") is actually a mixture of gases, with methane and carbon dioxide making up more than 90 percent of the total. Biogas typically contains smaller amounts of hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen, hydrogen, methylmercaptans and oxygen. Methane is a combustible gas. The energy content of digester gas depends on the amount of methane it contains. Methane content varies from about 55 percent to 80 percent. Typical digester gas, with a methane concentration of 65 percent, contains about 600 Btu of energy per cubic foot. For individual farms, small-scale plug-flow or covered lagoon digesters of simple design can produce biogas for on-site electricity and heat generation. For example, a plug-flow digester could process 8,000 gallons of manure per day, the amount produced by a herd of 500 dairy cows. By using digester gas to fuel an engine-generator, a digester of this size would produce more electricity and hot water than the dairy consumes. Larger scale digesters are suitable for manure volumes of 25,000 to 100,000 gallons per day. In Denmark and in several other European countries, central digester facilities use manure and other organic wastes collected from individual farms and transported to the facility. Types of Anaerobic Digesters There are three basic digester designs. All of them can trap methane and reduce fecal coliform bacteria, but they differ in cost, climate suitability and the concentration of manure solids they can digest. A covered lagoon digester, as the name suggests, consists of a manure storage lagoon with a cover. The cover traps gas produced during decomposition of the manure. This type of digester is the least expensive of the three. Covering a manure storage lagoon is a simple form of digester technology suitable for liquid manure with less than 3-percent solids. For this type of digester, an impermeable floating cover of industrial fabric covers all or part of the lagoon. A concrete footing along the edge of the lagoon holds the cover in place with an airtight seal. Methane produced in the lagoon collects under the cover. A suction pipe extracts the gas for use. Covered lagoon digesters require large lagoon volumes and a warm climate. Covered lagoons have low capital cost, but these systems are not suitable for locations in cooler climates or locations where a high water table exists. A complete mix digester converts organic waste to biogas in a heated tank above or below ground. A mechanical or gas mixer keeps the solids in suspension. Complete mix digesters are expensive to construct and cost more than plug-flow digesters to operate and maintain. Complete mix digesters are suitable for larger manure volumes having solids concentration of 3 percent to 10 percent. The reactor is a circular steel or poured concrete container. During the digestion process, the manure slurry is continuously mixed to keep the solids in suspension. Biogas accumulates at the top of the digester. The biogas can be used as fuel for an engine-generator to produce electricity or as boiler fuel to produce steam. Using waste heat from the engine or boiler to warm the slurry in the digester reduces retention time to less than 20 days. Plug-flow digesters are suitable for ruminant animal manure that has a solids concentration of 11 percent to 13 percent. A typical design for a plug-flow system includes a manure collection system, a mixing pit and the digester itself. In the mixing pit, the addition of water adjusts the proportion of solids in the manure slurry to the optimal consistency. The digester is a long, rectangular container, usually built below-grade, with an airtight, expandable cover. New material added to the tank at one end pushes older material to the opposite end. Coarse solids in ruminant manure form a viscous material as they are digested, limiting solids separation in the digester tank. As a result, the material flows through the tank in a "plug." Average retention time (the time a manure "plug" remains in the digester) is 20 to 30 days. Anaerobic digestion of the manure slurry releases biogas as the material flows through the digester. A flexible, impermeable cover on the digester traps the gas. Pipes beneath the cover carry the biogas from the digester to an engine-generator set. A plug-flow digester requires minimal maintenance. Waste heat from the engine-generator can be used to heat the digester. Inside the digester, suspended heating pipes allow hot water to circulate. The hot water heats the digester to keep the slurry at 25°C to 40°C (77°F to 104°F), a temperature range suitable for methane-producing bacteria. The hot water can come from recovered waste heat from an engine generator fueled with digester gas or from burning digester gas directly in a boiler. The Process of Anaerobic Digestion The process of anaerobic digestion occurs in a sequence of stages involving distinct types of bacteria. Hydrolytic and fermentative bacteria first break down the carbohydrates, proteins and fats present in biomass feedstock into fatty acids, alcohol, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, ammonia and sulfides. This stage is called "hydrolysis" (or "liquefaction"). Next, acetogenic (acid-forming) bacteria further digest the products of hydrolysis into acetic acid, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Methanogenic (methane-forming) bacteria then convert these products into biogas. The combustion of digester gas can supply useful energy in the form of hot air, hot water or steam. After filtering and drying, digester gas is suitable as fuel for an internal combustion engine, which, combined with a generator, can produce electricity. Future applications of digester gas may include electric power production from gas turbines or fuel cells. Digester gas can substitute for natural gas or propane in space heaters, refrigeration equipment, cooking stoves or other equipment. Compressed digester gas can be used as an alternative transportation fuel. Manure Digesters Anaerobic digestion and power generation at the farm level began in the United States in the early 1970s. Several universities conducted basic digester research. In 1978, Cornell University built an early plug-flow digester designed with a capacity to digest the manure from 60 cows. In the 1980s, new federal tax credits spurred the construction of about 120 plug-flow digesters in the United States. However, many of these systems failed because of poor design or faulty construction. Adverse publicity about system failures and operational problems meant that fewer anaerobic digesters were being built by the end of the decade. High digester cost and declining farm land values reduced the digester industry to a small number of suppliers. The Tillamook Digester Facility (MEAD Project) began operation in 2003. The facility is located on a site once occupled by a Navy blimp hanger on property owned by the Port of Tillamook Bay. The facility consists of two 400,000-gallon digester cells. The facility uses the biogas to run two Caterpillar engines, each coupled to a 200 kilowatt generator. The facility sells its electric output to the Tillamook PUD. Manure is brought to the facility by truck from participating dairy farms in the Tillamook area. Wastewater Municipal sewage contains organic biomass solids, and many wastewater treatment plants use anaerobic digestion to reduce the volume of these solids. Anaerobic digestion stabilizes sewage sludge and destroys pathogens. Sludge digestion produces biogas containing 60-percent to 70-percent methane, with an energy content of about 600 Btu per cubic foot. Most wastewater treatment plants that use anaerobic digesters burn the gas for heat to maintain digester temperatures and to heat building space. Unused gas is burned off as waste but could be used for fuel in an engine-generator or fuel cell to produce electric power. A fuel cell at the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant in Portland, Oregon, converts digester gas into electricity. The fuel cell began producing power in July 1999. The Columbia Boulevard fuel cell will produce an estimated 1,500,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year Landfill Gas The same anaerobic digestion process that produces biogas from animal manure and wastewater occurs naturally underground in landfills. Most landfill gas results from the decomposition of cellulose contained in municipal and industrial solid waste. Unlike animal manure digesters, which control the anaerobic digestion process, the digestion occurring in landfills is an uncontrolled process of biomass decay. The efficiency of the process depends on the waste composition and moisture content of the landfill, cover material, temperature and other factors. The biogas released from landfills, commonly called "landfill gas," is typically 50-percent methane, 45-percent carbon dioxide and 5-percent other gases. The energy content of landfill gas is 400 to 550 Btu per cubic foot. Capturing landfill gas before it escapes to the atmosphere allows for conversion to useful energy. A landfill must be at least 40 feet deep and have at least one million tons of waste in place for landfill gas collection and power production to be technically feasible. A landfill gas-to-energy system consists of a series of wells drilled into the landfill. A piping system connects the wells and collects the gas. Dryers remove moisture from the gas, and filters remove impurities. The gas typically fuels an engine-generator set or gas turbine to produce electricity. The gas also can fuel a boiler to produce heat or steam. Further gas cleanup improves biogas to pipeline quality, the equivalent of natural gas. Reforming the gas to hydrogen would make possible the production of electricity using fuel cell technology. http://www.oregon.gov/

How GPS Receivers Work

by Marshall Brain and Tom Harris

Inside This Article

1.

Introduction to How GPS Receivers Work

2.

2-D Trilateration

3.

3-D Trilateration

4.

GPS Calculations

5.

Differential GPS

6.

Lots More Information

7.

See all Other Gadgets articles

Our ancestors had to go to pretty extreme measures to keep from getting lost. They erected monumental landmarks, laboriously drafted detailed maps and learned to read the stars in the night sky.

Shopping for a GPS receiver? Compare GPS receiver prices at Consumer Guide Products before you buy.

Things are much, much easier today. For less than $100, you can get a pocket-sized gadget that will tell you exactly where you are on Earth at any moment. As long as you have a GPS receiver and a clear view of the sky, you'll never be lost again.

In this article, we'll find out how these handy guides pull off this amazing trick. As we'll see, the Global Positioning System is vast, expensive and involves a lot of technical ingenuity, but the fundamental concepts at work are quite simple and intuitive.

When people talk about "a GPS," they usually mean a GPS receiver. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is actually a constellation of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites (24 in operation and three extras in case one fails). The U.S. military developed and implemented this satellite network as a military navigation system, but soon opened it up to everybody else.

Each of these 3,000- to 4,000-pound solar-powered satellites circles the globe at about 12,000 miles (19,300 km), making two complete rotations every day. The orbits are arranged so that at any time, anywhere on Earth, there are at least four satellites "visible" in the sky.

A GPS receiver's job is to locate four or more of these satellites, figure out the distance to each, and use this information to deduce its own location. This operation is based on a simple mathematical principle called trilateration. Trilateration in three-dimensional space can be a little tricky, so we'll start with an explanation of simple two-dimensional trilateration.

andy guides pull off this amazing trick. As we'll see, the Global Positioning System is vast, expensive and involves a lot of technical ingenuity, but the fundamental concepts at work are quite simple and intuitive.

When people talk about "a GPS," they usually mean a GPS receiver. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is actually a constellation of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites (24 in operation and three extras in case one fails). The U.S. military developed and implemented this satellite network as a military navigation system, but soon opened it up to everybody else.

Each of these 3,000- to 4,000-pound solar-powered satellites circles the globe at about 12,000 miles (19,300 km), making two complete rotations every day. The orbits are arranged so that at any time, anywhere on Earth, there are at least four satellites "visible" in the sky.

A GPS receiver's job is to locate four or more of these satellites, figure out the distance to each, and use this information to deduce its own location. This operation is based on a simple mathematical principle called trilateration. Trilateration in three-dimensional space can be a little tricky, so we'll start with an explanation of simple two-dimensional trilateration.

Global Positioning System

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"GPS" redirects here. For other similar systems, see Global Navigation Satellite System. For other uses of GPS, see GPS (disambiguation).

Artist's conception of GPS satellite in orbit

Civilian GPS receiver in a marine application.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is the only fully functional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Utilizing a constellation of at least 24 Medium Earth Orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals, the system enables a GPS receiver to determine its location, speed, direction, and time. Other similar systems are the Russian GLONASS (incomplete as of 2007), the upcoming European Galileo positioning system, the proposed COMPASS navigation system of China, and IRNSS of India.

Developed by the United States Department of Defense, GPS is officially named NAVSTAR GPS (Contrary to popular belief, NAVSTAR is not an acronym, but simply a name given by John Walsh, a key decision maker when it came to the budget for the GPS program).^[1] The satellite constellation is managed by the United States Air Force 50th Space Wing. The cost of maintaining the system is approximately US$750 million per year,^[2] including the replacement of aging satellites, and research and development.

Following the shootdown of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 in 1983, President Ronald Reagan issued a directive making the system available for free for civilian use as a common good.^[3] Since then, GPS has become a widely used aid to navigation worldwide, and a useful tool for map-making, land surveying, commerce, and scientific uses. GPS also provides a precise time reference used in many applications including scientific study of earthquakes, and synchronization of telecommunications networks.

How to Clean a Virus-Infected Computer

Computer viruses are insidious, sneaky and--like their biological counterparts--constantly mutating. If you think your computer has been infected, the only safe course of action is to use a good anti-virus program.

Things You’ll Need:

• Anti-virus Software

Step 1:
As soon as you suspect that your computer has a virus, remove your computer from any networks it might be on, as well as from the Internet, so that you don't inadvertently spread the bug to others. Unplug your network cable if you have to.

Step 2:
If you have virus-scanning (anti-virus) software installed, run it.

Step 3:
If you don't have anti-virus software, you'll need to obtain some. If you can't get it from a network administrator or download it from an uninfected computer, you can mail-order it from a retailer.

Step 4:
Start your computer (still not connected to a network) and follow the instructions that came with the anti-virus software.

Step 5:
Keep running the virus-scanning software until your computer comes up clean.

Step 6:
Reconnect your computer to the Internet and check with the anti-virus software's publisher to make sure you have the latest updates. If not, download them now.

Step 7:
After updating the anti-virus software, run it again until your computer comes up clean.

from: http://www.ehow.com

Metamorphic code

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In computer virus terms, metamorphic code is code that can reprogram itself. Often, it does this by translating its own code into a temporary representation, edit the temporary representation of itself, and then write itself back to normal code again.[1] This procedure is done with the virus itself, and thus also the metamorphic engine itself undergoes changes. This is used by some viruses when they are about to infect new files, and the result is that the "children" will never look like their parents. The computer viruses that use this technique do this in order to avoid the pattern recognition of anti-virus software: the actual algorithm does not change, but everything else might.

The main difference between Metamorphic and Polymorphic virus is the fact that the Polymorphic virus cyphers its original code to avoid pattern recognition, and the Metamorphic virus changes its code to an equivalent one (i.e. the codes do essentially the same). This modification can be achieved using techniques like inserting NOP instructions, swapping registers, changing flow control with jumps or reordering independent instructions. Metamorphic code is usually more effective than polymorphic code. This is because the anti-virus, in order to detect it, will need to use some kind of emulation to analyze the code behavior.

Metamorphic code can also mean that a virus is capable of infecting executables from two or more different operating systems (such as Windows and GNU/Linux) or even different computer architectures. Often, the virus does this by carrying several viruses with itself. The beginning of the virus is then coded so that it translates to correct machine-code for all of the platforms that it is supposed to execute in [2]. It is possible in theory for a metamorphic virus to rewrite the temporary representation of itself into another set of instructions, intended for another computer architecture. The API would also have to be changed.

Computer virus

A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user. However, the term "virus" is commonly used, albeit erroneously, to refer to many different types of malware programs. The original virus may modify the copies, or the copies may modify themselves, as occurs in a metamorphic virus. A virus can only spread from one computer to another when its host is taken to the uninfected computer, for instance by a user sending it over a network or the Internet, or by carrying it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, or USB drive. Additionally, viruses can spread to other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer. Viruses are sometimes confused with computer worms and Trojan horses. A worm can spread itself to other computers without needing to be transferred as part of a host, and a Trojan horse is a file that appears harmless until executed.

Many personal computers are now connected to the Internet and to local area networks, facilitating the spread of malicious code. Today's viruses may also take advantage of network services such as the World Wide Web, e-mail, and file sharing systems to spread, blurring the line between viruses and worms. Furthermore, some sources use an alternative terminology in which a virus is any form of self-replicating malware.

Some viruses are programmed to damage the computer by damaging programs, deleting files, or reformatting the hard disk. Others are not designed to do any damage, but simply replicate themselves and perhaps make their presence known by presenting text, video, or audio messages. Even these benign viruses can create problems for the computer user. They typically take up computer memory used by legitimate programs. As a result, they often cause erratic behavior and can result in system crashes. In addition, many viruses are bug-ridden, and these bugs may lead to system crashes and data loss.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HOW IS THE MEANING OF IT ?

Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware." IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.

Today, the term information technology has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term is more recognizable than ever before. The information technology umbrella can be quite large, covering many fields. IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems. When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is information technology, or "infotech". Information Technology (IT) is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information.

from wkipedia.

How to create a playlist Windows Media player for your Sansa MP3 player

Sansa MP3 players have 2 modes, MTP and MSC. In order for playlist to show up properly on your player it must be in MTP mode. First, go to settings then USB mode or just mode( depending on the player). then choose MTP. Once it's in this mode, connect to you PC. Open Windows Media Player and go to the library. Right click on the song of your choice then go down to "add to" then click on additional playlist. Type the name of your songs and click ok. Right Click on the next song, click on "add to" then click on the name of you playlist. Continue this until you playlist is complete. Click on the Sync tab at the top and then click on sync settings. make sure "sync device automatically" is checked off. scroll through the large white box and only check off the playlist you want on the player. Click ok and the playlist will start to sync to the player. Once complete, disconnect the player select music then scroll down to playlist and you will see the name of your playlist.

by Tyrone Williams

http://www.helium.com

Tips for buying a laptop

In this mini device technology world we live in today it is almost a necessity that the technology we own must be smaller the better. If we can't fit it in our pockets or take it with us in a briefcase it's almost a crime. Despite the fact that laptops have been with us for around two decades they are becoming better with hundreds of giga-this and thousands of mega-that. For a common folk like myself I like the idea that someone could tell me what is better for me and tell me the common behaviors of laptops in plain English so I wouldn't have to worry about blowing it to smithereens. From the time you start shopping around until after six months of being a new owner you are extremely careful and paranoid. Never fear. I wrote this article for those folks such as you and I who are not on the up and up of the techno world. Please understand that everyone's experiences with laptops are different and that this is based upon my experiences only.

First of all, when you are shopping around for a laptop you need to know what you are going to use it for. Perhaps you only want to keep your typed files and photos on it as well as browsing the net. The basic $700 laptops are perfectly fine. If burning music is your thing, they're fine for that too. If you want to do all of that and burn full length movies then you may want to consider a price range of up to $1,200 to $1,500 with memories of up to 200 gigabytes or more. The $5,000 range? Sure, if you're planning to run it all day and all night for a couple years and install a few hundred programs on it. Not really necessary in my opinion.

Shopping for brands is the fun part but I recommend asking your friends about their laptops to see what they have to say. One of my friends owned an Acer and she told me that hers literally burned up inside. Mind you, these brands are changing for the better everyday. Acer, Toshiba, Dell, HP, Vaio and all of those common household brands are fine. I ended up going with Dell because they customized my laptop to my needs, their technical support is fine and they are a reliable computer.

Now, you have your laptop all set to go and the first frightening thought, "What happens if I break this thing? Who's gonna fix it?". Don't fret. You have at least a six month warranty to send it back for repairs. If the warranty has expired then you find someone who deals with computers. There is literally someone around every street corner who will help you.

If you have owned your laptop after about a year it will develop an attitude and give you some odd quirks. Programs may turn on when they are not supposed to or the clock may change a few hours ahead causing your Anti-Virus program to expire early. It's OK. Just click out of the program and change the clock back to the right time. No biggie.

If you do use you laptop as often as I did when I first bought mine (every single day for a year) the hard drive may suffer a crash as a result of burnout. It only cost me around $210 to get it repaired because they had to buy a new hard drive for it and put it in the laptop. I have also heard that it is normal for the monitor to go after a year as well. I have owned mine for almost three years and it is fine. The AC Adapter/battery charger cord can be quite sensitive if it is constantly being bent and twisted. Mine is always bent at the end and now some of the wires inside are broken. I need to have it replaced at an estimated cost of $50. If you think that's expensive, wait until the battery life begins to fade. Batteries are an estimated cost of $155. Thankfully mine has lasted.

I had the scare of my life yesterday when my 'H' key fell off the keypad and I tried to super glue it back on. I was talking to my friend and she told me to press it down toward the keypad and inward to myself so it will snap back on. Evidently the keys come off to enable you to clean between the keys of the keypad. See? I still have much to learn. Now I am waiting to see what else I am going to learn.

It is my opinion that your personal laptop is going to be different than the others and it will almost take on its own personality at times. The best and only way you can learn your way around it is if you take the time to fiddle around with the laptop yourself. You should never be worried about breaking it because it was equipped for non techies like us. Even in the rare even that something does happen there will always be someone around to help you so please, let down your Fort Knox security system and activate some programs.

by Nicole Oickle in http://www.helium.com/tm/807858/device-technology-world-today