Guide To Backpacking Europe: Safety And Security Personal safety and security is often a major concern for people backpacking across Europe, especially for first time backpackers. While some unusual and alarming crimes have been reported by backpackers in Europe, the more common dangers you need to protect yourself from are simple thefts. Follow these simple tips to protect and secure your belongings and remember to never walk around at night without a friend. You may also want to carry some sort of personal safety device, like a can of pepper spray or a Coleman brass whistle, in case you find yourself in an unpleasant situation. One of the most important pieces of gear you can bring along for safety and security is a collection of small combination locks with keys. It is much more likely for a thief to open your backpack and take just a few items while you are talking or making a purchase than for someone to run off with the entire pack. Lock the zippers of each compartment, or at least those containing valuables, to prevent this. Napping on trains is a great way to get in some much needed rest, but it is also a good time for someone to steal your backpack without you knowing. It is a good idea to use a larger lock to secure your pack to the train’s luggage rack. Most hostels offer rental lockers to protect your valuables at night or while you are out. Make use of these as well. You may need to bring along a small lock for the locker, while some require the rental of a special lock. While you are out enjoying the town with your backpack or your daypack, keep an eye on it at all times. If your compartments are securely zipped, and nothing valuable is stuffed in an exterior pocket, the only way a thief can get your things is to take the entire pack. Anytime you stop to eat or talk, or if you sit your backpack by your feet for whatever reason, remember to keep one foot through a strap at all times. This will prevent a crook from snagging the pack and running off. Items like mobile phones or cameras are likely targets for thieves, but money and credit cards are typically what a crook wants. Keep all your important documents, like passports, rail passes, and airline tickets in a waist pack or in a stylish money belt. Money belts or money pouches are much safer than traditional fanny packs because they are worn closer to your body, making it less likely for someone to steal them. Carry your credit cards and money in the belt as well, but remember to keep some money and copies of your documents in a separate place too. Be very cautious about the amount of cash you carry. Stores and restaurants in many major cities accept credit or debit cards, and ATMs are available as well. Check with your bank about any fees for international ATM usage, and if they aren’t too high, plan to use your ATM card and limit the cash you carry. Travelers checks are also a good way to keep your cash secure.

13 Comparisons of Vista vs Tiger Competitive and fast are two terms that are applicable to the world of computers. Constantly changing and evolving computer systems bring many advantages to the users and techies alike. The race for supremacy between the yet to be launched Vista (scheduled for 2006) and Mac OSX Tiger began in 2003 with Microsoft’s announcements of plans for an integrated desktop search functionality in Windows Vista. While opinions vary and are really personal choices in many ways, the following sums up the functionalities between Vista and Tiger. 1. Vista has a completely redesigned look and feel; it is aesthetic, functional, and exciting according to industry sources. Mac Tiger on the other hand was always famous for its technology and aesthetics which are clean and clutter free. In fact, many of the visual effects that Vista has like translucent icons, high resolution, and animation effects have been integral to Tiger for more than four years. 2. Vista is yet to resolve problems caused by underlying windows, while Tiger has fine tuned the bleed caused by windows beneath the surface ones. 3. The 128 x 128 pixel icons of Tiger have better rendition and clearer resolution than the 32 x 32 or 64 x 64 pixel icons of Vista. However one will only know whether Vista will have resolution independent vector graphics once the final version comes to the market. 4. Both Vista and Tiger have closely similar desk top search functions. The only immediate difference is that in Tiger the filtering becomes operational only after creation of a Smart Folder or using the shortcut keys. The Virtual Folder of Vista is identical to the Smart Folder of Tiger. 5. Vista has next generation features, where the system has enough inbuilt intelligence that organizes data. This fine tunes any searches that need to be done. In comparison to this, the Tiger has an old fashioned system with no specials. 6. Vista supports meta data processing while with Tiger meta data can be created or edited only by using document processing applications. 7. Vista permits users to visually locate files while Tiger does not. Image previews in Tiger are turned off by default. 8. As far as security is concerned the Tiger is by far superior to Vista. Since the Tiger user base is small the number of hackers and attackers are fewer as compared to Windows. 9. User accounts and log ins are safer in the Tiger system and Microsoft plans to incorporate similar systems in Vista to strengthen security. 10. Vista has new systems similar to Tiger that will enable users to assert parental locks or blocks. Parental controls help limit computer usage by children protecting them from several dangers. 11. Security in Vista includes inbuilt protection against rogue attacks, malware, spyware, adware and so on. In the case of Tiger its security system has remained secure and unbreached. Whether Vista will earn the same distinction will be known only after it comes into use. 12. Both Vista and Tiger have great networking features making both immensely usable both at home and in businesses. The Tiger is simpler while Vista is a bit more complex to use. 13. The hibernation mode works instantly in Tiger and Vista is also trying to match its facilities. While the above draws tentative comparisons between the two systems a true evaluation can only be made once Vista is released in its completed version and comes into use.

Making The Grade With An Information Technology Degree Source: Flickr With computers in every type of workplace from the high-rise office to the post office, an information technology degree is simply one of the most useful qualifications available. A dependence on computers has created a need for those who understand the inner workings of various information systems. IT professionals not only get networks up and running, they keep them running and are able to create resourceful solutions on their feet. Whether one chooses to work in network engineering or security, management information systems or computer programming, there are many different areas of IT that require just as many different skills and abilities. While a love of computers is certainly a necessity, attention to detail, abstract thinking ability and a good memory are also requirements. Individual preferences for certain IT areas also come into play. By getting an education in information technology, students can learn how to take their best abilities, merge them with state of the art skills and apply them effectively. As many come to find, the scope of IT is extremely wide allowing specialized skills to be used in a number of different places. A career in IT means never being forced to stay in only one aspect of the industry. It is widely known that IT professionals have the benefit of a higher than average salary than other careers, even when first starting out. Plus, with computers used in every single area of life, there is hardly anywhere on the map a person could go in search of a job that doesn’t need IT professionals in some manner. With technology consistently changing and updating, the demand is greater than ever. A good information technology program teaches the latest in Microsoft, Cisco, Security Certified Professional and even cyber security. Prospective employers often look for and prefer individuals who are well versed in working with these programs. Not only is an information technology degree important, certifications in Cisco’s CCNA or Microsoft’s MCSE are also sought after skills. It is not uncommon for those who work in the information technology field to eventually move on to managing their own IT division. This means the complete coordination of a company’s information technology department, from planning to directing. This is a great position for those who also have great leadership skills. It is also a position that has one of the highest salaries in the IT industry. A Bachelor’s degree is generally the most basic qualification necessary for many entry-level IT positions. It allows one to develop basic programming skills and learn the ins and outs of different networks. Data administration and business skills are also common subjects. One can also earn their Master’s degree in information technology. The newest cutting edge skills merge with a further understanding of market demand and other business aspects to create a well-rounded education. The higher the education, the better an individual’s earning power will be. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to see one’s work have a positive effect and make a difference. It provides not only confidence but also a sense of accomplishment. Those who work in IT can rest on the knowledge that theirs in an industry with a strong future. With dependence on computers growing every day, it is no wonder that so many have decided to seek out an information technology degree. While it is a chance to provide oneself with a solid future, it is also a chance to stay at the forefront and take part in the newest of technologies. For those who truly love the ever-changing world of technology, that is the best part of the job.

Top Five Tips For Starting A Virtual Business Source: Flickr Are you a virtual worker or thinking of becoming one? If you are, you’re not alone. There’s been a rise in virtual workers of 800 percent in just the past five years (Nemertes Research 2005). A big reason for this dramatic increase is that it’s a great way to start a company, especially if you can work from a home office or out in the field. With that in mind, a team of experts at Hewlett-Packard came up with these five tips on how to successfully operate a business from your home. Tip #1: Make sure your business can operate “virtually.” Are you meeting with contacts at your place of business or theirs? Do you spend most of your time outside the office? • Good candidates for a virtual business include architects, interior designers, homebuilders, computer professionals, accountants and other service professionals whose work is actually conducted in other people’s homes or businesses-ranging from cleaning services to home repair. Tip #2: Consider your personality. Are you a self-starter or do you need inspiration from others to get things done? Do you prefer quiet time to work or do you thrive around other people who can provide reinforcement and support? Are your management skills suited for a phone-based relationship with your remote team? Tip #3: Hire the right people. Do you have trustworthy employees who can get the job done, even if they are not physically in the same office? How much of their work is actually done outside the office? Do you have access to a mature talent pool of potential employees if you are just starting out or planning to expand? Tip #4: Leverage technology. Go wireless and take security to heart. Do you have the technology in place to support a virtual business or a good technology advisor who can help wire your business for success? Have you considered streamlining your office with an all-in-one fax-printer-copier, notebooks, PDAs and a wireless LAN network? Fight security threats with anti-virus, vulnerability and business protection solutions to protect your data and secure your networked PCs. For added security, think about connecting through a wireless virtual private network (VPN) and watch your productivity expand. Did you know that with Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) you can place a call anywhere in the world from an Internet connection without incurring long-distance fees? Even away from the home office, your employees can tap into WiFi networks at Internet cafes. Thanks to technology, many virtual companies have the face of a traditional company-yet operate with lower overhead and greater flexibility to stay competitive. Tip #5: Create an online storefront and take advantage of e-commerce. An online presence can give your business the appearance of a traditional brick-and-mortar company. Small companies can grow into larger companies with an effective virtual business strategy.

Comparing Security Companies for Homes and Businesses Source: Flickr It doesn’t really matter whether you are seeking a home security company for your home or your business. Most will find that the benefits to one, the other, or both are often clearly defined when searching through the materials. What may take a little more work to reason out is the benefit of one company over another in general. Study carefully the information, brochures, and estimates of several different companies, particularly those that are unique to your home and/or business, before deciding which company you are willing to stake the future health and well being of either your family or your business. Prices may differ and are sometimes an indication in the level of service and what you get for your monthly monitoring fees. Other times however the prices aren’t really a true indicator of the value as some companies in certain areas simply have lower operating costs than major franchise security and monitoring services for homes and businesses around the world. Features are going to be the place to look for the real indicators of services and the small print that lists details such as terms of service, length of contract, potential increases in fees, and the exact services that are included for the normal monitoring fees and the services that will cost additional amounts of money (such as calls to the authorities or physical monitoring that results from alarms on behalf of the company). Remember that not all monitoring services will offer physical inspections of the property in the event of an alarm so this is definitely something to keep in mind when choosing your service. You should also compare additional services that are offered such as monitoring for health, fire, carbon monoxide, and other similar emergencies. Some companies monitor for these things as part of the monthly fees and others charge extra for this type of monitoring service. This is something you need to know before deciding to buy-especially if you plan to use these services or similar services. It could be that even with additional fees the company you are considering is still the best bargain in town either way you need to know before making a commitment and signing a contract. You should also check and see if the company you are considering has won any national awards for customer service, quick response, and basic good business practices. These awards say a lot about the integrity of a company. If the company you are considering has won many awards over the years, there is yet another measure of comfort and security you have when choosing them over other security monitoring firms that are competing for your business. Peace of mind is just another layer of security for many home and business owners who are faced with tough decisions regarding the safety of their businesses, employees, and families on a daily basis. When trying to decide which company is best to use for your security and monitoring needs, the decision often comes down to a personal decision of how confident you feel in the company’s ability to protect your family or business. If you aren’t comfortable with the representative of a company for any reason, there is no shame in going where you feel more comfortable. After all you are placing the safety of your family and/or business in the hands of the professionals with which you are dealing. This is one decision in life for which you will want to feel confident and at ease.

Business Process Outsourcing Source: Flickr Business process outsourcing used to be exclusively implemented by manufacturing firms but today, even service-oriented firms have been benefiting from them. Business process outsourcing or BPO refers to activities or functions that are contracted to a third party to reduce costs, improve productivity and efficiency, and achieve greater innovation. Types of Business Process Outsourcing Various functions of a business can be outsourced. What they are will depend on your company’s strengths and weaknesses and its projected benefits. Customer Relations Management This is arguably the activity that’s most commonly outsourced by both manufacturing and service-oriented firms. Indeed, a huge majority of the BPO industry is composed of call centers specifically tasked to handle customer relation needs of client firms. Equipment Rather than invest in equipment that they will only occasionally use, companies prefer to outsource their need for expensive equipment by renting them instead. Whereas outsourcing agreements are commonly long-term for customer relation activities, outsourcing equipment needs are commonly done on a per-project basis. Finance and Accounting In dynamic and highly competitive industries, companies need to focus more on product development and whatever aspect of their business that serves as their core competency. Because of this, the company has lesser time to concentrate on administrative functions like finance and accounting. Most companies choose to outsource finance and accounting functions to continue devoting most of their attention in improving organizational strengths. Human Resources One of the best examples of outsourcing human resources activities is the Bank of America. For quite some time now, the well-known banking company has relied on Exult, a BPO human resource vendor, for all its HR needs. HR management is not something that just about any manager can handle as it deals directly with people and all related issues. Recruitment, compensation, and performance evaluation are just some of the many key activities in HR that have direct impact on an organization’s ability to achieve its goals. Logistics Logistics refer to the management process of all materials and goods used and produced by the business. Typical functions making up a company’s logistics include but aren’t limited to product allocation, scheduling, and forecasting, inventory control, and order entry. A small fashion designing business may choose to focus on designing products and then outsourcing its entire logistics needs to a BPO vendor that’s well-versed and more experienced in handling such activities. Supply Chain Management Also known as SCM, this process involves the planning, implementation, and control of supply chain functions. Logistics is a part of supply chain management. Common problems in SCM include distribution network configuration, inventory management, integration of information, distribution strategizing, and cash flow management. For companies to enjoy success in outsourcing their SCM functions, they must be prepared to involve their partners in local and central activities to a certain extent. Security Finally, most companies nowadays choose to completely outsource their security needs, regardless of their preference for automated or human-managed security. Security is a highly specialized field. An advertisement firm would hardly know, for instance, what the best security measures are in cases of break-ins. By outsourcing security needs to the appropriate BPO vendors, companies are rest assured that their assets are under strict protection of professionals. No longer having to worry about security concerns, companies may then concentrate more on other and pressing activities. Business process outsourcing is not exclusive to big businesses and corporations. Your small business can benefit from BPO, too, if you know the right activities to outsource.

Time to Take Home Security Seriously Source: Flickr The latest crime statistics are, to put it mildly, quite disturbing. Crime in United States accounts for more death, injuries and loss of property then all Natural Disasters combined. According to FBI statistics a burglary occurs in the United States every 15 seconds. On top of this the victims and their relatives often experience financial problems, and time is often lost from work to handle the legal, insurance and personal problems associated with being a victim. Home intrusions continue to rise. In the 80’s when crack cocaine hit the streets crime rose an average of 26 percent in most major cities. Now, a major contributor to home intrusions is the drug Methamphetamine. Burglary and thefts from auto’s are the most prevalent neighborhood crimes. Often, breaking into an auto gives the thief a bonus, access to the remote control allowing the house’s garage door to be opened. Household burglary is rampant because it is one of the easiest crimes to commit, half the time with no forced entry required. Most home intrusions occur during daylight hours while homeowners are away. The burglar will in many cases watch your home for a few days to see when you are out. While home burglary is one of the easiest crimes to commit, it is also one of the easiest to prevent. Neighborhood Watch is a good starting point, and is a proven crime-reduction program. Most police departments are very supportive of these programs and will provide information and materials on how to set up a program. Members watch out for their neighbors and report suspicious activities to the police department. A term used often in these groups is “hardening the target”. Hardening the target means steps you can take to cause a thief to bypass your house and move on to an easier target. Some of these items include using quality deadbolt locks, installing impact resistant glass on certain windows so someone cannot break the glass and reach in and unlock the door, installing solid exterior doors, installing motion sensing outdoor lighting, and others tailored to your particular situation. Most of the security items mentioned are relatively inexpensive ways to “harden your target”. Also, many high tech devices once considered cost prohibitive are now affordable. For example, a wireless video surveillance system can be purchase for around $50.00. Just mount the small camera in the area to be viewed and view the image on a channel on your home TV set. Elaborate systems, however, can still be costly. Consider installing a home security system. This is taking “hardening the target” to the highest level. Homes without security systems are 3 times more likely to be broken into than homes with security systems. 90 percent of police believe alarms deter burglary attempts. A full article could be devoted to this one subject, but lets look at the main points. You will hear the terms hardwired or wireless used when describing home alarm systems. If you are renting your accommodation, a wireless system is the best choice because you can take the system with you when you move. If you own your home, either type system can be used. Most security professionals tend to favor hardwire, but the negative side is the higher cost due to the installation time involved. Wireless, by the nature of the name, is installed in hours compared to days with hardwired systems. A negative side is having to worry with batteries. Ultimately either system detects an intrusion and sounds an alarm. The alarm can be a local siren or bell, or a silent alarm to a security monitoring company, or both. The security representative surveying your home can make recommendations for your best protection based on your living patterns. If you are just living as usual, you are putting your family, and your property at unnecessary risk. Home intrusions have increased to the point where every homeowner must become more aware of the dangers, and learn about the latest security products available to protect ones home, family, and valuables. Make sure your home is safe and secure.

Tips On Preventing Auto Theft Source: Flickr With a vehicle stolen every 25 seconds in the U.S., motorists will feel a lot more secure by heeding these tips on preventing theft: • The number-one step to reduce theft is to always remove your keys from the ignition and lock your vehicle, no matter where you are. • Consider the use of anti-theft devices such as steering wheel locks and a wheel immobilizer. One new wheel immobilizer, called The Wheel Club, has been introduced by the makers of the well-known The Club. It is bright red in color, making it highly visible to a would-be thief. It was designed specifically with trailers in mind, is made of steel and takes seconds to install. With trailers being the way motorists move their valuables around-such as boats and objects they depend on for a livelihood like lawnmowers and construction tools-anti-theft devices are an affordable way to secure everything from trailers to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and tractors. With crime and theft increasing in many areas, motorists should take responsibility for securing their own vehicles with affordable products that work. Other steps in preventing theft are: • Do not park your vehicle in an isolated area where there are few passersby. • Remove valuables from the vehicle and place them out of view in the trunk. • Keep your vehicle keys separate from your house keys. • Park with your front wheels turned sharply. This will make your vehicle difficult to tow away. • When returning to your vehicle, always have your keys ready and always look under and around your vehicle before approaching it.