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The main Japanese influences on western interior design for most people are Zen and Feng Shui, so we will take a short look at them below.

Zen Interior Design

If you would like to convey some ideas of Zen into your home, the interior design will have to be minimalistic, peaceful and tranquil. Nature will be an important part of creating that impression.

Minimalism means simple, simple colours, nothing loud. Furniture and ornaments ought to be kept to a minimum too.

People associate Zen with Japan, but actually it is Chinese in origin. Zen is a form of Buddhism, so it is not really a style, but a life style, a state of being, a form of religion. Zen teaches meditation in order to gain enlightenment.

Therefore, in order to create aspects of what we call Zen into your interior design, you will have to take all unnecessary articles out of your room and paint with plain colours that will not distract your mind. This is more difficult to accomplish than you might imagine, but do your best to picture what a monk’s cubicle would be like to live in.

It is probably sensible to make over only one room in your house in what we call a Zen style, because most Westerners would find it hard to live without all their ’stuff’.

No knick-knacks, very little furniture and plain colours are the order of the day. So, it would be best to start by taking everything out of the room, because it is easier to put a few items back than to take a lot out. Then emulsion the walls white or off-white, maybe ’smoke white’ – a very pale shade of grey.

An inspiring photograph with a Zen proverb could go on a wall. Maybe something by Matsuo Basho such as: ‘Do not seek to walk in the footsteps of the wise men of old, seek what they sought’.

Feng Shui Interior Design

‘Feng Shui’ is normally translated into English as ‘Wind and Water’ and it is the art of arranging objects to achieve harmony. Once again, Feng Shui originated in China, not Japan.

The real Feng Shui devotee uses the art not only for interior design but also to select a house and a burial place. Students believe that Feng Shui has an effect on wellbeing, prosperity and personal relationships.

Early Chinese Feng Shui used astronomy to discover the equilibrium between man and the universe and Feng Shui measuring devices have been found in tombs going back to 278 BC

Modern Feng Shui seeks to locate places with good ‘Qi’ (pronounced ‘Chi’). These areas are deemed to be good for humans to live in, others should not be settled and left as nature intended.

Qi means ‘air’ and is used to describe the flow of energy, perhaps founded on solar energy. It is the balance between two entities and is the principal behind Feng Shui. The opposites in this equilibrium are the ‘Ying’ and the ‘Yang’.

Feng Shui was almost unheard of in the West until Richard Nixon went to China in 1972. Unfortunately, it has been re-invented in the West and now has been mixed up with magic and mysticism in the USA

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is at present concerned with researching wrought iron candelabra. If you would like to know more or check out great offers, please go to our website at Wrought Iron Light.

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New computer viruses are being generated, exposed and fought every day. These computer viruses are created often just to annoy us and to inflict chaos in our computer systems. Hereunder, I have described ten viruses recently cited as being the most prevalent and being potentially able to cause the most harm. However, new viruses are being developed daily, so this list is by no means complete. The only thing you can do is remain alert, keep your anti-virus software updated, and keep aware of the current computer virus threats.

Virus: Trojan.Lodear: A Trojan (from Trojan Horse) that attempts to download files from a remote source. It will inject a .dll file into the EXPLORER.EXE process causing system instability.

Virus: W32.Beagle.CO@mm: A mass-mailing worm that lowers security settings. It can delete security-related registry sub keys and may block access to security-related websites.

Virus: Backdoor.Zagaban: A Trojan that allows the infected computer to be operated as a covert proxy and which may degrade network performance.

Virus: W32/Netsky-P: A mass-mailing worm which propagates by emailing itself to addresses produced from files on the local drives.

Virus: W32/Mytob-GH: A mass-mailing worm and IRC backdoor Trojan for the Windows platform. Messages sent by this worm will have the subject chosen randomly from a list including titles such as: Notice of account limitation, Email Account Suspension, Security measures, Members Support, Important Notification.

Virus: W32/Mytob-EX: A mass-mailing worm and IRC backdoor Trojan similar in nature to W32-Mytob-GH. W32/Mytob- EX runs constantly in the background, providing a backdoor server which allows a remote intruder to gain admittance and control over your computer via IRC channels. This virus spreads by sending itself to email attachments harvested from your email address book.

Virus: W32/Mytob-AS, Mytob-BE, Mytob-C, and Mytob-ER: This family of worm variations possesses similar characteristics in terms of what they are able to do. They are mass-mailing worms with backdoor functionality that can be manipulated through the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network. Furthermore, they can propagate themselves via email and by various operating system weaknesses such as the LSASS (MS04-011).

Virus: Zafi-D: A mass-mailing worm and a peer-to-peer worm which copies itself to the Windows system folder with the filename Norton Update.exe. It can then create a number of files in the Windows system folder with filenames consisting of 8 random characters and a DLL extension. W32/Zafi-D replicates itself to folders with names containing words like ’share’, ‘upload’, or ‘music’ as ‘ICQ 2005a new!.exe’ or ‘winamp 5.7 new!.exe’. W32/Zafi-D will also display a fake error message box with the caption “CRC: 04F6Bh” and the text “Error in packed file!”.

Virus: W32/Netsky-D: A mass-mailing worm with IRC backdoor functionality which can also contaminate computers vulnerable to the LSASS (MS04-011) exploit.

Virus: W32/Zafi-B: A peer-to-peer (P2P) and email worm that will reproduce itself to the Windows system folder as a randomly named EXE file. This worm will test for the presence of an Internet connection by attempting to connect to google.com or microsoft.com. A bilingual, worm with an attached Hungarian political text message box which translates to ?We demand that the government accommodates the homeless, tightens up the penal code and VOTES FOR THE DEATH PENALTY to cut down the increasing crime. Jun. 2004, P?cs (SNAF Team)?

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with the network antivirus software. If you have an interest in such software, please go over to our website now at Computer Antivirus Software

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Automated Imaging Technology or AIT is now being used in some U.S. airports. These are also referred to as full-body scanners where passengers have to go through ahead of boarding. This new technology can be in addition to the customary pat-down where people have “body contact” with the airport security representative. A few contend that AIT will be “better” in comparison with the pat-down, but a privacy civil rights advocate group does not think so.

In Washington, this advocacy group approached the U.S. Court of Appeals judges. They informed the court that the use of full-body scanners is an “unreasonable search” as well as in violation of a passenger’s civil rights. This system is now being used at airports as a first line of security at security checkpoints.

As a passenger goes through the full-body scanner, his stripped figure is shown. This is why the group reacted disapprovingly as to the judiciousness of the machine’s use. It could be safely inferred that while passengers have been spared from body contact, a more invasive one was replaced. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) said that the practice is “in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution”. It further defies “laws protecting privacy and religious freedom”.

The government in defense of the use of this new technology responded that systems are in place to defend the privacy of travelers. It explained that passengers’ identity is never shown to the “viewers” who are by and large agents at airports. The government claims this makes the search acceptable as well as “minimally invasive”. However, the truth to this contention is still to be ascertained.

EPIC has also told the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to put off the use of such technology. TSA answered that, at present, almost 98 percent of travelers go through full-body scanning of their own choice. Only about 2 percent of passengers would select a pat-down instead. EPIC lawyer Marc Rotenberg said it could be possible that passengers do not know that they still have the pat-down as their alternative.

Even the judges themselves also articulated concern on the way TSA has been given the power to employ the technology. One is the effect of the body scanner on individual travelers. What if one day it would be too late to learn its damaging effects on passengers? Why was there no public consultation for inputs before it went into initial use? Would its use be compulsory at all times even if the level of security threat does not warrant?

There are a large number of threats when you travel. In addition to full body scanning, you also have to be careful when you use a public hot spot to connect to the Internet. Just like with body scanning, you have a choice. You can use an Anonymous Proxy to shield your online identity.

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Do you own a swimming pool or are you thinking of having one fitted? If so, then it is recommended that you have a pool alarm fitted as well. You could be wondering if you really need such an alarm, but all will be revealed in the remainder of this article. A pool alarm can be incorporated into your existing burglar alarm system, if it is flexible enough.

One of the reasons for installing a pool alarm is that it might be required by law, national or local. Numerous kids have been drowned skinny dipping in a neighbour’s pool when they are away on holiday.

Some local authorities insist on putting up fences, but they are largely ineffectual, so the move is towards pool alarms. This does not certainly have to be costly because most people who can afford a pool will have a home alarm system already.

If your local authority does not have requirements for alarms already, it might be worth checking out what legislation is in the pipeline. Most of the contemporary pool alarms are activated whilst there is a disturbance at water level, so they are good for deterring night-time aquatic intruders.

However, of course does not merely warn about interlopers, occasionally people fall into the pool because they are drunk. The alarm will allow you to rescue them. It will also warn of children falling into the pond, which is a continuous source of concern for parents with pools.

Because a lot of pool owners are no longer young and their children are grown up, they frequently ask themselves why they require to secure their pool. Well, one good reason, besides saving lives, is that it can reduce your insurance premium. To be blunt, it shows that you are doing your best and so reduces your legal responsibility.

Pool safety devices are easy to install, particularly if you already have a warning device, scanners and siren installed on your property. For most people who can afford a pool, the price of an alarm is off-set against the peace of mind that it will deliver is quite minimal.

When you go looking for a pool alarm, there are plenty of places for you to look, but the best place to go first of all is the supplier of your present home security system. This is because they will be the best people to be able to integrate the two systems so that you do not have two sets of sirens, two sets of detectors and two sets of everything else.

Once you have had a pool alarm fitted, you have one further moral obligation and that is to make sure that it works. This is simple. Set your alarm and jump into the water. Reset the alarm and walk up to your pool. In both circumstances, the pool alarm should have been set off.

You should check your alarm every month or two in conjunction with checking your existing home security system. This is a necessary precautionary step, because you cannot expect items to keep working for years without requiring some maintenance.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on various subjects, but is now involved with speedo swimming costumes. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Swimwear for Big Busts.

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Everybody worries about the security of their homes and families. The question is: how can you make your home secure without turning it into Fort Knox? The sad fact is that, if someone is resolute to get into your home, they can and will. Ten years ago, my home was ’secure’, but I was tricked into opening the door and I let my attackers in. No home security system can safeguard against situation like that.

Burglars look for homes that appear vulnerable. Most thieves are opportunistic. In other words, if they see an open door or window or if it is obvious that no one is at home and if there is no noticeable security, then it is worth them trying to get in. Open gates are also an invitation. So are valuable possessions displayed in windows.

It only takes minutes to steal something, you would be astonished. I let two armed robbers into my house and they timed 15 minutes to take everything of value in my house and then a car stopped outside to pick them up. It was night time and I was tied up. It could have been a taxi, which would not have aroused my neighbours’ suspicion.

It is important to show people (opportunistic thieves) that you have a home security system of some type. If you cannot afford a proper, working alarm system, get a dummy siren box with a flashing light. It is not as good as a real system, but it would take a brave or desolate burglar to find out, which means that you cannot tell anyone at all, in case it gets out.

A home security system is well-worth the money you will spend on it. The anxiety of being burgled or even held up, like I was, will make you wish that you were more security aware. But it does not stop when the burglars go away. Then the police come and I spent from midnight until 4AM at the police station. I had to go back at least a dozen times after that. My insurance company had dozens of queries and it took four months to get a payout.

I felt certain that the burglars knew me, and I felt threatened everywhere I went for months. I could not stop glaring into people’s eyes to see if I could recognize my intruders’ (they had masks on, but I saw one man’s eyes). My life has altered radically. I even moved out of my house the next day and never went back again.

As I said before, I had a good system in place, but I had turned it off as soon as I got home and opened the front door to my intruders. My suggestion is to get a wired or wireless home security system and, if you can afford it, get a monitored home security system with at least one surveillance camera, but preferably one on each external wall and one inside in the hall.

Get contact sensors for all external doors and vibration sensors for every windows. Put a personal panic button by all external doors and have garden lights that are switched on by motion or body heat outside. Keep your system activated and be very suspicious of who you open the door to.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with wired home security systems. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

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Today, more and more individuals are using their computers for everything from communication to online banking and investing to shopping. As we do these things on a more regular footing, we open ourselves to potential hackers, attackers and crackers.

While some may be hoping to phish your personal data and identity for resale, others intend to use your computer as a platform from which to attack other unknowing victims. Hereunder are a few easy, cost-effective measures you can take to make your computer more secure.

1. Always make backups of important information and store it in a secure location away from your computer.

2. Update and patch your operating system, web browser and software regularly. If you have a Windows operating system, start by going to windowsupdate.microsoft.com and running the update wizard. This program will help you find the latest patches for your Windows operating system. Also go to officeupdate.microsoft.com to locate possible patches for your Microsoft Office software.

3. Set up a firewall. Without a good firewall, viruses, worms, Trojans, malware and adware can all access your computer from the Internet with no trouble. Thought should be given to the benefits and differences between hardware and software based firewall programs.

4. Review your browser and email settings for maximum security. Why should you do this? Active-X and JavaScript are often used by hackers to plant malicious programs into your computer. While cookies are relatively harmless in terms of security concerns, they can still record your movements on the Internet to create a profile of you. As a minimum precaution, adjust your security setting for the ?Internet zone? to High, and your ?trusted sites zone? to Medium Low.

5. Install antivirus software and set for automatic updates so that you receive the most recent virus files.

6. Do not open unidentified email attachments. It is simply not sufficient that you may know the address from which it originates because many viruses can be spread from a familiar address.

7. Do not run programs from unidentified origins. Also, do not send these kinds of programs to friends and coworkers because they contain funny or amusing stories or jokes. They may contain a Trojan horse just waiting to infect a computer.

8. Disable hidden filename extensions. By default, the Windows operating system is set to ?hide file extensions for known file types?. Disable this option so that file extensions display in Windows. Some file extensions will, by default, continue to stay hidden, but you are more likely to see any strange file extensions that do not belong.

9. Turn off your computer and disconnect from the network when not using the computer. A hacker can not attack your computer if you are disconnected from the network or the computer is off.

10. Make a boot disk on a floppy disk or CD in case your computer is damaged or infected by a malicious program. Clearly, you have to take this precaution before you are subject to a hostile breach of your system security.

If you are looking for new custom PC cases, or any other type of computer case, just go over to our website now at Clear Computer Case for more information.

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There are many things that families and businesses do in order to safeguard their property. One technique that is often taken in the name of security is the adding of security bars to doors and windows. In spite of the inherent benefits of securing property, these bars often present risks of endangering the people inside.

One thing remains accurate, most burglars will keep moving rather than attempt entering into a home that has security bars on doors and windows. Home protection is the only security that these bars supply however for many, the risks involved in having these bars on windows is not worth the small measure of security that is provided. In other words, the good of these bars is really outweighed by the negatives.

A lot of people do not purchase new security bars but rather rely on the same bars that have covered the windows of the home or business for many years. Some of these are rusted and nearly impossible to remove. In emergency situations, every second counts and these bars can be the very things that trap people inside a burning or flooding building.

Security bars are no longer the cheap alternative to traditional alarm systems and monitoring services that they were touted to be in the past. In fact, more often than not the pose a greater risk than they are a benefit to business and homeowners. Many larger businesses offer free fitting of alarm systems and alarms as well as monthly monitoring services at reasonable rates. More significantly not only are these monitoring services available for breaks-in, but also for fire and smoke as well as panic button services.

Security bars may have had a time and place, but they have been replaced by something that is much more effectual at deterring criminals as well as something that offers a greater degree of protection for the most precious assets of any home or business – the people inside. The costs concerned in monthly monitoring seem great but most will find that the value this service provides if and when it is ever called upon is well worth every penny.

Options to burglar bars that are not terribly expensive include planting thorny bushes below windows and keeping them trimmed back just enough that they do not block a view of the windows. Most burglars do not want a difficult entry point and they certainly do not want to be wounded during the process by prickly plants. Lighting is another option that is essentially less expensive than it would be to install burglar bars. Intruders do not want to be seen. If the area surrounding your home and business is well lit, it will serve as a deterrent. Investigate options such as this before resorting to security bars.

To answer the question of whether or not security bars are worth the risks for home or business protection the answer would be a loud “No!”. There are other preventative measures that can be taken in order to deter intruders that pose far less risk to family members and employees. These options should be implemented rather than those that create further risks to those you are trying to look after.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

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People have always tried to protect themselves and their families, just like most animals do. In very early days, cavemen protected their caves by setting fires outside the entrance to deter interlopers and wild animals. Later on, man learned how to increase his security by training dogs to guard him and his family. Later still, houses and then doors were invented; bars and locks arrived soon after that.

However, until a few decades ago in the west, people lived in extended large families. A family might consist of six-to-ten children and the mother and the grandmother would often live there too. This made home security systems irrelevant from the early 18th Century to the 1930’s, which were quite peaceful times. After the Second World War, families were not so big and new families got their own house away from their parents.

Nowadays, both parents are likely to be working and the children are probably at school. This means that many houses are left unoccupied during the day, making them easy plunder for burglars. In fact, the number of household burglaries has increased by almost 10% in the last five years according to American government statistics. Furthermore, according to a survey, forty percent of home burglaries were carried out due to insecure locks and doors.

ANSI (American National Standard Institute) produced a standard for deadbolt locks for external doors which is very hard to beat. If you are worried about your external doors, you should seek these ANSI deadbolts out, but beware, there are many copies. However, regardless of the sort of lock, the quality of the door is just as crucial. Its thickness and composition can also be a disincentive. After all, why put an expensive deadbolt on a door made of cardboard?

There are about 14,000,000 home burglaries every year in the United States and many of them are avoidable. The first stage that you should attain in home security is strong doors and sturdy locks. Deadbolts on exit doors is a good idea.

Once you have completed that, get some exterior security lighting that reacts to either motion or body heat. The former sort are microwave and the latter passive infra red sensors. These sensors will also contain a daylight sensor so that they will only become active at night. The sensors will also save you money by activating the powerful halogen floodlights only when someone enters the range of the sensor’s beam.

Once you have done that, you should think about a home security alarm system. This should include contact sensors on all exterior doors and windows, vibration sensors on all widows to alarm you in case of breakage and PIR or microwave motion sensors in the corridors and hallways.

Then, if you want to go even further in your home security system, you can install surveillance cameras on each exposed wall of the house and maybe one in the interior too. You do not have to take all these precautionary measures at once, if you are short of cash, but they should be taken in that order.

Owen Jones, the writer of this writer, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

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These days people are becoming more anxious about their home security, mainly because of the increasing crime rate. Even homes that have an older security system should be checked to see whether their security system is out of date or acceptable.

It is not so much that an older system may stop working, but technology progresses very quickly and your sensors may not be the best variety or even the type that suit your home the best.

The type of security system that you should be using can change as the component members of your family changes. For example, if you have just had a baby, you could hook up a surveillance camera to the nursery or put a motion sensor pointing along side a toddler’s bed so that you know if he or she gets up out of bed.

There are many varieties of security systems, including wired, wireless, monitored and Internet. The Internet wireless system is or at least can be fully automated.

That means that you can operate it through the hand set or any online device like a laptop or desktop computer. This means that you can check up on your home from your place of work or when you are away on holiday.

If surveillance cameras are part of your home security system, then you will be able to see and check up on your home on your computer monitor from anywhere in the world. If you connect sensors to some table lamps around your house, you will even be able to switch lights on and off to make it look as if you are at home when you are in fact hundreds of miles away. Put the TV on such a sensor and you can even switch that on and off as well.

If you put a surveillance camera in your children’s bedrooms and the living room, you could check up on the baby sitter or your business cash register on your WAP enabled mobile phone or PDA. This kind of automated can be fitted by a competent DIYer, but is designed to be installed by professionals.

This type of automated system is very reassuring. Imagine being able to check up on your home, children or business by watching live video footage on any computer or Internet phone anywhere in the world!

An automated security system is not cheap, but is worth the peace of mind that it brings. You could get near complete automated home or business security by the end of next week. Pay for it over time, if you have too, but they are not as expensive as you may think

Owen Jones, the writer of this writer, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

Technorati Tags: alarm systems, business, consumer electronics, elderly care, family, happiness, home, home accessories, home business, interior design, other, retirement, security, Uncategorized

Most computer users in the United States have heard of the leading American antivirus vendors. Manufacturers such as Symantec, McAfee, Computer Associates, and Trend Micro. These companies have a market leading presence in the United States. Microsoft, too, has aspirations to become a key player in this enormous growth market.

In fact, Microsoft acquired intellectual property and technology rights from GeCad software in 2003, a company based in Bucharest, Romania. They also acquired Pelican Software, which had a behaviour based security product, as well as the Giant Company Software for spyware and Sybari Software, which managed virus, spam, and phishing filtering.

A great deal of discussion concentrated on whether Microsoft would end up in a dominant position in the antivirus market by merely bundling its newly acquired software technologies up with its Windows operating systems at no charge. This is a comparable technique that has been applied in other markets such as word processing and Internet browsers. In fact, this is exactly what did take place. Microsoft has come out with a free product called Microsoft Security Essentials.

It is too early for me to advise whether MS Security Essentials is a world-class antivirus product, but it is not free to everyone. Microsoft has been battling Windows piracy for a while now with its Windows Genuine Advantage devious download and sure enough, this new creation from Microsoft will only work on Windows systems and even then, only with operating systems that pass the Windows Genuine Advantage test. (Please click the link at the bottom the page to find out more).

There is nothing wrong with that per se, but it does mean that hardly anyone in the Third World will be able to make use of it, because a pirated operating system comes bundled with every computer that I have ever seen in Asia and probably elsewhere too. People save for years in order to afford a computer and the last thing they worry about when they plug it in is whether the operating system is genuine or not.

Of course there is a number of other antivirus manufacturers prominent in this market. There are many companies with great market presence in other countries that are starting to become more widely recognized. These vendors include GriSoft from the Czech Republic, Sophos from the United Kingdom, Panda Software from Spain, Kaspersky from Russia, SoftWin from Romania, F-Secure from Finland, Norman from Norway, Arcabit from Poland, VirusBuster from Hungary, Nod from Thailand and AhnLab from South Korea.

It is not yet apparent where the industry is heading and everyone in this market faces a swiftly changing scenario. The amount of effort required to find and deliver updates for new viruses is quite astonishing. Malware programs are becoming more and more complicated and the quantity of them is increasing.

Many companies may find themselves without the resources to equal the hard work of those truly bent on creating chaos. The antivirus companies are receiving hundreds of new examples of viruses a day! What is more, the new viruses are getting “cleverer” in that they propagate themselves quickly and they often hide themselves too. Some are even smart enough to move around in a system by renaming themselves in an effort to make it hard to remove them.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with researching the Microsoft antivirus software. If you have an interest in such software, please go over to our website now at Computer Antivirus Software

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