The various types of Signatures you come across & the attitude of a person are listed below:
# SINGLE UNDERLINE BELOW THE SIGN!!
These persons are very confident and are good personalities. They are a little bit selfish but believe in "Happiness of human life"
# TWO DOTS BELOW THE SIGN!!
These persons are considered to be Romantic, can easily change their fiancées as if they change their clothes. They prefer beauty in other persons & they themselves try to look beautiful. They easily attract others.
# SINGLE DOT BELOW THE SIGN!
These persons are more inclined towards classical arts, simple & are very cool. If you loose faith with them, then these persons will never look back at you. Hence its always better to be careful with these people.
# NO UNDERLINES OR DOTS BELOW THE SIGN!!
These persons enjoy their life in their own way, never pay attention to others views. These are considered to be good natured but are selfish too.
# RANDOM SIGN, NO SIMILARITY BETWEEN NAME & SIGN!!
These persons try to be very smart, hide each & every matter, never say anything in straight forward manner, never pay attention to the other person of what he is talking of.
# RANDOM SIGN, SIMILARITY BETWEEN NAME & SIGN!!
These persons are considered to be intelligent but never think. These people change their ideas & views as fast as the wind changes its direction of flow. They never think whether that particular thing is right or wrong.
You can win them just by flattering them.
# SIGN IN PRINTED LETTERS!!
These persons are very kind to us, have a good heart, selfless, are ready to sacrifice their life for the sake of their near & dear. But these seem to think a lot and may get angry very soon.
# WRITING COMPLETE NAME AS THEIR SIGN!!
These persons are very kind hearted, can adjust themselves to any environment & to the person they are talking. These persons are very firm on their views & posses a lot of will power.
From my Community friend on Orkut.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE
Let's say it's 6.15 pm and you're going home (alone of
course), after an unusually hard day on the job.
You're really tired, upset and frustrated.
Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your
chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up
into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the
hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't
know if you'll be able to make it that far. You have
been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the
course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself.
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE
Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart
attack, without help,the person whose heart is beating
improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only
about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.
However,these victims can help themselves by coughing
repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should
be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep
and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep
inside the chest.
A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two
seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until
the heart is felt to be beating normally again.
Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing
movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood
circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also
helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart
attack victims can get to a hospital. Tell as many
other people as possible about this. It could save
their lives!!
A cardiologist says If everyone who gets this mail & sends it to 10 people, you can bet that we'll save at least one life.
From my community friends on orkut
course), after an unusually hard day on the job.
You're really tired, upset and frustrated.
Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your
chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up
into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the
hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't
know if you'll be able to make it that far. You have
been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the
course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself.
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE
Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart
attack, without help,the person whose heart is beating
improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only
about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.
However,these victims can help themselves by coughing
repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should
be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep
and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep
inside the chest.
A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two
seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until
the heart is felt to be beating normally again.
Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing
movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood
circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also
helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart
attack victims can get to a hospital. Tell as many
other people as possible about this. It could save
their lives!!
A cardiologist says If everyone who gets this mail & sends it to 10 people, you can bet that we'll save at least one life.
From my community friends on orkut
7 stages of marriage
I was reading Reader's Digest and found this article on Marriage and love etc. and I read the 7 stages of marriage. It is really really interesting to read all about it!
Stage 1: Passion= The honeymoon phase, when romance and intense attraction lead to commitment.
Stage 2: Realization= Disappointment and conflict mark this unavoidable period. The Challenge? Laying the groundwork for a long future together.
Stage 3: Rebellion= Self Interest versus shared interests. Knowing the difference between a destructive desire to flee and a healthy need to be your true self is this stage's key test.
Stage 4: Cooperation= In time, marriage means managing money building careers, raising kids. Going from lover to partner to parent can get rocky.
Stage 5: Reunion= Once the kids are grown, then what? For Happy couples it's time to enjoy each other again. But the ideal can be hard to achieve. Passion's embers need stoking; expectations need re jiggering.
Stage 6: Explosion= Job loss, major health woes, a parent's illness or death--at midlife, such events can come in waves. Will your marriage be a source of solace or sorely tried by new roles, limitations and fears?
Stage 7: Completion= Marital bliss often soars after decades together because "knowing" each other now has a deeper meaning-and a bigger payoff.
From my community friends on orkut
Stage 1: Passion= The honeymoon phase, when romance and intense attraction lead to commitment.
Stage 2: Realization= Disappointment and conflict mark this unavoidable period. The Challenge? Laying the groundwork for a long future together.
Stage 3: Rebellion= Self Interest versus shared interests. Knowing the difference between a destructive desire to flee and a healthy need to be your true self is this stage's key test.
Stage 4: Cooperation= In time, marriage means managing money building careers, raising kids. Going from lover to partner to parent can get rocky.
Stage 5: Reunion= Once the kids are grown, then what? For Happy couples it's time to enjoy each other again. But the ideal can be hard to achieve. Passion's embers need stoking; expectations need re jiggering.
Stage 6: Explosion= Job loss, major health woes, a parent's illness or death--at midlife, such events can come in waves. Will your marriage be a source of solace or sorely tried by new roles, limitations and fears?
Stage 7: Completion= Marital bliss often soars after decades together because "knowing" each other now has a deeper meaning-and a bigger payoff.
From my community friends on orkut
True Love
This is what True Love is all about :
It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 a.m ., when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him look at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.
On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.
While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.
I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer' s Disease .
As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised, and asked him, " And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are? "
He smiled as he patted my hand and said, " She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is ." I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life."
True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.
It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 a.m ., when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him look at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.
On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.
While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.
I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer' s Disease .
As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised, and asked him, " And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are? "
He smiled as he patted my hand and said, " She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is ." I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life."
True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.
Finding Positive out of every negative
This is nice - finding positive out of every negative - which we don't always manage to do.
I am thankful...
1. For the husband who snores all night, because he is at home asleep
with me and not with someone else.
2. For my teenage daughter who is complaining about doing dishes,
because that means she is at home & not on the streets.
3. For the taxes that I pay because it means that I am employed.
4. For the mess to clean after a party because it means that I have
been surrounded by friends.
5. For the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have
enough to eat.
6. For my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the
sunshine.
7. For a floor that needs mopping, and windows that need cleaning
because it means I have a home.
8. For all the complaining I hear about the government because it
means that we have freedom of speech.
9. For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot
because it means I am capable ofwalking and that I have been blessed
with transportation.
10. For the noise I have to bear from my neighbours because it means
that I can hear.
11. For the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have
clothes to wear.
12. For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it
means I have been capable of working hard.
13. For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it
means that I am still alive.
I am thankful...
1. For the husband who snores all night, because he is at home asleep
with me and not with someone else.
2. For my teenage daughter who is complaining about doing dishes,
because that means she is at home & not on the streets.
3. For the taxes that I pay because it means that I am employed.
4. For the mess to clean after a party because it means that I have
been surrounded by friends.
5. For the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have
enough to eat.
6. For my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the
sunshine.
7. For a floor that needs mopping, and windows that need cleaning
because it means I have a home.
8. For all the complaining I hear about the government because it
means that we have freedom of speech.
9. For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot
because it means I am capable ofwalking and that I have been blessed
with transportation.
10. For the noise I have to bear from my neighbours because it means
that I can hear.
11. For the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have
clothes to wear.
12. For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it
means I have been capable of working hard.
13. For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it
means that I am still alive.
New Skin-Care Products with Natural Ingredients
Give your skin some health food with products containing mushrooms, grapefruit, and other garden ingredients
Pomegranate
The hundreds of ruby-colored seeds inside pomegranates were once thought to symbolize fertility, and given the fruit's proven powers as a strong antioxidant, it has given birth to a huge number of products, including designer juice and high-end skin-care creams.
The pomegranate's power comes from ellagic acid, a type of polyphenol, which is an antioxidant found in red wine and green tea. Antioxidants seek out and neutralize cell-damaging free radicals that come from the environment (pollution, UV rays) and from the body's natural aging process. Ellagic acid has been shown in some studies to neutralize free radicals more effectively than the other polyphenols found in green tea and red wine. It's also more stable in skin-care products than some other antioxidants, like vitamin C, which can lose potency when exposed to light and air.
Grapefruit
Until the 19th century, grapefruit was grown purely as an ornamental fruit. Rarely eaten, it was known only for its looks - an interesting harbinger of its modern-day promise to improve ours.
A 2005 study by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, in Chicago, showed that the scent of grapefruit on women made them seem an average of six years younger to men. Grapefruit's main use in skin care, however, is as a citric acid. Like any alpha hydroxy acid, citric acid loosens the bonds between skin cells, allowing dead ones to fall away, revealing smoother, more radiant skin.
Mushroom
No wonder the Super Mario Brothers got a jolt of evil-fighting power whenever they ate a mushroom. Mushrooms have long been used in Asian cultures as remedies for everything from low energy to cancer.
The extract of several Japanese mushrooms has been shown to reduce inflammation, which can affect collagen in the skin and contribute to changes associated with aging, such as the appearance of fine lines. Reducing that inflammation keeps skin cells vital and functioning and also suppresses irritation so that other active ingredients, like antioxidants, can do their jobs.
Shiitake mushrooms have multifaceted benefits for the skin. They contain antioxidants that block proteins known to cause cell breakdown; they provide chemical exfoliation; and they also contain kojic acid, which has a lightening effect on age spots and discoloration, making skin appear brighter over time.
Pumpkin
Despite its prevalence in favorite sweets, such as pies and muffins, pumpkin is quite acidic. And the enzymes in pumpkin act like salicylic acids, chemical exfoliants that encourage skin cells to turn over more rapidly.
Pumpkin is also a carotenoid, a derivative of vitamin A, which is indicated by its orange color, and that makes it an antioxidant in addition to having exfoliating properties.
Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc and have been used as a natural remedy for acne. Studies show that zinc has an effect similar to that of the common antibiotic tetracycline.
Bamboo
Bamboo is one hardy plant. Not only is it one of the fastest-growing plants on earth (some species grow more than three feet a day) but its strength and sustainability have also made it a favorite of architects looking for environmentally friendly building materials.
Although the Chinese have used bamboo for centuries (the hardened secretion from the stalks has been taken internally to treat asthma), its popularity is only now growing in the United States. Bamboo pulp is being woven into fabric that retains antibacterial qualities even after it is washed. And in skin care, finely milled bamboo powder is used as an exfoliant in cleansers and scrubs. The smooth bamboo particles are less harsh than the scraggly, uneven grains made from salt and nuts, making it safer and less irritating to sensitive skin.
Pomegranate
The hundreds of ruby-colored seeds inside pomegranates were once thought to symbolize fertility, and given the fruit's proven powers as a strong antioxidant, it has given birth to a huge number of products, including designer juice and high-end skin-care creams.
The pomegranate's power comes from ellagic acid, a type of polyphenol, which is an antioxidant found in red wine and green tea. Antioxidants seek out and neutralize cell-damaging free radicals that come from the environment (pollution, UV rays) and from the body's natural aging process. Ellagic acid has been shown in some studies to neutralize free radicals more effectively than the other polyphenols found in green tea and red wine. It's also more stable in skin-care products than some other antioxidants, like vitamin C, which can lose potency when exposed to light and air.
Grapefruit
Until the 19th century, grapefruit was grown purely as an ornamental fruit. Rarely eaten, it was known only for its looks - an interesting harbinger of its modern-day promise to improve ours.
A 2005 study by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, in Chicago, showed that the scent of grapefruit on women made them seem an average of six years younger to men. Grapefruit's main use in skin care, however, is as a citric acid. Like any alpha hydroxy acid, citric acid loosens the bonds between skin cells, allowing dead ones to fall away, revealing smoother, more radiant skin.
Mushroom
No wonder the Super Mario Brothers got a jolt of evil-fighting power whenever they ate a mushroom. Mushrooms have long been used in Asian cultures as remedies for everything from low energy to cancer.
The extract of several Japanese mushrooms has been shown to reduce inflammation, which can affect collagen in the skin and contribute to changes associated with aging, such as the appearance of fine lines. Reducing that inflammation keeps skin cells vital and functioning and also suppresses irritation so that other active ingredients, like antioxidants, can do their jobs.
Shiitake mushrooms have multifaceted benefits for the skin. They contain antioxidants that block proteins known to cause cell breakdown; they provide chemical exfoliation; and they also contain kojic acid, which has a lightening effect on age spots and discoloration, making skin appear brighter over time.
Pumpkin
Despite its prevalence in favorite sweets, such as pies and muffins, pumpkin is quite acidic. And the enzymes in pumpkin act like salicylic acids, chemical exfoliants that encourage skin cells to turn over more rapidly.
Pumpkin is also a carotenoid, a derivative of vitamin A, which is indicated by its orange color, and that makes it an antioxidant in addition to having exfoliating properties.
Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc and have been used as a natural remedy for acne. Studies show that zinc has an effect similar to that of the common antibiotic tetracycline.
Bamboo
Bamboo is one hardy plant. Not only is it one of the fastest-growing plants on earth (some species grow more than three feet a day) but its strength and sustainability have also made it a favorite of architects looking for environmentally friendly building materials.
Although the Chinese have used bamboo for centuries (the hardened secretion from the stalks has been taken internally to treat asthma), its popularity is only now growing in the United States. Bamboo pulp is being woven into fabric that retains antibacterial qualities even after it is washed. And in skin care, finely milled bamboo powder is used as an exfoliant in cleansers and scrubs. The smooth bamboo particles are less harsh than the scraggly, uneven grains made from salt and nuts, making it safer and less irritating to sensitive skin.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Build Your Own Laptop:Finishing Your Laptop Build
SOFTWARE TIME
The only thing your machine should be lacking at this point is some critical software. To add the Windows OS, power down the notebook, turn it back on, and press F2 to enter the BIOS setup screen. Select System Information to confirm your processor speed and memory amount. Then press Esc to return to the main menu, move to the Boot screen, and adjust the Boot Priority setting to put the DVD drive first in the boot order so that you can install the operating system. Place the Windows Vista Home Premium DVD in the drive, start your system, and follow the instructions to install the operating system.
Once Vista's installed, you're still not quite at the finish line: You also need to install the drivers for your notebook's components. Insert the C90s driver CD and install the appropriate drivers, starting with Intel Chipset Inf Update Program. (This enables your notebook's motherboard chipset.) Work your way down the driver list in order, then pop over to the Utilities tab and install Asus' Hotkey Utility, Turbo Gear overclocking program, and any other software you'd like to use.
Finally, open Control Panel, click System and Maintenance, and select "Check your computer's Windows Experience Index base score." Running this test will enable Vista's Aero Glass transparency on your desktop.
Congratulations. Your hot new gaming notebook is now ready to rock.
REVIEWING THE RESULTS
In the feature department, the C90s excels with its large, comfortable keyboard, a bright display with an adjustable Webcam, and a cutting-edge collection of ports that includes HDMI and external Serial ATA (eSATA). There's also the nifty Turbo Gear option, which lets you overclock the notebook's CPU up to 10 percent (in our case, up to 2.93GHz). The overclocking utility is much more stable than when we first tested the fully configured version of the C90s; we didn't have any of the blue-screen crashes we saw in our initial review.
As for performance, the notebook's Futuremark PCMark05 score of 5,823 and Cinebench 9.5 score of 893 are in line with pricier performance laptops we've seen. Gaming was a mixed bag, however. While the C90s turned in an excellent 49.2 frames per second (fps) on Company of Heroes at its native 1,680x1,050 resolution (with anti-aliasing on), F.E.A.R. performance was less impressive: We managed just 48fps at 1,024x768, and a poky 18fps at native resolution. These scores reflect the limitations of the notebook's 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600M card MXM graphics, which is certainly not as speedy as the high-end graphics cards you can find in retail machines. In fact, our card is currently the fastest MXM model available, and we wouldn't count on a more-powerful upgrade option coming out any time soon: Though MXM technology has been available for about three years now, it hasn't received much support from manufacturers. That said, these scores won't thrill die-hard gamers, like other notebooks in its price class, our system can certainly handle newer games played at moderate resolutions with the details set to high.
The C90s demands a few other compromises—namely, a protruding heat sink that adds extra heft, and a power-hungry desktop processor that runs hot and quickly drains battery life. These are issues you may not encounter with other barebones cases, especially those that use mobile CPUs.
WAS IT WORTH IT?
So is the effort spent building your own notebook worthwhile? If you have a bit more than an entry-level budget, you're not a hard-core gamer, and you're willing to spend as much time searching the Web as you would actually building your PC, the answer is yes. In terms of power-versus-price, there's no doubt our C90s trumped the retail competition. There aren't many sub-$1,400 notebooks out there that can clock in at 2.93GHz, and at press time, comparable systems with GeForce 8600M graphics were typically running about $250 to $300 more than our build—and those notebooks had slower processors, smaller hard drives, and less memory. Though the parts you can put in a barebones laptop are limited compared to those you can find for a desktop, you essentially get as much variety as you would when configuring a pre-built system through a big-name or boutique vendor.
The biggest reward, of course, is being able to show off your new notebook and proclaim, "I built this myself."
The only thing your machine should be lacking at this point is some critical software. To add the Windows OS, power down the notebook, turn it back on, and press F2 to enter the BIOS setup screen. Select System Information to confirm your processor speed and memory amount. Then press Esc to return to the main menu, move to the Boot screen, and adjust the Boot Priority setting to put the DVD drive first in the boot order so that you can install the operating system. Place the Windows Vista Home Premium DVD in the drive, start your system, and follow the instructions to install the operating system.
Once Vista's installed, you're still not quite at the finish line: You also need to install the drivers for your notebook's components. Insert the C90s driver CD and install the appropriate drivers, starting with Intel Chipset Inf Update Program. (This enables your notebook's motherboard chipset.) Work your way down the driver list in order, then pop over to the Utilities tab and install Asus' Hotkey Utility, Turbo Gear overclocking program, and any other software you'd like to use.
Finally, open Control Panel, click System and Maintenance, and select "Check your computer's Windows Experience Index base score." Running this test will enable Vista's Aero Glass transparency on your desktop.
Congratulations. Your hot new gaming notebook is now ready to rock.
REVIEWING THE RESULTS
In the feature department, the C90s excels with its large, comfortable keyboard, a bright display with an adjustable Webcam, and a cutting-edge collection of ports that includes HDMI and external Serial ATA (eSATA). There's also the nifty Turbo Gear option, which lets you overclock the notebook's CPU up to 10 percent (in our case, up to 2.93GHz). The overclocking utility is much more stable than when we first tested the fully configured version of the C90s; we didn't have any of the blue-screen crashes we saw in our initial review.
As for performance, the notebook's Futuremark PCMark05 score of 5,823 and Cinebench 9.5 score of 893 are in line with pricier performance laptops we've seen. Gaming was a mixed bag, however. While the C90s turned in an excellent 49.2 frames per second (fps) on Company of Heroes at its native 1,680x1,050 resolution (with anti-aliasing on), F.E.A.R. performance was less impressive: We managed just 48fps at 1,024x768, and a poky 18fps at native resolution. These scores reflect the limitations of the notebook's 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600M card MXM graphics, which is certainly not as speedy as the high-end graphics cards you can find in retail machines. In fact, our card is currently the fastest MXM model available, and we wouldn't count on a more-powerful upgrade option coming out any time soon: Though MXM technology has been available for about three years now, it hasn't received much support from manufacturers. That said, these scores won't thrill die-hard gamers, like other notebooks in its price class, our system can certainly handle newer games played at moderate resolutions with the details set to high.
The C90s demands a few other compromises—namely, a protruding heat sink that adds extra heft, and a power-hungry desktop processor that runs hot and quickly drains battery life. These are issues you may not encounter with other barebones cases, especially those that use mobile CPUs.
WAS IT WORTH IT?
So is the effort spent building your own notebook worthwhile? If you have a bit more than an entry-level budget, you're not a hard-core gamer, and you're willing to spend as much time searching the Web as you would actually building your PC, the answer is yes. In terms of power-versus-price, there's no doubt our C90s trumped the retail competition. There aren't many sub-$1,400 notebooks out there that can clock in at 2.93GHz, and at press time, comparable systems with GeForce 8600M graphics were typically running about $250 to $300 more than our build—and those notebooks had slower processors, smaller hard drives, and less memory. Though the parts you can put in a barebones laptop are limited compared to those you can find for a desktop, you essentially get as much variety as you would when configuring a pre-built system through a big-name or boutique vendor.
The biggest reward, of course, is being able to show off your new notebook and proclaim, "I built this myself."
Build Your Own Laptop:Assembling Your Laptop Parts
You might think that the logical first step to building your new notebook would be to break out the instruction manual. Unfortunately, the only documentation included with the C90s describes how to use the notebook once it's up and running. There's no assembly manual, not even on the Asus Web site. That's not a problem in this case, as we'll walk you through the entire building process. But if you choose a different barebones model, you'll want to do some research beforehand to ensure that instructions are available either in the box or online. Otherwise, you'll be left to trial-and-error—and the potential nightmare of leftover parts when you think you've completed the assembly.
To open the C90s case, you'll need a very small Phillips screwdriver. Place the notebook upside-down on a clean, flat surface and locate the removable rear panel. (Asus calls it the ACE Door, for "Accessible, Convenient, Effortless.") With the notebook resting on its lid and the front toward you, the ACE Door makes up the right half of the notebook. Look for the four screws that have a small screw icon next to them. These are the only screws you need to remove to open the back panel. Be careful not to remove the fifth screw in the panel, which has a disc icon next to it—that one secures the DVD±RW drive in place. Once the screws are removed, place them in a plastic bag, as they're easily lost and you won't need them again until everything's put together. Carefully push the panel gently toward the back of the notebook, and then lift it when the tabs are free of the notebook's case.
With the ACE door off, you can take stock of the various sockets and slots you'll be filling. Be careful to keep fingers and objects clear of the motherboard, as the processor socket is unprotected, and if you bend one of those tiny little pins, your new laptop will be useless.
INSTALL THE PROCESSOR
To install the processor, lift the small arm next to the CPU socket, then raise the socket cover, taking extreme care not to touch the pins in the socket during the process. Now carefully remove any snap-on covers from your CPU chip and line it up in the socket so that the two notches in the chip match the corresponding notches in the socket itself. Carefully drop the chip straight down into the socket, minimizing any need to slide the chip into place. Once the chip is safely resting on the pins, close the socket cover and snap the locking arm back down into place.
There are two heat sinks included with the C90s: one for the processor and another for the video card. The processor heat sink is the larger of the two, with four screw holes and a small plastic cover protecting a block of thermal paste. Remove the plastic cover, being careful not to touch the thermal paste, and slide the cooling fins of the heat dissipater under the fan assembly at the rear of the notebook. Simultaneously line up the four screw holes on the heat sink with the corresponding holes surrounding the CPU socket. Find the baggies containing four black screws and use those to secure the heat sink.
WIRE THE WIRELESS
Now it's time to install our Intel 4965AGN wireless adapter. Plugging the card into the Mini-PCIe slot is a snap, but then you have to contend with connecting the wires. Looking at the Mini-PCIe wireless slot near the top right corner of the C90s, you'll see four wires held down with yellow tape. Three of the wires come from the top corner of the case; the fourth, a black wire, comes from the side. This fourth wire is an antenna for an optional internal TV tuner; we won't use that in this build. Remove the tape, grab the fourth wire, and use the yellow tape to hold it out of the way while you connect the antenna wires.
At the end of each of the remaining three wires, you'll see a small round connector. These connectors snap onto the corresponding numbered connectors at the edge of the Wi-Fi card. Connect the black wire to connector 1, the gray wire to connector 2, and the white wire to connector 3. (If the wireless card you're using has only two connectors, connect the black wire to connector 1 and the gray wire to connector 2.) Now slide the card into the slot, being careful not to dislodge the antenna wires. Secure the Wi-Fi card with two small silver screws.
POP IN THE VIDEO CARD
To install the MXM graphics card, first find the baggie with three larger silver screws and two small black screws. Hold the card at about a 30-degree angle as you insert its edge connector into the video-card slot near the center of the motherboard. Press the card in and downward, and then use the two small black screws to secure it in place. Our card had its heat sink/bracket already installed. If your card included a separate metal bracket, install it now using four spring-loaded screws.
Next, you should install the remaining, smaller heat sink by sliding the cooling fins under the fan assembly next to the fins on the CPU cooler, placing the heat sink over the video card. Use the three silver screws to secure the heat sink in place.
SET UP THE DRIVE
At this point, you should be down to your last storage baggie—it should have four screws in it. Use the two screws that don't have blue paint on the tips to secure the metal drive cage around your hard drive. The open end should be on the end of the drive with the SATA connectors.
The motherboard SATA connectors are along the front, right edge, under the lip of the laptop's shell. Drop the drive into place and then carefully use your thumb to push the drive into the SATA connectors. Now use the remaining two screws to secure the drive in place.
ADD MEMORY
The last internal components to install are the SO-DIMM memory boards. The two memory slots sit between the graphics card and the large silver finned heat sink, near the center of the motherboard. Take the 2GB board, hold it at about a 30-degree angle while you line up its connector with the lower memory slot (note that the slot is keyed so that you can't install the board upside down), and then snap it down into the slot. Repeat the process with the 1GB DIMM, installing it in the top slot.
FINAL ASSEMBLY
Now that all the hardware components are installed, find the four screws you removed from the ACE Door, slide the door back into place, and replace the screws. To prepare for power up, pop in the notebook's battery pack, connect the power brick, and plug it into a wall outlet. Finally, open the laptop's cover, cross your fingers on one hand, and use your other hand to press the power button.
If all went well, you should be greeted by an Asus logo, followed by a warning that you have no operating system installed. If this doesn't happen, check the power connections; if that's not the issue, you'll need to reopen the case and ensure that all the components you installed are securely in their slots and sockets, and that all of the screws are tight.
To open the C90s case, you'll need a very small Phillips screwdriver. Place the notebook upside-down on a clean, flat surface and locate the removable rear panel. (Asus calls it the ACE Door, for "Accessible, Convenient, Effortless.") With the notebook resting on its lid and the front toward you, the ACE Door makes up the right half of the notebook. Look for the four screws that have a small screw icon next to them. These are the only screws you need to remove to open the back panel. Be careful not to remove the fifth screw in the panel, which has a disc icon next to it—that one secures the DVD±RW drive in place. Once the screws are removed, place them in a plastic bag, as they're easily lost and you won't need them again until everything's put together. Carefully push the panel gently toward the back of the notebook, and then lift it when the tabs are free of the notebook's case.
With the ACE door off, you can take stock of the various sockets and slots you'll be filling. Be careful to keep fingers and objects clear of the motherboard, as the processor socket is unprotected, and if you bend one of those tiny little pins, your new laptop will be useless.
INSTALL THE PROCESSOR
To install the processor, lift the small arm next to the CPU socket, then raise the socket cover, taking extreme care not to touch the pins in the socket during the process. Now carefully remove any snap-on covers from your CPU chip and line it up in the socket so that the two notches in the chip match the corresponding notches in the socket itself. Carefully drop the chip straight down into the socket, minimizing any need to slide the chip into place. Once the chip is safely resting on the pins, close the socket cover and snap the locking arm back down into place.
There are two heat sinks included with the C90s: one for the processor and another for the video card. The processor heat sink is the larger of the two, with four screw holes and a small plastic cover protecting a block of thermal paste. Remove the plastic cover, being careful not to touch the thermal paste, and slide the cooling fins of the heat dissipater under the fan assembly at the rear of the notebook. Simultaneously line up the four screw holes on the heat sink with the corresponding holes surrounding the CPU socket. Find the baggies containing four black screws and use those to secure the heat sink.
WIRE THE WIRELESS
Now it's time to install our Intel 4965AGN wireless adapter. Plugging the card into the Mini-PCIe slot is a snap, but then you have to contend with connecting the wires. Looking at the Mini-PCIe wireless slot near the top right corner of the C90s, you'll see four wires held down with yellow tape. Three of the wires come from the top corner of the case; the fourth, a black wire, comes from the side. This fourth wire is an antenna for an optional internal TV tuner; we won't use that in this build. Remove the tape, grab the fourth wire, and use the yellow tape to hold it out of the way while you connect the antenna wires.
At the end of each of the remaining three wires, you'll see a small round connector. These connectors snap onto the corresponding numbered connectors at the edge of the Wi-Fi card. Connect the black wire to connector 1, the gray wire to connector 2, and the white wire to connector 3. (If the wireless card you're using has only two connectors, connect the black wire to connector 1 and the gray wire to connector 2.) Now slide the card into the slot, being careful not to dislodge the antenna wires. Secure the Wi-Fi card with two small silver screws.
POP IN THE VIDEO CARD
To install the MXM graphics card, first find the baggie with three larger silver screws and two small black screws. Hold the card at about a 30-degree angle as you insert its edge connector into the video-card slot near the center of the motherboard. Press the card in and downward, and then use the two small black screws to secure it in place. Our card had its heat sink/bracket already installed. If your card included a separate metal bracket, install it now using four spring-loaded screws.
Next, you should install the remaining, smaller heat sink by sliding the cooling fins under the fan assembly next to the fins on the CPU cooler, placing the heat sink over the video card. Use the three silver screws to secure the heat sink in place.
SET UP THE DRIVE
At this point, you should be down to your last storage baggie—it should have four screws in it. Use the two screws that don't have blue paint on the tips to secure the metal drive cage around your hard drive. The open end should be on the end of the drive with the SATA connectors.
The motherboard SATA connectors are along the front, right edge, under the lip of the laptop's shell. Drop the drive into place and then carefully use your thumb to push the drive into the SATA connectors. Now use the remaining two screws to secure the drive in place.
ADD MEMORY
The last internal components to install are the SO-DIMM memory boards. The two memory slots sit between the graphics card and the large silver finned heat sink, near the center of the motherboard. Take the 2GB board, hold it at about a 30-degree angle while you line up its connector with the lower memory slot (note that the slot is keyed so that you can't install the board upside down), and then snap it down into the slot. Repeat the process with the 1GB DIMM, installing it in the top slot.
FINAL ASSEMBLY
Now that all the hardware components are installed, find the four screws you removed from the ACE Door, slide the door back into place, and replace the screws. To prepare for power up, pop in the notebook's battery pack, connect the power brick, and plug it into a wall outlet. Finally, open the laptop's cover, cross your fingers on one hand, and use your other hand to press the power button.
If all went well, you should be greeted by an Asus logo, followed by a warning that you have no operating system installed. If this doesn't happen, check the power connections; if that's not the issue, you'll need to reopen the case and ensure that all the components you installed are securely in their slots and sockets, and that all of the screws are tight.
Build Your Own Laptop:PREPARE FOR THE BUILD
Before you start building your laptop, you'll want to take a full inventory of your parts and tools. For the C90s, you'll need at least your CPU, memory, hard drive, and graphics card. (We can't imagine building a notebook without wireless capabilities in today's world, so you'll also need a Mini-PCIe wireless card.) In the tool department, you'll want both large and mini Phillips-head screwdrivers (preferably magnetic ones, to avoid losing small screws), needle-nose pliers for grabbing small parts, and a few small baggies to store the tiny screws you remove so that you don't lose them while you have the notebook open.
Build Your Own Laptop:GATHER THE PARTS
Keep in mind that, unlike their desktop brethren, barebones laptops are not entirely "barebones." No matter which model you go with, it will likely come with a few built-in components that can't easily be swapped out—most notably, the motherboard and the optical drive. You still get a decent dose of DIY from the parts you can assemble yourself, however, including the CPU, memory, graphics card, hard drive, and wireless card. Most of these components are commonly sold as upgrades to pre-built laptops and are easy to find at competitive prices. Shopping at TigerDirect.com, we picked up 3GB of DDR2 667 SO-DIMM memory (the maximum amount the C90s accepts)—a $44.99 2GB stick and a $24.99 1GB stick. We also got a $199.99 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo E6700 CPU, a $159.99 160GB Seagate Momentus 7200.2 hard drive, and a $109.99 OEM version of Windows Vista Home Premium.
Rounding up the remaining parts, however, was not as easy: We found only a few online vendors who sold the Wi-Fi card and MXM graphics card we needed for our C90s build. For less-common components such as these, you should consult with the dealer that sells you the barebones laptop to make sure they're available. On that note, we turned to Asus for our 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600M graphics card, which the company sells separately for $90. After a lot of Web searching, we located a hard-to-find $32.50 Intel 4965AGM Mini-PCIe Wi-Fi card at Mwave.com.
Finally, before you hit the purchase button, be sure to carefully check that each component is compatible with the mother-board included in your barebones case. For instance, though the C90s' Intel 945G Express chipset sports the LGA775 CPU socket, it doesn't support newer quad-core processors. Also, note details like slot types: Standard video cards won't fit in an MXM slot, and the C90s uses a newer Mini-PCI Express (PCIe) slot for its Wi-Fi card, rather than a more-common Mini-PCI card. You'll need a 2.5-inch-wide, 9.5mm-thick Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive—older IDE drives won't work here.
All told, our C90s and its installable components cost around $1,352—not a bad figure for what would soon become a reasonably powerful gaming notebook.
Rounding up the remaining parts, however, was not as easy: We found only a few online vendors who sold the Wi-Fi card and MXM graphics card we needed for our C90s build. For less-common components such as these, you should consult with the dealer that sells you the barebones laptop to make sure they're available. On that note, we turned to Asus for our 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600M graphics card, which the company sells separately for $90. After a lot of Web searching, we located a hard-to-find $32.50 Intel 4965AGM Mini-PCIe Wi-Fi card at Mwave.com.
Finally, before you hit the purchase button, be sure to carefully check that each component is compatible with the mother-board included in your barebones case. For instance, though the C90s' Intel 945G Express chipset sports the LGA775 CPU socket, it doesn't support newer quad-core processors. Also, note details like slot types: Standard video cards won't fit in an MXM slot, and the C90s uses a newer Mini-PCI Express (PCIe) slot for its Wi-Fi card, rather than a more-common Mini-PCI card. You'll need a 2.5-inch-wide, 9.5mm-thick Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive—older IDE drives won't work here.
All told, our C90s and its installable components cost around $1,352—not a bad figure for what would soon become a reasonably powerful gaming notebook.
Build Your Own Laptop: Preparing Your Build
CHOOSE YOUR BAREBONES NOTEBOOK
Though you're unlikely to find barebones notebooks for sale at your local electronics store, a number of models are available through online retailers. A few manufacturers to look for include ASI, Asus, Compal, ECS, MSI, and Super Talent. (We even found an HP Compaq 6910p business notebook in a barebones configuration.) The main factors to consider when choosing a barebones model are processor technology, graphics card support, and screen size. Do you want to use a fast but hot-running desktop CPU, or are you willing to spring for a pricier mobile chip that trades speed for lower heat and better power savings? If you're a gamer, you'll want a notebook that either has a good GPU built-in or can accept an upgradable notebook graphics card. Finally, do you prefer a more-portable system with a small screen, or a heavier notebook with a roomy LCD?
For our build, we chose the $690 Asus C90s, as it's one of the few models that supports an inexpensive-but-speedy desktop Core 2 Duo processor, allowing us to emphasize both performance and low cost. The C90s also sports an nVidia Mobile PCI Express Module (MXM) slot, allowing us to install a decent gaming GPU. Its 15.4-inch LCD offers an ideal size and resolution for gaming and watching DVDs while keeping the notebook's weight at a somewhat-reasonable 6.8 pounds. Looks-wise, the solid-feeling case could pass for a mainstream model from Dell or another brand-name vendor.
Though you're unlikely to find barebones notebooks for sale at your local electronics store, a number of models are available through online retailers. A few manufacturers to look for include ASI, Asus, Compal, ECS, MSI, and Super Talent. (We even found an HP Compaq 6910p business notebook in a barebones configuration.) The main factors to consider when choosing a barebones model are processor technology, graphics card support, and screen size. Do you want to use a fast but hot-running desktop CPU, or are you willing to spring for a pricier mobile chip that trades speed for lower heat and better power savings? If you're a gamer, you'll want a notebook that either has a good GPU built-in or can accept an upgradable notebook graphics card. Finally, do you prefer a more-portable system with a small screen, or a heavier notebook with a roomy LCD?
For our build, we chose the $690 Asus C90s, as it's one of the few models that supports an inexpensive-but-speedy desktop Core 2 Duo processor, allowing us to emphasize both performance and low cost. The C90s also sports an nVidia Mobile PCI Express Module (MXM) slot, allowing us to install a decent gaming GPU. Its 15.4-inch LCD offers an ideal size and resolution for gaming and watching DVDs while keeping the notebook's weight at a somewhat-reasonable 6.8 pounds. Looks-wise, the solid-feeling case could pass for a mainstream model from Dell or another brand-name vendor.
Build Your Own Laptop
Why buy a retail notebook when you can build a faster, cheaper portable system from scratch?
Building a desktop PC is like dining at one of those huge buffet restaurants: You have dozens of choices for every dish, the variety ranging from hot dogs to filet mignon and everything else in between. Building a laptop reminds us more of a prix fixe menu: You can make a few decisions here and there, but you don't have much opportunity to customize your meal.
Indeed, building your own laptop is chock-full of challenges. Parts are harder to find, choices are fewer, and you need a steady hand to deal with small screws and the tight confines of a portable case. What's more, there's not nearly as much information available in books and on the Web about assembling portable systems from the case up.
Look past these limitations, however, and your DIY laptop dream can become a reality. With a thirst for challenge and a $1,400 budget, you can assemble a speedy, well-equipped mobile machine that performs better and costs less than many comparable pre-built systems. As for the difficulty in putting it all together, that's where we come in: We'll walk you through all the steps it takes to build a high-performance laptop from as close to scratch as you can get.
Building a desktop PC is like dining at one of those huge buffet restaurants: You have dozens of choices for every dish, the variety ranging from hot dogs to filet mignon and everything else in between. Building a laptop reminds us more of a prix fixe menu: You can make a few decisions here and there, but you don't have much opportunity to customize your meal.
Indeed, building your own laptop is chock-full of challenges. Parts are harder to find, choices are fewer, and you need a steady hand to deal with small screws and the tight confines of a portable case. What's more, there's not nearly as much information available in books and on the Web about assembling portable systems from the case up.
Look past these limitations, however, and your DIY laptop dream can become a reality. With a thirst for challenge and a $1,400 budget, you can assemble a speedy, well-equipped mobile machine that performs better and costs less than many comparable pre-built systems. As for the difficulty in putting it all together, that's where we come in: We'll walk you through all the steps it takes to build a high-performance laptop from as close to scratch as you can get.
Key to kill cancer early found, claim scientists
Scientists in Britain have found the mechanism cancer cells use to spread around the body -- a breakthrough they claim could stop the disease right in its tracks.
They have found that a protein called Ecadherin is essential to keeping cells stuck together and when its levels fall, other proteins move to the surface of the cells and they break away and spread, the Nature journal reported.
"Understanding how cancer cells spread is tremendously important for cancer research. It is the ability of tumours to invade other tissues and spread around the body that makes them so dangerous. The cancer just overwhelms the body.
"Potentially, our findings can be applied to the most common form of cancer, carcinoma, found in the breast, lung and gut for example, which makes up 80 to 90 per cent of all cancers," lead researcher Chris Ward said.
The researchers, who used embryonic stem cells to unlock the secret behind how cancer spreads around the body, now plan to create drugs that interfere with this process.
"These findings may enhance our ability to come up with more effective drugs."
They have found that a protein called Ecadherin is essential to keeping cells stuck together and when its levels fall, other proteins move to the surface of the cells and they break away and spread, the Nature journal reported.
"Understanding how cancer cells spread is tremendously important for cancer research. It is the ability of tumours to invade other tissues and spread around the body that makes them so dangerous. The cancer just overwhelms the body.
"Potentially, our findings can be applied to the most common form of cancer, carcinoma, found in the breast, lung and gut for example, which makes up 80 to 90 per cent of all cancers," lead researcher Chris Ward said.
The researchers, who used embryonic stem cells to unlock the secret behind how cancer spreads around the body, now plan to create drugs that interfere with this process.
"These findings may enhance our ability to come up with more effective drugs."
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