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Thanks to great science fiction storytellers like Asimov and Roddenberry, our modern world is now chock full of gadgets and gizmos that a century ago, we couldn’t possibly fathom. Who would have thought that the high-tech gadgets that we read about in comic books as a kid would become available for the average consumer within just a few years? Science fiction has not only provided us entertainment, but also the inspiration to create the high-tech world that we live in. Lasers, for example, which were often used as a weapon in sci-fi stories, have actually proven to be very useful in the medical field. Here are a few examples of how lasers are being used in modern medicine.

Low Level/Cold Lasers

Although the name is a bit misleading, cold lasers do not actually freeze tissue, much to the chagrin of Batman’s adversary, Mr. Freeze. They are so named for operating at a lower frequency, and therefore lower energy level than other lasers, generally around 632 nm. These types of low level lasers have been used for a variety of medical purposes, including hair restoration, burn healing, tinnitus, pain and inflammation relief, and body contouring. They have even been used in liposuction and breast augmentation procedures.
These lasers have been also used in the effort to hasten the healing process of wounds and stimulate the production of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), a source of energy within cells that is used in metabolism. ATP levels can alter cellular metabolism, as the increased levels of ATP energy can increase the rate of DNA synthesis. This is particularly helpful with tissue regeneration, which is why it is often used in the treatment of pain and inflammation. It was also shown in the 1980s that laser radiation altered the firing patterns of nerves, making it an application for pain therapy.

Carbon Dioxide Laser

Carbon Dioxide lasers are some of the most useful, as they are not only quite efficient, but they also provide the highest-power for a continuous wave laser out there. Although there are several other gas lasers, like Helium, Hydrogen and Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide can be used not only in industrial applications, but since water absorbs this frequency well, it makes sense to use it on tissue, which is mostly composed of water. It can be used for cutting and welding, but it is also used as a surgical laser and for skin resurfacing and dermabrasion.

Argon Laser

Another gas which is used in medical laser therapy is Argon, an inert noble gas which even more common than Carbon Dioxide. Argon lasers emit light at several wavelengths which can be found throughout the visible and ultraviolet spectrum. The various uses of Argon lasers range from the treatment of retinopathy to use in confocal microscopy and for lithography.

Neodymium-YAG Laser

Often abbreviated Nd:YAG, the Neodymium-YAG laser is used in ophthalmic, oncologic and cosmetic procdures. Nd:YAG lasers typically emit light at an infrared wavelength of 1064 nm. In ophthalmology, they can be used to correct posterior capsular opacification, a complication of cataract surgery, whereas the lower wavelength lasers (532 nm) can be used for pan-retinal photocoagulation for the treatment of retinopathy. Nd:YAG lasers have also been used in the removal process of some skin cancers, hair removal and vascular anomalies like spider and varicose veins. It is also used in soft tissue surgeries for dentistry in addition to being used for the manufacturing of metals and plastics.

About the Author

Amanda is a writer and blogger (and self-proclaimed geek) who lives in San Diego, CA. For more information about lasers in the medical field, check out www.erchonia.com.

I have been using EzineArticles.com for about 2 years, although I haven’t used it as much as I do now. I started publishing new articles recently (technology articles) and I received an e-mail saying that I was promoted to a Platinum member, which was awesome news. Well today I received a great complimentary package in the mail. The package included a note card with a message saying congratulations on reaching Expert Level (not sure why it didn’t say Platinum), a high quality over-sized coffee mug, a custom leather coaster, and some Door Country Gourmet Coffee (which was tasty!).

Thank you EzineArticles!

This article has been republished from 3arn.net, with the permission of Abdul Rehman Agha, it’s owner. 3arn.Net is a blog where you can learn how to earn money online. Consider dropping by the blog and subscribing to it.

In my previous article about the virus attack or shall I say the torrent attack, I got multiple requests regarding what should be considered to find the best torrents and not being attacked by a virus. I have been through this and ever since I developed a few set of rules for every torrent that I downloaded and I did find the best torrents to download ever since, here are those 5 rules:

1. The most important thing is to check the date when the torrent was added, make sure that the torrent is at least 5 days old, because if it is a virus it may takes up to 3 days for it to be discovered as a virus and cleaned from the system.
2. Read the comments, and do not fall for it if there are as less as 3 comments. Usually if it is a virus, the person who made it can add 3 comments from different accounts just to make people believe in it. People usually tell in comments about the torrent, for example they’ll tell you if it is a virus.
3. The ratio between seeders and leechers is a very important aspect. Make sure that the ratio of seeders to leechers is somewhere around 5 : 4 or something similar to that. In case 1 if there are a lot more seeders than leechers then you can consider yourself to be wasting time to set it to downloading as you would not get any downloading speed, in Case 2 if there are five time more seeders than the leechers, then there is something fishy as hackers know how to easily fake the seeders count, if you’re not very good in mathematical ratios then check the Seeder Leecher Ratio Calculator and enter either the seeder or leecher of a torrent and it will tell you the suitable amount of the other one.
4. Use a good torrent site and always search for the same torrent in all of them as it will help you find the best one, I recommend the torrent sites listed below as they are the most reliable ones, although the first is  the most recommended but the rest torrent search engines are not that bad either:
   1. btjunkie
   2. Pirate Bay
   3. Mini Nova
5. Download torrents from famous users. Anonymous users usually put torrents of malicious softwares, for example if you want to download latest English movies you should search for the movies by aXXo or KLAXXON. It is best not to download torrents from guest and anonymous users.

I follow these 5 steps and have found the right torrents ever since, and this not only finds the right torrent but also protects you from virus torrents, and trust me you don’t want to be attacked by one!

There are plenty of ways to make sure that your computer is running at its peak performance. Having software that improves the way your computer operates, can have a big impact on the speed of your operating system. For Windows users, Glary Utilities is a great and free tool that will help to keep your computer running at its best.

Glary Utilities works for Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, and is 100% free. It is rated as one of the top most downloaded System Utilities on Downloads.com.

This great and simple to use application includes utilities to improve your system’s performance and to protect your privacy. The interface is very simple and user friendly, with only requiring a couple of clicks to run scans. These scans will check files on your computer, unclutter them, free up disk space, fix broken shortcuts, and more.

The registry cleaner that comes with Glary Utilities is a great tool for anyone who is looking to improve their computer performance and wanting to fix registry problems. It allows you to scan, remove, and backup registry entries. You can also use “Track Eraser” which allows you to remove all of your online and Windows traces, although it only supports Internet Explorer. The Track Eraser is a great way to keep your privacy secure.

Glary Utilities includes a lot of other useful tools such as Registry Defrag, Uninstall Manager, Startup Manager, Memory Optimizer, File Shredder, File Encrypter, File Splitter & Joiner, Process Manager, and many more!

If you are interested in this freeware and would like to improve your computer’s performance, please visit http://www.glaryutilities.com/

Starting your own computer repair business at home can be a great way to earn some extra income or if you are unemployed, to just earn income. These days with businesses shutting down and others not hiring people, it is very hard to find a job and earn a decent living. The good thing is, if you are knowledgeable in computer repair, networking, or building custom computers, then you could turn your knowledge into cash. Well that sounds good, but you may not know where to even start with creating an at home computer repair business. It is actually pretty easy to do, but requires a lot of time, hard work, and a little bit of money to get started. I will go through the basics that will teach you how to get started and what you will need.

Creating a name and logo

First of all, you can choose to use just your name if you do not want to create a catchy business name. The only thing is that when advertising, you will not seem like a business and it may not look as professional. Sometimes business names appeal more to customers. If you decide to create a name (example: Cool Cats Computer Repair), then you will need to register for a DBA (doing business as). Registering a DBA for your business name makes it so that you legally have that exact name in your area and so that someone else cannot take the name. It is also helpful for when you want to open a business savings/checking account and want to use your registered name. This way when a customer wants to pay you, they can write their check payable to your business name. A DBA is very cheap and doesn’t take long at all to get. I paid $15 for mine, filled out a 1 page form, and it was done the first day. Easy and very well worth the $15. Plus “Cool Cats Computer Repair” sounds better than saying “John Smith”.

A logo isn’t required but is great to have for when you decide to make business cards. Something simple, clean, and creative to give your business name an image. Once it gets passed around enough, people will recognize your business just by the logo. You can either create your own logo or have someone do it for a small cost. There are a lot of logo design websites online that work very well, but if you can do it yourself then I would recommend that. Free is always better.

Equipment and materials needed

When it comes to computer repair, there are a few essential tools that you will need. Not just tools for putting things together, but software tools and business forms. Here is a list of some of the things you should have.

• Forms – for legal purposes, organizing, providing receipts, and keeping track of your customers. Forms such as maintenance logs, receipts, contracts, etc. will be needed so that you can keep track of your work and provide a copy to the customer of what has been done. Contracts are a great way to stay legally safe when it comes to repairing or building computers. You do not want to be at fault for damages you didn’t even cause. You can choose to type up a variety of forms yourself, get ideas from others online and make your own, or purchase kits. I chose to purchase the Computer Business Kit from Technibble because it includes every form you need, saves you a TON of time, and is priced reasonably at $49.
• Tool kit – these are necessary for removing and adding hardware and other various parts within a computer. There is a wide variety of tool kits, and they all are about the same except for some include more tools. So depending on how in depth you are going to go with computer repair, the kits will vary. They all include a nice carrying case to make it portable. Computer Tool Kits start out at around $10 on Amazon. Great investment for any computer repair business.
• Business cards – you will need business cards to hand out to your customers and to use for advertising purposes. Be sure to include your business name, brief description, contact number, website, e-mail, and any other information you think would be useful for the customer. This is where your logo is needed. Make sure you add it to the business card. I prefer Vista Print for making business cards online because it saves you the time, paper, and ink. Plus the prices are reasonable and you will receive them in the mail quickly.
• Software – when showing up to a customer’s house, you cannot go unprepared because it will kill your business quickly. What I recommend is to create a CD that includes software tools used for fixing problems and other helpful files. Put these on a CD-R and NOT a DVD-R disc because you never know if the customer has an old computer without a DVD drive. Keep the files on the CD organized so that you can quickly find what you are looking for. I create different folders for the types of tools, such as Anti-Spyware, Anti-Virus, etc. Be sure that your tools are legal and are compatible with all Windows Operating Systems. Tools that will be useful are Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, System Utilities, Registry Cleaners, Drivers, Windows Service Packs, and any other helpful software. You can go to Downloads.com and browse through the categories to find freeware you want to use.
• Optional but handy tools – Laptop computer for storing all of your software, customer information, and forms. Although a laptop isn’t required, it is useful if you need to get on the internet to download drivers/software or if you need information/files off it. External drive/USB drive will be useful to transfer files between computers, or you can use these to store software and tools. Blank CDs/DVDs , just in case you need to burn some files and give them to a customer.

Advertising

Advertising is one of the most important steps when it comes to starting a computer repair business. You need to get customers but at the same time you need to save on spending, so these are the best and cheapest ways to advertise.

• Local newspaper – you can put an ad in your local newspaper and have it run for a few days or a few weeks. Prices vary depending on the newspaper, but some of them will work out a deal with you if you advertise for a long time period. I have seen ads start at $10 a day but go up to $30 per day. Call your local newspapers and get some price quotes. Keep your ad short, descriptive, and DON’T forget your phone number.
• Craigslist.org is a great free classifieds website that gets large amounts of visits per day. Place your ad in the Services/Computers section and explain what you are doing, the price rates, and how to be contacted.
• Local bulletin boards – place fliers or business cards at bulletin boards in your local towns/cities. These boards can usually be found at town halls, grocery stores, gas stations, post offices, laundry mats, and lots of other places.
• Hand out business cards – carry business cards in your wallet so that every time you meet a potential customer you can just pull one out and hand it to them. Leave a business card with your customer after the job is done, and tell them if they’ve found your services helpful to please recommend you to their friends/family.
• Word of mouth – the best way to get your name out there is to tell everyone you know. Tell your friends, family, facebook friends, and anyone else you know so that they will spread the word around for you. You will be surprised as to how many customers you can get just by word of mouth and not spending a single penny.

A few extra tips

The basics have pretty much been covered but there are a few more helpful tips that I would use if you are interested in starting a computer repair business.

• Know your competition and do some research on your local computer repair businesses if there are some already in your area. Check out their prices, services, return policies, and everything else. This will give you an idea as to what you should charge (keep it below the competition’s prices) and what you should offer your customers. Plus you may think of ways to improve your business just by looking at their website.
• Creating a website will give you a professional look, provide you with more customers, give you more advertising opportunities, and make it easier for customers to get information on your business and prices.
• If your area already has a lot of repair businesses, then it will be harder for you to generate customers. That doesn’t mean it is impossible and you shouldn’t at least try. Make your business stand out from the others by creating an attractive name, affordable prices, more services, and a better personal experience for your customers.
• Remember that it is about your customers and making them happy. If you treat your customers badly or simply just want money and do not give them a friendly experience, then you will lose those customers. Be yourself but professional so that the customer feels comfortable with having you work on their computer. Without happy customers, you will have a business going nowhere soon.
• Stay in control, organized, and treat this as if you were running a large business because some day it may turn into one.

I will be posting more guides and tips for starting/running your own computer repair business. If you have found this post helpful, please share it with others!

Lol I was bored today and decided to create a Facebook group in celebration of the new health care bill that was passed. I know it has nothing to do with technology and this blog, well besides it relating to Facebook but I thought I would share. I am trying to spread the word and get people to join the group. Just a fun thing to do, it isn’t serious thing about health care, so do not get offended and give a lecture.

If you would like to join the new Facebook group called “I’d Rather Buy Beer Instead Of Government Health Insurance”, please do and invite all your friends. Let’s get this thing spread around the internet! 

Today I checked my e-mail and was excited to see that I received an e-mail from EzineArticles. Here is what it said :

Hi Brian,

You have now earned our “PLATINUM” membership level. This is a status that
can not be bought and can only be earned by sending in quality articles.
Only a small fraction of our thousands of authors ever obtain this level.

Benefits of Platinum Membership:

* Unlimited article submissions accepted
* Priority Approval for new submissions
* Priority Approval for modified articles (if you edit them)
* Yellow Star next to your name within 24 hours

Pretty awesome if you ask me! Right now my profile on EzineArticles just shows expert but it will be updated soon.  I added the cool looking badge on the sidebar to the right so I can let the whole world know…..or just the people who visit my blog =P

Check it out!

This is the official updated Top 10 (source from Alexa.com)website list for the United States. I am very surprised that Twitter isn’t in the top 10 yet, but they are crawling fast at number 12. Out of all of these websites, the ones I do NOT visit are Live.com and MySpace.com.

Do you think that Facebook will ever take over #1 place to bump off Google? Which of the top 10 don’t you visit?

Since I have owned this website, I have never had an official logo until today. A logo is crucial to any site because it is the “face” of it all. A logo helps familiarize people with a certain website/brand, so that is what I wanted for TechSlip.

This new logo will not only be used on the website, but for TechSlip merchandise as well. Be sure to bookmark the website and check back frequently to see when I add the merchandise link. There you will be able to buy t-shirts, coffee cups/mugs, mousepads, clocks, hoodies, and much more!

I’d like to thank my good friend & awesome artist, Wesley Eggebrecht for creating this new logo. Check out his badass artwork and clothing line!

Today Facebook announced that is opening a support center in India to help better serve its U.S. and international customers.

Don Faul, Facebook’s director of global online operations said “As more and more people share and connect on Facebook, we are growing our operations and teams to support them around the world”.

“Seventy percent of the people using Facebook are outside the U.S. and are accessing the service from more than 70 languages,” said Faul.

India contributes more than 8 million members to Facebook.

This isn’t too hard to believe since all of the big companies use India for their tech support. The news has a lot of members on numerous websites angry because of the support they are used to from other businesses who use India for customer help. I myself hate calling help hotlines and never do unless I have no other options left. I can never understand what they are saying and it just adds more frustration towards my problem that is already happened.

What do you think of Facebook and tech support located in India?