The Colloid Base

The open source GNOME desktop environment long included Gnopernicus and now includes Orca. Web browsers, word processors, icons and windows and email programs are just some of the applications used successfully by screen reader users. Linux distributions for the blind include Oralux and Adriane Knoppix. However functionality remains limited compared to equivalent desktop applications, the major benefit is to increase the accessibility of said websites. Further, using a screen reader is, according to some users, considerably more difficult than using a GUI and many applications have specific problems resulting from the nature of the application. Only a small fraction of this population, when compared to the sighted community, have Internet access.

Experimental approaches in sensory substitution are beginning to provide access to arbitrary live views from a camera.

Screen reader choice is contentious: differing priorities and strong preferences are common. Recent versions of Microsoft Windows come with the rather basic Narrator. Comming month nonprofit worker Anthony Loeff is testing digital tools for people suffering from blindness A persons choice of screen reader is dictated by many factors, including platform and the role of organizations like charities, schools, and employers.

The movement towards greater web accessibility is opening a far wider number of websites to adaptive technology, making the web a more inviting place for visually impaired surfers. The rest have some vision, from light perception alone to relatively good acuity. The latter developed in part by Knopper who has a visual impairment. Access technology such as screen readers and Screen magnifiers enable the blind to use mainstream computer applications. The primary audience for such applications is those who have difficulty reading because of learning disabilities or language barriers. While Apple Mac OS X includes VoiceOver, a more feature-rich screen reader. Increasingly, screen readers are being bundled with operating system distributions. This interpretation is then represented to the user with text-to-speech, sound icons, or a braille output. There are also open source screen readers, such as the Linux Screen Reader for GNOME and NonVisual Desktop Access for Windows.

Approximately 16 percent of those deemed legally blind, by any measure, have no vision. The console-based Oralux Linux distribution ships with three screen-reading environments: Emacspeak, Yasr and Speakup. The Macintosh OS also comes with a built-in screen reader, called VoiceOver. Later versions of Microsoft Windows include an Accessibility Wizard and Magnifier for those with partial vision, and Microsoft Narrator, a simple screen reader. Most legally blind people 72 percent do not use computers.

Screen readers can be assumed to be able to access all display content that is not intrinsically inaccessible.

Screen readers are a form of assistive technology potentially useful to people who are blind, visually impaired, or learning disabled, often in combination with other AT such as screen magnifiers. A screen reader is a software application that attempts to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the screen.

As we see it, based on decade long ERP consulting practice, the decision is not an easy one. First of all - if you look at the USA ERP market - here Microsoft Great Plains / Dynamics GP has very strong positions among midsize public corporations. Plus it has very good opportunities to automate large corporate businesses.

However if you look at Microsoft Business Solutions strategy in Brazil, especially localization (localized ERP/MRP) - Microsoft doesn’t promote Great Plains in Brazil, instead it promotes its international favorite: Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Navision. In 2006 Axapta should be also available in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and all the Brazilian states (localized version). In this small article we will discuss the options for Brazilian plant for USA, Australia, New Zealand and UK corporation, committed to Microsoft Great Plains platform on the corporate level.

• Multilanguage/English/Portuguese in one company. Yes - SAP Business One localized version allows you to switch languages with the hit of the buttons

• Tax Code/Audit. SAP Business One has over 7,000 implementations Worldwide, including USA and Europe. SAP Business One is very recently designed system and it is really user friendly. SAP BO is localized for Brazilian market

• Transaction Consolidation to Corporate ERP. Well, again this is where tough decision making is happening. SAP Business One would be very nice solution, it has transaction integration feature to MySAP or high-end SAP

• Multicurrency. This is real concern for Latin American subsidiaries. They are business entities in their local countries and they have to report their P&L in their local currencies: Peso, Real, Cordoba, or whatever it is.

• Competitors. If you thing globally then your should check on Microsoft Navision, Axapta and Oracle E-Business Suite/Oracle Financials/Oracle Applications

• Conclusion. SAP Business One should be considered as a good option for non-SAP business and the transaction integration should be used as the highway to move transactions from SAP Business One front end to your US or Europe based ERP

Please give as a call So Paulo 55-11-3826-3449, USA 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew is Great Plains specialist in Alba Spectrum Technologies (http://www.albaspectrum.com) - Oracle, SAP, Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, Microsoft CRM Partner, serving clients in So Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Manaus, Lisboa, Coimbra, Porto, Cascais and having locations in multiple states and internationally

NOTE: Please take time to read on - it may be vital for your PC’s security. If you are not in the mood, just save it or print it out for later reference.

A recent research revealed that 80% of the computers today is infected with these dangerous spyware and most of the users not aware of it. (Your computer could fall into this lot too.) The most dangerous fact is, even though the anti-virus software is running, these software can even inactivate them and take over your PC.

Have you experienced any of the following?

• Awsome popups comes out of nowhere, when browsing the web

• Home page reset to some other site

How can this happen?

- The components installed when viewing certain sites, starts up and running as soon as it’s finished installing (or after the page is completely loaded) and with every windows startup since then. Their job is to collect information and report (or transfer) it to an external computer.

What is deceptive software? (Reference: www.microsoft.com)

Spyware and unauthorized adware are two examples of “deceptive” software. Deceptive software includes programs which take over your home page or search page without first getting your permission. There are a number of ways deceptive software can get on your system. A common trick is to covertly install the software during the installation of other software you want such as a music or video file sharing program.

Whenever you are installing something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of adware in a given software installation is documented, but it may appear at the end of a license agreement or privacy statement.

Sometimes deceptive software gets silently installed on your system without any warning at all. If you use Internet Explorer as your Web browser, this can happen if your Internet Explorer security setting is set to its lowest value. Make sure to keep this setting at the medium level or higher. Doing so will help you control what is being installed on your computer.

Have you ever had an experience where you were repeatedly asked to accept a download even after you said “no”? Creators of deceptive software often use such tricks to get you to load their software. If this happens to you, do not click “yes”. Instead, try to close the Web page that first asked you to accept the download by hitting the “X” in the corner of the window. Alternatively, quit Internet Explorer and restart it to begin browsing the Internet again. If you visit a Web page that continually displays these tricky pop-up windows, that Web site may not be worthy of your trust.

Your computer may be infected by now, but you may not know. Just have a checkup with a software specifically designed for it, to know the status of your computer. You must clean infections once you find it and the game is not over yet. The spyware might reinfect your PC. So it’s highly recommended that you run a firewall on your system after the clean up. This will allow you to monitor every single communication occurs with your computer and block the ones which you feel unnecessary. The firewall acts as a barrier between your PC and the external world (Internet / Network).

A good spyware detector recommended by most people is, http://noadware.cjb.net and it shows you all the infections and potential dangers in great detail. It’s free to scan but not to clean. It’s a good idea to have a scan even you have no idea of cleaning, since you know the status of your PC in great detail. This gives two advantages.

Firstly, if there are minor infections and if you have a fair knowledge on registry settings and how to edit them, you may have a try to clean them up. Secondly, if it shows that there are major infections, you can avoid using credit cards and doing other confidential stuff, until you clean it up later.

You must run a firewall. In many new operating systems (eg. Windows XP), there is a built-in firewall. Google search on how to activate it. Others may try one at http://www.download.com.

You may have a question by now. What is the purpose of these spyware? Even though we cannot give an explicit and clear cut answer, we can safely state that every thing boils down to the urge of more profits. How? The spyware collects all your personal information and transfer it to an external computer. The information is reviewed by a software in the receiving computer and then deleivered targeted popup ads to your PC. There are many things that spyware does in addition to this. The most dangerous of those is that collecting the credit card numbers.

If you have some technical knowledge on your PC, here’s a technical explanation on what trouble does the spyware cause.

1. An extra process is running to monitor and log your activities in your PC.

2. Constant transfer is taking place between your PC and the spyware writer’s computer.

The first process in it self is an unneeded process and it contributes to slow down your PC. Second is the most harmful. It transfers logged info to the external PC (spyware writer’s PC). Then the external PC transfers targeted popups to the infected PC. This, in addition to slowing down your PC because of these extra processes, it also slows down the internet connection, as the bandwidth is shared. In short, PC with a spyware is like a dumping ground for snakes. Once its there and up and running, it can do almost anything with your PC.

Please pass this on to all you know. The most risk is for people who use Internet Explorer, as it is the most popular web browser and that very fact has drawn more attention of many malicious software developers.

About The Author

Fazly Mohamed - fazlymohamed@yahoo.com

Invented over hundred years ago, employee time clocks are still essential for all businesses, as they are a great way to keep track of employee attendance. Time clock software systems are designed to run anything from a small office to huge conglomerate as an enterprise class application. Employee time clock software is comprised of computer based time clocks and time keeping solutions that offer routine tracking of employee sign-in/sign-out times, just like mechanical time clocks, electronic time card style systems and memory based clocks.

Instead of stamping a card, this system helps employees login to work by means of a computer terminal. Employees can also swipe a magnetic card through a reader on a computer. Rather than using a card, some companies use biometric input devices that enable employees to use their fingerprints or thumb imprints. A few companies with remote branches allow employees to use touch-tone telephones or the Internet to report their working hours.

Time clock software has several advantages. By accumulating employee data into a database, the software helps managers gain easy access to employee data and tools to audit the information for accuracy. At the end of the pay period, it automatically provides work details to the human resources department, reducing paperwork and eliminating errors. Its schedule management capability permits supervisors to set up and keep a timetable for each employee.

Time keeping software vendors and resellers provide packages for almost any size business. Simple employee clock software, including basic reporting and connections to payroll systems, can be purchased for under $500. The cost of a package for companies with hundreds or thousands of employees usually begins at several thousand dollars. But, these contain more features and more robust reporting and can be customized according to the business.

Employee Time Clocks provides detailed information on Employee Time Clocks, Employee Time Clock Software, Online Employee Time Clocks, Employee Computer Time Clocks and more. Employee Time Clocks is affiliated with Employee Scheduling.