Teknologi Berkembang Terus

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As the meeting comes to a close, your boss smirks with an self assured arrogance. He then says that you should seriously consider his offer, because he has it on good authority, that there may be a very localized downsizing in your department. Wouldn’t it be nice to smirk back and just say “no thanks”.

This scenario plays out more often then most people realize. With all of the recent business and government scandals there were a lot of people who knew that books were being cooked, laws being broken and the health of the public being put at risk, just to keep profits high and investors content. Many people felt that there was nothing they could do against powerful executives and corrupt bureaucrats. The credibility of a low level employee compared to that of a ‘successful’ corporate executive is a huge hurdle to overcome. Also, corporate lawyers are there to defend the company, even from internal hazards. So, once a person decides to speak up, they must be prepared to have their credibility brutally attacked and the onslaught of legal preceding from an all-star team of corporate lawyers.

Just the thought of legal proceedings can stop a person from making the ethical choice. It’s easy for people to be vilified by their employer, at which point the credibility of the person speaking out is destroyed. How is possible for a single person to fight a company or government with infinite resources? Many years ago, it was practically impossible. However, the “digital revolution” may have changed the balance of power. For a “whistleblower” to be effective they need proof of wrong doing and a method to communicate those issues to the public. The availability of compact electronic devices such as digital audio recorders and digital cameras allow an individual to document many of the issues and bring the power back to the whistleblower.

The first piece of technology that should be in every whistleblowers repertoire is a digital audio recorder. These devices are so small that they can be put in a shirt pocket without being noticed. Once you decide to “blow the whistle” you should start recording all of your conversations. Keep a log of the items discussed, so that you can refer to the appropriate recording when needed, otherwise you can spend hours going back over the content. The best part is that these devices are not expensive. A digital voice recorder costs about $100, or many times MP3 players have a microphone built into the device, so they can be used to record conversations.

Another device that is very handy is a voice modem with telephone recording software. This will allow you to, hook up your phone, and record any conversations that occur over the phone. If you get fired before you have all the evidence, sometimes telephone conversations, with the people in power, can help to document important facts, because people very rarely think they are being recorded and say things that they probably should not have.

Make sure you check your local laws regarding conversation recording. In most places it is legal to record with one-party consent. One-party consent means that if you are involved in the conversation, you do not need to notify the other parties that you are recording the conversation. In Canada, one-party consent is the law. In the United States it is a little more complicated, as some states have their own regulations. You can refer to this recording law chart (http://www.snakeoil.ca/docs/recordinglaw.html) to determine what laws affect you. If in doubt, speak with a lawyer.

The third device every whistleblower should have is a digital camera. Many times the violations are in manufacturing or packaging, which could be a public health concern. These can be very hard to document and prove, since the paper records may be manipulated. A picture says a thousand words though, and will help authorities uncover doctored documents. When taking pictures be very cautious as most companies prohibit camera’s on their premises. Many cell phones are now equipped with digital camera’s, so they are easier to conceal. Take as many pictures as you can and try to prove the date you took them. Some camera have a date stamp feature, even though this is easy to manipulate. The best option is to take a picture of the daily newspaper beside the offending subject. This is very hard for lawyers to argue against and disprove that the violations did occurred on that particular date.

The last piece of equipment needed is a computer. When the authorities begin investigating your complaint, you will need to produce your evidence such as documents pointing to the issues. Most corporations are moving towards a paperless environment, which means that these documents will only be accessible by a computer. The other important part your computer plays, is to backup all of those images and audio recordings. Make sure your computer has a CD writer or DVD writer. Take these backups and put them somewhere secure, like a bank deposit box.

One area of concern is the removal of corporate documents from the office. This can violate many legal agreements you may have signed. If you are worried about this, there is a very simple solution. Backup all of the evidence files at work and stash them somewhere in the office. In the ceiling or in duct work is a great place. Basically, anywhere nobody ever looks. When it is time to produce these documents, simply tell the authorities that you have stashed them in a safe place at the office. The evidence is kept safe and you haven’t violated any agreements, a win-win situation.

In the future, companies may begin banning digital devices from the workplace for the exact reasons being discussed here. However, if were are persistent, it may go the other way and corporate behaviour may change, which is the ultimate goal of being a whistleblower. The days of “plausible deniability” and “disgruntled employees” are disappearing quickly.

Multiple HDMI Connections
HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface and allows you to get the very best out of High Definition pictures and sound. Choosing three HDMI connections means that you can connect to SKY HD, and HDMI DVD player and a games console simultaneously. With this in mind you may choose to purchase an HDMI CEC. This is a Consumer Electronic Control that allows you to control all of your components through one TV remote control. It is preferable, when using this system to use same brand product, however, mixed brand products can still be controlled by a single remote on a basic level.

100HZ Technology.
100Hz is the perfect choice when viewing sports of fast action movies. When you consider that your average television displays at only 50Hz it’s easy to see why the picture can judder, especially when it is slowed down. With 100Hz and extra frame is added which is an average of the frame either side of it, these frames are then added back to the real time footages creating a clear, judder and blur free motion, essential when you are looking for perfection in fast moving TV.

Other Technology
With today’s Techno terms it can be very easy to become totally confused as to what else to buy when you are considering upgrading to a TV, Home Cinema system and DVD. Let’s look at a few examples, why for instance would you want to by a Component lead? Well, this lead will produce a better analogue picture from your DVD player than using a standard lead. Choosing a TV with DV input means you can add a digital devise such as a video camera and then record from that devise straight onto a DVD. S-video is a high quality analogue video connection cable and a scart lead is an Analogue connector that transfers pictures and sound to your TV.

Some other terms
Aspect ratio is the ratio of image width to image height. Auto tuning will automatically tune in aerial received channels. A digital Comb Filter will separate combined colour and black and white picture information resulting in a much sharper picture. Progressive scan is where all horizontal lines of the frame are shown in one go, this method delivers a superior picture from a DVD or video player. Especially useful for a household of different televisual tastes is the Picture in Picture system which allows programmes from different inputs to be viewed simultaneously, one on the full screen and one in a smaller window, so now you can watch the match and your favourite soap at the same time!

 A few final terms.
Dolby digital 5.1 allows you to hear all five channels of sound via a home cinema system for a true surround sound effect. Fastext is an updated version of teletext that uses coloured keys on a remote as short cuts to the pages. Freeview is a free digital service of 41 channels that you can view via an integrated digital television or a separate set top box. And Finally HDTV is High Definition television broadcasting that provides exceptional picture quality and true surround sound.

We hope that this has helped you find your way around some of today’s technology. Now all you have to do is choose your system and sit back and enjoy the superior viewing now available to you at 1staudiovisuals very special prices. Enjoy!

If you’re a tech head like me then choosing the right bits if kit to take with you traveling is a very important decision. I like to be wired into the world and well entertained when I am sitting on a 12 hour train ride or some hotel room on a stopover – it makes the time pass much faster and I can actually get some stuff done. But what should you consider packing for your trek and how can you possibly fit it all in?

As with any type of packing for travel, selecting which pieces of technology to take with you should be determined by weight, size and utility. Less is more! That means taking the smallest and lightest of everything you need.

If you want some computing power on your travels, then a laptop would be the obvious choice. But do you need all the computing power that a laptop can give you or could you escape with just using a tablet or a PDA? When you are lugging around 6 pounds of laptop for miles and miles, the thought of a nice little 200 gram PDA become mighty attractive. If word processing the main reason for taking a computer then consider a PDA with a fold out keyboard. You will be thankful for the weight and space it saves. Alternatively some tablets are more powerful than many laptops and offer the same software options so that might be one other consideration.

Your camera is another consideration. Do you need the 35mm SLR with 4 spare lenses? Unless you are going somewhere that justifies the weight of that, then you might be better off with any of the myriad of small digital cameras available on the market. Many of the newer models are up around the 6 megapixel and above mark meaning the quality of shots is getting very good.

If you desperately need music, then consider any type of MP3 player that can double as a digital photo storage device. iPods are a good choice and nice and light and the fact that you can store any data such as digital photos on them means you can cut down on packing other storage devices.

One of the big things that you are really going to need for all of your gadgets is insurance. Aside from the fact that a person with a lot of gadgets has a lot more to lose when they get robbed, stuff also gets knocked around a lot when you travel. Make sure you get insurance that covers you for the cost of a new replacement of anything that is lost, damaged or stolen.

A few minor considerations at the time of purchase can save a traveler a lot of heartache with gadgets. If you can describe your gear as small, light, useful and insured then you should have a pleasant trip!