Racism...in Australia

2007 and racism is still a topic of concern, interest, debate. Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if it was eliminated or is that really just a dream?
I just read something really funny today. The Shiv Sena has burnt an effigy of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to protest the attacks on Indian students in Australia!!

It is the same racist Shiv Sena, who attack non-Maharhastrians in Mumbai if they try to get a job in the city? Is it the same shiv sena who attacked on Biharis & UP people in Maharashtra because they were employed there. This is the racism going inside the country.

And if our own country itself has so many racism or otherwise national problems, why’ve all these celebrities and the politicians playing such a big farce about the Australian issue. The Indian students are studying in Australia on their own will and I guess everyone should see both sides of the story. I say, it’s only fair to look at your own country before blaming others.

It's 2007 and after wars, protests, deaths, sacrifices, blood shed, memorials.... we are still looking racism in the face and experiencing it everyday. How sad. How scary. How sad and scary it is that with all the past efforts to eliminate racism, it is still here. Were these past efforts done in vain? It's scary to think, what our children and our children's children and so forth will have to go through and experience, because of race....racism! What have or are the leaders of this "great country" doing to eliminate racism...nothing. It's obviously not a topic of concern. What if our current leaders were faced with racism everyday...hmmm, then I guesses it would be a topic of concern. Where are the leaders of today who have a passion to end racism like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, JFK, Jimmy Carter.....I don't know too many who will make the history books.

How far have we come to understanding and eliminating racism...not far? How sad. How scary. How unfortunate. How disappointing. How long a road we have to go.

One lesson my mother taught me, "Baby, you belong to the human race!" That's what I'll instill in my children. I wish every mother could let their child know that that they belong to the human race!

VPN Encryption – Are You Using the Right Encryption Key?

As now a days mobile & remote access are at the top of the business networks that has increased dramatically. Even the most basic virtual private network (VPN) technologies are so easy to access & affordable too that there is no any good reason for failing to utilize them. That said the real question for businesses is which type of VPN to implement: Standard IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) or secure-sockets layer (SSL)?

SSL is Best
Business started which has a limited budget and/or those that do not share highly sensitive data may opt for a standard VPN because of the cost factor, as this technology is free. As if we see, most operating system is built in VPN protocols, but you typically get what you get here. These protocols mainly rely on the username & the passwords, they have basically suffered from the lack of robust authentication & encryption components, and they easily become open doorways into corporate networks. Further, standard VPNs require the deployment of software & clients-an administrative headache at best.

SSL VPN uses the same encryption protocols as e-commerce sites & web enabled application. They are therefore more comfortable with the networks through which your remote user contacts. A more on SSL, is that it is very simple to install & leverages firewall posts already opened to secure traffic on internet, it provides the users to connect to a network securely via standard Web browser, without the need to need to install special software on the client side.

SSL VPNs will support your security policies that regulate access depending on the user, device or location. SSL will deny if your connection is less secure situation is detected, as it includes user logging on via an unsecured wireless LAN at local coffee shop. In a word, while SSL may cost more up front than standard VPN solutions, it pays for itself in reduced management costs and improved network security.

SSL Encryption for Data Protection
since most VPNs mainly operate over internet technologies, businesses must deal with the challenge to keep the data & transaction confidential & also protected. This is where SSL encryption comes into the picture- encryption scrambles the data & keeps it away from the unauthorized users. Each & every SSL Certificate consists of the public & private key- the public key is used to encrypt the information & private key is used to decrypt it. When any web browser points into a secured domain, an SSL handshake either authenticates the server & the client or the blocks unauthorized users.

Tips & Best practices for managing Encryption Keys
If a business loses an encryption keys or the key becomes corrupted, they may lose access to all of the systems & data housed on the network. As if we see the worst case scenario is that the whole system became unusable for you & it will be re-formatted & re-installed. Further, if a business neglects the security of keys, it could pay a big time, according to the Ponemon Institute. In a recent study, Ponemon reported that there has been an eight percent increase in the average total cost of encryption key breaches year over year, with a price tag of $197 per record don’t fall victim to poor key management. Keep these best practices top of mind:

Back it up: First of all most important is to make a back up of all encryption keys recovery process .Don’t ever store encryption and decryption keys in the same place & also keep in mind that never store it in any tapes that contain encrypted, archived data.

Be Protective of your Keys: Always give the access to only authorize users to access encryption/decryption keys, and what the work you will just send it by the e-mail. You must be ensuring about that your keys are only transferred or used from a secure system-be cautious at internet kiosks & other public facilities.

Avoid Compliance Headaches: Stay informed of corporate governance or the regulatory compliance measure such as the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley act (GLBA), and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) that mandate privacy & confidentiality of computer records. Keeping in mind the potential repercussions of negligent key management may be a motivator to get it right.

The Remote access market is very wide & enormous, even overwhelming also sometimes. According to IDC, 28% of all firms, or 2.4 millions companies, have some sort of branch office. As soon as the technology goes on SSL will be on great demand. Through SSL & effective key management, IT managers and end-users alike can share information securely and conveniently.

Lenovo ThinkPad X301

Recently the Lenovo has launched his new version of ThinkPad series refer as ThinkPad X301, its earlier versions were ThinkPad X300, a great notebook for the business minded. With many improvements from its already great predecessor, you can expect great things from the X301.

Sturdy Design

When the matter comes into the designing part, the Lenovo X301 has the same look that the previous versions had. If you like then it’s your choice. As if we see the user reviews some reviews says design is very simple & effective some of it says it’s dull. It is your opinion what you think. As there is on any argument’s on the ThinkPad mad machines as they posses a very strong characteristic that makes it different from other ThinkPad’s. The ThinkPad X301 weighs very light it’s about 3.5lbs with an 8x DVD burner & a 6- cell battery equipped. It’s finishing is really very decorative & has a matte black finish & exterior is squared. The dimensions of it are 12.5x9.1x0.9; it’s almost same as the ThinkPad X300the sides are little bit tapered. The beautifully constructed machine of Lenovo X301 has an internal roll cage design & a carbon & class fiber interior, that according to Lenovo it is not only stronger but also very lighter as compared to titanium.

The company also pays much attention towards the gripping part for that it provides the rubberized soft touch paint that provides a secure grip to keyboard & its outer shell that feels great. The X301 has all the regular connectors and ports with three USB 2.0, Ethernet, microphone and headphone jacks, Display Port, and a VGA connector. The memory slot is not included in it, it means that with the USB card reader or adapter you have to do your work.

Display & Speakers

As for as concern about the display it is best, as it employs the LED-black lit, 13.3” (1440x900 resolution) displays with having the matte finish that prevents most glare. It has a very high resolution that makes a difference while you are viewing the documents & web pages; it may be the default text may to small. The backlit, low-reflectivity LED keeps the display legible when outdoors. It provides the wide viewing angles & a variety of colors that makes available for watching DVDs and other content. The stereo speakers are built into it that lacked low –end punch, but due to their close proximity (located in the palm rest), the volume was clear & loud. It also has a 1.3 megapixel webcam that provide somewhat dark visuals when tested through video chat.

First-Class Ergonomics

In line with all the other ThinkPad models, the X301 features a magnificent design & the machine that definitely ranks with the top runners in the business. The design of the keyboard is really magnificent as there it provides space in between the individual keys. It also includes the touchpad & a pointing stick (between G and H) for mainly navigation. The size of the touch pad is not very large but it is sufficient to work. Its also includes the biometric fingerprint reader on the right of touchpad to provide a secure and maintain the privacy in the business, that also to keep away from the unauthorized individuals. At the top of the keyboard you will see the buttons for volume, mute, Think Vantage (for launching Lenovo system utilities), and of course there is power button.

Performance

The base configuration is equipped with 2GB of RAM and an Intel Core 2 Due (1.4GHz) U9400 Ultra Low Voltage processor. The ThinkPad X301 achieved a PCMark Vantage score of 3157, which is 400 points higher than most ultra portables. It’s a great score, but still falls about 60 points shy of the Sony VAIO VGN-Z530N’s and almost 500 points shy of the Lenovo ThinkPad X200.

The X301 didn’t fare so well on its entire graphics tests. On the 3DMark03 benchmark, the X301 (which is powered by an Intel GMA X4500MHD graphics card) netted an 1812, a score that’s 400 points higher than its competitors and its predecessor the X300. However, the 3DMark06 score was 200 points less than other machines in its category. F.E.A.R was also tested in auto-detect mode, and the game ran at a miniscule 14fps. When the settings were increased to maximum, it ran at only 6fps. W.O.W ran at 27.4fps, which is okay, but it is important to remember that this is not a gaming laptop, and should not be expected to out perform Alien ware, for example.

Lenovo’s X301’s boot up time is below expectation. With a 64GB SSD, it took about 1 minute and 37 seconds to boot Windows Vista, almost 30 seconds slower than the average ultraportable and 48 seconds slower than older X300. But it not disappoint too much as it has a fast transfer time copying 5GB folder in approximately in 2minutes and 40 seconds, which is somewhat miles head of 13.4 megabyte per second as compare to other competitors that they are using mechanical drives. If the 64GB SSD is not sufficient than you can upgrade with option of having 128GB SSD, which costs $400.

Wi-Fi and Battery Life

The 802.11a/g/n Wi-Fi moves data at an excellent speed of 20.8 MB/s at a distance of 15 feet from the access point, and 18.7 MB/s at 50 feet. These are nice improvements over the 16.7 MB/s and 16.1 MB/s averages presented by the X300, and made for a pleasant surfing experience. Although the default configuration does not include integrated mobile broadband, you can add a 3G connection from AT&T ($80) or Verizon Wireless ($150), which also features integrated GPS. The X301 will support WiMAX and Ultra-Wideband technologies when they become available.

When it comes to the long battery life, the X301 definitely falls short by quite a bit. It has six cell battery which lasted for an approximately 3 hours & half during the tests. On the same test, Sony’s VAIO VGN-Z530N lasted 5 hours. A little more should be expected out of ultraportable laptops when it comes to battery life (at least 4 hours).

Software, Security, and Warranty

As if anyone concerns about the security part on their notebooks will definitely appreciate theX301 ThinkPad because it provides the full disk encryption, centrally managed passwords, ability to disable the BIOS port, and remote lockdown. The machine is covered with an extendable 1 year warranty and 24/7 tech support. Included with the X301 is Lenovo Camera Center, a 60-day trial to Microsoft Office, Access Connections 5, Adobe Acrobat Reader, and Roxio Creator Business Edition.

At last after reviewing all the facts the X301 is a really very nice notebook, its previous version X300 is also great job done by Lenovo. With the new Centrino 2 platform and an ultra-fast 64GB SSD, the X301 comes at a price. If you are looking for a new notebook or to change, then the X301 it’s a good option it will not disappoint you. As one thing I want to say that you should keep a spare battery with you.

CPU	1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U9400 ULV
RAM Included	2GB
RAM Upgradable To	4GB
Hard Drive Size	64GB
Hard Drive Speed	90MB/s Read and 70MB/s Write
Hard Drive Type	SSD Drive
Optical Drive Type	DVD+RW
Optical Drive Speed	8X
Display Size (inches)	13.3
Native Resolution	1440×900
Graphics Card	Intel GMA X4500MHD
Video Memory	384MB
Wi-Fi	802.11a/g/n
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 2.0
Mobile Broadband	Optional Add-on 3G connection from AT&T ($80) or Verizon Wireless ($150)
Operating System	MS Windows Vista Business
Ports (excluding USB)	DisplayPort; Ethernet; Headphone; Microphone; VGA
USB Ports	3
Card Slot(s)	N/A
Warranty/Support	One-year parts and labor/24/7 toll-free phone
Size	12.5 x 9.1 x 0.9 inches
Weight	3.4 pounds