Product details 

Aluminum cooking pots offer a durable and exceptional non-stick experience, and notably, they come in various sizes to accommodate different types of food. They are lightweight and simple to care for, featuring an added layer of protection that minimizes reactivity and reduces the likelihood of scratching. Additionally, these pots are equipped with glass lids, allowing you to easily monitor your meals throughout the cooking process. This method is not only healthy but also eco-friendly, suitable for home cooking, and usable over an extended period. Furthermore, they provide even heat distribution and are energy-efficient, making it easy to manage heat levels to prevent the burning and sticking of food. You can enhance your cooking journey today by ordering this beautiful piece of crockery from Uluzon Limited and it will be delivered to your home or chosen pickup location.

Key Features:

• Non-stick Coating‎.
• Internally reinforced 2 coats technology.
• Elegance look.
• Durable specially designed bottom for better heat efficiency.
• 100% Non-Toxic Non-stick‎.‎ 
• Back lite handles for fire resistance‎.
• Easy to clean.

Product details 

The electronic home appliances sector is an area in which Ramtons operates as a manufacturing company. Their products are affordable, provide extraordinary solutions, and are durable. Ramtons strives to make everyday household and kitchen tasks easier and more enjoyable, transforming a house into a home with its appliances. Purchase the Ramtons 213L-2 Door Direct Cool Fridge at Uluzon Limited on the link and have it delivered to your location.

Key Features:

• 1 Star Rating
• 130 WATTS 
• CFC-Free Direct Cool 
• 213LT Double Door 
• Hard top Glass shelf

Product details 

When it comes to 3 seater sofa designs this 3 seater chesterfield sofa offers some of the most modern features. The seat is made of a high-end fabric, has a deep button tufting along the armrests and backrest that offers both comfort and charm. The solid frame and rolled arms combine to create the traditional chesterfield style while the plush upholstery makes it cozy.The three-seater blue Chesterfield sofa adds elegance and versatility in terms of comfort, style, and use, making it perfect for living rooms, offices, and lounges. Order now from ULUZON LIMITED and get the best price offer in Kenya.

Key Features: 

• Style: Classic Chesterfield with a modern edge Seating: 
• Comfortable 3-seater design Upholstery: 
• Premium fabric in a deep blue shade Detailing: 
• Signature button-tufted backrest and arms Comfort: 
• Soft cushioning and a durable frame for long-lasting support

The concept of mlm, (multi-level marketing) though not documented, is said to have originated in the early 1940’s from an American vitamin company – Nurtralite. The company back then had started realizing more profit from its distributors’ efforts of making sales by referring their associates and friends to the business and its products. With this progression, the management decided to award a slight bonus of 2 percent to distributors for sales made and for customers willing to join the company as sponsored distributors. Eventually, this system of marketing aligned into a structure and transformed into what modern day multilevel marketing is.

What is multi-level marketing?

 Many people have various definitions to the meaning , but with any definition there has to be the general concept of direct sale to people and building networks of distributors.

Typically, distributors working for mlm companies carry out the role of sales people, but unlike traditional ways, the recruitment of a new distributor and product sales is what is quantified as sales. Ironically, the sales people who are distributors are also buyers of the company’s products. Thus the company’s sales are comprised of enrolled distributors and products bought by its initial distributors. As a rule, the initial distributors have to buy and use the company products.

In multilevel marketing, a distributor is expected to build a network of new distributors so as to leverage on their active role to sell and recruit. Hence from purchases and recruitment, a distributor gets to earn commissions and rebates depending on size of distributor network as well as number of products sold. In this case, distributors who manage to form a ‘chain’ network become upstream distributors and get to earn commissions and rebates from recruited customers who are newly signing up. 

Should I try multilevel marketing?

Mlm companies are now reaching out to countries around the world in a bid to promote multilevel marketing. And truth be told, their pitches are very enticing. People learning about mlm for the first time get overwhelmed with excitement and get out of mlm introductory meetings with a buzz of questions. 

At the end of the day it all goes down to a personal decision. The pros and cons have to be evaluated, one has to pick out the good points and understand the pitfalls that may be a deterrent to good income.

Here are the good points and pitfalls that involve multi-level marketing:

The Advantages  

Training on sale distributorship, how to pitch, as well as managing and building relationships is all taught freely by companies. Training and product information resources such as books and multimedia content are also freely available thus making the activities of sale and recruitment easier to implement.

There is no barrier in joining the company as a new distributor. Meaning, there is no need to invest financially in the business since all that is required is to put in time and effort which can eventually translate to millions in earnings. This factor in the mlm scheme has made a very attractive and lucrative activity available for anyone to pursue.

Anybody can join as long as they are sane and not minors. All other factors such as qualifications or salesmanship experience are not required. In this respect, students, pensioners or disabled people who are dependants are able to make money and become financially independent.

The Disadvantages

Reliance on other network marketers to earn more income in terms of commissions and rebates. Giving it a numeric explanation, a distributor or sponsor distributor could be earning 10% profit off a sale of product. Lower down the chain he or she is supposed to earn 1% from members of the network. That means, he or she can only get an equal percentage of income if network members work ten times harder. Most members cannot keep up while some of them even resign from the business.

Most mlm companies encourage the concept of recruitment as opposed to sale of products. Eventually this translates to unfair advantage on the upstream distributor who gets paid for work done by members under him or her. 

How to pick a good MLM

If certain of your decision to sign up for network marketing, it is best to make sure that your choice of firm has the following factors in place:

1. It is a member of the Direct Selling Association and is bound to comply with its rules and regulations. 
2. It is aligned to your passion, interests and what you deeply care about.
3. And lastly, it is well established and not a start-up company. Most start-ups are prone to failure within the first five years, hence to be on the safe side, sign up with established companies. 

More and more business entities are now opting to store their data in the cloud because they have discovered it saves them the cost of buying and maintaining servers and databases.

Cloud computing is a service that charges only on the amount of computing resources that have been used. Hence you don't need to buy a server and database infrastructure that stores your data. Instead you just need to pay for the computing resources you require for a given period from a company that provides cloud computing services.

It is a convergence of three major trends:

1. Utility computing - where a server's capacity is accessed across a grid area at a variably price shared service
2. Software as a service - where applications are available on demand and on a subscription basis.
3. Virtualization - this is separation of applications reliant on the internet from infrastructure

How Cloud Computing evolved
The idea of cloud computing was systematically initiated in the US (United States of America) during the internet boom period. Eventually the internet became quite fast and affordable allowing for a myriad of opportunities especially in the IT industry. Some IT entrepreneurs discovered that companies could avoid buying infrastructure such as servers,software and database storage and save on money. Their realization drew them to a conclusion that an application run on a particular computer can operate away from a user's computer. The only standard requirement was fast internet connectivity.

Following this realization, Software as a service was born. It was then possible to meet data storage demands and infrastructure for companies that required and chose to use this service.Companies that resolved to start the Software as a service business could ran applications for other business entities on their large data centers. Their clients were just expected to subscribe to any of the companies and access the application from any web browser.

Pros and Cons of Software service
Companies that subscribed to Software services were at an advantage of not incurring costs of server and database maintenance.For a subscribed fee, they could access services and put in more time and effort on other core business.
Despite the advantage, the one size fits all approach of serving different sizes of companies was limiting to some companies - especially those that needed complex requirements.The factor of cost versus usage caused these companies to re-evaluate the service as it did not match up to the subscription fees.

Then came........

Virtualization   
It was a timely innovation and become an instant solution to the challenge facing third party vendors offering data storage services.The challenge they were facing was the ability to deploy applications to a different environment separate from their server infrastructure.
Virtualization allowed for this magic to happen. This translated to having large groups of networked servers easily shared by many applications. These applications were able to run virtually anywhere as long as they were virtualized.

Virtualizing an application meant that each application had to be packaged with every element that was required for it to run anywhere and not rely on a specific server. This included: a database,middle ware applications and an operating system. These three elements qualified an application to run anywhere in the virtual world. A virtualized application made exempt the need for a company's data center or third party vendor data centers.

The utility aspect of having an application run anywhere independently is what bore the idea of Cloud Computing.

Cloud Computing
 Cloud computing is a service that charges only the amount of computing resources that have been used. The "pay as you go" design is what separates cloud computing from its predecessor - the Software service.

The Software service like leasing a car with limitations of making any changes to it because you don't fully own it. You pay a certain amount of money monthly and get certain level of services on the car. Hence you get to lease the service and get benefits like updates. But you don't build or manage the application.

On the other hand cloud computing is like leasing a metered taxi and only pay for the distance you want without paying for maintenance costs. In our case companies or individuals who subscribe to the cloud( cloud computing services) only pay for the resources they use.These resources can be added or removed depending on what the company or individual wants. 


Free Articles

Optimization of your website's pages is more than just On Page SEO and Off Page SEO which entails content and keywords and an influence of links passing to your website respectively.There are other practices to consider in your efforts to achieve high ranking in Google's search results.Practices that bring about Influence and Engagement such as Social Media which is a broad and effective platform to share and promote your site.

Blogging

To maximize on Social Media's influence you can either choose plainly to have Social Media accounts on popular networks like Facebook and Twitter or include a blog on your site which will have Social Media buttons embedded on it that link to your various accounts.

Including a blog(s) in your company's main site has been tested and proven to work as a catalyst to improving your site's ranking position in Google's search page results.Its also one of the key implementations to your inbound marketing strategy.Companies that have active blog postings have had monthly reports indicating generation of 55% more traffic than companies with no blogs. B2C (Business to Consumer companies) that blog once or twice a week generate 88% more leads in a month than B2C companies that don't own blogs.

Here is why a blog is a perfect complement to your site:

1. A blog helps create a platform to have fresh content and more pages of content on your site.This is a great SEO technique since the more content written with targeted keywords in mind, consequently lead to more chances for your site to rank for various keywords, that users may search for in search engines.
2. It helps build your site's Authority as a knowledge leader in various topics related to your company's industry.
3. More traffic is generated and driven back to your company's site by the provision of high quality educative content on your blog that can be linked to a comprehensive description of a product or service found on your company's E-commerce site.
4. Its a great channel to dialogue and engage with your audience and customers especially in commentary with most blogs having a provision of commentary text areas where customers can contribute or give feedback on your content.This in turn consequently creates User Generated Content which Google now considers as a factor to gauge your site's Relevance.
5. Its a great way to get invaluable inbound links back to your main site by sharing the blog's content on social platforms using embedded fixed social buttons strategically placed below an article or in a fixed position on the margins of your blog.

If you are a local business you need to consider the best local SEO techniques and Social Media that can influence high ranking of your business' online presence in Google search results.To play it right with social media techniques,here is what local businesses should write in their optimization To do list:

#1. Subscribe to Local Friendly Sites

As a local business you need to identify and sign up to local friendly sites such as foursquare,Yelp and Google plus which offer an opportunity to create Specials for your business.Hence people checking in to see Specials using any one of the friendly sites mentioned above can find you among the list of businesses operating.

Specials are an effective way to display your business in these local friendly sites that also run on online apps available to mobile and PC platforms.

Opportunity knocks on your door to try and lure people to try your business products or services for the first time.Specials also give a chance for customers to review your products or services.Reviews are great social signal for search engines.



#2. Have your Bio Photo on Google's search results

Google and Bing are now considering social signals as an indicator of your site's relevance.Consequently, Google plus has become a popular social network to help in creating social signals for your content in Google and Bing search engines.Hence for any author or writer producing content for your blog, it is encouraged to have them sign up for the Google Authorship program which displays their profiles in Search Engine results with their Bio pictures.

This display has been known to make content look and feel more personal.In turn, no matter how you rank in the Search Results this display will invoke a higher click through rate than a result with no Bio Photo.

Rule of thumb: Quality not quantity of content now takes the throne as king.Creating quality content and sharing it will attract quality readers who will then comment and share it to their followers and friends.The emphasis of quality therefore comes into consideration by the fact that Search Engines now consider the reach and quality of people sharing your content as a factor to influence the ranking of your content as well.

To rank better on Google's Search Engine Results Page requires for a site owner to embrace optimisation practices with the base foundation being On Page SEO. This type of optimisation practice is one among a couple of other practices available and is an influence of Relevance and Authority - both of which rely on your site's page content.

Authority in the context of Search Engine Optimisation is the number of links passing to a specific page on your site from external domains using keywords that you have targeted for.Hence by placing your targeted keywords within strategic areas of your page to make sure users find you on Google's SERPs(Search Engine Results Page),  can help you achieve Authority.The greater the number of links passing to your pages the greater your site's authority.

Relevance on the other hand is using the right keywords that have been targeted by other sites and have sufficient search volumes where users are likely to search using these keyword phrases.The trick behind using highly targeted keywords is to mix them up with alternative keywords that are closely related to them - technically referred to as long tail keywords.Otherwise you may have to compete with powerful and more established sites that are using the same keyword phrases which will automatically be picked first in Google's SERP.

Techniques on how to improve your On Page Optimisation

#1. Optimise Title Tags

When writing titles in your article there are three simple rules that should be followed:

• Since your title is the first item a user will see when Google lists search results,carefully craft your title to have a limit of 70 characters. This will prevent it being from being shed off by Google which has a standard limit of 70 characters for titles.
• Place the most relevant keywords among those you are targeting at the beginning of the title.
• Craft a catchy and compelling title that will lure users to click.It should be a unique title that accurately describes the content on your page.This also helps to improve your click through rate.

#2. Optimise your photos

As a site owner it is good practice to optimize your photo's file names before uploading  them on your site by naming them using your targeted keywords.Give a description of the photo in its alt tag to optimise for browsers that may not display graphic images i.e photos.

#3. Keyword Meta Tags & Keyword Stuffing

On your page in the section between the head tags lie the keywords and description meta tags.Though it is good practice to place your targeted keywords in that section,Google no longer considers Keyword Meta Tags when ranking pages in its SERP. Hence it should not be a compulsory practice to place keywords in your Meta Tags.

Despite Meta Tags not being considered,Google sometimes uses a matching Meta Tag description in its SERP if it does not find relevant keywords that match a user's search in the page's body section,especially the lead text.

Above all when optimising content on your website's page do not engage in Keyword Stuffing.That is using the same keyword phrase repeatedly on a specific page.Stuffing keywords even when placing them in specific areas will make you a candidate for a Penguin Update penalty.

Ranking high in Google as a Local Business

Being a local business you may want to get found  easily by people looking for products or services online in your local geographical area.To achieve visibility you need to have a business address citation listed in other sites matching your business operations.The sites will have a display of your business with a citation containing your company's name,phone address,physical address and a brief description of your business operations written with targeted keywords in mind. For a comprehensive guide on how to get sites for local citations of you business check out Direction SEO.

To better rank locally it is also helpful to have your company reviewed on high quality review sites such as Google Plus Local.

PRO Tips for novice site owners

Below are some few tips to get the ball rolling and get your pages indexed a little bit faster by Google:

1. Add your site to Google directly(recommended for beginners) by adding the "Add/URL" after the foward slash in Google's URL. i.e www. Google.com/Add URL
2. To make sure that Google has indexed your site's pages,confirm by doing a search on Site:www.yourcompany's URL.com.This will list the exact number of pages that Google has indexed to your site.
3. To help you get found easily in your local geographical area - especially if you are a small niche business, you need to submit your site to local listings such as Google Places,Bing Local and Yahoo local.

 For those site owners grappling with drops in their organic search traffic (Google traffic) and are willing to follow the 'rules', there is a silver lining to this drastic change by Google of lowering their site's rank.
Being a novice site owner and not having prior experience in site maintenance can be a pain point in the aftermath of this change.Here are some priceless tips and guidelines that should ease your pain.

Panda Update

Launched in February 2011 by Google's Search Quality Team, Panda has gone through more than seventeen different changes.It was built to focus on a site's quality or uniqueness and accessibility of its content.
Panda's purpose is to identify and penalize sites that have duplicated content as well as those that have promotional material such as Adverts dominating their pages.By standard rule a site's content should achieve 60% uniqueness so duplicating of content should not be practiced.Your site's content should be more dominant on the page in comparison to adverts on the same page to achieve uniqueness of content.

If you realize that your site has been affected by a drop down in organic traffic - that is traffic visiting from Google searches,there are ways to accurately analyse if the Panda Update has occurred on your site:

#1 Understand the Panda Update evolution

Comprehensive literature about the Panda Update change cycle can be accessed from various resources online .One of the best and most recommended is the SEO Moz site which is a one in all utility source of Panda Update's history.The literature there will give you insight on different dates of Panda Update's change cycle and with a date in mind it is then possible to then check with Google Analytics for a comprehensive web metrics analysis of your site.

#2 Analyse with Google Analytics

With a Panda Update date in mind use Google Analytics to process metrics of your site.Make sure you specifically request for Google's organic search traffic and a reasonable time period.The time period should be long enough to look at the trends of your site and short enough to notice the drastic drop of Google's search traffic on your site. With the Panda Update date in mind combined with analysis from Google Analytics, it will be possible to identify which Panda Update may have affected your site.

Solution to a Panda Update effect on your site

If by evidence from Google Analytics your site has been affected by the Panda Update, you need to identify your pain points such as:

• Do your webpages have duplicated content that has also been duplicated in other websites online.
• Verify if some pages have a higher average bounce rate than other pages in the same domain.
• Does your site have inbound links passing to it from a site that is considered a content farm(a site that allows self-submitting content).

Resolution Practices

1. Rewrite or revise the content on the affected pages to make them achieve 60% uniqueness in terms of originality.
2. Utilize the Rel="canonical" tag to help Google identify original sources of information and filter out sources with duplicated content.This also helps Google "guide" you to sites that have high quality content and don't allow self-submitting content.

Penguin Update

The much 'anticipated' Penguin Update due to its ability to deal with over optimization of websites by unscrupulous online marketers,was released in April 24th 2012 by Google's Web Spam team.The team's focus was to specifically deal with practices such as: keyword stuffing,link spamming and repeated use of keywords in anchor texts on sites.

To fulfill your suspicion that your site may have been affected by Google's Panda Update,it is recommended just like in the case of the Panda Update,to understand the Penguin Update from resources such as the SEO Moz site.Hence by identifying the dates of the Penguin Update versions, use Google Analytics which will give a comprehensive analysis of trends of your site within a given period.

When using Google Analytics make a point to specify results from organic traffic as well as an analysis within a three month period to identify the date of your site's drop in organic traffic.

Solution to a Penguin Update effect on your site

In the course of identifying that Penguin has indeed occurred on your site,you need to start a recovery action by first identifying which among the point areas below are the cause of a Penguin Update effect.

• Overuse of keywords you are trying to optimize for on the pages affected.
• Anchor links passing to your site from one page to another within your domain or from external domains containing anchor texts that have 1 2 3 or 4 specific keyword phrases.
• Links passing to your site from a link network.
• Spikes in links caused by a site linking to your site  from every page in its domain i.e from the site's footer.

Resolution Practices 

If any of the above point areas are the cause of your Penguin Update penalty, implement on the following recovery actions according to the cause/point areas identified.

1. Revise your on page content and metadata to clean up keyword stuffing.
2. Revise your links by diversifying anchor texts passing to your website.
3. Pursue link extraction initiatives to remove links from networks.
4. Pursue link acquisition strategies that are normal and up to date as possible.

NOTE: Sometimes in extreme and rare circumstances a website can be so extensively affected that it is recommended to have an overhaul re brand of the domain. However this is only pursued after all other options have been exhausted.

The petition filed against the teacher's strike by two parents: Valleice Nimtula Wafula and Susan Wangari Muhoro in a case of the two parents versus Knut (Kenya National Union of Teachers) and Kuppet (Kenya Union of Post- Primary schools) was directed for a redraft of the petition thereafter to be served to both unions for the next hearing.

USAID international youth day

Kenya is documented to have a majority of its people under the youth bracket who are quick to swing to everything induced by the media. The youth have been oriented to have a mindset of instant pay through M-Pesa, instant communication through short message texting (sms) and social media texting not to mention the prevalence of ‘win a million and get rich instantly’ monthly draws.

An insight from a renowned BBC journalist from Kenya - Joseph Warungu about Kenya’s FM stations echoed a culture that is quickly getting out of hand. 

Elizabeth Njeri (right) and her grandmother (left) at the Mathare

Early Childhood Development Center on May 18,2012. Elizabeth

who was orphaned at childbirth is among the few lucky orphans who

benefited from the former Mathare Day Care Center now Mathare

Early Childhood Development Center

 It is an open secret that HIV and AIDS is one of the lead causes of the increase in the number of Orphaned and Vulnerable Children. In Kenya much has been done to fund existing child care centers and homes offering OVC services, but a gaping disconnect is still felt in low resource segments like slums dealing with the OVC problem. Most of the OVCs living in the slums find safe haven in these facilities which are met with a host of challenges -- from lack of space and facility to untrained personnel responsible for day to day operations.

Elizabeth Njeri, who was orphaned at child birth and is now a healthy ten year old girl, is a beneficiary of such centers. She was found by neighbors in a vulnerable and sickly state back in their Naivasha home where her mother used to live and work in the Naivasha flower plantations. Given her sickly condition Elizabeth had to be admitted at the Kenyatta National Referral Hospital where doctors advised that the hospital should take custody as she had lost her primary care giver and required urgent treatment.

The Beetle is famous for its longevity, the longest-running and most manufactured car with a single design platform. For those who have owned or kept a keen eye on the Volkswagen over the years, it is one car design that can be quickly picked out from a collection of cars in the city streets or on a highway. Known for its brilliant workmanship the Volkswagen Beetle has not failed to upscale its much needed effort to remain competitive among its peers. The much anticipated third generation design of the Beetle 2012 is already in the bid for launch and I must say it is a much more sophisticated coupe than its predecessor, the New Beetle, that debuted in the US markets in 1998.

The Three variants

The third generation Beetle comes with a wider (3.3 inches wider and 6 inches longer), lower clearance, with a flatter roof and more horse power than its predecessors. Variants - what the Volkswagen calls trim levels of the 2012 Volkswagen beetle are also much in the offing with the Base Beetle, Beetle 2.5 and the Beetle Turbo available for the customers’ preferences.

1.0 Base Beetle

The Base Beetle will sell for a starting price of $18,995 for its five-speed manual transmission. Being launched this year (2012) the base Beetle will come with 17-inch and 18-inch alloy wheels, power windows with one-touch up and down, cloth seats, cruise control, 50/50 folding rear seats, a computer monitor and an eight-speaker surround stereo system. A Beetle L version will also be on sales later in the summer season in Europe, with additional features such as: heated front seats, a second glove box, Bluetooth and a media interface for digital accessories for mobile devices like iPods and smart phones.

1.1 Beetle turbo

For power junkies, the Turbo version is the ideal choice and a good investment for a fun driving experience. For an extra $3,600 compared to the 2.5L, the turbo charged 2.0 liter four cylinder offers better acceleration, faster wheel response in steering and an overall wholesome sporty feel.

In theory, the 200-horse power turbo looks like an upgrade from the Beetle 2.5 L but its performance has to be coupled with a dual-clutch six speed automatic transmission to experience the distinct difference. This engine is however recommended for those who can compromise on loud sound engines because the Beetle Turbo can be very loud for a non-turbo enthusiast.

1.2 Beetle 2012 2.5 L

With style and sophistication comes compromise of higher prices. But with the Beetle 2012 2.5 L, style can be provided with much affordability. The 2.5 liter five – cylinder engine will launch in a starting price of $20,895 for its six speed automatic transmission version. Added features to the 2.5 L such as with Sunroof will go for $22.295 with the manual and $23,395 for the automatic. Like other variants of the Volkswagen, the 2012 Beetle also has the disadvantage of engine buzzing even with the modest of accelerations.

Old and Modern design cues

Volkswagen has managed to combine old and modern design cues in styling the 2012 Beetle. The front exterior represents an evolution of prior generations while the rear borrows slightly on the original Beetle with its flattened roofline and C-pillars that form an arc extending to the rear bumper.

The Volkswagen Beetle 2012 is marginally larger than its predecessor measuring 3.3 inches wider and 6 inches longer than the Beetle. This enhances more space, stability and a more ‘manly look’ (giving credit to a flatter roof, a straighter chopped windshield and less rounded body edges).My take on the 2012 Beetle, it is closer to becoming a unisex car model and will certainly lure more men into purchase, pushing the Volkswagen company higher in its bid to gain market share.

The Smart UPS 1500 is an uninterpretable power supply device built by the American company APC and hails in status among award – winning Smart-UPS models. Like any other UPS, it is used to protect data from networks or servers, by providing a regulated amount of power for a certain period of time during power outages. The smart UPS 1500 has earned it stripes by merit in its ability to be efficient even in fluctuating power load levels. It is ideal especially for the latest types of virtualized server systems which have the tendency of fluctuating power consumption load levels.

The smart UPS 1500 variants

The smart UPS 1500 comes in various designs: the rack design, the tower design and the convertible design which can convert to both tower and rack. These variant models also merit its ‘popular’ nature by having its design compatible to every application that requires UPS enabled services. For instance by customer review and usage, the rack design is suitable for virtue (density optimized servers) that are utilized in environments that require large power distributions.

Product upgrade enhancements

By product enhancement the APC Company has managed to give its loyal customers an upgrade from previous versions of the smart UPS (such as the smart 1000 and 700 UPS).The smart 1500 UPS comes with longer battery performance which allows almost half an hour back-up time threshold when it is half loaded and seven minutes back-up time when fully loaded.

In terms of improved monitoring and alert capabilities, the smart 1500 UPS has inbuilt software known as the Power Chute software where a user can connect through its serial or USB port to a local or remote internet access. The software has up to forty events that execute useful capabilities such as setting the internal buzz system to warn of a potential error or pop-up a dialog window for an email alert. Its most useful feature is the shutdown sequence. If a user for instance experiences a power dropout when using their PC, the smart 1500 shutdown sequence activates and after the battery attains its critical power level it gives priority to the Operating System safe log off before a complete system shutdown.

Upgrade enhancements done to the smart UPC 1500 also feature a fan system which is not found in older models like the 1000 smart UPS. The fan helps to emit heat when the system gets hot while its inbuilt thermostat helps to turn on the fan when required, thus offering a quiet atmosphere under normal temperature conditions.

The limitations

Apart from its heavier weight compared to previous models (largely due to its larger batteries) and its unpleasant noise from the fan, the smart 1500 UPS weaknesses merely overshadows its strengths. It is efficiently capable of providing service to units as small as retail outlets and homes to massive companies dealing with data and voice networks.For large networks,the Smart-UPS XL version is most suitable with an extension capability of increasing run time.By its configuration, this model can be fitted with external battery packs, which translates to more power input. The start up businesses and mid-size enterprises can benefit from the basic smart UPS that is economical and can protect small equipment and network gadgets.

A PC user may onetime need to recover data when the computer has ‘crashed’ or when it is required to trouble shoot a piece of hardware or software. This is where a boot disk comes in handy. It is that digital data storage medium designed for use by a computer to load and run an operating system or any other utility program.

The PC however must have a pre-installed program which will load and execute a program from the boot disk that is compatible with the PC’s BIOS (set of instructions that tell the computer where to look for a hardware or software such as a mouse or an operating system)

The most prevalent boot disk used by the PC community is the bootable CD-Rom from which your PC can boot from. It is important for any PC user to distinguish the difference between a bootable CD- Rom and a CD –Rom which can be inserted in a CD-Rom drive for an operating system to execute when the “auto play” dialog window pops-up. The bootable CD –Rom on the other hand will load in a CD-Rom drive and a boot image is presented which then gives instructions.

With modern PC’s configurations have been made in the attempt to boot from various devices in a certain order. If the PC in question is not booting from the device desired by the user, tinkering of the order can be done by entering the BIOS setup function. This process involves pressing a special key when the PC is first powered on (such as F1, F2, F3 or F12) depending on the model of the PC and then a change of the order can be done. Most BIOS versions these days can prematurely stop the booting process by pressing a special key F11 which results in the view of a list of bootable devices from which a selection can be made. If your PC is a modern macintosh computer the booting process will take place from an appropriate disk if the user presses the C key when the computer is powered on.

The Ultimate Boot CD for both Windows users and other operating system users has been designed to cater for that PC user who may have a hard time finding various tools to run a diagnostic on his or her PC. It is a consolidation of diagnostic tools ranging from CD- ROMs that can run floppy-based diagnostic tools, to the latest booting method using a USB memory stick.

 The Ultimate Boot CD provides all the tools required for various diagnostics in a single CD version. So the next time you need to boot from a bootable disk to run a clean virus scan or repair a corrupted Windows operating system, set your BIOS boot order to allow CD –Rom booting and all consolidated tools in the Ultimate Boot CD will be just a click away.

Ever wondered how a file or email document is transferred from your local desktop to a remote ‘destination’. This ‘destination’ is known as a remote host, a server that can be accessed by a user directly or indirectly. For this communication of devices to occur a standard was enlisted to allow a small unit of computers to communicate locally.In 1971 a small group of developers came up with the File Transport Protocol standard(FTP) which defined  basic protocol commands that set-up how their small network of devices will communicate.

The concept of FTP transfer involves a client-server model, where a user through an FTP client must have a connection to an FTP server, where files will be sent and retrieved from the server side. For the process to be tenable for commercial usage during its inception, files had to be sent and retrieved with no data loss deeming them corrupted. A reliable Transmission Control Protocol was initiated to offer a logical connection on formatting rules when FTP commands are passed.

An establishing connection and authentication has to be made to execute the two basic commands needed for sending and receiving files. Hence with an interface between an FTP user and the Transport File Protocol, interaction can be enhanced. Recent improvements of the interface, allows transfer of files a mouse click away, an action previously done through memorizing commands.

The RFC standards for FTP

The year 1971 saw the development of the first mechanism to support file transfers. The RFC 114 was created to deal with the implementation of hosts on the server model. Slight improvements were then enhanced on the file transfer protocol allowing a client-level orientation, meaning host computers could transfer files to each other. A review was then made to introduce a ‘uniform style of data’ in the RFC 294 of 1982.But a significant touch of improvement that gave the FTP mechanism a way to transfer files efficiently and reliably among hosts was defined by the RFC 354 FTP standard. This improvement enhanced convenient capabilities of remote file storage. Subsequent reviews were undertaken and published in the RFC 414,RFC 430,RFC 454 FTP standards ,where an emphasis on errors, protocol additions and the working process of the server and user FTPs was highlighted.

Over the years FTP developers revised on comments made on prior publications, the subject between the old and new designs being a significant highlight to their discussions. But what made a mark in the FTP standard transitions was the stipulation of the RFC 765 standard which specified the use of FTP with the TCP protocol, a standard still in use to date.

FTP servers’ risk potential

FTP was initially designed for a selected group of trustees either from government or a learning institution such as a University. It was not invented for modern day internet since the data being transferred cannot be encrypted, leaving it vulnerable to cyber crime. Hackers can easily use packet sniffers to access user names and passwords in most insecure network configurations.FTP servers are also not secure and are often an access point to cyber crime activity.

Installation of FTP servers is a complex operation which requires special skill sets to install, manage error eventualities and most important configure the servers to the organization’s set-up. This sometimes has a negative drive to FTP developers who are reluctant to set-up FTP servers to non-technical enterprises that are incapable of performing complex trouble shooting and maintenance required.

An FTP delivery does not offer a guarantee of file delivery hence there is no mechanism to notify a successful delivery. Users have to communicate with the file recipient to confirm delivery or dictate a re-sending of the file. If a situation that warrants a retrieval of lost password or usernames, this complex application does not offer user management and a user has to result to data recovery process.

Waterborne heating is one of the best heating systems that can benefit on a small or large scale basis. In parts of the world that experience long spells of winter (such as Europe and Russia) this system has been tested and used to offer heat from units as small as houses to a whole city parameter. As long as a heating system has hot water pumped internally, it can fall into the category of a waterborne heating system.

Under floor heating

There are a wide range of configurations built upon the science of waterborne heating systems one of them being under floor heating. Prevalent to most residential houses in long winter spell countries is the use of radiators placed beneath windows that use convection currents to circulate heat in different rooms. The science around it involves the collision of hot air and cold air which in effect sends the currents upwards which travel the width or length of the room. The cold air emanating from the glass window and the hot air from the radiator starts this process.

Narrowing it down to under floor heating, the concept of waterborne heating is an ideal method of heat distribution compared to the use of conventional radiators. The best reason being that in the right circumstances surrounding the installment of an under floor heating system, there is effective consumption of energy.

How it works

From a technical approach according to Base Articles, heat released through radiation in comparison with the heat released through air movement, is increased with under floor heating. Unlike air movement, heat radiation transports heat immediately to the surrounding and distributes the heat more evenly in the room. Most conventional radiators use air movements to release heat. The hot air rises to the ceiling where it is not really required while the cold air flows just above the floor within foot and head range. A content feeling of warmth is felt when cold air is within and above head room range and warmer air at the feet.

Under floor heating as a configuration of waterborne heating is a concept that revolves around pipes, hot water and a floor. Pipes with hot water circulating through them are fitted under a given floor in order to heat it. It is the heat emitted from these pipes that keeps the floor warm. A warm feeling underneath is effected by heat generation at a low temperature which spreads evenly across a large area in the room. Pipes are installed in concrete or aluminum plates which allow that even spread of heat across a given proximity.

If a house or an office has challenges involving air circulation and ventilation, under floor heating greatly reduces air movements and dust circulation warranting no need for the dust-collecting radiators on walls. Not only does water borne under floor heating give efficient heat distribution through the winter,(it operates at low temperatures which work well together with energy efficient heat sources such as solar panels) but also saves on energy costs.

Water bone heating is not a one hit wonder as it can trace its roots back in ancient Europe, where families used to use coal and firewood to heated water currents were for warmth through the winter. But as times have changed and technology improved, the only element that will seem to hold this form of heating into the future is for the government and its people to find resourceful energy alternatives. I can think of one, Mother Nature’s thermal energy.

The annual New York City motor exhibition of 2012 hosted ten of the best cars in their respective segments. With its usual top quality standards in entrance requirements, the big apple did not fall short of its record performance. For the critics it was slightly modest but overall it was a breath taking stage of pure brilliance.

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala

Among the ten contenders was the 2014 Chevrolet Impala. The parent company (Chevrolet) decided to complete its transformation of its North American passenger car segment by introducing expressive style, more refined interior, easy to use technology that will revolutionize the Chevrolet’s car model driving experience.According to Autoblog , the all new brand is set to totally transform the Chevrolet passenger line-up with a new gathering space of style and refinement both from its exterior and interior as well as new industry-exclusive safety features.

The 2013 Lincoln MKZ

The 2013 Lincoln MKZ also made its entry to the big apple’s annual motor show as a second generation to its Lincoln’s entry level front drive sedan category. Ford has made advances to create credibility in its luxury-car investment and the MKZ was voted to lead the advance.

 

 Ford Mondeo

The new MKZ debuted in tandem with the Ford’s Mondeo model and the Ford Fusion to represent the company’s CD4 global architecture. Fitted with Ford’s new turbocharged Eco Boost four-cylinders the new engine replaced the previous 3.5 litre V-6 engine. The turbo charged engine would be assisted by a six speed dual clutch automatic transmission .An all wheel drive component was in the offing, as well as a gasoline-electric hybrid system, the latter burning component still yet to be determined.

Mercedes Benz C-class

The MKZ distinct provisions were expected to compete with potential rivals such as the Mercedes- Benz C-class which has a six cylinder engine provision. The obvious question would be if a four cylinder Lincoln could compete in the prestigious luxury car segment.

 

 

2013 Nissan Altima

In an attempt to help reduce fatigue experienced in long journeys the Nissan Company introduced to the market the 2013 Nissan Altima. This car exudes comfort and according to a posture research done by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA),the least fatiguing seats are those that are closest to a “neutral posture” (relaxed position that the human body takes in a weightless environment).The Altima’s new articulated seat shape was rated by NASA to have qualified.Reducing driver fatigue will be the Nissan Altima’s competitive edge in the industry with a provision of leather-appointed seats for particular models.

The 2013 SRT (Street Racing Technology) brand was also in exhibition, redesigned to match power and performance, superior craftsmanship, new technologies and comfort provisions.This highly anticipated return to the high performance sports market was graced by the launch of the new 2013 SRT viper and SRT Viper GTS, both high in performance with an additional creature comforts facility the sports market has not yet experienced.

Other revelations in the New York international Auto show included the Mercedez Benz S 165 AMG, the sensational new 2013 Toyota Avalon which made World Debut with an offing of innovative technologies such as advanced capacitive touch switches with positioning and sensitivity that makes them ideal for vehicle system controls, the Fisker Atlantic concept car that is a green energy car project which will run on Fisker’s advanced Ever power train technology and finally the Infiniti LE concept car which unlike its predecessors will come with a sweeping aerodynamic body, an elegantly intelligent interior, inspired driving performance and advanced next-generation technology. The infinity LE concept car will be among the electric cars in the auto show that will uphold projects undertaking green energy for a sustainable future.

From Italian car makers to the Americans overseas, this motor show does not fall short of its potential to attract those that matter in the auto industry. Since its inception the Geneva Motor Show has been the exhibition ground for almost all models in the world that come to meet their present and future customers. Pride to the organizers it is the only automotive event in Europe of its magnitude, able to attract the elite segments in the auto industry. The brilliant concept of them all about the Geneva show is its ability to play neutral. This rare advantage came about from the fact that it lacks an automotive industry of its own hence making it attractive to unbiased ‘judgments’.This year’s show (2012) hosted its usual collection of the motor industry as a whole with a blend of production cars, concepts, designs and much more.

The Bentley EXP 9 F

The Bentley EXP 9 F concept car made entries despite varying sentiments from critics and enthusiasts alike. The brand name of the car is what influenced its spot at the Geneva show. Unique is the company’s approach to design an SUV that does not look like you usual crossover styled and sporty SUV. The Bentley’s SUV appears big, bold and brut (exuding manhood like the gentleman’s famous perfume brand brut). According to Edmunds.com the car is not near completion for a mass production, but what makes the SUV concept a pick for the Geneva Motor Show (apart from its excellent craftsmanship) is its potential to grow the Bentley brand overseas especially in the emerging economies.

The Lamborghini Aventandor j

The Lamborghini Aventador j also made it to a spot in the Geneva Auto show designed as a speedster car brand of Lamborghini. The (J) alphabet signifies it’s mark of a race car by Lamborghini. The Aventador J breaks even from other Lamborghini cars by its unique ‘alien – like’ features according to Edmunds.com , vicious acceleration, sublime steering, an unmatched presence and more spacious cabin than its predecessor. It certainly made it to the event much to its unique features but also for the mere fact that it was the first and the last to be built.

V12 Zagato

The Ashton Martin family didn’t fall back from the pack with their magnificent V12 Zagato with a starting price tag of $ 525000. This launch came at a time when the company is driving inspiration from the V 12 vantage point which they hope will make a revolution to their vision for the next fifty years.

Audi 3

In the hatchback category the Audi family represented the segment with unveiling of the Audi A3 (A more efficient version of the company’s small three-door car.) Audi was innovative in its development of efficiency technologies (such as direct injection, thermal management and fuel shutoff to discourage fuel thirst) for its three engine variants. Efficiency is also enhanced by the reduction of 176 pounds (about 80 Kilograms) of chassis weight that makes it lighter.Toyota launched its ambitious plan to size down its hybrid technology to the middle market segment. It saved a spot in the Geneva Auto show by introducing a full-hybrid, ultra-light weight car that has used conventional material for its production. This translates to a reduction in its cost at market price and an economically viable concept since it also achieves low emissions.

Agera model- 2013 Koenigsegg

The updated Agera model- 2013 Koenigsegg debuted at the Geneva Motor Show with some exquisite features. The Agera R will feature the world’s first hollow, a one piece carbon fiber wheel that saves the wheel 44 pounds (19 kilograms) of unshaped mass and a metal part reserved only for the tire valve. These innovative technologies including the nano-surfaced cylinder sleeves      were cause for Agera’s spot in Switzerland.

Bugatti Veryon

The reason for Bugatti Veryon’s inclusion in the Geneva Motor show was Bugatti’s CEO Wolfgang Durheimer’s team’s ability to redefine the boundaries of the greatest Bugatti roadster. The Grand sport vitesse received a performance boost by inclusion of greater force-induction from its enlarged quad turbos and an extra punch from its stiffened chassis.

Ferrari F12

A show stopper known for glamor at its best, the Ferrari F12 made a worthy presence in Switzerland as a suitable successor to its predecessor the 599. Despite its conservative style approach tracing its bloodline back to the 275 and 365 brands, whose brands were held with utmost respect,the Ferrari F12 commands respect in being fuel economical (in its category) while running on a V12 engine.

Part of its name (Megapixel) speaks volumes of its size - a very small car that was designed for the future and an improvement from the failed Tata Nano project. It represents a concept the Indian conglomerate Tata is pushing to achieve – a car designed for the future. If it does go to production the emerging markets should be a target given it suitability as a city car and the markets’ ever sprouting cities.

Communication frequencies have over the years been improved into higher frequencies that can reach greater distance with less power. The most common frequencies used in today's world are radio, microwave and infrared frequencies. Other frequencies available are Gamma ray frequencies, Ultraviolet frequencies and X-ray frequencies, not cut out for communication devices.

Radio frequency

Radio frequency or Radio communication is a technology that hails back to the 18^th century just a few decades after the invention of the telephone. Radio communication brought about by analog or digital signals transmitted in short wavelengths from a transmitter to a receiver or antennae. Radio technology was designed to integrate communication to radio communications such as television, radio receiver and other wireless networking. Today the transition of analog to digital has largely been embraced by emerging and developing countries, where transmission involves binary bits data received from a data signal or a digitization of an analog signal.

Infrared frequency

In estimation more than two billion people in the world have access to infrared transmissions either through their television sets or computer devices. How a big percentage of the world’s population is in access to infrared frequency transmission by the use of remote controls. Remote controls use infrared LED’s (light emitting diodes) to emit infrared radiation that is captured and transformed into a narrow beam through a plastic lens. By modulation the beam allows for encoding of data signals which the receiver (such as a television set) picks and converts the infrared radiation to an electric current. Where infrared transmission may lack in wide-range coverage, it compensates with zero interference with other devices as it does not penetrate walls, and is very useful for indoor use.

Infrared technology used to provide light through laser beams for optical fiber communication systems cannot be nearly emphasized. Transmission varies with the wavelength distance, 1,330 nautical miles giving the least dispersion and 1,550 nautical miles giving the best transmission.

Microwave Radio frequency

Transmissions in broadcast and telecommunication had all along used the Radio frequency infrastructure with longer wavelengths and lower frequencies. This translated to limited bandwidth in the radio frequency bandwidth. A shorter wavelength with a higher bandwidth was introduced – Microwave radio. Microwaves are used in OB vans (specially equipped utility van for transmission in remote locations).

Standards in the grand scheme of things

In practice,it is imperative that standards are part of the grand scheme of things.Standards are a stringent guide to help communication systems operate in an insured and regulated environment.Systems can interact with each other following similar standards without vested interests inculcated in the standards stipulated. However,standardized committees both in the US (IEEE) and Europe (ETSI) decided not to allow static standardization for all components in systems’ design. This allows room for innovation and production of dynamic communication systems.

In addition to the merits in standardization is the factor of economy. In its inception Wireless LAN technology that is in the bracket of Radio technology/wireless communications did not follow industry standards and was unlicensed. The first generation wireless LAN rolled out with no standards and needed specialized components for its systems which led to high operation costs for the company and a limitation to its performance and adoption in the market. This outcome initiated standards for the second generation wireless LAN whose aftermath did not disappoint. The IEEE 802.11 family of standards was created and became a reference point to the latest improvement of the IEEE 802.11a which is the standard for the 5GHZ wireless LAN band.

Small Beginnings

 It was when necessity proved priority that invention came about for two accountant students in Day star University. Peter Ndungu a third year Accounts major at Athi-river and Rogers Nzivo of the same major (Accounts) decided it was unreasonable to watch untapped market in Daystar waste away when in fact it could work to their advantage.

The pair settled for a business enterprise initiative after weighing various options most of which were duly profitable."How about we take orders from customers and supply right at their door steps?" Peter Ndungu consulted with his partner in business. I guess he may have borrowed a school of thought from Uchumi supermarkets CEO Jonathan Ciano when he said in the weekly NTV(Nation Television) Daytime show PM LIVE that in business its all about the customer , knowing your customer and his needs will always reward you handsomely."Take the service to their doorstep if you have to."advised Mr.Jonathan.


Chapa Investments was duly born after much oral and written market research. It was a case of taking advantage of the untapped market that the competitors had overlooked.Chapa Investments is in the business of cooking and  supplying such as mandazis,samosa and chapatis right at their customers'  door steps free of charge and at a subsidised rate cost for the snack ordered.

Compared with the local hotels in Daystar University that offer the same food commodity at higher prices,(Chapatis at 30 Kshs) i guess any average consumer would opt for the 'better option'. In fact Chapa Investments style of delivering service plus the student pocket friendly rates is a win win situation if you ask me. 

The challenges

If you have ever established an enterprise before you know that any enterprise doesn't come without its pitfalls. The pair had to invest heavily in managing the most rare of resources 'Time'.I guess i could stand to be corrected as 'rare' could be relative.

Being students the two have to juggle between school work and business which in most cases one of the activities has to come short.  Waking up at 2.30 a.m everyday to prepare not less than a hundred and fifty chapati for supply is way beyond any students scope of sacrifices.This challenge led yet to another pit fall, what the business community likes to call 'overflow of demand' where the demand is higher than the supply.In this case Chapa Investments faces this challenge of too much demand than they can supply despite their considerable sacrifices.

Achievements

Since its small beginnings Chapa Investments has grown within its limits as a small enterprise by adding a bicycle to its assets.
                                                                      

The mountain bike investment which cost the enterprise Kes. 4000 made good its value as it now provides the enterprise with better and more efficient delivery services. Now as your trusted supplier Chapa Investments assures of timely deliveries at the comfort of your house or hostel.

Future plans

The advantage of running a small enterprise is being in position to plan for expansion at the entrepreneurs choice of time. It can be a much recent or future plan. For Peter and Rogers the niche market is rich with opportunities to expand. Chapa Investments plans to go into the computer services business and aquire a permanent premise to operate in.

In the near future the pair plan to employ more people as suppliers in the various hostels identified while they concentrate fully on production. For Chapa  Investment its  partnership is its cornerstone by combining both the  human and financial resources the investment has potential to expand. "I hope to continue with the support from my partner in our future initiative and as for Daystar students Chapa Investments can be a reference point of how practical business is, so take charge and pursue opportunities." says Peter Ndungu.