Casio Exilim EX Z150 Review

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This cute Casio point-and-shoot camera is easy to use, but suffers from shutter lag and limited focusing abilities.

The slim, 8-megapixel Casio Exilim EX-Z150 point-and-shoot camera aims for the teen-friendly sweet spot of slick looks and functionality. For $200, this little camera comes in a variety of bright candy colors, in addition to black and silver. It also has an impressive 3-inch LCD on the back, a feature that several of my friends with older cameras saw and coveted. Mostly metal, this camera feels sturdy, and its matte shine is quite attractive.

The EX-Z150 has a design similar to that of other Exilim cameras, and allows for a steady grip in the hand. The video button is close to the top-right corner on the back, and the camera's various function buttons are arrayed below. Few buttons have a dedicated function; you have to access most features through the menu. However, the playback, flash, delete, and video controls are easy to press without getting into menu malarkey.

The "Best Shot" button takes you to a series of presets, including auto, backlight, text, nighttime, portrait, landscape, kids, and macro. Face-detection and antishake options are also in the mix, and the EX-Z150's color filters allow you to take black-and-white and color-tinted shots. The camera's two more-unusual presets are a YouTube-video mode (a low-res setting optimized for the popular site) and an eBay mode, which saves smaller-size JPEG image files for online posting. The software also comes with a handy YouTube uploader that makes posting clips to the site easy.

For a $200 camera, the EX-Z150 produced decent-quality video, but with hissy audio. My short flicks, shot outdoors, were generally vivid, and the camera was quite responsive in making exposure changes as I panned around. As is usually the case with lower-end digital cameras, videos shot indoors were a bit noisier, and some clips had a reddish tint.

The EX-Z150 attained a high score in overall image quality during the PC World Test Center's lab tests. Color accuracy and exposure quality were this Exilim's strong suits, while it earned only middling marks for both sharpness and distortion levels (my test images were a little soft in subdued light). Overall though, our jury testers rated the EX-Z150's image quality as Very Good, edging out top-rated point-and-shoots such as the Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS and Pentax Optio A40.

In my own tests, photos yielded good exposure much of the time. My shots exhibited good color and sharpness under outdoor lighting. The 28mm wide-angle lens was a definite plus; I enjoyed being able to take wider-than-usual wide-angle shots, though the image quality was somewhat lower when I zoomed in to 3X or 4X, the camera's maximum optical zoom level.

The EX-Z150 shone brightly in our battery tests: It fired off 302 shots on a single charge, bettering the vast majority of point-and-shoots we've tested and earning a Very Good rating for battery life.

My chief complaint lies with the camera's spotty focus and frequently slow performance. The EX-Z150 is slow to focus and suffers from a bit of shutter delay--often I found I was shooting before or after the lens had found the subject, causing blurred pictures. This was particularly frustrating in low-light settings when in auto mode. And in my tests, the highest ISO the camera would automatically select was 400, simply not enough to grab a sharp shot in many scenarios other than landscape photography. For shooting in the dark, the camera offers a high-sensitivity mode for extended ISOs up to 1600, but you must access it through the Best Shots menu. I'd rather not be slowed down hunting for high ISO levels while my subject--be it animal, human, or vegetable--decides whether to wait around during my fumbling.

High-contrast settings also proved a weak spot for the EX-Z150. I took many of my test shots in a woodsy setting--admittedly a tough testing ground for many digital cameras, consisting of dark, earthy colors and sometimes bright skies. Areas along high-contrast edges showed wide halos and artifacting that made many of the images unusable. Then again, for a camera in this price range, expecting a dynamic range expander is a tall order.

The flash could sometimes be intense and overwhelming, producing a washed-out subject in some of my test shots. Unfortunately, you can't fine-tune the flash settings; it's either on, off, or in auto mode. However, the EX-Z150 does offer contrast adjustment, as well as controls for white balance, flash intensity, saturation, and spot-metering modes. I took advantage of all of those control options, and all had a helpful (though not always completely successful) effect.

The Casio Exilim EX-Z150 was fun to shoot with. Its wide-angle lens and big screen were a joy, but the camera's shutter lag and slow focus were handicaps that made me use a lot more brain power ("Will this be in focus?") than I'd prefer when taking simple, happy snaps. That said, for a $200 camera, the EX-Z150 holds its own and looks awesome doing it--not a bad choice for people not looking to spend a fortune.

by Kathleen Cullen

Casio Exilim EX-Z80 Review

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This YouTube-friendly pocket camera has a huge LCD screen, a nice price tag, and features galore.

The tiny Casio Exilim EX-Z80 packs a lot of features for $180, going above and beyond much of its competition. About the length and width of a credit card and just 0.5 inch thick, this camera fits into a pocket with the ease of a flip phone. Encased in a combination of sleek brushed metal and matching faux-metal plastic, the EX-Z80 is available in a range of metallic colors. And at 8 megapixels, it produces acceptable prints at 8 by 10 inches, with nice colors but a bit of blur.

By forgoing a viewfinder and relying on very small buttons elsewhere, Casio was able to fit an impressively large 2.6-inch LCD on the EX-Z80. The back of the camera sports a handy button dedicated to video, eliminating the archeological exploration of menus that many other cameras require.

But with the streamlined form comes a sacrifice: the Casio's miniature buttons nest very close together, and the video button is so close to the top right corner that a clumsy dip at the end of each clip became a signature motif of my video work. In addition, if you aren't particularly dexterous or haven't grown out your fingernails, you may have trouble pressing the buttons at all.

Its drawbacks notwithstanding, the Exilim EX-Z80 is a solid little snapper, highly intuitive to navigate, and impressively fast at autofocusing. It offers some interesting 'Best Shot' scene modes to supplement the expected sunset, night portrait, landscape, and food options. These included a helpful eBay mode and the entrancing pastel and star-effect modes.

Also uncommon in a camera of its price are the EX-Z80's advanced custom controls, such as flash output adjustment, white balance, and spot metering. You can program the joystick on the back to change various settings, such as metering methods. In addition to providing several face-recognition focus options, the camera automatically reduces blur when panning along with a subject. Or you can arrange for the camera to trip the shutter only when the subject stays still or smiles. These features didn't always work in my informal tests, but they did help stabilize images.

One feature that Casio seems especially proud of is the camera's YouTube video capability. In that mode, the EX-Z80 records .mov files in YouTube's preferred H.264 format, optimized for online viewing. The software even includes a special YouTube video uploader. By and large, movies came out quite well, particularly at higher quality settings. Autofocus, exposure, and color compensated quickly for the changing scenery as we drove along the beach.

Alas, like most cameras in the sub-$200 range, this Exilim doesn't have crystal-clear optics. Though color was very good and easy to alter with the camera's white balance and filter settings, photos lost sharpness at their outer edges, artifacts popped up along high-contrast edges, and a bit of noise was evident in shots taken at ISOs above 200. Fortunately the EX-Z80 starts out at a low ISO of 64, and in brightly lit environments--especially outdoors--it did just fine. For an inexpensive pocket camera, it delivers a slew of worthwhile features.

by: bigwallys

Nikon Coolpix S210 Review

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This small, solid, and stylish camera is easy to use, but nothing spectacular.

Another inexpensive, superslim pocket camera in the entry-level point-and-shoot class, the 8-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S210 isn't short on good looks. The S210 is available in an array of understated brushed-metallic colors. Priced at $180, this 0.7-inch-wide camera fits easily in the palm of your hand. It lacks a viewfinder but devotes about two-thirds of its back to a bright, 2.5-inch-diagonal LCD, leaving enough space for a fairly secure grip.

The 3x optical zoom S210 has a small, molded ridge on its back, which helps the camera rest comfortably in your hand. Unfortunately, this design left my forefinger positioned squarely over the on/off button, meaning that I frequently turned the camera off instead of pressing the nearby shutter.

Once I got past that glitch, however, I found the layout and labeling of the remaining buttons quite simple. The zoom bar is conveniently located near the shutter, and the function buttons and toggle button are arrayed beneath it. The toggle button controls EV+/-, the self-timer, the macro, and the flash. Surrounding the toggle button are four dedicated buttons for the camera's menu, modes, photo deletion, and stored photo viewing.

Like many other Nikon point-and-shoots, the S210 was extremely easy to use, even without reading the manual. Reaching some settings, such as video and scene modes, took a few button presses, however, which may slow users down a bit. A dedicated video button would have been nice. As for scene modes, the Coolpix S210 has an array of the usual suspects: portraits, landscape, party, sports, macro, and fireworks. The noteworthy addition is its handy panorama assist mode. Backlight mode was quite effective, too, once I knew that I needed a bit of fill flash (for example, to capture a shot of a black cat lying in the sun) that auto mode wasn't quite smart enough to provide.

The menu system holds autofocus mode settings including center, automatic, face priority, and spot. The S210 also offers a burst mode that performs fairly well, along with a neat feature that fires off 16 consecutive shots and places them in a single frame--a fun novelty for sports and motion tracking. A feature called Best Shot Selector cranks out ten shots while you hold down the trigger, and then saves the sharpest frame that you've recorded. Other cool features include an interval timer that you can use to capture a sequence of images at a preselected rate, and a time-lapse movie function--also with several timing options. In the time-lapse mode, you can leave the camera trained on your windowsill and watch seedlings sprout. Videos made with the Coolpix were generally satisfactory, though the focus was a bit shaky, even in broad daylight. I appreciated having the option to zoom while filming, a feature absent in many cameras.

Nikon's Electronic VR Image Stabilization compensates somewhat for camera's susceptibility to shake and blur, but the setting produced rather poor results in my tests. Because the camera doesn't provide optical image stabilization--unlike, for example, its older sibling, the Coolpix S500--the results looked as though the camera had simply applied a sharpening filter to the images, ham-handedly oversharpening them. In dim settings, it's better to use a tripod and not expect miracles from software-based image stabilization. To combat blur, S210 also offers a High Sensitivity mode with ISOs of up to 2000. In our jury tests, the S210 earned an image quality score of Good, performing well in our flash exposure tests but unimpressively in our sharpness tests.

Battery life is decent; in our lab tests, the S210 fired off 283 shots on a single charge of its rechargeable lithium ion battery. That's in line with many other compact cameras we've tested.

Considering how simple this camera is to use and how comfortable it is to tote along, I was disappointed that noise was a problem in my test shots starting at ISOs as low as 200. Shutter delay was another frustration; the S210 performs just a bit slower than other cameras in its class, resulting in missed opportunities (often) and blurred images (occasionally).

All the same, for under $200, with its cool time-lapse features, a slim frame, and commendable ease of use, the Coolpix S210 could be just the ticket as an entry-level, all-purpose camera.

by: PJ2000

Canon Powershot A590 IS Review

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For a beginner's camera, the PowerShot A590IS offers amazing image quality and superb stabilization.

My digital camera expertise begins and ends with this fact: I cannot resist the urge to photograph a couple of fuzzballs named Chuckie and Violet. I'm a classic novice point-and-shooter, and the crème de la crème of my snapshots find their way onto Flickr or Facebook.

Recently, I spent some time with the 8-megapixel Canon PowerShot A590IS digital camera to see how fully it would meet my list of very basic snapshooting requirements and how well it would compensate fro my lack of technical proficiency. For a bargain-bin price of $150, it has a lot of features: 8-megapixel resolution, 4X optical zoom, optical image stabilization, face detection (which recognizes faces in the frame and optimizes the autofocus accordingly) and a smaller-but-serviceable 2.5-inch LCD screen. And conveniently it runs on two AA batteries.

To orient myself to the camera and gain insight into its features and functions, I ripped the A590IS out of the box and started taking pictures. I had no trouble working my way through various settings, quickly finding and using many of the 19 shooting modes, including portrait, landscape, and auto. Not surprisingly, the A590IS doesn't support a full range of manual settings (what do you expect for $150?), but it does let you program the shutter speed and aperture settings manually if you want to.

The big news with this point-and-shoot camera is image quality. Despite its rock-bottom price, the A590IS scored significantly higher in our image-quality assessments than point-and-shoots that cost more than twice as much and have higher megapixel counts. In particular, our judges noted superior colors and flash exposures in our subjective tests.

Image quality gets an assist from my favorite A590IS feature: the optical image stabilizer. I tried desperately to take a blurry picture--and I failed. No matter how hard I shook that camera or how much my subjects shimmied, I couldn't induce a blurry image. (Unfortunately for me, the A590IS does permit photo subject guillotinage if the picture taker frames the shot badly enough.)

Like many other Canon cameras, the PowerShot A590IS has a classic, easy-to-hold ergonomic shape with a fat thumb/hand grip on the right side. Though it's comfortable to hold, the camera body lacks rubber or textured trim on the plastic surface of its hand grip, which makes the grip a bit slick. I also wished that the camera were smaller: It's a compact camera, but not exactly pocketable. You'll need to secure it in a small camera bag before stowing it in your purse or backpack, or you'll risk scratching it up.

Though the AA batteries are great for convenience, the A590IS produced only 248 shots running on a fresh pair. Many point-and-shoots can take more than 300 shots on a single charge.

Photos from the PowerShot A590IS will never be mistaken for digital SLR output, but this camera is a great choice for anyone seeking an inexpensive, easy-to-use point-and-shoot that produces high-quality images. And don't be afraid to put its optical image stabilization to the test.

by: Scotsquatch

Concept of God in Islam

I've got from itsislam.net, hope we can learned.

It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word "god," which can be made plural, as in "gods," or made feminine, as in "goddess." It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.

The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing, and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Qur'an, which is considered to be the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism.

Surah 112 AI-Ikhlas (The Holy Quran)

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

1. Say (O Muhammad), He is God, the One God,
2. The Everlasting Refuge,
3. Who has not begotten, nor has been begotten,
4. And equal to Him is not anyone.

Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God who demands to be obeyed fully and is not loving and kind. Nothing could be farther from the truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an begins with the verse, "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate." In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), we are told that "God is more loving and kind than a mother to her dear child."

On the other hand, God is also Just. Hence, evildoers and sinners must have their share of punishment, and the virtuous must have God's bounties and favors. Actually, God's attribute of Mercy has full manifestation in His attribute of Justice. People suffering throughout their lives for His sake should not receive similar treatment from their Lord as people who oppress and exploit others their whole lives. Expecting similar treatment for them would amount to negating the very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter and thereby negate all the incentives for a moral and virtuous life in this world.

The following Qur'anic verses are very clear and straightforward in this respect.

"Verily, for the Righteous are gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord. Shall We then treat the people of Faith like the people of Sin? What is the matter with you? How judge you?"

Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting Him as favoring certain individuals or nations on the basis of wealth, power or race. He created the human-beings as equals. They may distinguish themselves and get His favor through virtue and piety only.

The concepts that God rested on the seventh day of creation, that God wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter against mankind, and that God is incarnate in any human being are considered blasphemy from the Islamic point of view.

The unique usage of Allah as a personal name of God is a reflection of Islam's emphasis on the purity of the belief in God that is the essence of the message of all God's messengers. Because of this, Islam considers associating any deity or personality with God as a deadly sin that God will never forgive, despite the fact that He may forgive all other sins.

The Creator must be of a different nature from the things created because if He is of the same nature as they are, He will be temporal and will therefore need a maker. It follows that nothing is like Him. If the maker is not temporal, then he must be eternal. But if he is eternal, he cannot be caused, and if nothing caused Him to come into existence, nothing outside Him causes Him to continue to exist, which means that he must be self-sufficient. And if He does not depend on anything for the continuance of His own existence, then this existence can have no end. The Creator is therefore eternal and everlasting: "He is the First and the Last."

He is Self-sufficient or Self-subsistent, or, to use a Qur'anic term, Al-Qayyum. The Creator does not create only in the sense of bringing things into being, He also preserves them and takes them out of existence and is the ultimate cause of whatever happens to them.

"God is the Creator of everything. He is the guardian over everything. Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth." (Chapter 39: Verse 62-63)

"No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on God. He knows its lodging place and its repository." (Chapter 11: Verse 16)

God's Attributes

If the Creator is Eternal and Everlasting, then His attributes must also be eternal and everlasting. He should not lose any of His attributes nor acquire new ones. If this is so, then his attributes are absolute. Can there be more than one Creator with such absolute attributes? Can there be, for example, two absolutely powerful Creators?

A moment's thought shows that this is not feasible. The Qur'an summarizes this argument in the following verses:

"God has not taken to Himself any son, nor is there any god with Him: for then each god would have taken of that which he created and some of them would have risen up over others." (Chapter 23: Verse 91)

"And why, were there gods in earth and heaven other than God, they (heaven and earth) would surely go to ruin." (Chapter 21: Verse 22)

The Oneness of God

The Qur'an reminds us of the falsity of all alleged gods. To the worshippers of man-made objects it asks: "Do you worship what you have carved yourself?" (37:95) Or "have you taken unto yourself others beside Him to be your protectors, even such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?" (13:16)

To the worshippers of heavenly bodies it cites the story of Abraham:

"When night outspread over him, he saw a star and said, "This is my Lord." But when it set, he said, "I love not the setters." When he saw the moon rising, he said, "This is my Lord." But when it set, he said, "If my Lord does not guide me, I shall surely be of the people gone astray. "When he saw the sun rising, he said, "This is my Lord; this is greater." But when it set, he said, "O my people, surely I quit that which you associate, I have turned my face to Him who originated the heavens and the earth; a man of pure faith, I am not one of the idolators." (Chapter 6: Verse 76-79)

The Believer's Attitude

In order to be a Muslim (basics of becoming muslim), that is, to surrender oneself to God, it is necessary to believe in the oneness of God, in the sense of His being the only Creator, Preserver, Nourisher, etc. But this belief, later called Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah, is not enough. Many of the idolators knew and believed that only the Supreme God could do all this. But this was not enough to make them Muslims. To tawhid ar-rububiyyah, one must add tawhid al-'uluhiyyah. That is, one acknowledges the fact that it is God alone who deserves to be worshipped, and thus abstains from worshipping any other thing or being.

Having achieved this knowledge of the one true God, man should constantly have faith in Him, and should allow nothing to induce him to deny truth. When faith enters a person's heart, it causes certain mental states that result in certain actions. Taken together, these mental states and actions are the proof for the true faith. The Prophet said, "Faith is that which resides firmly in the heart and which is proved by deeds."

Foremost among those mental stated is the feeling of gratitude towards God, which could be said to be the essence of ibada (worship).
The feeling of gratitude is so important that a non-believer is called 'kafir', which means 'one who denies a truth' and also 'one who is ungrateful'.

A believer loves, and is grateful to God for the bounties He bestowed upon him, but being aware of the fact that his good deeds, whether mental or physical, are far from being commensurate with Divine favors, he is always anxious lest God should punish him, here or in the Hereafter. He, therefore, fears Him, surrenders himself to Him and serves Him with great humility. One cannot be in such a mental state without being almost all the time mindful of God. Remembering God is thus the life force of faith, without which it fades and withers away.

The Qur'an tries to promote this feeling of gratitude by repeating the attributes of God very frequently. We find most of these attributes mentioned together in the following verses of the Qur'an:

"He is God; there is no god but He. He is the Knower of the unseen and the visible; He is the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. He is God; there is no god but He. He is the King, the All-Holy, the All-Peace, the Guardian of the Faith, the All-Preserver, the All-Mighty, the All-Compeller, the All-Sublime. Glory be to God, above that they associate! He is God, the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful. All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him; He is the Almighty, the All-Wise." (Chapter 59: Verse 22-24)

"There is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before them, and what is after them, and they comprehend not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills. His throne comprises the heavens and earth. The preserving of them oppresses Him not; He is the All-High, the All-Glorious." (Chapter 2: Verse 255)

People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say not as to God but the truth.

The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not "Three." Refrain; better it is for you. God is only one God. Glory be to Him -- (He is) above having a son.

by: itsIslam Staff

Basics of Becoming Muslim

I've got from itsislam.net, hope can learn from it.

Islam is an Arabic word and it connotes submission, surrender and obedience. As a religion, Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to Allah (God).

Islam, in fact, is an attributive title. Anyone who possesses this attribute, whatever race, community, country or group he or she belongs to, is a Muslim. According to the Qur'an (the Holy Book of the Muslims), among every people and in all ages there have been good and righteous people who possessed this attribute - and all of them were and are Muslims.

Islam is a universal and eternal religion. Its appeal is to the whole humanity. Any person who declares belief in La ilaha illallah Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah (there is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet) enters the fold of Islam and entitles him or herself to the same rights as those of other Muslims.

Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) has enjoined us to believe in five articles of faith:

1. Belief in one God Who has absolutely no associate with Him in His divinity;
2. Belief in God's Angels;
3. Belief in God's Books, and in the Holy Qur'an as His Last Book;
4. Belief in God's Prophets, and in Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) as His Last and Final Messenger; and
5. Belief in life after death.

One who believes in these articles enters the fold of Islam and becomes a member of the Muslim community. But one does not become a complete Muslim by mere vocal profession alone. To become a complete Muslim one has to fully carry out in practice the (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) as ordained by God.

These five articles form the foundation for the superstructure of Islam. Their gist is contained in the short sentence known as Kalimah-Tayyibah. When you declare La ilaha illallah (their is no deity but Allah), you give up all false deities, and profess that you are a creature of the One God; and when you add to these words Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah (Muhammad is Allah's Messenger) you confirm and admit the Prophethood of Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him).

With the admission of his Prophethood it becomes obligatory that you should believe in the divine nature and attributes of God, in His angels, in His Revealed Books and life after death, and earnestly follow that method of obeying God and worshipping Him which the Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) has asked us to follow.

Now let us see what code of conduct Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) has taught as ordained by God Almighty. The first and foremost things in this respect are the 'Ibadah (or worships) - the primary duties which must be observed by each and every person professing to belong to the Muslim community. 'Ibadah is an Arabic word derived from 'Abd (a slave) and it means submission. The concept of 'Ibadah is very wide. All your activities are 'Ibadah if they are in accordance with the law of God and your ultimate objective is to seek the pleasure of God. A set of formal 'Ibadah (worships) are thus on which the edifice of Islam rests:

1. Salah (prayers) - The most fundamental and the most important of these obligations. Salah are the prescribed daily prayers which consist in repeating and refreshing five times a day the belief in which you repose your faith.
2. Fasting - What prayers seek to do five times a day, fasting in the month of Ramadhan (the ninth month of the lunar year) does once a year. What is it that makes us voluntarily undergo hunger or thirst from dawn to dusk? It is nothing but faith in God and the fear of Him and the Day of Judgment. This consciousness of duty and spirit of patience that incessant fasting during a whole month helps us strengthen our faith.
3. Zakah - Its fundamental importance lies in the fact that it fosters in us the quality of sacrifice and rids us of selfishness and greed. Islam accepts within its fold only those who are ready to give away in God's way some of their wealth willingly. Every Muslim whose finances are above a certain specified minimum must pay 2.5% of their cash balance annually to the deserving.
4. Hajj (pilgrimage) - Mecca today stands at the site of a house that the Prophet Abraham (God's blessing be upon him) built for the worship of Allah. Allah rewarded him by calling it His own House and making it the center towards which all must face when saying prayers. He has also made it obligatory on those who can afford it to visit this place to perform the Hajj, at least once in a lifetime. The pilgrimage is, in a way, the biggest of 'Ibadah. For unless a person really loves God he would never undertake such a long journey.

by: itsIslam Staff

What kind of president will Obama be?

I've got from islamicity.com, hope learned from it.

As Mr. Barack Obama seals the 2008 presidential election, he will ride on a wave of optimism and hope. This is generated by his message of change, his personal charisma and the history-making symbolism of an African-American in the White House.

Yet, that high wave of hope may hit a wall and leave Mr Obama's presidency and the country wallowing in choppy waters. There are difficult and quite immediate problems ahead that promise a hard start.

The well-known American diplomat Richard Holbrooke, writing in Foreign Affairs, says that the President will face a more difficult opening day set of problems than any predecessor has faced since at least the end of World War II. This estimate was given even before the financial turmoil.

A recession is upon the United States. Candidate Obama gained momentum by promising to bring back growth and protect American jobs. But most predict a downturn for one or two years, and President Obama will struggle to deliver on those promises, perhaps even by mid-term. Problems may deepen and patience among citizens will be in short supply.

President Obama will need to restore confidence to the US and must put an economic team of the highest credibility into place, quickly. To help re-energise the world economy, a major step would be for freer trade, reviving the stalled Doha round and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec), which Singapore will chair next year.

Yet, critics say that he and the Democrats, who dominate Congress, are protectionists who will isolate America and end up hurting the world economy. President Obama must be persuaded that America's economy is inextricably linked to the world. He will need to show political courage and skill to pursue growth and trade, while keeping his support base on side.

A connected challenge will be climate change and energy. Even as President George W Bush was in denial, the public, companies and many states clamoured for America to respond to the existential threat of climate change. Both candidates promise steps forward, but Mr Obama has the more detailed plan to introduce permits to limit the amount of carbon that companies can emit.

Expectations both nationally and internationally are that President Obama will bring the US on board the Kyoto Protocol and join in global efforts to stem climate change. Can he live up to expectation, during an economic downturn?

Cynics say climate change action should be postponed as oil and gas are now cheaper, and introducing carbon permits will add costs that companies can't afford.

Others retort that investing in new technologies and low carbon infrastructure can help pump up investment and help not just the environment, but also lower the American thirst for oil and increase their competitiveness.

Security will be a prime challenge. The US faces military overstretch with the quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan, and yet the fear of another terrorist strike still nags.

Senator Obama opposed the war on Iraq from the start. On the campaign trail, candidate Obama said that military victory in Iraq, as Mr Bush is pushing for, is not possible and declared he would withdraw troops from open ended commitments. Yet, President Obama will find that timing will be critical.

In both Iraq and Afghanistan, he will need to ensure that new political structures achieve some stability, both internally and with neighbours. Diplomacy, rather than military might, will now be the key. For this, a major rethink is needed for US policy not only with these two countries, but in dealing with allies Turkey and Pakistan, and opening dialogue with Iran, with whomMr Bush seemed close to waging war.

In a wider context, Middle East policy will need to be addressed. Since about 2003, this has been more of a "Muddle" East policy with little coordination, and no concept beyond the all-encompassing "global war on terror".

Relations with the rest of the world will benefit immeasurably if President Obama can begin in earnest with these difficult and pressing problems and show even modest progress.

If President Obama shows he is more multilateral and communicative, and interested in more than just global terrorism, he can be prove as inspiring in Asia and globally, as he has among many American people, and offer leadership to a turbulent world.

US ties with Asia will follow in track. Relative to other regions, there are not too many immediate problems, although there have been absences and a badgering, unilateral tone that have hurt.

Relationships across the Pacific instead bring great opportunities and medium term challenges in dealing with issues like restoring economic growth, climate change, and a possible jostle for influence and leadership among rising Asian powers.

If President Obama gets it right, the US can be part of this region, as it has since the end of WWII and fully participate in its rise, as a leader in a multipolar world.

But if there is no patience among Americans for economic recovery and domestic forces try to protect jobs by closing off America, the Obama presidency may flounder.

He and America will then miss opportunities not only in Asia, but in re-establishing American leadership just when the world needs leadership. The first months and year will bear close watching.



Simon Tay is chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Next year, he will be in the US asa Schwartz fellow at the Asia Society and a Visiting Professor at Yale University.

Source: TodayOnline.com

by : Simon Tay

Islam and Pluralism in a Global Era

I've got this from islamicity.com, hope learned from it.

That human beings are all different cannot be argued. Physically and psychologically no two human beings, however closely related biologically, are exactly the same. In addition to racial and ethnic differences, there are the acquired differences in ideas, knowledge approaches, priorities and judgment, among many other differences, that accrue from the surrounding culture.

Religion belongs somewhere between an inherited and an acquired difference, that is, it can be inherited by succeeding generations from an earlier one, or it can develop from one's contemplation into personal conviction. The fact that religious faith is most commonly inherited collectively rather than developed individually makes the acceptance of religious diversity essential for the well-being of humanity.

A nation-state, even the most harmonious geographic entity, displays diversity in race, ethnicity and religions, as well as acquired ideological and political notions that reflect natural differences in thinking and judgment. Since the world is coming closer together as a result of miraculous developments in the technology of transportation and communication, global diversity has become a fact that has to be accepted intellectually and morally, and secured and sanctioned legally, by all groups throughout the world.

Pluralism is the institutional form that acceptance of diversity takes in a particular society or in the world as a whole. It means something more than moral tolerance or passive coexistence. Tolerance is a matter of individual feeling and behavior and coexistence is a mere acceptance of others that does not go beyond an absence of conflict. Pluralism, on the one hand, requires organizational and legal measures that secure and sanction equality and develop fraternity among all human beings as individuals or groups, whether their differences are inborn or acquired. Pluralism also requires a serious approach towards understanding the other and a constructive cooperation for the betterment of the whole. All human beings should enjoy equal rights and opportunities, and all should fulfill equal obligations as citizens of a nation and of the world. Each group should have the right to organize and develop itself and to maintain its identity and interests, and each should enjoy equality of rights and obligations in the state and in the world.

Pluralism means that minority groups can participate fully and equally with the majority in the society, and yet maintain their particular identity and differences. This particular has to be maintained by the state and the law, first by national law and eventually by international law. Pluralism originally referred only to ethnic and religious differences, but in a democracy ideological and political differences also came to be subsumed under the same term, on the philosophical grounds that there in no single understanding of the truth and thus a variety of beliefs and institutions and com- munities should exist together and enjoy equal legitimacy. Relations should be constructive, whatever the beliefs of a particular group may be regarding the sole and universal truth. The "Encyclopedia Britannica" includes under pluralism both natural- born and acquired differences. Its definition is: "Autonomy enjoyed by disparate groups within a society: such groups as religious groups, trade unions, professional organizations or ethnic minorities." It may be preferable to replace "autonomy" with "the right to maintain a common identity and interests."

Muslims, like adherents of other religions of the world, have to live with non-Muslims within a given country. Muslim citizens of the country can have their ethnic or doctrinal differences with-in themselves or with other Muslims in the world. Muslim unity does not require that Muslims form a single state; even the caliphate always comprised different beliefs and ethnicities. Where one lives may be dictated by geographic or economic factors. A nation-state can be considered from the Islamic point of view as an enlarged family or an enlarged neighborhood, each with its own special interests that in no way detract from the universal relations of togetherness and solidarity required by Islam. Divisions into peoples and other groups with common origin, are acknowledged in the Quran (49:13), and nothing is wrong with it so long as such divisions do not hinder universal human relations and cooperation, and are not abused through chauvinistic arrogance and aggression. The Quran indicated that God and his teachings should be put above any allegiance to a particular group or land, and so long as this principle is observed, allegiance to one's family and to particular human gatherings and to one's homeland is recognized (9:24). As Muslims live in larger groups and in lands where they can prosper, they have to live with other religions and sects Moreover, contemporary globalism is creating unavoidable interdependence among all humankind, whatever their natural-born or acquired differences may be.

For a long time consensus was regarded as important because the goal was to achieve uniformity in beliefs and human values.

"Aquinas in the Middle Ages," as Nicholas Rescher writes, Regarded consensus on fundamentals as a condition assured by God: Kant in the 18th century considered it as something rooted in the very nature of Reason; Hegel in the 19th century saw it as guar- anteed by the spirit of cultivation working through the march of history ever enlarging its hold on human society; Habermas in the 20th century sees is as inherent in the very nature of communications as an indispensables social praxis. By contrast, many present-day writers invest social consensus not with confidence, but with hope.

Rescher argues that abandonment of consensus is impossible, and defends pluralism in cognitive and social theory against dogmatic uniformity, and indicating that in the face of differing views, it is still appropriate to take a committed and definite position. Pluralism should not allow people to fall into the trap of "relativistic indifferentism." He emphasizes that, if natural and ration- al diversity cannot be escaped, "a sensibly managed social system should be so designed that a general harmony of constructive interaction can prevail despite diversity.. [and] that different can be accommodated short of conflict This requires acquiescence in difference ... and respect for the autonomy of other." 1

Given that "the truth is one," one might think that reaching the truth would automatically produce consensus, but Rescher underlines the problem of connecting the truth to consensus by reversing the question, asking if we achieve consensus, can we be sure concerning the truth about which the consensus has been achieved? As he rightfully says, "The appeal of a consensus approach to truth is easy to understand. But its workability is something else." He reaches the conclusion that "consensus is thus no highway to truth, and no substitute for an objective criteriology," although it may be a useful epistemological instrument. Rescher calls attention to the fact that "the realization of a consensus among inquiries requires extraordinarily unusual conditions - conditions of a special and particular sort which are not in general met in the difficult circumstances of an imperfect world." Thus, "The empirical basis of our factual knowledge is bound to engender a variety of cognitive positions through the variation of experience here on earth." Accordingly, Rescher emphasizes: "the pluralism that a sensible empiricism engenders in the light of such variable experiential conditions is rationally justified. The unavailability of consensus and the inescability of pluralism are realities of the life of reason.

Such an inevitable cognitive pluralism should not, however, be construed as encouraging indifference, nor should it put the faith of any believer at risk, since "one can certainly combine a relativistic pluralism of possible alternatives with a monistic position regarding ideal rationality and a firm and reasoned commitment to the standards intrinsic of one's own position. ' 2

Political pluralism holds that power and authority should not be monopolized by a single group, order, or organization, and that all citizens should be allowed to compete legitimately or to cooperate. If pluralism is unavoidably determined in cognitive matters, it is more essential when it comes to natural-born differences. Pluralism in religion recognizes the multiplicity of religious groups, and the rights of belief, expression, assembly, and legit mate activity for every individual, for each religious group within the group and for the group as a whole. Unless human under- standing and cooperation supersede both inborn and acquired differences, "holocausts" and "ethnic cleansings" will continue, and on a global scale will breed either ceaseless conflict or self- imposed isolation. Multiethnic countries may always face the horrors of civil war, terrorism, or secession, which cripple the country and pressure the whole world. When pluralism becomes a conventional national and universal principle, inborn and acquired differences will enrich the intellectual, moral and material assets of humankind through constructive interactions from all parties.

The divine messages from "the Lord of All-Being" (The Quran 1:2) can be invaluable in conducting their followers toward a universal pluralism. However, because parallel texts in the divine sources may sometimes seem to differ because they originally responded to different circumstances, the believing masses may fail to understand them in their entirety. Instead of making a distinction between the general principle and the particular situation, they may be inclined for individual or collective reasons in given circumstances to adapt chauvinistic and confrontational attitudes. Hermeneutics should provide the proper interpretation of God's message in its entirety there by protecting believers from distorting divine guidance through that kind of selectivity and one-sided-ness, that creates a false impression of exclusiveness and generates unethical behavior, discrimination and injustice.



Dr. Fathi Osman is a retired professor of Islamic Studies and has taught in several universities in Muslims World and the West. Among these universities are Al-Azhar University in Egypt, Houran University in Algeria, Ibn Saud University in Saudi Arabia, International Islamic University in Malaysia, Temple University, USC, and Georgetown University in America. He is also author of several books.

The above essay has been taken from his book "Contemporary Issues: An Islamic Perspective"

Notes:

1. Rescher, Nicholas, Pluralism: Against the Demand for onsensus, Clarenden Press: Oxford, 1993, p.1-3

2. Ibid., p.45-6, 52, 76-8, 109

by : Dr. Fathi Osman

Choosing Your Dream Career

I got it from articlesbase.com

The path to finding the career of your dreams can sometimes feel so daunting. To make matters worse, it can seem that while you struggle to figure out just what it is you want to do, others have the good fortune of recognizing and living out their dreams everyday.

But rest assured that these people are by far in the minority. So if you're a part of the majority and are trying to figure out how to do what you absolutely love - or even figure out what you love - there are ways you can get this done. Let's look at ways you can move toward settling into your dream career ...

Look at What Sparks Your Interests

Okay, this is going to take a lot of nerve on your part, but if you want to find your dream career, you're going to have to go after what you like. Scary, right? You've spent so much of your life doing what others have wanted you to do that it's hard to believe that you are actually allowed to do what is interesting to you. But you are.

Think about it, there are people making a living playing their favorite instrument, dressing up in makeup and "clowning around" or going the traditional route of joining the ranks of Corporate America - and you can do it too. The main way for you to accomplish this goal is to take note of the projects you absolutely love then explore ways to turn that love into a tangible career.

Take Personality Tests

This may sound like an unorthodox route to take, but if you really want to tap into a career that suites you specifically, there are tests you can take to help you determine, based on your interests, what careers would be best suited for you. Two tests you can take online are the Keirsey Temperament Sorter and Ansir Self-Perception tests.

The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is the most widely-used personality test in the world. By looking at your temperament, communication and action characteristics, it helps you determine your organization, career, and personal development attributes. The Ansir Self-Perception test is another personality test that is widely used. It was created to help you identify your dominant strengths and innate potential so that you can quickly move toward what best suits your personality. Both of these tests work well to give you insight into aspects of your personality that you may not have been aware of. But most importantly, they help you correlate those personality traits with various career options, helping to make finding your dream career a little easier.

Try Temporary Work

A third way that you can make strides toward your dream career is by taking on temporary work. Whether you're linking up with the traditional temporary agency for clerical work, or one that focuses on specific professions, this is a great way to test the waters of different careers without having to commit permanently to any.

The more you're willing to get out there and search, the more likely you are to find what it is you really love. So don't be afraid to go after your dream job. You may find it to be the best decision you've ever made.

by : Heather Eagar

Lose 5 Pounds in 1 Week

I got this article from articlesbase.com, hope we learned it

Are you, just like I was, misled by the eye-catching headlines about diets that says – Lose X pounds in little or no time? Of course you are, but why? Does it make any sense to believe that you could lose 10 pounds of fat in a week when you know that it can’t be done, at least not in a healthy way?

In this article I will show you that there actually are ways to lose weight fast but that it is not healthy for you. We could make a deal, well, it is you that have to make a deal with yourself. I will show you a method that guarantees a weight loss of at least 5 pounds per week in the healthiest way (not meaning that it is healthy but better than lots of other diets) and you will also learn why a superfast weight loss is dangerous to your health and the do’s and don’ts in fast weight loss.

First, as promised, the fast weight loss diet: This diet is composed to speed up your metabolism and it must be followed exactly. You may not use any spices except salt and peppers. It is important to remember to drink a lot of water, preferably water that is isotonic, meaning that it has added minerals that make it chemically look like you body fluids. To give this diet a boost be sure to do some cardio exercising to speed up the fat burning process.

Here is the menu:

Day 1:
Breakfast: ½ grapefruit, 1 toast (no butter), 2 teaspoons of peanut-butter
Lunch: 5 fl oz of tuna-fish, 1 toast.
Dinner: 3 oz beef (lean), 10 fl oz green beans, 10 fl oz beetroot, 1 small apple, 10 fl oz vanilla ice-cream

Day 2:
Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, 1 toast, ½ banana
Lunch: 10 fl oz cottage cheese, 5 salty crackers
Dinner: 2 hot dogs, 10 fl oz broccoli, 5 fl oz carrots, 5 fl oz banana, 5 fl oz vanilla ice-cream

Day 3:
Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, 1 toast
Lunch: 5 slices of cheddar-cheese, 5 salty crackers, 1 small apple
Dinner: 10 fl oz tuna-fish(conserved in water), 10 fl oz beetroot, 10 fl oz cauliflower, 5 fl oz honey melon, 5 fl oz vanilla ice-cream.

Like mentioned before it is very important to follow this diet like it is written above, if it is altered in any way it may not work for you.

Now you will learn why this diet is not healthy. First of all it makes you lose weight faster than the body can burn fat. Even if you drink a lot, the weight loss will consist of 20% fat, 40% water and 40% lean muscle. So let’s say that you lost 5 pounds, according to the percentage above you lost 1 pound of fat, 2 pounds of water weight and 2 pounds of lean muscle. Did you want to lose that much muscle? Probably not. All of the diets making you lose more than 1-2 pounds per week will burn your muscle mass for energy.

Now, why is that? The body saves the fat stored in your body for a rainy day (starvation period) and if you are on a diet and don’t exercise and use your muscle to the fullest extent your body figures that the muscle is not necessary to save and it will start using it for energy.

The diet above could be executed once a week but it will not give you a long-lasting weight loss. To lose weight for good you have to compose your menu to have the right amount of protein, the right kinds of fat and some great carbs. Those three nutrients cover our total calorie intake. To be a successful dieter(meaning that the fat is burnt and not the muscle) you should reduce your calorie intake by 10-20% and increase your calorie consumption, and how do you do that? Well, you have to start exercising and do some weight-lifting.

Now you know how to lose weight fast (I guarantee that the menu above works) so stop looking for any more fast weight loss diets. You also know why a fast weight loss is only a temporary weight loss and most important, you know that there are no shortcuts to get rid of those extra pounds. It is really a really easy equation: (Calorie intake) – (Calorie burnt) = weight loss/gain. Simple? Yes! But it is not that easy to achieve because it requires some fundamental change of attitude to foods, exercise and body.

If you decides to go on the diet explained, do so as a life-saver for now, but stop procrastinating and start to lose weight the right way after this panic-fast weight loss.

This article is merely an introduction, but if you are still reading you have taken the first steps towards a healthier lifestyle.

by : Jennifer Olsson

Internet Business

I got from articlecity.com, hope we can use to learn from it.

With the right guidance, an Internet business can start generating income almost immediately. A home internet business can be very successful for people who have the dedication, skills and patience to await agradual increase in business and income. There are several ways how an internet business can be started. However, no matter which internet business is being initiated, it won't make an impact at first.

The start up costs for an internet home business are next to nothing compared to the offline world of business start ups. In fact it is a lot more simple to start and grow a business on the internet. Of course you need some knowledge to begin your internet home business enterprise. But you don't need a "Bacc" to do business on the web.

All you need is some computer knowledge and some internet marketing basis and a good dose of determination.

Here is some basic tips on how to start an internet home business.

== 1.Write Your Business Goals ==

It is important to set goals and objectives and then take action to accomplish them. This will be your Business Plan.

Here Are Some questions you should ask yourself:

- Why do I want to start up an Internet Home Business?

- What product or service can I provide?

- Do I have the knowledge and expertise to provide this service?

- Do I know enough about the competition?

- Where will my customers come from?

Take the time to write down your questions and answers and thoroughly research your chosen market.

== 2. Choose A Product or Service To Sell ==

On the internet you can find hundreds of product or services to sell.

You can sell your own product by creating your own, or purchasing resale rights or being an affiliate with a good internet company.

Don't put your personal gains first. Make sure that the product will deliver what it promises. When you promote a product that leaves the buyer dissatisfied, you' ll only be ruining your business. So sell solutions and the money will come.

== 3. Business Domain Name ==

One important first step is to choose the best domain name you can. Keep it as short and simple as possible.

Think of domain name like " Google " or " Yahoo ". They are short and easy to remember.

I know that some people say to use keyword in you're domain name. But if you choose " Internet Business " there is million of site with this term.

So are you going to use for example "AprofitableInternethomebusiness.com" it might be a nice name but it is too long and not simple.

== 4. Your Business Web Site ==

Having A good business website is essential to succeed with an internet home business.

Here is the thing you have to plan to build your website

A) Decide on the website design (color schemes, buttons, special effects etc). However, you may have a preference for a certain color or look. To help you choose a design, you may wish to check out other people's websites or work with your web designer's pre-set templates.

(b) The content. There are many items you may wish to include on your website. The most common ones include:

1 Products And Services

2. Contact Information

3. Pricing

4. Testimonials

5. Frequently Asked Questions

6. Resources & Articles

7. Refund Policy

8. Privacy Policy

9. About Us

10. Site Map

11. Useful Links

12. On-line store

== 5. Choose a Web Hosting Company ==

What is a Web hosting Company?

A Web host is a company that provides server space for your website. You can think of a web host as a commercial building. The web host provides space for your website just as a commercial building provides space for your shop or office.

What are some of the things you should look for when choosing a web host? The criteria for choosing a free web host and a commercial web hosting solution are slightly different although they do overlap.

A) Web Space

Does it have enough space for your needs? If you envisage that you will expand your site eventually, you might want to cater for future expansion. Most sites use less than 5MB of web space. Indeed, at one time, one of my other web sites, thefreecountry.com, used less than 5MB of space although it had about 150 pages on the site. Your needs will vary, depending on how many pictures your pages use, whether you need sound files, video clips, etc.

B) Bandwidth allotment

Nowadays, many free web hosts impose a limit on the amount of traffic your website can use per day and per month. This means that if the pages (and graphic images) on your site is loaded by visitors beyond a certain number of times per day (or per month), the web host will disable your web site (or perhaps send you a bill).

It is difficult to recommend a specific minimum amount of bandwidth, since it depends on how you design your site, your target audience, and the number of visitors you're able to attract to your site. In general, 100MB traffic per month is too little for anything other than your personal home page and 1-3GB traffic per month is usually adequate for a simple site just starting out. Your mileage, however, will vary.

C) Reliability and speed of access

This is extremely important. A site that is frequently down will lose a lot of visitors. If someone finds your site on the search engine, and he tries to access it but find that it is down, he'll simply go down the list to find another site. Slow access is also very frustrating for visitors (and for you too, when you upload your site).

How do you know if a host is reliable or fast? If you can't get feedback from anyone, one way is to try it out yourself over a period of time, both during peak as well as non-peak hours. After all, it is free, so you can always experiment with it.

== 6. Shopping Cart ==

No e-commerce website is complete without a secure shopping cart. There are many shopping cart options. Many e-commerce business owners make the mistake of using Pay Pal to accept payments, which immediately tells visitors that their company is very small and not professional.

A good alternative to Pay Pal is a remotely hosted shopping cart. Remote shopping carts take the burden of maintaining security and credit card numbers off your shoulder and places the responsibility on another company. Remote shopping carts can usually be configured to look similar to your website.

In fact, your customers may not realize that they have left your website to place an order. The remote shopping cart provider will give you the HTML to add to your website. When your potential customer clicks on the Buy Now button, he or she is taken to the remote shopping cart to enter the personal information and payment details.

Depending on your choice of a shopping cart, you may or may not need a merchant account to process transactions. Some shopping cart services allow you to use their merchant accounts for a slightly higher fee.

== 7. How To Promote Your Business Website ==

Write An Article: Write an article promoting your site or product. Write an article on a hot topic many people would like more information on and submit it to various e-zines. How do you find out what's hot? Visit a few of the message boards and see what questions are raised often.

Search Engines: Thousands of search engines exist on the Internet. But, you should only be concerned with the top eight or ten. You should manually submit to the top eight: Alta Vista, Excite, Yahoo, Hotbot, Lycos, Northern Light, Infoseek, Webcrawler, and use one of the FREE automatic submission services like *SubmitPlus* to handle the smaller search engines.

Directories: List your site here too. Directories organize sites into categories. Good examples of Directories: Yahoo, Magellan.

Ezine Listings: If you have an e-zine to promote along with your site. Why not list it with one of the many e-zine services on the Internet. E-zine Library is a good one to start with.

Free Classifieds: You will have to submit to a ton of FREE classifieds to get any significant traffic. Why? You are competing with thousands of other Ads. Remember to work on your Ad copy and make it attention grabbing. Go to one of the popular search engines, type in Free Classifieds, and surf to the top 20 classified sites for beginners.

Often, these sites will lead you to several other Free Classified Sites. In response you'll get a stack of e-mail thanking you for listing your site while barking their promo. Best to get one of those free email accounts. Hot mail is a good one. So is Yahoo mail.

FFA Pages. Free For All's are worth a try. Be prepared for a avalanche of e-mails from FFA web site owners. If your title is attention grabbing you will get a few clicks. Good Attention grabbing headlines, FREE, Limited Time, Limited Offer, Proven, Secrets, and many more if you brainstorm. Check out the sales literature delivered to you by regular mail. Check and see what headlines grab your attention. And why? Incorporate them into your Online Ads.

Tell Friends And Family: If your friends, family, acquaintances, have an Internet Connection, e-mail them telling them about your new website, and ask them to visit often. Offer a FREE incentive if they tell a few friends to surf over. Perhaps, a FREE Ad in your e-zine.

Leave Business Cards or Flyers: Leave these promo pieces with small businesses in your community. All relevant contact information; email address, URL, telephone number, should be included. Offer a freebie to anyone who visits your site. A free e-book, report.

== 8. TRACK YOUR MARKETING ==

Here are some questions to consider:

1) How many unique visitors come to your website?

2) How many visitors opt-in to your mailing list or order your products?

3) When you send emails, how many are opened and how many people actually click through to your website?

The reason these question are so important is because if you don't know these stats, you won't know what to improve. It could be different things; like your headlines, the content or navigation on your website. You won't know until you start checking all your marketing offer.

== 9. YOUR BUSINESS IN CONCLUSION ==

Think of your first six months primarily as a training period. Don't expect large earnings until after you've educated yourself.

Even the most dynamic, highest-earning entrepreneurs in the industry took MONTHS to begin seeing an income of any real significance with their internet home business.

Don't be a negative thinker and don't let the negative attitudes of others (even if they're family members, friends, or peers) influence you.

All the great men and women in history had to overcome the naysayers who said it couldn't be done and then went out and did it. Think for yourself!

As long as you think positive and focused on your internet home business target you re on the right way to a rich life, which is directed by you and it will lead you to tremendous success and personnal satisfaction.

Building an Internet business can be very rewarding when you start making money online out of the comforts of your own home. If you've always wanted to be self-employed and be your own boss. Then having an internet business will open this up for you. You just need to work on it.

by : Aaron Herman

Internet Browser

I got it from aticlecity.com, hope we can learn from it.

With Internet Explorer 8 now available, can Microsoft hope to retain market dominance over fierce open source rivals such as Mozilla's Firefox or the feature packed Opera web browser. Can history give us a clue to what the future of web browsers/browsing might hold? How did Netscape Navigator go from having a dominant 89.36% market share of all web browsers in 1996 and yet only 3.76% by mid 1999?

Let us take a journey that will begin long before even the intellectual conception of Internet Explorer, that will glance at its long defeated rivals, examine the current browsers available and will end with a prediction of what the future of browsing will offer us – and which browser(s) will still be around to offer it.

People often think that Internet Explorer has been the dominant web browser since the golden age of the internet began. Well for a very long time now it has indeed been the most popular browser and at times been almost totally unrivalled. This was mainly a result of it being packaged free with Microsoft Windows, in what some would later call a brutal monopolisation attempt by Microsoft. The last few years however have heralded the arrival of new, possibly superior browsers. Mozilla's Firefox has been particularly successful at chipping away at Explorers market dominance. So where did it all begin, and why were Microsoft ever allowed to have a hundred percent market dominance?

Origins

The truth is they never did have total dominance, but at times they have come very close. Microsoft actually entered the Browser Battle quite late on. Infact a man named Neil Larson is credited to be one of the originators of internet browsers, when in 1977 he created a program – The TRS-80 - that allowed browsing between “sites” via hypertext jumps. This was a DOS program and the basis of much to come. Slowly other browsers powered by DOS and inspired by the TRS 80 were developed. Unfortunately they were often constricted by the limitations of the still fairly young internet itself.

In 1988, Peter Scott and Earle Fogel created a simple, fast browser called Hytelnet, which by 1990 offered users instant logon and access to the online catalogues of over five thousand libraries around the world – an exhilarating taste of what the internet, and web browsers, would soon be able to offer.

In 1989 the original World Wide Web was born. Using a NeXTcube computer, Tim Berners-Lee created a web browser that would change how people used the internet forever. He called his browser the WorldWideWeb(http://www., which is still likely to sound familiar to internet users today. It was a windowed browser capable of displaying simple style sheet, capable of editing sites and able to download and open any file type supported by the NeXTcube.

In 1993 the first popular graphical browser was released. Its name was Mosaic and it was created by Marc Andreessen and Eric Bina. Mosaic could be run on both Unix, and very importantly, on the highly popular Microsoft Windows operating system (incidentally it could also be used on Amiga and Apple computers). It was the first browser on Windows that could display graphics/pictures on a page where there was also textual content. It is often cited as being responsible for triggering the internet boom due to it making the internet bearable for the masses. (It should be noted that the web browser Cello was the first browser to be used on Windows – but it was non graphical and made very little impact compared to Mosaic).

The Browser Wars - Netscape Navigator versus Internet Explorer

Mosaic's decline began almost as soon as Netscape Navigator was released (1994). Netscape Navigator was a browser created by Marc Andreessen, one of the men behind Mosaic and co-founder of Netscape Communications Corporation. Netscape was unrivalled in terms of features and usability at the time. For example, one major change from previous browsers was that it allowed surfers to see parts of a website before the whole site was downloaded. This meant that people did not have to wait for minutes simply to see if the site they were loading was the actual one the were after, whilst also allowing them to read information on the site as the rest of it downloaded. By 1996 Netscape had almost 90% market dominance, as shown below.

Market Share Comparisons of Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer from 1996 to 1998

....................Netscape.......IE
October 1998..........64%.........32.2%
April 1998............70%.........22.7%
October 1997..........59.67%......15.13%
April 1997............81.13%......12.13%
October 1996..........80.45%......12.18%
April 1996............89.36%.......3.76%

In these two years Netscape clearly dominated the internet browser market, but a new browser named Internet Explorer was quickly gaining ground on it.

Microsoft released their own browser (ironically based on the earlier Mosaic browser which was created by one of the men now running Netscape), clearly worried about Netscape's dominance. It was not so much the worry that it would have a 100% market share of internet browsers on their Windows operating system, but more the worry that browsers would soon be capable of running all types programs on them. That would mean foregoing the need for an actual operating system, or at the most only a very basic one would be needed. This in turn would mean Netscape would soon be able to dictate terms to Microsoft, and Microsoft were not going to let that happen easily. Thus in August 1995, Internet Explorer was released.

By 1999 Internet explorer had captured an 89.03% market share, whilst Netscape was down to 10.47%. How could Internet Explorer make this much ground in just two years? Well this was down to two things really. The first, and by far the most important was that Microsoft bundled Internet Explorer in with every new copy of Windows, and as Windows was used by about 90% of the computer using population it clearly gave them a huge advantage. Internet Explorer had one other ace it held over Netscape – it was much better. Netscape Navigator was stagnant and had been for some time. The only new features it ever seemed to introduce were often perceived by the public as beneficial for Netscape's parent company rather than Netscape's user base. (i.e., features that would help it monopolise the market). Explorer, on the other hand, was given much attention by Microsoft. Regular updates and excellent usability plus a hundred million dollar investment would prove too much for Netscape Explorer.

2000 – 2005

These years were fairly quiet in the Battle of the Browsers. It seemed as if Internet Explorer had won the war and that nobody could even hope to compete with it. In 2002/2003 it had attained about 95% of the market share – about the time of IE 5/6. With over 1000 people working on it and millions of dollars being poured in, few people had the resources to compete. Then again, who wanted to compete? It was clearly a volatile market, and besides that everybody was content with Internet Explorer. Or were they? Some people saw faults with IE – security issues, incompatibility issues or simply bad programming. Not only that, it was being shoved down peoples throats. There was almost no competition to keep it in line or to turn to as an alternative. Something had to change. The only people with the ability and the power to compete with Microsoft took matters into their own hands.

Netscape was now supported by AOL. A few years prior, just after they had lost the Browser Wars to Microsoft, they had released the coding for Netscape into the public domain. This meant anybody could develop their own browser using the Netscape skeleton. And people did. Epiphany, Galeon and Camino, amongst others, were born out of Netscape's ashes. However the two most popular newcomers were called Mozilla and Firefox.

Mozilla was originally an open sourced project aimed to improve the Netscape browser. Eventually it was released as Netscape Navigator 7 and then 8. Later it was released as Mozilla 1.0.

Mozilla was almost an early version on another open source browser, Firefox. With it being an open source the public were able to contribute to it - adding in what features it needed, the programming it required and the support it deserved. The problems people saw in Internet Explorer were being fixed by members of the open sourced browser community via Firefox. For instance, the many security issues IE 6 had were almost entirely fixed in the very first release of Firefox. Microsoft had another fight on their hands.

2005 – Present

Firefox was the browser that grew and grew in these years. Every year capturing an even larger market share percentage than before. More user friendly than most of its rivals along with high security levels and arguably more intelligent programming helped its popularity. With such a large programming community behind it, updates have always been regular and add on programs/features are often released. It prides itself on being the peoples browser. It currently has a 28.38% market share.

Apple computers have had their own browser since the mid 1990's – Safari - complete with its own problems, such as (until recently) the inability to run Java scripts. However most Apple users seemed happy with it and a version capable of running on Windows has been released. It has had no major competitor on Apple Macs, and as such has largely been out of the Browser Wars. It currently holds a 2.54% market share and is slowly increasing.

Internet Explorer's market share has dropped from over 90% to around 75%, and is falling. It will be interesting to see what Microsoft will attempt to regain such a high market share.

Opera currently holds 1.07%.

Mozilla itself only has a 0.6% market share these days.

The Future of Web Browsing

Web browsers come and go. It is the nature of technology (if such a term can be used), to supplant inferior software in very short periods of time. It is almost impossible for a single company to stay ahead of the competition for long. Microsoft have the advantage of being able to release IE with any Windows using PC. That covers over 90% of the market. They also have the advantage of unprecedented resources. They can compete how they wish for as long as they wish. So there is no counting IE out of the future of web browsing.

Safari is in a similar position, being easily the most popular Mac web browser. Its long term survival is dependant upon Apple and the sale of their computers.

These are the only two browsers that are almost guaranteed another five years of life, at least. Firefox may seem like another candidate, but the public is fickle, and one bad release, or if it seriously lags behind the new Internet Explorer 8 for long, could easily see its popularity quickly descend into virtual oblivion.

However, it seems likely community driven browsers, such as Mozilla and Firefox, will be the only types of browser capable of competing with the wealthy internet arm of Microsoft in the near future.

As for web browsing itself, will it change any time soon? Well it already has for some online communities. For example, if you want to buy clothes you could try entering an online 'world' creating an online virtual You to go from 'shop to shop' with, looking at products and trying/buying what you see. Some 'worlds' allow you to recreate yourself accurately including weight and height and then try on things apparel such as jeans to give you an idea of how you would look in that particular item.

Will 'worlds' like this destroy normal web browsers such as IE ? - It seems unlikely. Traditional web browsers provide such freedom and ease of access that it is hard to see any other alternative taking over. However they are part of the new, 'thinking out of the box' wave of alternatives that some people will find attractive, and really who knows what the future will bring.

by : Nicholas C Smith