US Advanced Technology

Learning management systems can be very complex. Viable learning management systems are SCORM/AICC compliant. In this article, I will provide a basic explanation of the SCORM/AICC standard used in the marketplace today by many learning management systems.

What is a learning management system?

As a refresher from a previous article, learning management systems (LMSs) are web-based software application platforms used to plan, implement, and assess learning processes related to online and offline training administration and performance management. LMSs allow an instructor to create and deliver content, monitor learners participation, and assess student performance. LMSs also allow learners to use interactive features such as threaded discussions, web conferencing, discussion forums, and other methods of communication.

When learning management systems are SCORM/AICC compliant, what does that mean?

SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model, which is a set of specifications that, when applied to course content, produces small, reusable e-Learning objects. A result of the Department of Defense’s Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) initiative, SCORM-compliant courseware elements are easily merged with other compliant elements to produce a highly modular repository of training materials.

AICC standards apply to the development, delivery, and evaluation of training courses that are delivered via technology, i.e., more often than not, through learning management systems. AICC stands for the Aviation Industry CBT [Computer-Based Training] Committee (AICC), which is an international association of technology-based training professionals that develops training guidelines for the aviation industry.

What is the Advance Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative?

ADL is a government-sponsored organization that was started to develop specifications and promote the adoption and spread of e-Learning. They are the group responsible for developing the ADL Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM). SCORM parameters combine elements of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), AICC, and Information Management Standard (IMS) specifications into a consolidated document that can be easily implemented. SCORM-compliant courseware elements are easily merged with other compliant elements to produce a highly modular repository of training materials that allows suppliers and content developers to implement e-Learning specifications in a consistent and reusable way.

In upcoming articles, we will discuss more about the SCORM/AICC standard as it is related to your learning management systems selection and other issues surrounding the SCORM/AICC standards as associated to e-Learning.

More Information on the ADL and SCORM/AICC Standards

More information on the ADL and the SCORM/AICC standards can be found at their web site http://www.adlnet.org.

Remote IT Support Services – The Key To Growing Your Business!

These days, nearly every company, both on and offline has a computer system of some type. It is nearly impossible to run an effective, successful business without one. But what do you do if your computer network isn’t running properly, needs software installed, or simply crashes? We all know that time is money. If your network goes down, you can measure lost time in terms of $$. This is why every company needs to have access to Remote IT Support Services.

Remote IT support services is a custom made and effective solution for all types of firms, both-on-and-offline. It is a very efficient and cost effective way to get your computer network, or an individual desktop PC, up and running if there is ever a problem.

In today’s wired world, remote support services are no longer an option. They are absolutely essential!

Remote IT Support Services: Key Offerings

With core remote support services, you can basically get two key offerings. they are:

1. Remote support Help Desk services

Rapid response remote help desk services ensures increased company production and effectiveness. Remote help desk services offer you one point of contact and can help reduce technology costs, which are often up to 50% of company overhead!

Help desk service specialists remotely diagnose IT problems in real time with the user, utilizing modern remote management facilities. They walk the user through basic troubleshooting techniques – often the problem can be fixed on the spot.

2. Remote Infrastructure Managed Services

Another aspect of remote IT support services is IT infrastructure and application services management. These services are performed by a skilled team with the use of advanced system, network monitoring and management tools.

You can get Remote IT infrastructure support from an experienced, trained, dedicated staff who monitor your IT infrastructure constantly and effectively. You must take care in selecting a service provider in order to get the most for your money in this area.

Benefits of Remote IT Support Services

With remote IT support services, you can expect to increase your productivity and efficiency. Instead of waiting for a service technician to come to your business location, your IT support company simply accesses your server by dialing in and then can either take control of your system, or navigate through it to accurately diagnose problems.

In most cases, software/hardware fixes and patches can be sent to your computer network remotely. For small businesses, many IT support firms offer a basic performance and monitoring package for network servers.

Remote IT support services offer you cost effectiveness and help you to focus on your core business, which is serving your customers. You can’t do that if you are waiting for the IT guy to show up all the time.

Fast and accurate problem resolution augments customer satisfaction; that in turn increases customer loyalty, which ultimately impacts your company’s bottom line.

Chris Meacham is an MCSE and Novell certified IT professional, with over 10 years experience. His company helps small businesses implement innovative IT solutions to increase network performance and efficiency. For immediate information on how to make your business more profitable through technology, visit:

http://www.nowitworks.com

While it may seem nothing much changes, a lot IS changing, and often right under our noses. Time-saving technology is always at work to help us complete tasks at home and on the job even faster than ever.

When we save time doing a task that used to take us longer, we suddenly have more time to do that task even better OR switch our attention to an entirely different task.

Just think how you did business a few years ago. Instead of answering email, you probably spent much of your day talking on the phone. Now clients organize their ideas more efficiently to contact you with convenient email. You still spend time working with clients, but I’ll bet it’s not nearly as much as you spent in the “telephone only” days of the early 1990s.

Think about how technology has changed life in the home. Eighty years ago people didn’t have all the high power vacuum cleaners we have today. Homes were a lot dirtier than they are now (despite how Grandma may remember them:-). When vacuum cleaners became affordable and a feature of every home, people started doing a LOT more housework. Believe it or not, historians tell us the average homemaker spends far more time cleaning than she/he did 80 years ago.

That’s why I’m so excited about the new lines of “robot” technologies we’re starting to see. Actually, this technology has been lurking in the wings for years, but has only recently become advanced enough to operate trouble-free at an affordable cost.

Robot vacuum cleaners can now automatically clean your home, working all day and all night if needed. They don’t complain and never need to be paid. Furniture, kid’s toys, and pets don’t confound them, they just go around.

Equally exciting are new developments in robotic lawn mowers. If you’re one of millions of Americans who own a large yard or endure uncomfortably hot summers, you’ll immediately see the value of this technology. A Robotic lawn mower can cut your grass with professional quality, handing anything from a small yard to a large five acre estate. Reliability, energy efficiency, and overall convenience have all improved, making this a time-saving technology whose time has come.

Take the long look at technology in your life. Realize that time-savers let you do your job better and can free up more time to do new activities.

MG-Shadow: computer monitoring software a watchdog protecting your interests.

About 64% of all on-line teens say that do things online that they wouldn’t want their parents to know about.
11% of all adult internet users visit dating websites and spend their time in chatrooms. Some of the classify their behavior as cyber affair
More then 60% of employees use company PC for the personal needs during their work hours as long as 80 minutes per day. Do the math. It’s an essential time and money waste

That’s why today the question of controlling the internet usage is on the rise. The best way to verify the proper usage of your PC is to use the software known as monitoring, spy or surveillance software, developed to record user’s activities on a computer. Such software can be easily purchased and downloaded from vendor’s websites. But sometimes the word spy appeals to our ethical issues. Can such software be classified as spyware?

As soon as we ask this question we might have the reason to use spy software. And, first of all we should ask ourselves what do we need it for: to protect or to attack. If we have good intentions, all means are good. The thing is that any tool can be used for very different purposes. Imagine what can be done with bread knife other then slicing bread for family dinner. We shouldn’t be afraid of a weapon we should be afraid of a man carrying it.

MG WAY CORP launched its pilot version of computer monitoring software MG-Shadow last year. Though there is a big number of monitoring programs on the market, MG-Shadow can be easily classified as one of the fastest, stable and very easy to use programs. And coming on the market recently it has already gained its popularity.

MG-Shadow’s features that highlight it from the crowd of competitors are:
Advanced scheduler which gives you a possibility to run the Program at specific periods of time on your wish and put it in a “sleep mode” when monitoring is not necessary;
Built-in content filter which prevents users from using and visiting undesirable internet resources;
Mail Manager will send all the information you need in the form of reports to your personal e-mail box;
For your convenience you can watch all the screenshots made by the program using advanced Slideshow mode.
There is no annual or update fees.
And you will also receive 6 powerful bonuses ($300 value) including access to our Investigation Center, that are not available with any other computer monitoring software.
For more info about MG-Shadow or MG WAY COPR contact Max Galitsyn visit www.mg-shadow.com or www.mgwaycorp.com
Press contact Alex Falcon
E-mail: contact@mgwaycorp.com

How to identify Spoof/Phishing emails – Protect yourself from identity theft.

What is a spoof email?

Spoof emails (sometimes also called “Phishing”) are emails that pretend to be from a company or bank. The most common often come from eBay, PayPal, Barclays Bank etc. These emails will then contain a web link, if you click on this link then you will be taken to a login page and asked to enter your details. Most of these scammers go a long way to try and get your details, most spoof emails contain links to identical websites and users are tricked into entering their personal information. If you submit your information through one of these spoof websites then the fraudster has all of your details and can commit crimes using your identity.

How do they get my email address?

You may wonder how the scammers got your address or knew you were a member of a particular bank or institution. Often it is just good luck on the part of the scammers. They normally do not target individuals, but send out thousands of scam emails to randomly generated email addresses, in the hope that just a few will be successful. They also trawl the web for valid addresses they can use, and swap this information with each other. If you have ever posted on an Internet forum or published something on the web, there’s a good chance your address is out there somewhere just waiting to be found. If you have fallen victim before, your address is normally added to a list of ‘easy victims’, and you are likely to then receive even more scams.

How can I identify these emails?

Here are 4 simple tests that you can perform on any email you suspect is a spoof. Your email can only pass the test if it passes ALL FOUR of the tests. If your email passes all of the four tests then you can be 99.9% certain that it is a genuine email. If your email passes all four of the tests then we would also advise you to check the “Other Tips” section just to double check that your email is genuine.

If your email fails

If your email fails JUST ONE of the four tests then the email is a spoof and shouldn’t be replied to and should be deleted immediately from your computer. Even if your email fails the test, I would still advise you to check out the “Other Tips” page for more good ways to spot a spoof email.

If you are still in doubt

Unless you are 100% sure that your email is genuine, DO NOT click on any links within the email. Contact the company in question (See the “reporting a spoof” page) and ask them to confirm if the email is genuine or a spoof.

Test 1 – Who is the email addressed to?

Have a look at how the email addresses you. Most spoofs will say something along the lines of “Dear eBay user”. This is the very first thing you should look for in a spoof email. Any email that doesn’t address you by your name is a spoof. Ebay, PayPal and banks always address you by the name you registered with on their site, they NEVER send out emails saying

“Dear valued customer”, “Dear member” etc.

If your email isn’t addressed to you personally then it is a spoof! If your email is addressed to you then move onto the next test to see if it is a spoof email. Some more advanced spoof messages have started to include your name or email address instead of the generic “Dear member” or “Dear user”. So even if your email were addressed to you I would strongly advise you to carry out the 3 other tests.

Test 2 – Where does the link go?

Most spoof emails will contain a link telling you to verify your details. You can quickly tell if your email is a spoof by hovering your mouse over the link. When your mouse is over the link, look in the bottom left hand corner of your screen and you will see the “link destination”. The destination of a spoof link will usually look something like this:

“http://slp.clinker.net.mx/.sh/.a/index.htm?SignIn&ssPageName=h:h:sin:us”

Compare this with a real eBay link:

http://k2b-bulk.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MyeBaySellingSummary

And you can see the difference. You can easily check if you email is a fake by looking at the first part of the link destination, if the destination is a combination of numbers (102.382.54.23) or a link like the one in my spoof link above then the chances are that your email is a spoof.

Any non-spoof link will contain the name of the company in the first part of the link, eg:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk http://cgi.ebay.com http://cgi.paypal.com

Please note: Some spoof links will contain the words “eBay” or “PayPal” in the final part of the link. These are also spoofs!

All real emails will only contain the company name in the very first part of the link; after http://. If you still aren’t sure if you have a spoof email, move onto the next test.

Test 3 – Who really did send you the email?

This test may seem a little confusing but don’t worry it isn’t as difficult as it looks. What we are going to do is find out where the email came from. Most people don’t know this but you can trace the origin of your emails in most mail programs. To do this we have to view the “FULL message header”, here is how you do this in the following email programs. If your program isn’t listed here please contact your email provider for instructions:

Hotmail 1. Click on “Options” 2. Click on “Mail display settings” 3. The 3rd option can be used to display the header settings, select “Full” from the check boxes 4. Click on “OK” to save your settings

Outlook Express 1. Right click on the email and select “Properties” 2. Select the “Details” tab

Now that we can view the message headers, here is how you identify a spoof:

Look in the part of the header that says “Received From”. If the email has come from anyone other than the sender it’s a spoof. I had a spoof email and performed this test and notice that the email had been sent from a Yahoo account. Obviously a real email from eBay would not have been sent from a Yahoo address!

Test 4 – Click on the link

Only try this if your email has passed the previous 3 tests. Some spoof emails have been known to contain viruses that are activated by clicking on the link. Please ensure that you have a good virus scanner installed on your PC before proceeding. If you have important data on your PC you may also wish to backup that data on a removable backup device.

When you click the link in your email a web browser will open and take you to what looks like a legitimate login page. There are two ways to identify a spoof login page, and I will show you both of them! Have a look in the address bar at the top of the login page. Have a look at the http:// part of the URL. Any genuine login page from eBay, PayPal or your bank WONT start with “http://” it will start with:

“https://”

The “s” in https:// stands for “secure” and is there to show you that you are about to submit data over a secure connection.

Any page not starting with https:// is a spoof. The second difference between the two pages is the padlock icon in the bottom right hand of the screen. Notice that the spoof login page doesn’t have a padlock, and the genuine eBay login page does. This padlock appears to show you that you are about to submit data over a secure connection. If your login page DOESNT have a padlock icon in the bottom corner of the screen then it is a spoof!

Other Tips for spotting Spoofs

1. Punctuation Read your email carefully and look for any spelling mistakes. You can be sure that any genuine emails wont contain simple spelling mistakes.

2. Adverts? Real emails from eBay don’t contain adverts for burger king!

3. Hotmail identity check A new feature in hotmail now warns you if a senderID could not be verified. Any spoof email will contain this warning. (please note that recently I received a genuine email from eBay that contained this warning, so don’t judge an email purely by this method)

4. PIN number Any website asking for your PIN (personal identification number) is a spoof. Do not enter your PIN number! If you have entered and submitted your PIN then contact your bank immediately.

5. Popup boxes Some spoof sites will include popup message boxes like the one below. Genuine sites don’t use popup boxes telling you to enter details.

6. False sense of urgency Most spoof emails will make you think that your account is at threat if you don’t act quickly. This is not the case.

7. eBay Messages Any genuine email sent to you from eBay will also appear in the “My Messages” section of eBay. To access your eBay messages, login to ebay and click on “My eBay”. On the left hand side of the screen you will see a “My Messages” link. Click on this; if the email you received in your inbox isn’t listed there then it is a spoof email.

8. Ignore the email address Ignore the email address that the email was sent from. Almost all spoof emails will appear as if they are from a genuine address. Some of the emails I receive are “from”:

service@paypal.com memberservices@paypal.com awconfirm@ebay.com safeharbour@ebay.com operator_862736743@halifax.com

9. Download the eBay toolbar The eBay toolbar is a great piece of software that can be used to spot spoofs. As soon as you enter a spoof website from eBay or PayPal the toolbar will give you a warning telling you that web page is a spoof. The Ebay toolbar is FREE to download.

Dan Thompson has been creating websites for over 7 years. You can visit his website and receive 6 free e-books, check out the website on http://www.elpassobooks.co.uk