Friday, January 1, 2010

Federal student loan consolidation

Federal student loan consolidation In the United States both the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and the Federal Direct Student Loan Program (FDLP) include consolidation loans that allow students to consolidate Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, and Federal Perkins Loans into one single debt. This results in reduced monthly repayments and a longer term for the loan. Unlike the other loans, consolidation loans have a fixed interest rate for the life of the loan.[1][2][3]. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_student_loan_consolidation

touchscreen

A touchscreen is a display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touch or contact to the display of the device by a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus. However, if the object sensed is active, as with a light pen, the term touchscreen is generally not applicable. The ability to interact directly with a display typically indicates the presence of a touchscreen. The touchscreen has two main attributes. First, it enables one to interact with what is displayed directly on the screen, where it is displayed, rather than indirectly with a mouse or touchpad. Secondly, it lets one do so without requiring any intermediate device, again, such as a stylus that needs to be held in the hand. Such displays can be attached to computers or, as terminals, to networks. They also play a prominent role in the design of digital appliances such as the personal digital assistant (PDA), satellite navigation devices, mobile phones, and video games Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Mobile Computing

Mobile computing is a generic term describing one's ability to use technology while moving, as opposed to portable computer s, which are only practical for use while deployed in a stationary configuration. Many types of mobile computers have been introduced since the 1990 s, including the: - Wearable computer - Personal digital assistant / Enterprise digital assistant - Smartphone - Carputer - Ultra-Mobile PC Mobile internet access is generally slower than direct cable connections, using technologies such as GPRS and EDGE , and more recently 3G networks. These networks are usually available within range of commercial cell phone towers. Higher speed wireless LANs are inexpensive, but have very limited range. - Security standards When working mobile one is dependent on public networks, requiring careful use of VPNs. - Power consumption When a power outlet or portable generator is not available, mobile computers must rely entirely on battery power. Combined with the compact size of many mobile devices, this often means unusually expensive batteries must be used to obtain the necessary battery life. - Transmission interferences Weather, terrain, and the range from the nearest signal point can all interfere with signal reception. Reception in tunnels, some buildings, and rural areas is often poor. - Potential health hazards More car accidents are related to drivers who were talking through a mobile device. Cell phones may interfere with sensitive medical devices. There are allegations that cell phone signals may cause health problems. - Human interface with device Screens and keyboards tend to be small, which may make them harder to use. Alternate input methods such as speech or handwriting recognition require training. 1 GH Forman, J Zahorjan - Computer, 1994 - doi.ieeecomputersociety.org 2 David P. Helmbold, "A dynamic disk spin-down technique for mobile computing", citeseer.ist.psu.edu, 1996 Portable computing devices There are several categories of portable computing devices that can run on batteries but are not usually classified as laptops: portable computers, keyboardless tablet PCs, Internet tablets, PDAs, Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs) and smartphones. Source:http://mobile.wikipedia.org/transcode.php?go=Mobile+computing&PHPSESSID=6898155f16ed44a73fa74b07f28bd3e6