5 reasons why your computer is crashing

Hard disk drives (Hdd).

Quiet often data becomes fragmented. Thus it can be a good idea to defragment the hard disk maybe every few weeks; or even once a month to prevent the Hdd from freezing your computer.

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Go to Start Menu, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter.

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Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are over burden. Get into a regular pattern of housekeeping your Hdd every few months and free some space on it.

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Tip! Open the Windows folder on the C:\ drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free space.

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Simply empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space.

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Your Hdd should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors.

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Go to Start Menu, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, ScanDisk

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Fatal OE / VXD Exceptions.

These are often caused by graphics card problems..

These can be resolved by reducing the resolution of your video display..

Go to Start Menu, Settings, Control Panel, Display, Settings.Slide the screen area bar to the left. Glance at the color settings on the left. High color 16-bit depth is acceptable..

If your computer is freezing often it could be due to your graphics card.

Double check there are no hardware conflicts.. Go to Start Menu, Settings, Control Panel, System, Device Manager,.Select the + next to Display Adapter.

A description of your video card should appear. Highlight it and select Properties. Go to Resources and select each line in the window, looking for a message that says No Conflicts..

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button.

Then search for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message..

Another useful way to resolve video problems is;.

Go to Start Menu, Settings, Control Panel, System, Performance, Graphics -.Move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left..

By far the most common cause of graphics card problems are obselete or faulty drivers.

Look up your graphics card's manufacturer on the internet and download for the most recent driver for model..

Viruses.

If you do not have a Windows start-up Disk on hand, Get one.

Some Viruses attack the boot sector of your hard drive, making it impossible to start.

Nowdays you can use the Windows Operating system Cd that came with your system, but if your oldschool and still have a 3.5" floppy drive, you can create your own start up Disk..

Go to Start Menu, Settings, Control Panel, Add / Remove, Start-up Disk, Create Disk..

Im not going to go into specifics as it's pretty obvious, but you should have some form of Virus protection installed, just be very vigilant and always update your virus signatures; they are installed in a *.DAT file. Your *.DAT files should be updated periodically from your antivirus software website..

Overheating.

Central processing units (CPUs) are equipped with electric cooling fans. If the fan stops or is starting to make a whining noise (ball bearings dying) it may start to overheat and generate a kernel error.

This is a quiet common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they have been designed for..

One solution is to upgrade the fan / heatsink. Another is too simply vaccum / blow out with compressed air the copious amounts of dust clogging the case vents, heatsink fins & motherboard..

CPU problems can be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will reduce performance slightly, but increase stability..

Don't be afraid of cracking open your PC case, its not very difficult usually only 3 or 4 phillips head screws need to be undone to remove the side panel of a tower, or the top of a desktop machine..

Printers.

This ones right out of left field, so I thought Id include it, The action of sending a document to a printer generates a larger data file, often called a postscript file. Generally speaking Printers usually only have a select small amount of memory called the buffer, which can be overloaded by the post script. Printing a large document will also use a decent chunk of CPU power, slowing down overall PC performance.

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Anything unusual throughout your document e.g. new fonts, characters or intricate diagrams, may confuse the printer, causing your PC to crash. The easiest method in solving these frustrating episodes, can be to clear the buffer by simply pulling the plug on the printer for ten seconds.

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So there! 5 potential reasons why your computer is crashing, and what too look out for in the future to prevent these frustrating freezes.

Australian Ports - The 4 Victorian Hubs

Geelong is the largest regional Port in Victoria, the 6th largest in Australia. With a heavy emphasis on bulk cargo it's major import/export commodity includes crude oil, fertilizer, automotive components, grain, steel & wood chips. Shell Refinery, Incitec Pivot, Toyota Tsusho, GrainCorp and One Steel dominate the Port regions of North Shore and Corio.

Portland is a deep water bulk Port positioned somewhat between Melbourne and Adelaide. Once again like its counterpart Geelong, it specializes in agriculture and mining. Whilst it also exports aluminum ingots and livestock.

Hastings specializes in oil, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), unleaded petrol (ULP) & steel. It is located approximately 75km from Melbourne. The discovery of LPG in Bass Strait during the sixties required immediate attention and extra Port facililites were developed shortly after. The following decade the steel industry established itself at Western Port.

Melbourne is the largest container port in Australia, over 40 shipping lines utilize Williamstown and Station pier. During 2007 - 2008 1,050,445 TEU's were imported alone through Melbourne, 727,037 TEU's exported.

For further information;

Department of Transport [online] www.transport.vic.gov.au

Port of Victoria [online] http://www.portofvictoria.com
Wiki Entry [online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmanian_Ports_Corporation

Image Courtesy: Ports of Australia Diagram; cropped and reduced 26th Febuary 2010; Ports Australia, [online]www.portsaustralia.com.au/, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 26 Febuary 2010]

Bill of Lading Requirements

The Bill of Lading (BOL) is a document issued on behalf of the carrier describing the type and quantity of goods shipped, the shipper, the consignee, ports of loading/discharge and vessel details.

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Generally speaking, it will be included at the front of a document package which contains the supplier's invoice, packing list, packing declaration and fumigation certificates if required.

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The following details are required on a Bill of Lading document;

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Shipper's Name and Address

Consignee's Name and Address

Notify Party

Unique Bill of Lading Number / Airway Bill Number

Country of Origin

Port/Airport of Loading/Discharge

Date of Issue

Freight Terms

Description of packages & goods

Dimensions (cube)

Purchase Order Number

Carton QTY / Unit QTY

Gross Weight

Chargeable Weight

Carrier Rates *Optional

Australian Ports - NSW

Eden on the very South coast of New South Whales originated in the mid 1800's as a commerical whaling dock. Today it predominately exports timber product to Japan and South Korea. Mobil has there own private wharf for distribution of petroleum imports, and the department of defense use the eden port locale` to conduct naval repairs there on a regular basis.

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Kembla is best known for Bluescope steel works, and the export gateway for coal mined in the southern and western regions of New South Whales.

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Botany services the New South Whales Capital; Sydney. Predominantly focused on bulk liquid and containerised goods. It is the second largest Port in Australia, preceeding Melbourne.

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Newcastle is a unique harbour and crucial to Australia's economy, not only is it the largest Coal export Port in Australia; it is the largest Coal export Port in the world.
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Yamba is very much alike Eden, with a primary focus on export Timber, it services the northern coastline of New South Whales, The Port of Yamba also doubles as the Gateway to Lord Howe Island.

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For further information;

NSW Ports Corporation [online] www.maritime.nsw.gov.au

Sydney Ports [online] http://www.sydneyports.com.au/

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Image Courtesy: Ports of Australia Diagram; cropped and reduced 26th Febuary 2010; Ports Australia, [online]www.portsaustralia.com.au/, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 26 Febuary 2010]

DHL issues warning on Iceland Eruption

Email I received yesterday from DHL issuing a warning on the Iceland Eruption.

Cancellation of Flights Caused by Iceland's Volcanic Eruption.

Due to the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, flights across northern Europe have been disrupted by a volcanic ash cloud that is drifting south and east from Iceland. Volcanic ash contains tiny particles of glass and pulverized rock which can damage aircraft engines and airframes.

The Countries where their flights to and from are affected include Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and United Kingdom. It's highly possible that additional Countries will be affected as the volcanic ash continues to spread.

This disruption and cancellation of flights is expected to effect weekend consolidations into and out of these Countries. We expect that once flights again resume there may be a backlog of cargo from those effected airports.

At the time of this notification there is no indication of when flights are expected to resume. However, the European Air Safety Authority has advised the disruption, the largest experienced in the region, could last for at least another two days.

DHL will continue to monitor the situation over the week-end and advise our customers as, and when, additional information is received from the respective Authorities.

Should you wish further information please contact your local DHL representative.

Shen Neng Ship Wreck

The Shen Neng 1 a 230 metre Bulk Carrier ran aground about 70 kilometres easy of Great Keppel Island QLD, Australia when it sailed outside of designated shipping lanes.

According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the ship's original course was between Dougla Shoal and the capricorn islands, haphazardly straying 5.8 nautical miles away from the shipping lane.

The physical grounding or scraping of the Great Barrier Reef left a 3 kilometer , 250 meter wide abundant ditch.

Scientists are predicting a minimum 20 year recovery to its former condition; thriving with marine life.

The ships master and owners are currently undergoing investigation and the outcome shall be reviewed shortly.

Lost at Sea

As you read this, more than 50,000 Nike tennis shoes are circling the globe like a convoy of tiny striped canoes.but this flotilla of footwear is hardly alone at sea. It's been joined by thousands of Tommy Pickles cartoon heads, plastic turtles, rubber ducks, 3 million Lego pieces and, at last report, 34,000 hockey gloves.

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All this stuff and more is bob, bob, bobbing to a beach near you, said Seattle-based oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer.

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This month, Nike Cross Trainers are expected to wash up on Everett's beaches in Washington State, after falling into the Pacific Ocean in December 1999. This weekend will be a good time to

comb local beaches, as low tides of more than minus three feet (one meter) are predicted.

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But be patient—some items won't wash ashore for another ten years, said Ebbesmeyer, who's mapped Puget Sound from Tacoma to Whidbey Island since 1966.

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Each year, manufacturers around the world ship more than 100 million containers—each the size of a semi-truck—across the seven seas.

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Gumball dispensers, doll heads, and Beanie Babies stitched and glued in China sail across the Pacific Ocean to U.S. ports. Made-in-Hungary frocks and Pez candies travel 10th class across the Atlantic on container ships, which carry on average 4,500 containers. But not all of them will reach port.

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Every year, more than 10,000 containers fall overboard and spill their cargo into the ocean. Storms are often to blame.

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An 8-foot by 40-foot container (2.4-meter by 12.2-meter), which can carry up to 58,000 pounds (26,000 kilograms) of cargo, might hold 10,000 shoes, 17,000 hockey gloves, or a million pieces of Lego.

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Ebbesmeyer and his partners at Evans and Hamilton, Inc., a Seattle firm, design and manufacture instruments that measure ocean currents. The company is mapping north Puget Sound for a King County project that will locate a wastewater treatment plant in Snohomish County.

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If you didn't land a pair of Nikes in 1990, when 80,000 Nikes tumbled into the Pacific Ocean, don't despair.

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This year, beachcombers may find good-as-new 1999 Nike Cross Trainers along the shores of Washington and Oregon and Puget Sound beaches.

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In February, some Nikes drifted into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This summer they're expected to wash up near Everett.

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Only trouble is, beachcombers will have to find the mates, because Nike didn't tie the laces together.

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The sneakers were lost at sea when the container ship P&O Nedlloyd Auckland encountered a hurricane mid-Pacific. Heavy rolling threw a dozen 40-foot-long (12-meter) containers overboard, two filled with Nike shoes.

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Beach Junk Serves as Ready-Made Markers

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Until 1990, Ebbesmeyer dropped buoys, drift cards, and markers into the sea to track current flows without giving much thought to what was already adrift.

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But when his mom quizzed him about where beach junk comes from, he realized that the ocean was filled with ready-made markers whose course he could plot from ship to shore.

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Over the years, he's become the big Kahuna of beachcombers with a Web site, a newsletter, and a penchant for zipping around the country to attend beachcomber conferences.

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He prowls beaches for shoes, plastic toys, glass floats, and tropical seeds.

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Tall, with a raft of white hair and a salty beard, Ebbesmeyer could easily pass for a beach bum who traded his suit and tie for a straw-hat, a zinc oxide stripe, and a pair of flip-flops.

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Far from being a curio, his hobby gives clues to the ocean's highway of currents. Shipping companies keep meticulous records. A ship's captain is required to note where a container went overboard.

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If a Nike shoe washes onto a local beach, check the serial number on the insole, he said, and then trace its route from the point where it went AWOL. Proof that even a floating shoe leaves a footprint.

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Based on his knowledge of ocean currents, Ebbesmeyer can predict when and where the goods will eventually turn up. Millions of Legos plastic pieces that spilled overboard in three containers in the Atlantic last year are expected to drift north into the Arctic Ocean and then through the Northeast Passage.

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In a few more years, they are expected to travel south toward the 49th state, Alaska. Their expected arrival time on Alaskan beaches is 2012 and on Washington beaches in 2020, Ebbesmeyer said.

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The coastline and inlet beaches of California, Oregon, and Washington are well-known destinations for floating goods. In Puget Sound the one percent rule applies, Ebbesmeyer said. About one percent of whatever is spilled or floats into the Strait of Juan de Fuca will reach inland beaches.

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"The oil companies don't like me saying this, but if a million gallons of oil spill in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, one percent—10,000 gallons—will show up in Everett and Puget Sound."

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In 1990, 80,000 pairs of Nikes in eight containers jumped ship during a storm in the mid-Pacific. Ten years later, some are still circumnavigating the Earth like miniature Magellans.

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Shoes Can Float for Ten Years

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A pair of athletic shoes can float for ten years, Ebbesmeyer said.

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"They're still wearable even after three years at sea," he said. "A teenager will wear out a pair of Nikes in six months, proving that we're harder on shoes than the ocean."

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Every beach is different, depending on the current. Items that wash up in Edmonds may not necessarily be found in Everett.

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"They're like restaurants—some serve Thai food, some Indian or Chinese food. Some beaches are known for their glass or driftwood or artifacts."

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In Edmonds, beach ranger Owen Caddy is used to finding the bright orange drift cards released by Ebbesmeyer's firm as part of the Puget Sound currents study. And Caddy once assembled a little collection of his own.

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"When I was up in Alaska a few years ago, we were picking up little rubber duckies off the beach," Caddy said.

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In Everett, beachcombers have found beach glass, bottles and dishware dating from the 1800s. The spot where the Snohomish River drains into Puget Sound has proved an archaeologist's dream.

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When the river cuts into its banks during the flood season, it sometimes washes out Indian artifacts, tools, and arrowheads.

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"Five-thousand-year-old baskets have turned up at the mouth of the Snohomish. If you find one of those, call the Burke Museum," Ebbesmeyer advised.

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Not everyone turns up treasures, but there are plenty of collectibles out there.

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"Someone asked me if a plane full of hockey players had crashed. They were finding hockey gloves all over the beach."

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Ebbesmeyer discovered that two 20-foot by 40-foot (6.1-meter by 12.2-meter) containers of hockey gloves, chest protectors, and shin guards had fallen overboard in the middle of the Pacific in 1994.

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Manufactured items, glass, and sneakers are relative newcomers to the ocean's bounty; Mother Nature's spawn has been washing ashore for millions of years.

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Sea beans, a tropical seed, can stay afloat for 30 years. They bob across the Pacific from Southeast Asia. They can be found on Edmonds and Mukilteo beaches, and despite the lengthy saltwater immersion, some will still sprout.

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"But you don't want to do that," Ebbesmeyer said. "They're a tropical jungle vine, which grows to two feet (60 centimeters) in diameter—think of Jack-in-the-Beanstalk.

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"The bad news is that they'll envelop your house. The good news is they can't stand any frost."
Hamburger beans, which resemble miniature Big Macs, can sometimes be found on local beaches. A tropical seed, they drift across the Pacific. Despite their appetizing appearance, "you don't want to eat them."

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The beans are full of L-Dopamine, the chemical compound used to treat patients suffering from Parkinson's disease, and which woke actor Robert De Niro from a catatonic state in the movie Awakenings. "We think it's one of the bean's defenses against rodents," Ebbesmeyer said.

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As for the manufactured junk floating in the ocean, it's not all a waste or a wash. Those Nike shoes, for instance, they're ambassadors of goodwill, a floating thrift store. "Poor people around the world know, if you need a pair of shoes you go to the beach."

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Podsada. J, Lost Sea Cargo: Beach Bounty or Junk? 19 June 2001, Lost Sea Cargo: Beach Bounty or Junk?[online] nationalgeographic.com, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 1 March 2010]

Most Powerful Truck in History

Go ahead and Google something like "the most powerful truck" and im sure you will be inundated by a plethora of youtube clips and articles based on Volvo's FH16 primemover.

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Boasting a somewhat whopping 700hp 16.0 liter turbo diesal engine it has been labelled as a class leader in performance and efficiency.

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You don't have to look far though for the real contender, fellow Swede manafacturer Scania have risen the bar, and redeveloped there previous v8 engine; with a new improved output of 730hp/2581lb-ft of torque.

This new european sledgehammer has been labelled as the R-Series 730, answering the calling of there customers, as performance has been recogized as one of the key important purchasing factors.

Australian Ports - Van Diemen's land

Burnie is the fifth largest container port in Australia, specializing in heavy machinery, agriculture and forestry. Burnie maintains most of the West's mines, handling mostly bulk product including, minerals, fuels, woodchips and logs, as well as containerised consumables. Forestry Export is the top commodity/throughput. .

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Devonport maintains grain, cement and containerised consumable exports, whilst imports include fertiliser, fuel and consumables. However most will recognise the standout or primary focus being the Spirit of Tasmania ferries, that travel daily between Devonport and Melbourne.

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Hobart is the major cruise ship stop off, and naval moor in Tasmania. It is responsible for Antartic expedition and supply. Incat high-speed catamaran's are built at the ship building operation nearby.
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Bell Bay is the gateway to Launceston. It is a major port for domestic and international bulk goods as well as container services.

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For further information;
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Tasports [online] http://www.tasports.com.au/

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Tasmania [online] http://www.tas.gov.au/

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Wiki Entry [online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmanian_Ports_Corporation
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Image Courtesy: Ports of Australia Diagram; cropped and reduced 26th Febuary 2010; Ports Australia, [online]www.portsaustralia.com.au/, Available from: SOURCE [Accessed 26 Febuary 2010]