An FTA (Free to Air) receiver is a satellite receiver that is equipped to receive unencrypted FTA (Free to Air) satellite transmissions. An FTA satellite receiver is able to decode the MPEG-2 data compression protocol used in most Free to Air satellite transmissions. An FTA receiver will not be able to decrypt Dish Network or DirecTV satellite programming. Old analog FTA receivers are not used anymore. FTA Receiver Types Most FTA receivers are stand-alone hardware boxes that look very much like Dish Networks or DirecTV receivers. Some PC-based FTA satellite Read More

A cable tie, also commonly called a zip tie, is a length of strong Nylon lined with a gear rack. On one end of the tie is a small square case through which you can feed the other end of the tie. The teeth on the tie are arranged in a saw-tooth pattern, and the case contains a ratchet which locks against the teeth, preventing the tie from being pulled back. The simplest way to remove the cable tie is to cut the plastic and discard it afterward. It is Read More

Breaking into secured networks or computers is not an easy job, especially with the level of security some companies employ. Still, the fact remains – anything the mind of man can conjure can be broken into – and this is a challenge that no hacker can resist. Understanding the means by which hackers pursue their nefarious activities is one way of dealing with the problem; knowing how they do it provides you with a basis for developing countermeasures. Among the tools that hackers use are: Password-Cracking Tools People and organizations Read More

Electronic payment is the term used for any kind of payment processed without using cash or paper checks. Forms of electronic payment include use of ACH or Automated Clearing House, e-checks, direct debit, debit cards, and credit cards. Types of Electronic Payment Transactions One time electronic payment transactions are common to e-commerce sites like eBay. All you have to do is type in your credit card information when you click on the shopping cart icon. The site then checks the information you have provided and sends you an email regarding Read More

The Advanced Auto Encoding (AAC)  was originally used for audio encoding in DVDs, but has become better known as the default format for music tracks stored in the Apple iTunes library. In order play music stored in the iTunes default format on other MP3 players, the end-user must convert AAC to MP3 format. Convert AAC to MP3 Step 1 – Open the iTunes player on the computer by selecting the program icon from the “Programs” sub-menu or choosing the desktop application icon. Step 2 – Click the “Edit,” “Preferences,” and Read More

Data is laid out on a standard magnetic card in three tracks. A magnetic stripe card may have any of these tracks or a combination of these tracks. Track 1 was the first track standardized. The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) developed it and it is still reserved for their use. It is 210bpi with room for 79 7-bit characters. Track 1 is encoded with a 7-bit scheme (6 data bits plus one parity bit) that is based on ASCII. If the reader does not perform the ASCII conversion, add Read More

A debugger is a type of software that allows a programmer to view every step a program takes in real-time. While a debugger will cause a program to run extremely slowly, it will allow a programmer to start and stop a program at any given time and modify the variables or actions that it takes while performing those actions. Debuggers allow programmers to prevent programs from performing undesired actions and are, as the name suggests, ideal for “debugging” a program. How Debuggers Work When a programmer runs a debugger, he/she Read More

Modem (derived from modulator-demodulator) is a device that makes it possible for a computer to transmit data over regular telephone lines or cable. A modem converts a computer's digital data into analog form to ensure it can be transmitted over telephone lines or cable. The receiving modem at the other end reconverts the data in analog form to digital form. Modems were first introduced in the late 1960s as a method to permit terminals to connect to computers with the help of telephone lines. The most common terminal of that Read More

A gas-discharge tube uses electrodes inside a low-pressure gas to create light. When a high potential difference exists between the electrodes, the gas between them ionizes and forms a plasma. The free electrons in this plasma allows current to flow between the electrodes. The plasma either generates light directly, or by causing another material to create light. There are many different types such as the fluorescent, neon, xenon, sodium, metal halide, and switching tubes. Penning Mixture A pure gas has a much higher ionization voltage than a mixture of gases. Read More

Alexander Graham Bell is commonly credited with the invention of the telephone. Bell filed a patent application for a working telephone on Feb. 14, 1876. Bell’s patent of the telephone has been successfully defended in five hundred and eighty-seven lawsuits, including five that reached the United States Supreme Court. Indeed, Alexander Graham Bell did invent the first working telephone, but many other inventors developed similar systems at various times and with various degrees of success. Charles Bourseul published an article on the transmission of sound using electricity in 1854. Bourseul Read More