WiFi Security

WiFi Security feature protects your network and gets quick access associated with Win2K, XP. It supports WEP or WPA and gives you real-time interloper alerts you from free blockers and you feel glad when there is no spyware and no adware in your network to spoil your files. Any users get access to the Internet by means of laptop, handhold games, smart cell phones and PDA. The most important thing is it tenders a trouble-free and cheap method to safe and sound your network connection at any hotspot all over the world. WiFi Security examines data and perceives entrance point in real time and identifies the user who wants to spoil your files.


When we talk about WiFi Security then a detail list come in view to make our network more secure. Wifi discover different security tools such as Airsnort pull through encryption keys when adequate packets have been collected. Airfart sense wireless devices and count their signal powers and make it easy for user to understand, AP Radar used to manage the configuration, Boingo Software helpful for you to include thousand of location all over the world. DStumbler offer a complete set for auditing, KisMAC one of the best security weapons, iStumbler used to analyze your dashboard, MacStumbler display information about nearby network, MiniStumbler offering convenience, WirelessMon allows users to check the position of wireless and so on.

WiFi Security Raw Packet confines tools consist of AirPcap facilitate troubleshooting tools such as Wireshark to provide information about protocols and radio signals, ettercap offers active and passive analysis of many protocols, libpcap allow link-layer in Windows environments and it contains driver used to extend the OS. The Wi-Fi interference recognition and preclusion Systems is the most powerful wireless instruction system and provide complete security against policy compliance and threats such as AirTight Networks SpectraGuard Enterprise and Sentry which not only detect the threat also remove and delete it from your system, Manage engine WiFi manage the security tools and check that alls are working or not. It is a big solution of WLAN and Wireless Solutions from WildPackets, it has a unique gift to address wireless network.

The Analyzers of WiFi Security execute a real-time photograph of all WLAN communications and actions these tools always in action to recognize your data and analysis. There is a long list of analyzers such as Javvin Network Packet analyzer ensure the network performance and prevent the network security, Network Chemistry Packetyzer serve the net with Ethereal packet detain and analysis library, NetScout Sniffer Portable venture network relations. The network instruments observer, tamosoft commview for Wi-Fi and wireshark such a great tool to manage and monitor your network security.

Wi-Fi Security for end clients offer a complete control over the entire network from design to development and including AirMagnet StreetWISE offer automatically diagnose, AirPatrol AirSafe will turn off your network if sense any one interrupt in it, AirTight SpectraGuard SAFEdetect classically and make a solution, AirDefense Personal defend the system from the risks that could depiction confidential data and secret dealings and same as AirDefense Personal, Aruba Networks Endpoint Compliance, HotSpotDK, Sana Primary Response Air Cover, and ZENworks USB/Wireless Security provide you a safeguard for your data and transaction. The WiFi networks, robotically sense the necessary WiFi security settings, and caution you about insecure or treacherous networks. keep in mind the following things to make you network secure, don’t put on air your SSID, always enable WPA encryption as an alternative of WEP, Utilize MAC filtering for entrance power and immobilize remote administration.

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Possible Security issues and risks using WiMax

WiMax is quite discussed broadband technology which is yet be deployed properly in many parts of the world, it is been used effectively in few parts of world for delivering high speed internet connectivity over longer distances. This feature is making it popular to internet and telecommunication services. WiMax was developed because security issues in older technology WiFi 802.11. WiMax vendors and standard setters realized the importance of the security therefore, 802.16 working groups was designed considering several mechanisms to protect the network and the customers privacy from unauthorized access.


Authentication

An important and creative feature incorporated in 802.16 network is that each SS, (subscriber station) must have X.509 certificate, this certificate will identify the subscriber uniquely, attackers will not be able to get into the legitimate subscribers list by spoofing their identity because of X.509 certificate. X.509 hence provides enough security against major threats to services. However, lacking in base stations and service provider authentication leaves a big loop whole in the authentication mechanism used by WiMax privacy and key management (PKM), this expose WiMax subscribers to different confidentiality and availability attacks by unauthorized users. To protect from such vulnerability, amendments where made in 802.16 standards. Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) was introduced in 802.16e.

Encryption

Introduction of 802.16e and support for the AES provide the strong support of confidentially of data traffic. 802.16 has same issue just like 802.11 management frames are not encrypted, that increases the chances for attackers or intruders to collect information about subscribers and network.


Availability

WiMAX uses licensed Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum, which provides protection from unauthorized access to some extent. There are tools available which are easy to use for jamming the spectrum from all planned WiMAX deployments. Along with physical layer denial of service attacks, intruders can use legacy management frames to disconnect the current legitimate network connections.

WiMAX Threats

With all efforts to make WiMAX a very secure technology, there are still several potential attacks which are threats to WiMAX usabilit few of them are DOS attacks, Rogue Base Stations, Man in the middle attacks, spoofing of management frames etc. The actual testing of WiMAX security will come into play when WiMAX provider begins wide scale network deployment. This will give attackers good chance and better exposure to manipulate the network security, and access CPE equipment. Until the proper deployment of WiMax technology, Security issues are just speculations.

Detail : http://www.wifinotes.com


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Wifi technology and its risks

The development of computer and non-computer connected devices has allowed for growth in the installation of technologies based on radio frequencies and microwaves which permit wireless connection between various computers and/or laptops. Wifi technology (Wireless Fidelity) offers the possibility of fast connections via radio frequencies without the use of cables or sockets. Bluetooth, wifi, PDAs, WiMAX (broadband Wifi) are all technologies which permit voice and data communication without the use of cables.
These technologies (wireless technologies) are replacing connection cables. Bluetooth wireless networks with a range of 100 metres, or wifi systems with a longer range, allow us to be permanently connected. All these systems emit pulsating electromagnetic waves similar to those emitted by mobile phones.



The Spanish State adopts the specified international guideline of 5 GHz frequency for wireless systems (WiFi) connected to the fixed high-speed network. It designates a frequency of 14 GHz for possible connection to Internet from aeroplanes (American Airlines is one of the companies who have planned to incorporate this service in the third semestre of this year) and it earmarks the frequency band of 2500 to 2690 megaherz for future developments in third-generation mobile phone systems, known as UMTS.

Wifi Technologies
WiFi is the abbreviation of Wireless Fidelity, a set of guidelines for wireless networks (networks in which communication between components takes place via electromagnetic waves); these adhere to technical specifications in compliance with protocol IEEE 802.11 or WI-FI; this is a standard communications protocol of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE. The IEEE is a global professional association which, among other things, establishes protocols and guidelines of operation for wireless communication systems. Wifi was created for use in local wireless networks of computers, or LAN (Local Area Network), in order to access the internet.
Wifi routers emit a maximum of 100mW, but despite this, they pose a risk to the school-age population when in proximity, in particular to the head, of children of pediatric age, when the brain and nervous system are still forming. Wifi technologies emit when information is transferred. However, connecting by cable gives a better connection and faster speed. Wifi should only be used as a last resort, when it is impossible to establish a connection via cable, and only when absolutely necessary. It should not be installed in children´s bedrooms nor anywhere near the same. It´s true that a wifi router emits a lower frequency (in the order of 100mW, compared with 2W which is emitted by a mobile phone) however, in many companies and educational institutions routers emit in close proximity to people, in particular to their head. People are exposed in a continuous and extensive manner in their workplaces, and in teaching centres during school hours.
The main problem lies in the levels of emission/absorption of pulsating microwaves to which we are exposed. The emissions of wifi systems add to the emissions of mobile phone systems, and are a risk to vulnerable groups such the elderly and children (when these systems are installed in, for example, teaching centres); they also pose a threat to workers in companies where employees are continually exposed to these emissions. One of the emerging risks in the European workplace is electromagnetic waves, which pose physical risks identified as very dangerous in a recent report by the European Risk Observatory for the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work [1] .
Media polemic about the use of wifi technologies began in the UK, after an investigation by the programme Panorama, on the state-owned channel BBC, revealed the dangers that this type of technology can pose for humans. The programme centred its theory on the fact that the emissions created by these radioelectric waves are three times more powerful than those emitted by mobile phone devices, and that potential adverse effects would therefore be proportional to these. The British Department of Health and Safety wants to see an end to the debate between scientists and experts, and instead conduct a systematic study into whether emissions by wifi systems can adversely affect public health; given that in the UK the majority of computers in educational centres are connected via wifi, this is obviously a source of worry for teachers and parents of students.
The International Commission for Electromagnetic Safety (ICEMS), in its international conference: Precautionary EMF Approach: rationale, legislation and implementation, in the city of Benevento, Italy, (22-24th February 2006) arrived at a series of conclusions, which they summarized in the “Benevento Resolution”, in which they suggest: A promotion of alternatives to wireless systems of communication, for example: the use of fibre optic and coaxial cables [2]. ICEMS proposes that all future urban wireless systems (for example WIFI, WIMAX, broadband systems which use cable or electrical wires or similar technologies) should be subjected to a public investigation of the potential exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) which they cause and that, in the case of already installed systems, local councils should ensure that information is available to everyone and is regularly updated.
The University of Lakehead, in Ontario, Canada, has eliminated wifi connections from places where internet connection via optic fibre is not possible. Fred Gilbert, President of the University, is cautious about using such technology, saying "We don´t know what impact the use of electromagnetic waves can have on people". He based this measure on recent studies which show a correlation between cancer cases in animals and humans and these type of electromagnetic fields [3].
On the 20th July 2007, the Federal Ministry of the Environment in Germany indicated that, as a precautionary measure, systems which transfer information by cable would be given precedence over wifi systems. It advised schools and teaching centres to avoid wifi systems when possible.
In September 2007 a group of scientists, researchers and public health policy professionals released a report, named the BioInitiative Report [4]. The European Environment Agency (EEA) contributed to this new report with a chapter drawn from a study by the EEA itself, entitled “Late Lessons from Early Warnings: The Precautionary Principle 1896-2000”, which was published in 2001. The report documents detailled scientific evidence about the health impacts of exposure to electromagnetic radiation which are hundreds or thousands of times below maximum exposure values. The authors revised more than 200 scientific studies and research findings, and concluded that existing limit values for public safety were inadequate to protect public health. From the perspective of public health policy, based on the evidence as a whole, the creation of new maximum exposure limits is justified.
The investigators indicate that the evidence suggests that the biological effects and impacts on health can, and indeed do, occur at minimal levels of exposure, levels which can be thousands of times below existing public safety limits. Radiofrequency or microwave electromagnetic fields can be considered genotoxic (they can damage the DNA of the cells) in certain exposure conditions, including at exposure levels which are below existing safety levels.
They also warn that low levels of exposure can cause cells to produce stress proteins; they believe exposure to this type of emissions is harmful and that there is substancial evidence that they can cause inflammatory and allergic reactions and alter normal immunological functions, at levels which are permitted under existing public exposure limits.
Also in September of that year, the European Environment Agency (EEA) indicated that a review of current EMF exposure limits was necessary, including those emitted by wifi systems, in accordance with the findings of the BioInitiative Working Group [5].
In November 2007, The Board of Health and Safety (CHS) of the Department of Cultural Affairs in the city of Paris voted in favour of a proposal calling for “a moratorium on the installation of wifi in libraries and museums until the health affects of wifi have been confirmed”. Some associations in the city were alleging that wifi frequencies can have genotoxic effects. In December the Parisian City Council deactivated wifi installations in six of the city´s public libraries after workers complained about health problems; they cited the Precautionary Principle as their reason [6].
Professor Olle Johansson, a researcher at the prestigious Institute Karolinska of Stockholm, expressed her concern about the widespread diffusion of wifi systems, and affirmed that there are thousands of scientific articles in existence which refer to the adverse effects of radiofrequencies and microwaves.
In the federal state of Salzburg in Austria, the government has for the past few months been advising schools not to install wifi technologies, and is now considering a ban.

Conclusions
Wi-Fi antennae can be bought on the internet, making the radiation they cause harder to measure than that caused by mobile phone base stations. In practice, no one is monitoring these levels nor the numbers of online users, and anyone can set up a base station in their home. The outlook for the future is truly chaotic if the risks are taken into account.
A moratorium on the installation of wifi, at least in teaching centres, public libraries, universities and public buildings, and their substitution, in workplaces also, for ADSL systems which use coaxial or fibre optic cables, is therefore necessary.
The development of stricter control over the levels of emission/absorption of wifi antennae and systems needs to be a focussed effort involving local and regional government and regional telecommunications inspections, in order to avoid the kind of unrestrained proliferation which occurred with mobile phone systems.

Pedro Belmonte Espejo (Ecologistas en Acción)

[1] Comments by Eusebio Rial, Director of the institution. Europa Press 1/03/2207.
[2] AA. VV: Benevento Resolution 2006. Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, Volume 25, Issue 4 2006. pp. 197-200. Francesco Boella, Francesco Mozzo, Francesco Panin, Livio Giuliani: Perspectives in risk management in Italy: the impact of WiMax and Wifi (PP presentation) Foundations of bioelectromagnetics: towards a new rationale for risk assessment and management. 6th ICEMS Workshop, December 17, 2007, Venice, Italy
[3] Lakehead University: wifi policy policies.lakeheadu.ca/policy.php?pid=178
[4] Carl Blackman, USA, Martin Blank, USA, Michael Kundi, Austria, Cindy Sage, USA, et alii: BioInitiative Report: A Rationale for a Biologically-based Public Exposure Standard for Electromagnetic Fields (ELF and RF).Release Date: August 31, 2007. 610 pp. www.bioinitiative.org .

Detail : http://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/spip.php?article11598
[5] www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/radiation-risk-from-everyday-devices-assessed. Published: 17 Sep 2007. The Independent. 16/09/2007(UK). The New Zealand Herald 16/09/1007(NZ).
[6] www.news.fr/actualite/societe/0,3800002050,39376062,00.htm

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Tips and Tricks to Master the Web

1. Receipt notification
If you have a really important message and need to know if it’s been received, use a feature called Read Receipt in Outlook Express. This feature is available on most e-mail clients and requests the recipient to confirm that he has received the message by a return e-mail. To do this while composing a mail in Outlook Express, click on Tools > Request Read Receipt in your message window. If you desire, you can have all your outgoing messages sent with the Read Receipt notification. For this, go to Tools > Options, click on the Receipts tab and tick ‘Request a read receipt for all sent messages’. Remember, the read receipt confirmation is dependent on the e-mail client the recipient is using and also whether he wants to send the confirmation.



2. Adding signatures to your e-mail
If you send a lot of mail each day, then a repetitive task like signing your name at the end of each mail can be quite tedious. It’s easier to create a signature and attach it automatically to every mail that’s sent. To do this in Outlook Express, go to Tools > Options > Signatures. Then go to New and add the contents of the signature in the Edit Text field. Also select the option of sending the signature automatically with all outgoing messages. In case you don’t want to send this with replies or forwards, enable the option, ‘Don’t add signatures to Replies and Forward’. For creative signatures, use the option to append a file that contains the signature you have created. If you happen to have multiple e-mail accounts, select the account with which you want to send the signature. To do this, go to Tools > Options > Signatures and click on the Advanced button near the Edit Signature tab. A new box will appear saying ‘Advanced Signature Settings’ where you can select the account with which the signature should be automatically added.

3. Auto-respond facility
Won’t be checking mail for some time? Activate a feature called ‘vacation reply’ (if you are using a Web-based service). Most e-mail services such as Indiatimes provide this feature which can be activated through the options menu. You can type a short message which will be sent to all who e-mail you while you are away. In Outlook Express, you can do this from Tools > Message Rules > Mail and clicking on the New Rule option. Select the ‘For all Messages’ options from the condition for your rule field and in the Action select Reply with a message. You will have to select a message that you have already created and saved.

4. Keep a copy of the message
If you are on a trip and want to access your e-mail from another machine, keep a copy of your messages on the server of your e-mail service provider. Go to Tools > Accounts and select the account (if you have multiple accounts), then go to Properties > Advanced. Check ‘Leave a copy on server’. This has one more advantage: if you’ve formatted your machine without taking a backup of your mail, you can retrieve the mail as a stored copy.

5. Disable MSN Messenger from auto-starting
Whenever one opens Outlook Express or Microsoft Outlook XP, MSN Messenger loads automatically. To disable it, go to Tools > Options in Outlook Express and uncheck ‘Automatically log on to MSN Messenger Service’. Then go to View > Layout and uncheck the option of Contacts. In Microsoft Outlook XP, go to Tools > Options > Other and uncheck ‘Enable MSN Messenger’. The over-eager Messenger won’t be so eager now!

6. Optimising your Inbox
A three-step process to ensure that your Inbox never looks cluttered.
1. Organising : Outlook Express allows you to create folders within which mail can be organised. To create a new folder in Outlook Express, go to File > Folder > New. This will display the directory tree of your Inbox. Just select the location (say Inbox) where you want to create a folder and enter the Folder Name. Or, you could use the shortcut [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [E] and enter the Folder Name. You can also drag and drop folders to change their location. Folders can be quite useful, especially if you have multiple accounts configured on the same identity or to sort out e-mail messages on the basis of sender, subject, etc.
2. Filtering: Message Rules can automatically sort your mail into the appropriate folder as soon as it is downloaded. Specify the folders where you want the messages to be downloaded based on names in the From address, names in the To address, certain words in the Subject line or in the message body.
Go to Message > Create Rule From Message. Create a rule selecting the appropriate options offered, and the next time you download your mail, it will be sorted according to the rules created.
You can also sort your existing messages based on the message rules created. In Outlook Express, go to Tools > Message Rules and click on Mail. You will get a list of the message rules you have created. Click on ‘Apply Now...’, select the rules to apply, and click on Apply to filter your existing folder.
3. Grouping : Outlook Express allows you to group e-mail messages on the basis of the conversation carried. To enable this, go to View > Current View and click ‘Group Messages by Conversation’ (In Outlook, this option is available from View > Current View > Conversation Topic). With this feature, all e-mail messages are sorted on the basis of the subject line and the messages that are a reply to that particular subject are grouped together. A ‘+’ sign next to a message indicates responses based on that subject.

7. Download Mail to your PC
If you use a Web-based e-mail service, such as those run by Yahoo! and MSN, download a copy of your mail directly to your browser. This is much quicker than using the bandwidth-hungry Web interface and also allows you to access your mail without having to be connected to the Internet. To do this first add a new account by going to Tools > Accounts > Add and select the Mail option. You will be prompted for personal details and account information.
Select the POP3 server option in the screen that asks you for your e-mail server information and enter the appropriate POP3 server address for incoming mail.

8. Browsing offline
Quite often you may want to refer to a page that you have visited at some point in time. While finding the link in your browser’s History is not too difficult, you can view the site without actually logging on to the Internet by going to File > Work Offline. Then just click on a link in your History folder to view the complete page from your hard disk.

9. PC-to-PC calls
Buddy Phone, Yahoo! and MSN Messenger allow users to make phone calls from one computer to another, provided both computers are online. If you would like to use this facility in MSN Messenger, select your friend’s name from the list and go to Actions > Start a voice conversation. This can also be done by right-clicking on the person’s name and selecting the option of ‘Start a Voice Conversation’. After the opposite person has accepted your request, you can start talking into the microphone.

10. Split files
Splitting files can increase download speeds tremendously in FlashGet. Usually, splitting the file in three or five segments is sufficient. However, if you are downloading a particularly large file which is available from several servers, you could get better speeds by increasing the number of segments being downloaded simultaneously.
The number of segments that you want the file in can be set in the option box that pops up when a download begins. Just set the option for the number of segments that you want the file to be split into.

Detail : http://www.softwaretipsandtricks.com/articles/mastertheweb.php

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Use CTRL+ALT+DEL Without Pushing All the Buttons

For some people, pushing CTRL, ALT and Delete (CTRL+ALT+DEL) at the same time can be an inconvenience, if not a complete impossibility. With Windows XP, there are two ways to get around this.



First option: Configure the system so that you do not need to press CTRL+ALT+DEL at all during logon (assuming you're not using the Welcome screen, in which case this key combo is not required). Here's how :

- Open Control Panel then User Accounts.
- Navigate to the Advanced tab.
- Uncheck the Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete checkbox under Secure Logon.

Second option: Configure XP's accessibility options so that "sticky keys" will be activated at the secure desktop: That way, you may "press" ALT, CTRL, and DEL sequentially rather than simultaneously. You can turn that on via the Accessibility control panel. (Control Panel then Accessibility Options) :

- Bring up the Accessibility Control panel and navigate to the Keyboard tab.
- Check Use Sticky keys
- Navigate to the General Tab.
- Check Apply all settings to logon desktop.

Detail : http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_tips_ms.asp

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Restarting Windows Without Restarting Your PC

A modern PC with Vista Home Edition takes about one and a half minutes to boot. An older machine with XP is about the same. That’s 30 seconds for the PC itself (the BIOS) to boot up, plus a minute for the Windows operating system to boot. Sometimes, you need to reboot Windows (e.g. when installing new software), but there is no need to restart BIOS, too. However, the default is to reboot both. (That’s called doing a “cold boot,” rather than a “warm boot.”) There’s a trick that works on both XP and Vista to get it to do a warm boot instead, thus saving you 30 seconds per cycle.
The trick is to hold down the SHIFT key when invoking the restart.



Windows Vista: Select Start, then hover over the right arrow that is to the right of the padlock icon until the pop-up menu appears that contains “restart” as one of it’s choices. Hold down the SHIFT key while clicking on the “restart” choice.

Windows XP: Select Start. Select “Shut Down…”. Change the drop-down combo box under “What do you want the computer to do?” to “Restart”. Hold down the SHIFT key while clicking on the “OK” button.

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7 Creative Ways to Make Time For Your Creative Hobby!

by Kristine Lewis

Having a creative hobby whether it is scrapbooking, knitting, sewing or painting is not only fun, but can offer you many additional benefits. A creative outlet is a great stress reliever, a self-esteem booster and a way socialize and make friends. Making the time to pursue your creative interest, however, can be a challenge in and of itself.



It's hard to justify working on a new quilt when you have a mountain of dirty laundry, a deadline at working coming up and cupcakes to make for your child's school party. But, if you don't make time for your creative hobby, you will quite simply never get around to it and will never reap the benefits. Here are seven great ways to make time for your creative hobby :
1. Schedule a block of time in your week for your hobby. Write the time block in your calendar or enter it into your PDA and commit to keeping that appointment.
2. Designate a place in your home which is devoted to your projects. If can be quite a deterrent knowing you have to get out all of your supplies and then clean them up every time you want to work on your project. If space in your home is limited, perhaps you could set up a small area in the basement, a closet or a small corner of your house for your projects.
3. Make a hobby date with a friend. If you set an appointment to work on your hobbies together, it will be harder for you to "blow-off" your creative time for that bathroom that's begging to be cleaned--not to mention, this is a great time to catch up with a friend.
4. Create a project plan. If you have a big project to do like putting together a scrapbook that details the first year of your child's life, develop a project plan for yourself, just like you would for any other big project. Break the whole project into a series of small steps. Focus on one step at a time.
5. Create a craft area for your child. If you have a hard time working on your projects because your child always wants to "help", give him/her an area in which to work (near you) and their own supplies to use. Encourage them to explore their own creativity and create their own beautiful projects.
6. Have a creativity party. Invite a group of friends over for a party in which you can all work on your projects for a block of time. Give the party a theme (e.g. a Mexican Fiesta) and ask everyone to bring a dish to pass which goes along with the theme. Not only will you make time for your project and time to visit with your friends, you may also be inspired by your friends' creativity.
7. Barter time with a friend or neighbor. Do you have a friend who also has a creative hobby? Perhaps she could watch your kids for two hours while you work on your hobby and vice versa.

Sometimes making time for creativity takes a little creative planning. The benefits you will reap from this time are certainly well worth it! Make time for creativity today!

This article is by Kristine Lewis from http://www.anorganized-life.com. An Organized Life provides tools, information and coaching to help people live and work better today by getting organized. Subscribe to our FREE weekly newsletter--it is chock-full of organization and time management tips you can apply to your life.

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How To Improve Your Creative Thinking

Want to know how to be creative? There are several techniques you can use to unleash your inner creativity. In this film brain guru Tony Buzan talks about how to develop your creative thinking, and apply it in many different ways.



Step 1 : Everyone is Creative
It's a misconception that some people are not creative. The brain has a million brain cells, and has huge powers of creativity. Many people are just not trained to tap into their brain's creative potential.

Step 2 : The Left & Right Brain
The left brain tends to deal with words, logic, numbers etc, and the right brain tends to deal with colour, shapes, rhythm etc. However, it's another misconception that creativity is purely right-brained. Real creativity involves both sides of the brain.

Step 3 : Speed of Thought
Training the brain think faster can help improve creative thinking. Exercise the brain with things like sudoku, crosswords, puzzles and chess, and try to do them as fast as possible.

Step 4 : Originality of thought
Try to think about things in as many different ways as possible. Think 'outside the box.'

Step 5 : Flexibility of Thought
Most people tend to focus on one way of perceiving the world around, to improve your creativity try to discover and explore as many perspectives as possible.

Step 6 : Imagination & Association
Great creative thinkers use their imagination, and then try to make links and associations between things. Find new connections between things is a way of creating something new.

Detail : http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-improve-your-creative-thinking

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12 Ways To Boost Your Creativity At Work

As workplaces continue to rightsize and downsize, we all find ourselves doing more with less. How do we stay ahead of the workload while staying sane? The key is to put your creativity to work for you so you can do more with less and shine like never before.
Just what is creativity? It is the ability to make, produce, cause to exist or bring into being; the ability to make something out of nothing or to make something better than it was before. Creativity is an inborn force that we all have: If you're alive, you're creative.



It needs to be said, though, that not everyone has the raw talent, creative vision and self-management skills to run out and make a living being an artist. But remember that artistic talent is only one way of potentially millions that you can express your creativity at home or at work.
In today's workplace, creative thinking, problem solving and innovation are at a premium. Here are 12 ways you can express your creativity more powerfully in any workplace :

1.) Use your values, interests, skills and aptitudes to express your unique perspectives, opinions and contributions.
2.) Take full advantage of the unique features of your personality to express your creativity in ways that are natural for you.
3.) Dress your body and your work space in ways that reflect your passion and energy.
4.) In what you say - either verbally or in writing - and how you say it, make sure you use word choice, vocabulary and communication style to showcase your uniqueness.
5.) Everybody works differently. Use your work habits, decision making and problem solving style to express who you really are.
6.) Everybody lives their lives differently. Use your personal habits, time management and outside interests to positively impact who you are at work.
7.) What are you passionate about? What kinds of things do you channel your energy into? What are you committeed to? Take all three to work with you and put them to work for you.
8.) Every creative act begins with a conception. Make sure you capture your workplace brainstorms in concrete ways.
9.) Every creative act develops through an incubation phase. Make sure you put safe boundaries around your own creative work time so it doesn't get overwhelmed with other responsibilities.
10.) Every creative act ends with a birth. Make sure you help each project grow to its next level.
11.) Celebrate your beginnings and your endings. Mark the big moments and look for reasons to play.
12.) Know when it's time to move on ? from ideas, projects and jobs ? then do it.

Still not sure you even are creative? Try reading the now-classic The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. If Julia can't convince you you are creative, then no one can!
Cheryl Lynch Simpson is a Spiritual Director and Solutions Coach who helps women discover and create the life they've always wanted to live. Cheryl is the author of over 30 print/Internet articles and the founder of Coaching Solutions For Women, a coaching website that produces and showcases career, business, and life solutions that improve the life balance of today's busy women.

Detail : http://www.wrapcandy.com/Creative/710.php
For a complimentary copy of her latest e-book, Ten-Minute Stress Zappers for Women Service Business Owners, visit : http://www.coachingsolutionsforwomen.com.

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BRIEF HISTORY OF FENG-SHUI

Several thousand years ago, ancient China's shamans, diviners, and sage-kings laid down the three building blocks of feng-shui: the compass, the pa-k'ua (eight trigrams), and the theory of change (as presented in the I-Ching). Legend has it that during the time of the Yellow Emperor in prehistoric China, the compass was originally used for navigation.



This navigational compass would be modified later for use in feng-shui.
At the beginning of the Chou dynasty (1122-207 BCE), King Wen first used the pa-k'ua to describe patterns of change in the natural world. By the eighth century BCE, the Chinese were using the pa-k'ua and the theory of change to promote the flow of nourishing energy inside a city or a palace and thus bring the kingdom harmony and wealth.

K'an-yu / Yin- and Yang-domain Feng-shui
The Han dynasty (206 BCE-219 CE) saw the founding of the art of k'an-yu (k'an means "mountains"and yu means "low places"), or the study of the energy carried in landforms. K'an-yu was championed by the Taoists Huang-shih Kung and Ch'ing Wu, who argued that geological bodies, particularly mountains and rivers, are filled with vital energy. The pathways of energy in mountains are called dragon veins, while those in waterways are called water dragons.
The ancient Chinese thought the land's energy could make or break a kingdom. For instance, if the capital city was built on land with nourishing energy, the country would prosper; if it was built on land carrying malevolent energy, the country would suffer catastrophes. Likewise, if an emperor were buried on or near landforms with positive energy, his dynasty would last, and if he were buried on or near landforms with negative energy, his dynasty would fall. In fact, k'an-yu was first used only by emperors and nobles to select propitious burial sites. Not until the Chin dynasty (265-420 CE) did everyday citizens start using k'an-yu to choose sites for houses (yang-domain feng-shui) and burial grounds (yin-domain feng-shui).

Detail : http://www.shambhala.com/fengshui/fundamentals/history.cfm

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