Gemstone for your zodiac

Through the history of mankind, people have come to associate particular gemstones with each of the zodiac signs. The vibrations emanated by the different crystals are said to have benefits for people who are associated with the particular zodiac signs. Wearing the appropriate stone will enable the energies of the zodiac sign to focus through the gem, thereby increasing your quality of life. This is through increasing wealth, health and inner beauty.

Therefore, find out your sign and make sure you wear the appropriate gemstone.

Aquarius – Garnet is the zodiac stone for this zodiac associated with water. The amazing ability of the Garnet stone to illuminate is what is known to have allowed Noah to guide his Ark through the darkness. It is also known to have helped protect Noah’s Ark from evil.

Pisces – Amethyst is the stone meant for Pisceans. The Amethyst is a purple stone, strongly favored by the Royal families throughout history. It was used by the Greeks to avoid poisoning and is considered as sacred as the Buddha in Tibet.

Aries – The gemstone for Aries is Bloodstone. Its illuminative red spots were considered by a number of Christians to be the blood of Christ which fell on green jasper at the lower part of the cross.

Taurus – The gemstone for Taurus is Sapphire. It is a royal blue sapphire and is linked with healing, peace and the emanation of helpful psychic powers.

Gemini – The gemstone for Gemini is the Agate. The Agate was considered to enable the people who wear it to become invisible. Other than this mystical ability, it is also known to promote healing, strength and courage in the wearer.

Cancer – Emerald is the gemstone that Cancerians should be looking out for. The emerald’s green fire was considered a holy gemstone by the Incas and the Aztecs. The Indians considered the Emerald as having the ability to increase the well-being and luck of the one who adorns it.

Leo – The onyx is the gemstone for Leo. The black onyx is considered a symbol for the mysteries that life holds. The onyx is said to keep the wearer’s emotions under check. It is also known to curb the ego of the individual.

Virgo – Cornelian is the zodiac stone which should be worn by people who fall under Virgo. The Cornelian is known to promote self – control and creativity. It can also simultaneously provide relief to physical injuries and ailments.

Libra – The Peridot is what Librans should be looking out for. This beautiful gemstone is green in color. It helps to increase growth, prosperity, and is known to give healing powers to the person who wears it.

Scorpio – The aquamarine is the zodiac stone which Scorpio people should wear. The light-blue aquamarine promotes friendship, harmony, sympathy and trust amongst its wearers.

Sagittarius – All ‘Sagittarians’ should try to catch hold of a Topaz stone. While this beautiful yellow stone helps to increase the intellectual well-being of the individual and also the eloquence of the wearer.

Capricorn – The beautiful Ruby is the zodiac gemstone of the Capricorn. The stone aims to promote a variety of positive qualities in the wearer such as courage, strength and passion.

Wearing the right gemstone, which is best suited to your zodiac, can bring about lots of positive changes in your life. Why not find one right away and see your life miraculously change?

Five Loving Friends of Allergies

Many people are often ignorant of the fact that many causes of allergies may be lying within the boundaries of their “safe” home and even right under their noses. Go over this list of some interesting causes of allergies which you probably didn’t even know were the reasons behind your rush for the tissues or your sneezing fit.

Spices

Although they do give you an oriental eastern taste and help exercise your taste buds, spices come from pungent plants. Along with their fantastic taste they can also bring on a variety of reactions ranging from swelling of the nasal passages to even a burning sensation on the lips. The key culprits are coriander, poppy seeds, paprika, cumin, saffron and even pepper.

Christmas Trees

As the Christmas season rolls in, your allergies probably roll in along with it. If you have placed your Christmas tree in a bucket of water or in damp soil, you better check whether there is mold growing; this might be the reason for your allergies! Plenty of people do not get along well with spores of mold. A better option might be to get a fake tree and have pine scented candles to get the “Christmas” smell. On the other hand, if you absolutely have to have a real tree, get one which has been freshly cut so that it doesn’t have plenty of molds on it already. Do not water it too frequently and have it for a few days instead of the entire month.

 

Paints

Paints contain solvents and other synthetic resins which might cause you to react with headaches and itchy eyes. This is applicable to mostly oil based paints which keep releasing these chemicals even if after the pain has dried up. Get fresh air to circulate in the space for at least a month after the paint job has finished.

Alcohol

If you love drinking, do not worry you don’t have to stop because alcohol allergies are extremely rare. On the other hand the extra stuff such as grains and additives, which are used to make liquor, can trigger allergies. Stuffy noses and rashes pop up because of the wheat content or even sulfur dioxide preservatives. Other extras like corn, barley, rye and other fruit flavorings can create havoc too. Opt for grain-free liquors such as tequila or even potato vodka. Be on the lookout for wines labeled “sulfite-free”!

Buttons

Not all buttons are causes of allergies; it is just the ones which are made of nickel. However, topical creams can be used to cure the itchiness and redness caused by these buttons typically found on blue jeans. Replace your buttons with plastic ones or if you still like these nickel buttons, paint them with clear nail polish! 

Verbatim 1TB USB 2.0 External Desktop Hard Drive

The specialist in the market of storage media, Verbatim continues to approach the market aggressively with up-market quality External Hard Drives. The latest range of drives that Verbatim has launched in the 3.5-inch format this fantastic drive with 1TB capacity and it weighs less than one kilogram! These drives can be a pleasant sight at any work place with their elegant black design and the unusual front panel. The External Hard Drive on offer by Verbatim provides not only high capacity storage back up for a variety of file types but it also offers high performance and is known for its reliability not only for the professional but also for the household user.

These drives in the 3.5 inch format are the optimal choice for users who are looking to store huge volumes of data in a reliable and a “mobile” manner too. The striking front panel is part of the innovative design of the drive which is also just nine hundred and sixty one grams in weight; this is just half of the weight of these drives’ predecessors.

A hi-speed SATA hard drive powers the hard drive which is capable of storing thousands of your favorite photos, music, videos and a variety of other electronic files too. The SATA hard drive offers 7,200 rpm and data transfer rates of up to 480 Mbyte/s making these drives strong performers. Whether it is a simple or a demanding application, this external hard drive will race through all audio and video applications. These drives help make the whole process of backing up data extremely simple for the layman. There is a handy plug and play functionality allowing usage of this drive with no installation hassles.

Also these drives do not need special fans; this is a huge benefit! The lack of the fan is compensated by the adequate cooling that the drives receive from ventilation slits in the casing. In permanent operation, the hard drives can be extremely quiet because of the lack of the fan. A convenient on/off switch on the back side accompanied by LED light is part of these External HD drives which are also space-savers.

The stylish “black steel” design of the hard drive is such that it enables the user to save space and will also snugly fit into the modern desk top.

Data transfer is extremely quick and easy because of the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface. The Nero BACKITUP 2 Essentials software helps provide security to the drive. Furthermore, this data back-up software helps deliver professional-standard data back up with plenty of settings which can be customized and is available in twenty six languages! Hence users can keep their mind free from the worries of losing data. Other features which are packed into this great drive are full synchronization and the ability to back from your PC or even your laptop’s internal hard drive.

When using this hard drive, you do not have to worry or panic if you are having any problems as there is a free support hotline. On the whole, the 1TB drive is a product which is exception in terms of quality and is fairly priced!

Toshiba Portégé A600 laptop

The Portégé A600 is truly an ultraportable laptop with a lightweight and sleek design which enables you to keep moving without getting bogged down by this gadget. What more the price tag on it will make keep you smiling always.

The silver glaze of the A600 certainly does look very classy and professional from a distance but a close up view of it might give you a disappointment as the chassis is much more “plastic-like” when up close. The lid is also very prone to small and noticeable scratches; a case for this laptop is a must.

Considering the laptop’s small dimensions, the laptop contains many of the ideal features such as three USB ports, SD card reader, Wi-Fi switch, Gigabit LAN and even a DVD burner; very impressive! All these fantastic features make sure that the best of speed and convenience is just a “plug” away. Even when your laptop is switched off, you can easily use the ports to charge any USB powered portable electronics and even gadgets like your smart phone! Whatever the job that has to be done, ports are available on hand.

The lack of a glossy coating on the 12.1 inch display means no nuisance from reflections when using outdoors. The widescreen format of the display will help you easily tackle a range of documents and files while enjoying image quality which is super sharp. On the other hand, it does not have the brightest display meaning that positioning has to be done carefully. The keys are spongy yet comfortable to use as is the textured track pad.

The A600 is driven by the Intel’s Core 2 Duo U9300 and the laptop contains 2GB of DDR2 800MHz RAM which is preinstalled. This gadget also supports a mobile broadband-enabled SIM card with the built-in HSDPA model giving roughly 7.2Mbps connection and the HSUPA compatibility gives downloads up to 2Mbps. Other great features include Bluetooth, 802.11n Wi-Fi and a fingerprint reader which is tucked comfortably between the track pad buttons. With all these advanced wireless features it is nearly impossible to be out of touch!

 

Portability, and not power, is the main advantage of the Intel Core 2 Duo SU9300 CPU. Storage on the A600 is provided by a 250GB 5400rpm SATAII drive which is not very massive but is reasonable when considering a system of this size. eSATA’s presence is a consolation for users as they will not have to face any speed issues even if they plug into an external disk. Intel’s GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics processor would be a huge disappointment for gaming fans as it seems best suited only for classics such as Minesweeper.

Hats off to the battery life! If you are a conservative user, you can probably be up and running for approximately seven hours. The battery will be drained of life quite quickly if you use the HSDPA modem.

It is extremely difficult to keep yourself away from being impressed by the Toshiba Portégé A600. Although it may not be the thinnest or lightest of the “light and thin” models which are invading the market, it has to be given credit for being an ultra-portable laptop which is quite decent. Aside from the fact that it can help you tackle a variety of tasks, it also features a built-in optical drive which is lacking in plenty of its rivals. The built-in HSDPA and the reasonable battery life makes the Toshiba Portégé A600 a certainly “value-for-money” gadget.

Skate 2 Xbox 360 - top review for gamers

In the latest version, refinement of the system and a wealth of additions to its 2007 predecessor make Skate 2 seem to have taken a turn towards a fresher and more modern approach. While some challenges seem to be hopelessly frustrating, some weird choices of design bring down Skate 2. On the other hand, Skate 2 is truly lot of fun and is an extremely good kick start for future series.

The story has a close resemblance to the first of the series and soon you realize that the fictional city which had been destroyed while you were in jail has taken a facelift. Straying back to the game, the goal in Skate 2 is to rebuild your career and to once again “rule” New San Vanelona for the benefit of all skaters.

Skate 2 is fantastic when it comes to providing space for players to perform whatever tricks that you want to. While most of the tricks in Skate 2 are easy to perform, the complication lies in the fact that there are so many tricks which are executed in ways which closely resemble each other. Often the analog-stick controls are not really accurate enough for you to nail a trick that you want to, every time. You will probably end up having to retry such challenges mostly because you ended up doing the wrong trick. There is a small bug when it comes to the photo shoots; it may pass you when you have actually just fallen off a rap or it may fail you even if you have fulfilled all the needed criteria! Beware!

Another one of Skate 2’s fantastic features is the ability to move around objects to create your very own skate spots! Although this seems to be a “theoretically great” idea, it really does not add any value to the game since this feature can be used in challenges only very rarely.

Skate 2 is certainly extremely realistic but on some occasions it has not feared to compromise on realism to ensure fantastic game play. However sometimes the realism might interfere with good game play. For instance, having pedestrians crossing right in front of you when you urgently need to cross that line seems somewhat annoying especially if it happens repeatedly. Also sometimes pedestrians seem to litter meaning that you have sweep away stuff before you can continue.

Online options in Skate 2 are inclusive of a variety of competitive modes ranging from races to contests which gauge how far players can hurt themselves when bailing. There are also Burnout Paradise-style co-op challenges which require players to work together towards a common goal. Other challenges include six players having to grind a rail at the same time. Although there is tons of fun and exciting stuff to do when playing online, the only real disadvantage is that you have limit yourself to small areas of the city.

Even if you have played Skate plenty of times, there are plenty of new features and improvements which make Skate 2 reasonably worthwhile. The controls are so fantastic that sometimes you actually fell like you are skateboarding! However, occasionally frustrating and weird challenges may tend to bring down the fun. On the other hand Skate 2 is a fun alternative when compared to hitting the blocks.

Dell Studio 17 laptop - quick review

With the Studio 17 notebook, Dell has clearly made its place in the market of laptops. It is not only unique and stylish, as per the needs of the mobile generation, it is also amazingly attractive popular and highly customizable too!

The Dell Studio 17 which is part of the new Studio Line is part of the realization by Dell that package matters as much as the contents which are held inside the box. However, upon first look of the Studio 17, you will realize that Dell has added on a few inches when compared to other Dell counter parts and actually gotten rid of the brushed aluminum parts and added on a few means of customization. Although this may not be the most mobile laptop, it certainly compensates in terms of solid design and construction. The chassis is extremely solid and suffers from just about “no flex.” There are also no creaks when squeezed or twisted between the hands.

 

The Studio 17 has a variety of customizable options with a WXGA+ (1440 x 900) glossy display or a WUXGA (1920 x 1200) glossy display or a WXGA+ LED (1440 x 900) glossy display. When coupled with the optional Blu-ray drive, it would be fantastic when watching 1080p HD movies. The Dell Dock is a specialty providing a unique visual interface. The benefit is that it helps to keep the desktop free of clutter and makes usage of Vista a little more user friendly.

The keyboard is actually quite good with its excellent firmness. The keys have excellent travel and the cushioning is great. Truly speaking typing can be a great pleasure with the Studio 17 and the dedicated number pad is a huge plus too. However, long fingernails might be prone to getting caught under the keys. There is also a nice backlight function which can be extremely useful when typing in the dark. The touch pad is quite effective although it is quite small when compared to the rest of the notebook. Although the mouse buttons are as well structured as those of the keyboard, they can be a little noisy. On the other hand the touchpad is quite responsive and the dedicated scroll areas are excellent.

 

The top of the keyboard as a series of touch-sensitive media buttons. These have white LED backlights which stay lit for a fraction of a second after being pressed. Hence, they don’t pose a distraction by staying lit continuously.

The internal components include an Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 process (2.5GHz) which provides room for excellent performance when it comes to video encoding and number crunching. The 3GB of system RAM is adequate to drive Vista and have extra RAM for other needs. If needs be you can always push in a second HDD for added storage and performance in this notebook. These notebooks also come with dedicated graphics card ATI Radeon HD 3650 which provides enough fuel for average gaming or 3D graphics work; additional dedicated graphics options would have certainly been a plus.

For those of you who find digital video output important, the built-in HDMI will be a boon. However, the lack of lugs or screw posts for the VGA cable seemed a little disappointing but it did give a cleaner look. On the other hand, for those who leave their notebook connected to an external monitor, this will certainly is an inconvenience. As far as ports are concerned, you will be fully geared with five USB ports, FireWire, two headphone jacks, ExpressCard slot, Ethernet port, microphone jack and a media card reader. The slot-loading drive seems to be a little noisy when compared to the tray-loading type; however, it is much quieter than other slot-loading drives.

The speaker quality was extremely good in the individual sense but is only “acceptable” when compared to other competitors who have built-in subwoofers. If you are not the “audio loving” freak, you will probably find that the built-in speakers are enough for you. The speakers are location just above the media buttons. Although the sound is not superb, the speakers can get loud enough without much distortion.

Acer Aspire 2930 laptop

With the Intel’s brand new Centrino 2 platform, the Acer Aspire 2930 happens to be one of those laptops which everyone is longing to have a look at.

This beauty is quite compact and is the type of laptop that can hit the roads with you. The spark behind the design has been acknowledged by Acer to have originated from its latest Gemstone range while the stylish interior and glossy lid are close resemblances too.

While the design isn’t the most trendy feature, the latest Centrino 2 platform is certainly an eye-catcher. Centrino has certainly been a huge hit for Intel and has also played an active role in integrating Wi-Fi as an obligatory feature in every laptop that makes its way into the market. Although the Centrino has gone up by a few notches over the past few years, the addition of the lucky number “2” is probably a maiden voyage by Intel. The final version of the 2930 will probably be geared with a T8400 process which will number crunch at 2.64GHz.

Out of the three different chipsets which are part of the Centrino 2 range, Acer has picked the GM45. A new Intel integrated graphics chip is part of this Acer gadget which is not the 640MHz version but is the 533 MHz version.

The 12.1-inch widescreen display is coated with CrystalBrite and when coupled with its sharp 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, pictures and movies look stunningly beautiful on this screen. Although the laptop is quite small, Acer has been extremely wise about the track pad and the key board of course. The layout is quite sensible and the keys are reasonably large: they are certainly comfortable for typing over long periods of time.

Weak Wi-Fi signals won’t be a problem with the Intel Link 5300 chipset. Bluetooth is also available for moving pictures and files back and forth from other devices like mobile phones. Also the 2930 has an ExpressCard slot, three USB sports and a standard D-Sub VGA connection on top of all these fantastic features.

On the other hand, despite the fact that the new Intel integrated graphics chip is a great improvement, it is still not up to mark when compared to dedicated chips from ATI and Nvidia. While it provides enough speed to play slightly older classics, it is really not the best choice for those gamers who want to play the latest 3D games.

The other major downside of this model is that it is considerably thicker than some of the “light and thin” models which are coming out into the market. Although the 2930 has been branded as possessing Virtual Dolby surround sound, the audio quality is not too great and bass is missing. But, this is quite common in most of the “ultraportable” models!

For those of you who are looking for a powerful portable machine which can assist your vagabond life, the Aspire 2930 is probably your best option. Not only is it stylish, but it is also equipped with the latest technology and has a great screen and keyboard!