How To Purchase Diamond Jewelry

If you're a man, you're probably thinking of giving your bride-to-be a diamond ring and would like to ask her to marry you. The idea seems simple enough; you'd go to a jewelry store, select a diamond worthy for your beloved, pay for it and you're ready to go. In reality however, this is not always what it feels like especially if you are able to get a hold of the price tag of your chosen sparkler and you would soon realize how intimidating it is to purchase diamond jewelry gifts. If you have the intention to purchase a diamond in the near future, it is important that you know the tricks of the trade for you to take charge of your transactions and get a run for your money.

According to Fred Cuellar, gemologist and one of the world's top diamond experts, there are basically four things that a consumer has to remember when he or she intends to purchase diamond jewelry gifts, and these could be summarized as BEST: B-budget, E-expectations, S-savvy, and T-timetable. In terms of budget, you should try to figure out first how much you intend to spend on buying diamond, and you should stick to that budget outlay; a month's salary could already be a good starting point. For expectations, it is important that you know and understand the needs and wants of the person to whom you are going to give the diamond so that you will have an idea what to look for and what to pick out from the bunch. Being savvy requires you to know the given cost of diamond in the market and the best designs available, as they say knowledge is power; and for the element of timetable, you must have a laid plan about when and where you intend to give the diamond, do not haste things and be sure to give yourself enough time to analyze things.

Now that you have a crash course about making diamond purchase, you should also know where to buy your sparklers. You have two options where you could get your diamond jewelry gifts, first is for you to go online and second is to check your local jewelry shops. Buying online is probably one of the most practical means to buy diamond gifts because you don't have to break a sweat and everything is just one click away; however, the drawbacks with this are you cannot appraise the diamond and the possibility of scams are high but if you really want this option, be sure to do a background check on the online stores where you intend to purchase. The latter option of buying your diamond gifts on you local jewelry store is a better choice because you would be able to appraise the diamond personally and long time jewelers could help you out with your questions, which would assist you in arriving at the right decision.

As for the diamond, always remember the 4Cs: clarity, color, cut and carat; all of which are important elements that determine the real value of sparklers. Clarity is what determines how free from blemishes and inclusions a diamond is. Different types of diamond are assigned with clarity grades that may range from flawless to obvious inclusions. Sometimes, due to quality issues there are diamond pieces that are treated to reduce their imperfections by irradiation, filling imperfections, or laser drilling, these are known as clarity enhanced sparklers which are usually lesser in value.

When it comes to color, diamond pieces are available in virtually all colors; however, colored sparklers are rare and truly expensive so chances are, the sparklers you would see during your shopping are either white or yellow in color but between the two, it would be better to go for whiter diamond pieces. This is because the yellow coloring of sparklers came from nitrogen which affect their sharp and sparkly features; hence, as a rule of thumb, the yellower the diamond, the cheaper it becomes. When it comes to cut, diamond pieces could be cut in different ways, the most common of which is the round brilliant cut. More than indicating the shape of the diamond, a cut also determines how sparkly such gemstone will be.

It is never enough for a diamond to be clear and white, because your diamond will not sparkle unless it is cut properly. As cut is extremely hard to analyze, the three things that you should look at are brilliance, fire and scintillation; however, if you really want to make things easier, the standard round brilliant cut is probably the most preferable choice compared to other cut. Lastly, the carat refers to the unit weight of a diamond. Majority of diamond pieces used for fine jewelry often weight one carat or less; this is because a fraction of a carat can make a big difference on the value of diamond.

Purchasing diamond jewelry gifts is a daunting task. Hence, it is always best to be an informed buyer in order to get the most out of your money. Not because a diamond is round brilliant cut doesn't mean it's already a good purchase. Remember that there are still three remaining Cs that you have to consider. A clarity enhanced diamond might be inexpensive but also consider the quality. Educating oneself is a good way to make the right purchasing decisions.

Corporate Business Gifts That Say Wow!

Your corporate business gift should have "WOW" written all over it. Your business gift should stand out, it should be memorable and most of all it should turn a few heads. It should amaze the recipient.

Let's face it, that traditional gift basket just doesn't cut it anymore. Nor does that dusty bottle of wine or that heavy dull paperweight.

Your company's employees, patrons and clients deserve more from you. They need a business gift that goes beyond the 'normal yawn' or 'that's nice!"

But creating or buying corporate business gifts that say WOW takes a little bit of planning and time on the part of the giver. However, like all things in life which take a little longer to do, the rewards are worth it. The same applies here.

Maintaining high company morale is a sometimes forgotten aspect of today's modern company or workplace. But creating a good working atmosphere pays high dividends in more ways than one. Savvy managers and bosses already know this and they also know keeping everyone happy only adds to your productivity, no matter what business you're pursuing.

However, like all gift-giving, it's not easy to find the perfect corporate gift that will wow the receiver. Short of a Lear Jet, here are some suggestions to increase the WOW factor in your next corporate business Christmas gift.

1. WOW them with Personalization
Might sound a bit obvious but nothing is more desirable or pleasant as seeing your own name on a well-thought-out gift. So include a name plaque or engraving to show your real appreciation. Remember, almost anything these days can be laser engraved, so there's no reason not to personalize your gifts.

Moreover, whatever you give, make sure it relates to the person receiving it. Relating the gift to an employee's interests and hobbies is always more effective than a generic gift. Getting a practical gift that you can actually use and benefit from will greatly increase the wow factor.

2. WOW them with Uniqueness
Along the same lines, making your business gifts unique, one of a kind, will obviously make them stand out. High quality hand-crafted items and works of art can sometimes produce that wow moment.

3. WOW them with Style
High style always wows the receiver. Make sure if you give business related gifts they are stylish and in demand. Fashionable gifts are always much more appreciated.

4. WOW them with Surprise
Everyone loves a surprise. So a surprise gift will always wow them. Unexpected gifts can be the most fun; everyone expects the Christmas Turkey Hamper but a half day surprise holiday will wow them over to your side!

5. WOW them with High Tech
Truth be told, no one ever grows up. We are all still kids at heart. We still like the latest toys, especially high tech toys and gadgets that wow us.

So don't rule out giving the latest smart phone, PDAs that do everything under the sun, LCD TVs that dazzle the eyes or computer games that will have everyone jumping or looking on in amazement.

6. WOW them with Fun
All kids like to play and have fun. Christmas corporate gifts don't have to be dull and boring, instead spice them up by including the element of fun. Have corporate sponsored games, parties or trips to sporting events and concerts.

Think outside the workplace.

Cater to your workers' interests/hobbies and plan such things as fine dining, hiking trips, wine tasting parties or trips to Vegas. Whatever the majority of your clients and workers do to have fun - within legal limits of course!

7. WOW them with Money
Money never loses its WOW factor! If all else fails or you just plain forget, money always works. Bonuses and stock options have been wowing them over for years. Probably always will, everyone loves getting more money. Pay raises at the appropriate gift-giving time will put a smile on everyone's face except your accoundant's.

8. WOW them with Emotion!
Remember, corporate business gifts are first and foremost just gifts. The best gifts are the ones that surprises us and literally makes us jump for joy. If we look a little deeper we would probably discover gifts play a much more important role in our lives.

Gifts fill an emotional need we all have, the need to feel appreciated and wanted, whether it's from a loved one or from the company we work for. Likewise, the reciprocal is also true, the giver never forgets the feeling and joy of giving a gift.

Gifts work both ways.

Any company, boss, manager or worker can use corporate gift giving to accomplish or fulfill these human needs. To make the sometimes cold sterile workplace just a little more human. A well-thought-out and heart-felt corporate business gift will show the recipient just how much they are appreciated. And vice versa.

Perhaps, underneath it all, whether we realize it or not, this is the true corporate gift that really says WOW.


Source : http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Corporate-Business-Gifts-That-Say-Wow-/233190

Promotional products that last

Everyone has heard the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!". The same principal can be attributed to certain promotional gifts too, take promotional bug-eyed rascals for instance; They have barely changed in the last 20 years or more, yet they continue to be very good sellers in the promotional products arena.

The only real development in the advertising bugs range is the increase variety of style. You can get double-ended bugs, bugs that are industry based called action rascals and even animals, but even with all these new versions available, you can always rely on the originals to provided your company with that fun, vibrant and tactile edge.

Action Rascals have proved very popular in recent years though and included all sorts of designs including teachers, policemen, police women, builders and commandos. These particular items are great as fun reminders of your message and are very popular at promotional events such as freshers weeks and school based campaigns.

Fujitsu announced the ultra-portable laptop LifeBook U810

Fujitsu released new portable laptop Fujitsu LifeBook T2010. This ultraportable laptop weighs only 1.53 kg and is equipped with 12.1 ” display.

Fujitsu LifeBook T2010

The laptop is also equipped with processor Core 2 Duo U7600r (1.2GHz) / U7500 (1.06GHz) with low energy consumption, 965GM chipset, up to 4GB RAM, 1GB Intel Turbo Memory, Video GMA X3100 with 384MB, display back-lit illumination (1600 x 1200 pixels), 160GB hard drive, 32GB SSD, a / b / g / n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, battery capable of up to 11 hours and the windows operating system Vista.

Fujitsu LifeBook T2010 has already appeared on the market for $ 1,909.

Things to Keep in Mind While Buying a Computer Video Card

Image : http://www.flickr.com

A computer graphics card is often called a graphics accelerator card since this card is an expansion card that generates graphics to a monitor. A graphics card allows a person to enjoy gaming on the computer and certain VCs also convert a regular computer into a home theatre system. A video card is not the most important part of the computer but it certainly helps a person enjoy viewing graphics on the computer and while many people are happy within built video cards. This article will elaborate on things to keep in mind while buying a computer VC.

The first thing to keep in mind while buying a computer graphics card is when you buy one you should not be pirated. Many sellers provide pirated video cards that look very similar to the original card hence it is important to buy a card only from a reputed seller. While buying these graphics cards through an online auction or online store it is beneficial to buy only computer products from sellers that have positive feedbacks since pirated cards can cause severe damage to the computer.

The second thing to keep in mind while buying a VC is that you plan to purchase should have sufficient memory. Although memory of the VCs is not everything, memory should be a deciding factor while buying these cards.

If you are planning to buy a computer VC for gaming purposes then it will be beneficial to buy a card with a good graphics processing unit. Nvidia, agp pci and ati radeon video cards are some computer VCs that have good processing units and good features. Your operating system may also affect the type of graphics card that will be compatible with your computer.

 

Article written by Jeff Frasco. Visit Computerknowledgeforyou.com for information about computers. The website offers knowledge about Computer Components, Hardware Tips, a Tutorial on How to build Your Own Computer and a shopping section where you can compare prices on Computers and Components. You can compare prices before you buy computer memory, components, accessories, modems and alot more.

Switched-mode power supply

Input rectifier stage

AC, half-wave and full wave rectified signals.
If the SMPS has an AC input, then the first stage is to convert the input to DC. This is called rectification. The rectifier circuit can be configured as a voltage doubler by the addition of a switch operated either manually or automatically. This is a feature of larger supplies to permit operation from nominally 120 volt or 240 volt supplies. The rectifier produces an unregulated DC voltage which is then sent to a large filter capacitor. The current drawn from the mains supply by this rectifier circuit occurs in short pulses around the AC voltage peaks. These pulses have significant high frequency energy which reduces the power factor. Special control techniques can be employed by the following SMPS to force the average input current to follow the sinusoidal shape of the AC input voltage thus the designer should try correcting the power factor. An SMPS with a DC input does not require this stage. An SMPS designed for AC input can often be run from a DC supply (for 230V AC this would be 330V DC), as the DC passes through the rectifier stage unchanged. It's however advisable to consult the manual before trying this, though most supplies are quite capable of such operation even though nothing is mentioned in the documentation. However, this type of use may be harmful to the rectifier stage as it will only utilize half of diodes in the rectifier for the full load. This may result in overheating of these components, and cause them to fail prematurely. [3]
If an input range switch is used, the rectifier stage is usually configured to operate as a voltage doubler when operating on the low voltage (~120 VAC) range and as a straight rectifier when operating on the high voltage (~240 VAC) range. If an input range switch is not used, then a full-wave rectifier is usually used and the downstream inverter stage is simply designed to be flexible enough to accept the wide range of dc voltages that will be produced by the rectifier stage. In higher-power SMPSs, some form of automatic range switching may be used.

Inverter stage

The inverter stage converts DC, whether directly from the input or from the rectifier stage described above, to AC by running it through a power oscillator, whose output transformer is very small with few windings at a frequency of tens or hundreds of kilohertz (kHz). The frequency is usually chosen to be above 20 kHz, to make it inaudible to humans. The output voltage is optically coupled to the input and thus very tightly controlled. The switching is implemented as a multistage (to achieve high gain) MOSFET amplifier. MOSFETs are a type of transistor with a low on-resistance and a high current-handling capacity. Since only the last stage has a large duty cycle, previous stages can be implemented by bipolar transistors leading to roughly the same efficiency. The second last stage needs to be of a complementary design, where one transistor charges the last MOSFET and another one discharges the MOSFET. A design using a resistor would run idle most of the time and reduce efficiency. All earlier stages do not weight into efficiency because power decreases by a factor of 10 for every stage (going backwards) and thus the earlier stages are responsible for at most 1% of the efficiency. This section refers to the block marked Chopper in the block diagram.

Voltage converter and output rectifier

If the output is required to be isolated from the input, as is usually the case in mains power supplies, the inverted AC is used to drive the primary winding of a high-frequency transformer. This converts the voltage up or down to the required output level on its secondary winding. The output transformer in the block diagram serves this purpose.
If a DC output is required, the AC output from the transformer is rectified. For output voltages above ten volts or so, ordinary silicon diodes are commonly used. For lower voltages, Schottky diodes are commonly used as the rectifier elements; they have the advantages of faster recovery times than silicon diodes (allowing low-loss operation at higher frequencies) and a lower voltage drop when conducting. For even lower output voltages, MOSFETs may be used as synchronous rectifiers; compared to Schottky diodes, these have even lower conducting state voltage drops.
The rectified output is then smoothed by a filter consisting of inductors and capacitors. For higher switching frequencies, components with lower capacitance and inductance are needed.
Simpler, non-isolated power supplies contain an inductor instead of a transformer. This type includes boost converters, buck converters, and the so called buck-boost converters. These belong to the simplest class of single input, single output converters which utilize one inductor and one active switch. The buck converter reduces the input voltage in direct proportion to the ratio of conductive time to the total switching period, called the duty cycle. For example an ideal buck converter with a 10 V input operating at a 50% duty cycle will produce an average output voltage of 5 V. A feedback control loop is employed to regulate the output voltage by varying the duty cycle to compensate for variations in input voltage. The output voltage of a boost converter is always greater than the input voltage and the buck-boost output voltage is inverted but can be greater than, equal to, or less than the magnitude of its input voltage. There are many variations and extensions to this class of converters but these three form the basis of almost all isolated and non-isolated DC to DC converters. By adding a second inductor the Ćuk and SEPIC converters can be implemented, or, by adding additional active switches, various bridge converters can be realised.
Other types of SMPSs use a capacitor-diode voltage multiplier instead of inductors and transformers. These are mostly used for generating high voltages at low currents (Cockcroft-Walton generator). The low voltage variant is called charge pump.

Regulation

A feedback circuit monitors the output voltage and compares it with a reference voltage, which is set manually or electronically to the desired output. If there is an error in the output voltage, the feedback circuit compensates by adjusting the timing with which the MOSFETs are switched on and off. This part of the power supply is called the switching regulator. The Chopper controller shown in the block diagram serves this purpose. Depending on design/safety requirements, the controller may or may not contain an isolation mechanism (such as opto-couplers) to isolate it from the DC output. Switching supplies in computers, TVs and VCRs have these opto-couplers to tightly control the output voltage.
Open-loop regulators do not have a feedback circuit. Instead, they rely on feeding a constant voltage to the input of the transformer or inductor, and assume that the output will be correct. Regulated designs compensate for the parasitic capacitance of the transformer or coil. Monopolar designs also compensate for the magnetic hysteresis of the core.
The feedback circuit needs power to run before it can generate power, so an additional non-switching power-supply for stand-by is added.

Transformer design


SMPS transformers run at high frequency. Most of the cost savings (and space savings) in off-line power supplies come from the fact that a high frequency transformer is much smaller than the 50/60 Hz transformers formerly used.
There are several differences in the design of transformers for 50 Hz vs 500 kHz. Firstly a low frequency transformer usually transfers energy through its core (soft iron), while the (usually ferrite) core of a high frequency transformer limits leakage. Since the waveforms in a SMPS are generally high speed (PWM square waves), the wiring must be capable of supporting high harmonics of the base frequency due to the skin effect, which is a major source of power loss.

Power factor

Simple off-line switched mode power supplies incorporate a simple full wave rectifier connected to a large energy storing capacitor. Such SMPSs draw current from the AC line in short pulses when the mains instantaneous voltage exceeds the voltage across this capacitor. During the remaining portion of the AC cycle the capacitor provides energy to the power supply.
As a result, the input current of such basic switched mode power supplies has high harmonic content and relatively low power factor. This creates extra load on utility lines, increases heating of the utility transformers and standard AC electric motors, and may cause stability problems in some applications such as in emergency generator systems or aircraft generators. Harmonics can be removed through the use of filter banks but the filtering is expensive, and the power utility may require a business with a very low power factor to purchase and install the filtering onsite.
In 2001 the European Union put into effect the standard IEC/EN61000-3-2 to set limits on the harmonics of the AC input current up to the 40th harmonic for equipment above 75 W. The standard defines four classes of equipment depending on its type and current waveform. The most rigorous limits (class D) are established for personal computers, computer monitors, and TV receivers. In order to comply with these requirements modern switched-mode power supplies normally include an additional power factor correction (PFC) stage.
Putting a current regulated boost chopper stage after the off-line rectifier (to charge the storage capacitor) can help correct the power factor, but increases the complexity (and cost).