Speeding Up RAID Operations on Synology NAS

There are a few things you can do to speed up the process of RAID operations, SSH to your NAS as admin and enter the following commands (change md3 to your device):

# echo 100000 > /proc/sys/dev/raid/speed_limit_min
# echo 32768 > /sys/block/md3/md/stripe_cache_size



The first command increases the minimum “goal” rebuild speeds for when there’s non-rebuild activity. 

The second command increases the stripe cache size which increases sync performance by allowing a larger cache to synchronise the read and write operations on the array.  This is only available for RAID 5 volumes and it does decrease the amount of available system RAM but I never saw 100% utilisation on the DiskStation.

You can monitor the process with the following commands:

# cat /proc/mdstat
# cat /sys/block/md5/md/stripe_cache_size
# cat /proc/sys/dev/raid/speed_limit_min

It also works for speeding up volume consistency checks as they both read the same config. Remember the commands above will only set those options until the NAS is rebooted.

Verifying the status of RAID arrays

We can check the status of the arrays on the system with:

1	cat /proc/mdstat

or

1	mdadm --detail /dev/md0

The output of this command will look like:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

cat /proc/mdstat Personalities : [raid1] md0 : active raid1 sdb1[1] sda1[0] 104320 blocks [2/2] [UU] md1 : active raid1 sdb3[1] sda3[0] 19542976 blocks [2/2] [UU] md2 : active raid1 sdb4[1] sda4[0] 223504192 blocks [2/2] [UU]

Using PowerShell to export Active Directory Group Members to a CSV File

Hi all,
In this article I will discuss how I use the Get-ADGroupMember cmdlet to get a list of Active Directory Group members and dump it to a csv file. You will need to have the Active Directory Module for PowerShell installed to use this cmdlet. Once you have the  Active Directory Module for PowerShell installed you can open PowerShell as Administrator and type the following to import the module (module will be imported automatically when executing the “Get-ADGroupMember” cmdlet in PowerShell 3.0)

“Import-Module ActiveDirectory”

After you import the AD module type the following changing the identity to reflect your group name and the path to export group members to a csv file in that directory:

Get-ADGroupMember -identity “Name of Group” | select name | Export-csv -path C:\Output\Groupmembers.csv -NoTypeInformation

You should now have a list of members by display name in a csv file located at C:\Output\Groupmembers.csv. If you wanted to list out the users by samaccountname you could just change out “name” after the select statement with “samaccountname”.

Now lets say you are using nested groups. You will notice that your list will reflect the nested group name and no the members of the nested group. All you need to do in this case is add the -recursive parameter to enumerate all the nested group members and add them to the list. This would look as follows:

Get-ADGroupMember -identity “Name of Group” -recursive | select name | Export-csv -path C:\Output\Groupmembers.csv -NoTypeInformation

Split E-mail Address in Half in Excel

Username: (before '@' sign)

=LEFT(A1,FIND("@",A1)-1)

Domain: (after the '@' sign)

=RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-FIND("@",A1)+1)

...the +/- 1 adds or removes the @ symbol

Shortcuts for the Spot Removal Tool in Lightroom

In Lightroom, we can now click-drag to create a Brush Spot.  As in previous versions a single click will create a circle spot and auto-find a source.

• Tap “Q” to access the Spot Removal tool.  Shift + Q toggles between Clone and Heal modes.
• Command -drag (Mac) | Control -drag (Win) creates a circle spot and allows you to drag to define the source.
• Command + Option -drag (Mac) | Control + Alt -drag  (Win) creates a circle spot that scales from the center.
• Command + Shift -drag(Mac) | Control  + Shift -drag (Win) creates a circle spot that scales from anchor.
• Holding down Shift (before starting to paint with the Spot Removal tool) constrains the brush stroke to horizontal or vertical.
• If you click to set a circle spot and then Shift + click in a different area Lightroom will connect the first spot with the new spot via a straight brush stroke (a great way to remove telephone lines).
• To enlarge a brush spot after drawing, use the Size slider in the Spot Removal  options panel.
• Backslash (/) – select new source for existing circle or brush spot.
• Tap “H” to hide the interface.
• Option -click  (Mac) | Alt  + (Win) -click  deletes a spot (the icon displays as a pair of scissors).
• Option -click  (Mac) | Alt  + (Win) -drag over multiple spots will batch-delete spots.
• Tap “A” to toggle the Visualize Spots feature (manual controls are found in the Toolbar)

How to Refresh or Reset Your Windows 8 PC Without the DVD

Original is here

 

How to Refresh or Reset Your Windows 8 PC Without the DVD

We have already shown you how you can use the new refresh and reset features in Windows 8 instead of formatting your PC, the problem is that you are required to insert your Windows DVD every time you want to use the features. Here’s how to do it without the DVD.

Refresh or Reset Your Windows 8 PC Without the DVD

The first thing you need to do is create a new folder on the root of your primary drive and call it “Windows8Files”



Now insert your DVD into your PC, or mount the ISO File and navigate to:

D:\sources

Copy the install.wim file off your DVD into the Windows8Files folder we just created.





Next we need to launch and administrative command prompt, so move your mouse to the bottom left of your screen and right-click then select Command Prompt (admin) from the context menu.



Now we need to run the following command: 

reagentc.exe /setosimage /path C:\Windows8Files /target C:\Windows /Index 1





Now you can refresh or reset you PC as normal, except it wont ask you to insert your DVD.

How to Manually Activate Microsoft Office 2010/2013

The following commands should be done from a command prompt using Elevated Permissions. 

First, find out the address of the Key Management Server (KMS) using DNS replacing the example ".domain.com" with the proper domain for your workstation and environment.

I am using "dig" instead of "nslookup" because it is what I am most familiar with. If using "nslookup" go into interactive mode and change the query type to SRV before searching.

c:\>dig SRV _vlmcs._tcp.domain.com

For example, if your Company Domain is "acme.com", the command would be:

c:\>dig SRV _vlmcs._tcp.acme.com

Next, change to the MS Office 2010 directory. On Windows 7 x64 it is:

c:\>cd "\program files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14"

Office 2013 may be in directory Office15:

c:\>cd "\program files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15"

Display the current activation status

cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus

Next, set the default server to be used where "lic_server.domain.com" is the one discovered using the DNS lookup above.

cscript ospp.vbs /sethst:lic_server.domain.com

For example, if your company domain is "acme.com" and the license server hostname is "mslicenseserver01" the command should be:

cscript ospp.vbs /sethst:mslicenseserver01.acme.com

Activate Office

cscript ospp.vbs /act

How to Manually Activate Windows 7 Enterprise

How to Manually Activate Windows 7 Enterprise against a domain License Server

How to find the address of KMS servers

dig SRV _VLMCS._tcp.yourdomain.com

The correct sequence of events for converting a MAK activation back over to a KMS client is as follows:

• Open an elevated command prompt.
• Run this command : slmgr.vbs /ipk "win7KmsKey", where win7KmsKey comes from the appropriate value in this table.
• Run this command: slmgr.vbs /ato

Now, for the above to work automatically, the machines need to be able to resolve _vlmcs._tcp.yourdomain.com. There's a number of ways this can be achieved:

• For domain-joined machines, this should work by default (so long as it's joined to the same domain, of course)
• For non domain-joined machines, you can either set the computer's primary DNS suffix (in with the change computer name settings), or
• Specify a DNS suffix search order via the DNS tab in the network adapter's properties or via local group policy.

If you do not intend or have the ability to use the automatic discovery, you can use the following commands to manually configure where the client initially looks:

• slmgr.vbs /skms kmsServer.yourdomain.com:1688 (you could use the IP address instead of the hostname if you have no DNS resolution occurring at all)
• slmgr.vbs /ato

How to import .nk2 files into Outlook 2010

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/980542#LetMeFixItMyselfAlways

Sending E-mail via Telnet

How to:

• Use Telnet to connect to the SMTP server.
• Send commands to the server to build the envelope and send a message or more

The functionality is quite similar to how a real E-mail clinet interacts with a SMTP server.

---

Step 1

In a Windows DOS or Command prompt, and enter:

C:\WINDOWS>telnet smtp.domain.com 25

This will open a Telnet window and connect to the SMTP server. The server responds with:

220 server5.domain.com -- Server ESMTP (SMTP Server)

The above message will be different for each server, but you should definitely get '220' response. It is an indication that the server is ready for your request.

---

Step 2

Now the server expects you to identify yourself. Using your computer's hostname, enter the following to identify yourself to the server. My hostname is "cronos" so I will use that:

helo cronos

Note that it is 'helo' and not 'hello'. The commands are not case-sensitive, so you can also say HeLo or HELO or hELo. The server replies:

250 server5.domain.com OK, [192.168.10.20].

This initiates the handshake between the server and the client. The server returns a '250' message and a hello message and your client IP address.

---

Step 3

Next give the server your E-mail address. Most SMTP servers require that your e-mail address belong to the same domain as the server. For example, our domain is 'domain.com' and we will use an E-mail address user@domain.com. Lets tell the SMTP server the E-mail address:

mail from: user@domain.com

'mail from:' is an SMTP command. Note that there is a space between 'mail' and 'from', followed by a colon (:). The server says:

250 2.5.0 Address Ok.

---

Step 4

Now we tell the server who we want to send the e-mail to. Let's send an E-mail to info@domain.com:

rcpt to: info@domain.com

There are no restrictions here. You can enter any e-mail address. If there is some problem with the recipient-address, your mail will bounce, but for now, the server doesn't complain. It will say:

250 2.1.5 info@domain.com OK.

---

Step 5

We have given the server your E-mail address, and the recipient's E-mail address, so now we can go ahead and type the e-mail. You have to do that with the data command:

data

The server asks you to go ahead with your E-mail:

354 Enter mail, end with a single "."

---

Step 6

Now type your E-mail, like this:

This is a test e-mail.
Remember to type it all right. Backspace key doesn't work in Windows
Telnet, though it does in Linux. If you make a mistake, try pressing
CTRL-h.

When you finish your e-mail, press [ENTER], then a '.', and again an [ENTER]. This tells the server that you have finished the E-mail, and it can send it. It will say:

250 2.5.0 Ok, envelope id 0M0H00081FQRNP10@server5.domain.com

Your mail was sent!

---

Step 7

Now you can either send another mail, or disconnect from the server. If you want to send another mail, you will repeat the 'rcpt to:' and 'data' commands. There is no need for 'helo' and 'mail from:', because the server already knows who you are. If you want to disconnect, just say 'quit':

quit

The server will reply:

221 2.3.0 Bye received. Goodbye.

and you will lose connection with the server.

Battlestar Galactica Complete Series Blu-Ray Episode List

S01D01
The Miniseries

S01D02
33
Water
Bastille Day
Act of Contrition
You Can't Go Home Again

S01D03
Litmus
Six Degrees of Separation
Flesh and Bone
Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down
The Hand of God

S01D04
Colonial Day
Kobol's Last Gleaming 1 & 2

S02D01
Scattered
Valley of Darkness
Fragged
Resistance
The Farm

S02D02
Home 1 & 2
Final Cut
Flight of the Phoenix
Pegasus

S02D03
Pegasus (extended cut)
Resurrection Ship 1 & 2
Epiphanies

S02D04
Black Market
Scar
Sacrifice
The Captain's Hand

S02D05
Downloaded
Lay Down Your Burdens 1 & 2

S03D01
Occupation
Precipice
Exodus 1 & 2
Collaborators

S03D02
Torn
A Measure of Salvation
Hero
Unfinished Business

S03D03
Unfinished Business (extended cut)
The Passage
The Eye of Jupiter
Rapture

S03D04
Taking a Break From All Your Worries
The Woman King
A Day in the Life
Maelstrom

S03D05
The Son Also Rises
Crossroads 1 & 2

S04.0D01
He That Believeth in Me
Six of One
The Ties That Bind
Escape Velocity
The Road Less Traveled

S04.0D02
Faith
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Sine Qua Non
The Hub
Revelation

S04.5D01
Sometimes a Great Notion
A Disquiet Follows My Soul
A Disquiet Follows My Soul (extended cut)
The Oath
Blood on the Scales

S04.5D02
No Exit
Deadlock
Someone to Watch Over Me
Islanded in a Sea of Stars
Islanded in a Sea of Stars (extended cut)

S04.5D03
Daybreak 1, 2 & 3
Daybreak (extended cut)

Separate disc, "Razor"

YAMJ Movie Jukebox and ÆON Movie Wall Skin for Popcorn Hour

The NEW Safer Archive Drive

I take a ton of pictures. I have a nice RAID1 array inside my main editing PC and archive old images to DVD as well as external drives. Recently (see previous post) had a close call where one of my DVD backups failed and when I went to my archive external disk, it failed as well. It was a RAID0 array and even if I pulled the drives from the failed enclosure, I would have no hope of restoring the data since it was striped across two drives.


Anyway, I solved that problem with a new power supply... thank goodness. So time to pay more attention and pay more for a more reliable external storage solution. I ultimately want to get a good RAID5 or even RAID10 solution but they are expensive. For now, I would settle for a mirrored solution.


I decided to go with the newly released, Western Digital MyBook Studio Edition II 2TB Quad Interface. It comes with a dual drive (1TB each) setup in RAID0 formatted for HFS+ (Mac OS-X) but I would be using it in Windows Vista Ultimate x64 and in RAID1.

The things that made up my decision were the eSATA interface, the excellent design, the ease of service if a drive fails and the capacity and RAID1. Price is a little high but B&H has them for $464.00.


http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=410


Here are some benchmarks using FireWire 400 and eSATA connections. My PC isa custom built Asus Striker Extremewith Intel QX6700 and 4GB RAM. The eSATA is a Silicon Image chipset built into the MoBo.

FW400





eSATA

My External Drive Woes

Amongst many external drives in my collection, I have a LaCie Big Disk Extreme 500gb Triple Interface which all of a sudden decided to die on me.
The front blue light began to flicker dimly and I thought initially that it was simply Disk Activity/Access.. but it was not. I would hear the attempt to start the drives inside but it would end in 1/2 of a second.
Googled and Googled and everything pointed to bad and poor service, workmanship, issues left and right. Great, I was hosed :-(
But some of the articles pointed to some options, namely that my power supply could be bad. The model number for the power supply that came with my unit was 706479 or ACML-51

I went out to B&H Photo and purchased a spare Power Supply. I bought an updated model 710199 which is clearly labeled as non usable by LaCie on my model drive. But I decided to go ahead anyway... I was desperate. The original supply puts out 26W and the new one 34

I was very glad to see my drive power up again and show up as a drive on my system. I quickly moved off all my critical images off this drive.
Little did I know this was a dual drive, RAID0 array with two Western Digital 250GB drives inside. If there is a failure of either drive, all your data is hosed. This setup is good for high speed FW800 video editing or scratch space for NON-CRITICAL stuff... NOT for a backup device. I plan to dismantle the unit and use the drives in a new RAID1 enclosure for archiving.

Traffic Camera Locations

New locations for traffic cameras in New York City.
Watch those *red lights*.

Borough/Location

Bronx Pelham Pkwy (W/B) @ Stillwell Ave
Bronx 149th St. (S/B) @ 3rd Ave.
Bronx Grand Concourse several locations (N and S/B)
Bronx Major Deegan Service Road (N/B) @ Yankee Stadium
Bronx Fordham Rd. @ Sedgwick Ave.
Bronx E. 135th St. (W) @ Alexander Ave. X4-13
Bronx Cross Bronx Exp Service Rd (N/B) @ Rosedale Ave.
Bronx Grand Concourse (E) @ 167th St. X1-12
Bronx 161st St. (E/B) @ Anderson Ave.

Brooklyn Coney Island Ave. (N/B) @ Avenue J
Brooklyn Kings Hwy (S/B) @ Remsen Ave. KI-12
Brooklyn Flatlands Ave. @ Ralph Ave.
Brooklyn Pennsylvania Ave. (E/B) @ Atlantic Ave.
Brooklyn Ocean Pkwy (N/B) @ Church Ave.
Brooklyn Kings Hgwy. (E/B) @ Nostrand Ave. KI-12
Brooklyn Jamaica Ave. (E/B) @ Pennsylvania Ave. KD-13
Brooklyn Hamilton Ave. (N) @ Clinton Ave. K3-23
Brooklyn Fort Hamilton Parkway (W/B) @ 60th Street
Brooklyn Utica Ave. @ Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn Flatbush Ave. @ Toy's-R-Us entrance
Brooklyn East side of Humboldt St. @ Metropolitan Ave.
Brooklyn Boerum Pl. (N/B) @ Atlantic Ave.
Brooklyn Bay Pkwy (N/B) @ 65th St.
Brooklyn Atlantic Ave. (W) @ Bedford Ave. K9-23
Brooklyn 78th St. @ 7th Ave.
Brooklyn 4Th Ave. (S) @ 41st St. K5-23
Brooklyn Flatbush Ave. (N/B) @ Avenue H Kk-12
Brooklyn Eastern Pkwy. (E) @ Utica Ave. K6-13

Manhattan West 72nd St. (N/B) @ Amsterdam Ave.
Manhattan 1st Ave. (N/B) @ E. 125th St. MA-14
Manhattan East 42nd St. (S/B) @ 2nd Ave.
Manhattan East 72nd St. (N/B) @ 3rd Ave.
Manhattan Madison Ave. (N/B) @ E. 96th St. ME-24
Manhattan West End Avenue. (S/B) @ 66th St. M7-12
Manhattan York Ave. (N/B) @ E. 79th St. MC-12
Manhattan Broadway (S/B) @ Sherman Ave. Mf-12
Manhattan Amsterdam Ave. (N/B) @ 96th Street - MJ-23
Manhattan 2nd Ave (S/B) @ 42nd St - M1-24
Manhattan Houston St. (W/B) @ 1st Ave. M5-13
Manhattan Houston St. (S/B) @ West St .

Queens Queens Blvd. (W/B) @ Roosevelt Ave. QK-23
Queens Metropolitan Ave. (W/B)@ Cooper Ave. Qe-12
Queens Queens Blvd. (W/B) @ 71st Ave. Qi-13
Queens Woodhaven Blvd. (S/B) @ 62nd Rd. QA-23
Queens So. Conduit Ave. (E/B) @ 89th St. Q5-23
Queens Queens Blvd. @ Ascan Ave.
Queens Queens Blvd. (E/B) @ 58th St. Q1-13
Queens Northern Blvd. (W/B) @ Douglaston Pkwy.
Queens Northern Blvd. (E/B) @ 114th St.
Queens Metropolitan Ave. (W/B) @ Fresh Pond Rd. Q8-12
Queens L.I.E. N. Svc Road (W/B) @ College Pt. Blvd. QH-12
Queens Frances Lewis Blvd. (S/B) @ Union Tpke QI-22
Queens Crossbay Blvd. (N/A) @ 165th Ave. QC-14
Queens Astoria Blvd. @ 108th St.
Queens Astoria Blvd. (E/B) @ Steinway St. QG-23
Queens Rockaway Blvd. (W/B) @ Brookville Rd.

Staten Island Hylan Blvd. (N/B) @ Burbank Ave.
Staten Island Richmond Ave. (N/B) @ Draper Pl. S5-13
Staten Island Richmond Ave. (N/B) @ Travis Ave.
Staten Island Richmond Ave. (N/B) @ West Caswell Ave.
Staten Island Victory Blvd. (E/B) @ Morani Ave.
Staten Island N/B Hylan Blvd at Tysens Lane (towards New Dorp Lane )

Dell Inspiron XPS Laptop very slow - Solved!

For the last few days, I have been struggling with my normally super fast Dell Inspiron XPS Generation 1 laptop behaving as if it had molasses running through its veins.

I initially of course thought it may have been a virus that somehow made it through Norton AV. Nope!

Then I figured it may have been fragmentation. I defragged the drive (which had been neglected for some time) and for a moment it seemed to have helped a bit... Nope!

Okay, deeper we go. I started to figure out a pattern. ALL GRAPHICS ops were severely affected. However, it was only 2D and video (Flash, QuickTime, WMV, MPG, etc.) and no matter what was playing... Windows Media Player (I upgraded to 11 Beta, Nada) QuickTime, IE Embedded video, Video LAN, etc. etc.

I uninstalled codecs, cleaned up registry settings, ran a media cleaner... Nope!

Next up, Video Drivers. My lappy has an ATI Mobility Radeon 9800 with 256MB RAM. Interestingly, all 3D graphics were fine... which pointed to a main CPU issue, not a GPU problem.

Upgraded the video drivers to the latest ATI Catalyst set.. No fix.

Reverted back to the Dell native drivers (they have not been updated for some time by Dell) and still no fix. I then used a little tool called

DH Driver Cleaner Professional Edition
http://www.drivercleaner.net

which helps get a clean start if you feel one of the 10,000 files installed with a modern video card is corrupt or something.

STILL NO FIX! ( I promise there is a solution at the end )

Now it was time to uninstall stuff. I started with Add and Remove Programs... tool and got rid of stuff I wasn't using. I got rid of a lot of add on toys and little tools and some major HD hogs that I wasn't using (like 3DSMax, AutoCad, Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0, After Effects Pro 7) Nothing Fixed!

Man, I was frustrated. I ran a complete Norton AV scan... nothing

I ran a complete Spyware scan (Adware, Microsoft antispyware beta, etc.) nothing...

Time to hit Google. This yielded one answer after another, one idea after another, none of which made any sense to my because they all had different solutions to different slowdowns. Mine was consistently slow under anything that stressed the video especially. The purely CPU apps did not show much of a problem other than being slower. Video was plain and simple : UNUSABLE.

But, I got to thinking about overheating. My older Dell Inspirons all had overheating problems. I didn't think my new XPS had a problem because I had the latest BIOS which specifically fixed an overheating problem and a fan speed issue.

Further digging in the Dell Inspiron forums revealed a possible problem with clogged radiators (the heating pipes for the CPU and GPU end up on large radiators that sit in front of blowers that force air though them from below the machine and through the radiators and out the back of the machine)




Once I cracked open the fans and pulled them, I was AMAZED at how badly (and totally) blocked the radiators were... no wonder the fans were ALWAYS ON. I quickly vacuumed the dust screen off, blew compressed air throughout to remove any leftover residue. Made sure the path was completely clear through the radiators.



Replaced the fans, closed up and started the beast once again. I reset the BIOS, and went into Windows. I was quickly reminded how quiet it can be in my office when the fans are OFF :-) I quickly logged in and ran through some tests... ALL WAS BACK IN NORMAL RANGES. My CPU and GPU and HD and Chipset temperatures were almost shaved in half... AMAZING!

The video was back up to FULL SPEED. If your Inspiron XPS is acting funny, check the vents, the fans, any radiators, etc. Likely, it is a temp problem.

The Pentium 4 HT has a built in self protection mechanism which will gracefully slow down the chip as the temperature rises instead of just shutting itself off (as in the past). However, it is tough to accept because all the CPU speed reporting tools (including windows 'My Computer... | Properties" itself) do NOT report that the CPU has throttled down.

Here are some helpful links

Inspiron XPS and 9100 User Guide
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/insxps/sm/index.htm

All overheating related articles
http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?s=gen&c=us&l=en&cs=&cat=sup&k=XPS+overheating&x=6&y=5

WiKipedia article on the Inspiron XPS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Inspiron

Wayfinding Is Not Signage

Signage plays an important part of wayfinding -- but there's more

By John Muhlhausen, Signs of the Times magazine

Even though signage plays an important role in wayfinding, the
process doesn't rely exclusively on signs.

The term "wayfinding" was first used in 1960 by architect Kevin
Lynch in The Image of the City, where he referred to maps,
street numbers, directional signs and other elements as "way-finding"
devices. This narrow description may explain the current
misunderstanding that wayfinding is essentially the same as
"signage."

The two terms are not synonymous. Signmakers deal with designing,
fabricating and installing signs. However, wayfinding used to
navigate unfamiliar environments, doesn't rely exclusively on signs.

This distinction gained acceptance in the early '70s when
researchers discovered that, to understand how people find their way,
they first need to understand the underlying process. Architect and
environmental psychologist Romedi Passini articulated spatial
problem-solving in his books, Wayfinding in Architecture and
Wayfinding, People, Signs and Architecture, which he
co-authored with wayfinding planner Paul Arthur.

Passini and Arthur described wayfinding as a two-stage process
during which people must solve a wide variety of problems in
architectural and urban spaces that involve both "decision making"
(formulating an action plan) and "decision executing" (implementing
the plan).

People who find themselves in unfamiliar environments need to know
where they actually are in the complex, the layout of the complex,
and the location of their destination in order to formulate their
action plans. En route to their chosen destinations, people are
helped or hindered prior to their visit, the building's architecture
and signage. The physical environment, including positive effect in
how users perceive the wayfinding system--if it seems easy to use or
not.

Faulty sign design can cause navigation problems in unfamiliar
environments. Some signs lack "conspicuity," or visibility, because
lettering lacks legibility when viewed from a distance. Others
contain inaccurate, ambiguous or unfamiliar messages; many are
obscured by obstructions or contain reflective surfaces, which hinder
comprehension. Consequently, many people don't read signs--often it's
easier to ask for directions.

Because wayfinding problems aren't confined to signs alone, they
typically can't be solved by adding more signs. Instead, such
problems can be unraveled by designing an environment that identifies
logical traffic patterns that enable people to move easily from one
spot to another without confusion. Signs cannot be a panacea for poor
architecture and illogical space planning.

Four elements

Wayfinding needs are best resolved during initial planning stages
through a collaborative effort by all design
professionals--architects, designers and signmakers--to address a
project's total environmental communication. The primary generator of
environmental communication, architecture delineates spatial
organization, destination zones and information sequencing--factors
that spell wayfinding's success or failure. Effective architectural
wayfinding clues, provided by roads, building layouts, corridors and
lighting, furnish cognitive maps that allow people to quickly grasp
the environment. To furnish architectural clues:

• Clearly identify arrival points.
• Provide convenient parking and accessible walkways located
  adjacent to each public entry.
• Locate information desks within each public entry visible from
  the front door.
• Place elevator lobbies so they can be seen upon entering the
  building.
• Use consistent lighting, floor coverings and architectural
  finishes in primary public corridor systems.
• Situate memorable landmarks along corridors and at key
  decision points.
• Design public waiting areas that are visually open to
  corridors.
• Distinguish public from non-public corridors by using varied
  finishes, colors and lighting
• Harmonize floor numbers between connecting buildings.

Graphic communication

Graphics, such as signs, color coding, maps, banners, brochures
and Websites, provide orientation, direction, identification and
regulatory information. To achieve effective graphic communication:

• Standardize names for all buildings, services and
  destinations, and display them consistently on all graphics
  applications.
• Use easily understood "plain" language.
• Size messages and signs appropriately for viewing
  distances.
• Select letterforms and color combinations that comply with
  Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines
  (see New Face to ADA).
• Furnish generous spacing between letters, words and message
  lines.
• Provide standardized "you are here" maps of the project that
  include an overall map of the complex and more detailed maps of
  specific areas.
• Train attendants to mark individualized paths on hand-held
  maps for lost or disoriented visitors.
• Place maps at all parking exits, building entrances and major
  interior decision points.
• Orient maps with building layouts, such as denoting on maps
  that "up is ahead."
• Establish consistency in sign placements and graphics
  layouts.
• Code areas by using color and memorable graphics.
• Use established pictographs with words to facilitate
  comprehension of written messages.
• Establish a floor numbering system that relates to a
  building's main entry and indicate on directories which floors are
  above and below grade.

Audible communication

Audible communication, as interpreted through verbal instructions,
PA systems, elevator chimes and water fountains, plays an important
role in wayfinding. Recognizing that 50% of the American population
is functionally illiterate (according to a recent study published by
the U.S. Department of Education) and that another 15% possess other
perceptual or cognitive impairments, audible communication fills an
important role in any wayfinding solution. To establish effective
audible communication:

• Install audible sounds at signaled intersections to indicate
  safe times to cross the street.
• At all public entries and information desks, provide
  attendants trained as professional greeters who are thoroughly
  familiar with the facility.
• Furnish self-help telephones at all information desks.
• Provide patient-transport personnel whose purpose is to guide
  visitors to their destinations.
• Standardize names for all buildings, services and
  destinations, and use them consistently in verbal
  communication.
• Equip elevators with audible chimes.
• Position audible landmarks, such as water fountains, at
  waiting areas.
• Employ audible signs to help locate information desks,
  elevators, rest rooms and other key destinations.
  

Tactile communication

Tactile communication, achieved by raised letters, Braille,
knurled door knobs and textured floor coverings assists all
visitors, not only the disabled. To incorporate tactual devices into
a wayfinding system:

• Establish "shorelines" and "trails" between major destinations
  and information areas using materials having differing
  resiliency's, such as concrete and carpet.
• Install "rumble strips" at the landings of stairs and
  escalators.
• Furnish knurled door knobs at all non-public doors.
• Provide a raised star symbol on elevator control panels to
  indicated the ground floor.
• Supply raised letters and Grade 2 Braille at elevators and on
  signs identifying permanent destinations.
• Install interactive audio-tactile maps at public entrance
  lobbies.

Consistent clues

Architects, designers and signmakers must work together from the
beginning of a project to create a total environmental statement that
provides consistent clues. So, the next time a client asks for
wayfinding signage. tell them that wayfinding is not signage--it's
more.

How To: Determine what Services are Running in WinXP

How To: Determine what Services are Running in WinXP

Cisco IOS Multicast Q&A� [IP Multicast] - Cisco Systems

Cisco IOS Multicast Q&A� [IP Multicast] - Cisco Systems

Customizing Your PC with the Windows XP Registry

Customizing Your PC with the Windows XP Registry

Cyber Internet Cafe Software :: Internet Caffe by Antamedia

Cyber Internet Cafe Software :: Internet Caffe by Antamedia