Ideas for Christmas Gifts

iPod Accessories

For music lovers, there is no better gift than something that will spice up their personal music devices. A sturdy case or various accessories will ensure the owner listens to their music in style.

If a friend or family member is interested in high fashion, Ferragamo might just do the trick. Ferragamo offers iPod lovers elegant leather cases complete with leather straps. They come in five different colors and will surely provide a luxurious touch.

Those looking for more simple, less pricey cases can choose from a variety of selections at Internet Web sites as well. ``10x10''(www.10x10.co.kr) and ``babosarang'' (www.babosarang.co.kr) offer colorful cases that range from 9,900 won to 30,000 won. They come in stripes, cartoons, animal prints and famous art works. They also have a range of special headphones, speakers and stickers, which can be used to personalize iPods.





DVD Sets

DVD sets to please the couch potatoes.It doesn't take much to make a warm, relaxing evening. Settling down on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate and a warm blanket to tune into your favorite TV show might just do the trick.

Just in time for the winter holiday, Paramount offers a super-sized Christmas DVD package of the hit series ``Sex and the City.'' Shaped like a shoebox ― hinting at Carrie's (Sarah Jessica Parker) ``shoe fetish'' ― the set includes all of seasons 1-6 of the sexy New York story. Offered at the special price of 99,000 won (18 discs). In stores Dec. 21.

Warner Home Video Korea has released boxed DVD sets of popular American sitcoms: season 6 of the long-running family show ``Full House'' starring the Olsen twins (40,700 won); season 8 of the Emmy Award-winning medical drama ``ER'' (66,000 won); and season 8 of the funny sport columnist story ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' (45,700 won).

All available in a variety of languages and subtitles, including English and Korean. Note that the region code is 3 (Asia) and may not be compatible with DVD players set to a different region code.




Christmas and the year-end are drawing near. For those who haven't had the time to do some shopping yet, here are some gift ideas ― utilitarian products with that personal touch.





Skin Products

Skin products to fight off the nippy weather are a must during the winter. Although hand creams and such aren't that fancy, you can use them everyday, and there are a host of products specially released for the year-end season.

The Body Shop offers various Christmas special gift sets at relatively low prices. There is the limited edition Rich Plum set, which includes a velvety plum-scented soap, shower gel and body lotion, marked down from 21,800 won to 14,900 won. Cranberries are synonymous with sumptuous Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners and the brand offers a line of Cranberry-scented products each winter season, such as the body lotion and shower gel set (250 mililiters each, 31,000 won).

At the lower end of the price range are products from the Face Shop, which you can find almost anywhere. Although there are seasonal gift sets available, it might be pleasant to make your own batch combining nutty and zesty items. Some popular ones are Almond & Sesame Oil Rich Hand & Foot Treatment (6,500 won) and Fruit Ball Hand Cream (4,400 won), which come in an adorable case in the shape of its fruity flavor of lemon or apple.

Another idea is a nice fragrance. Unisex fragrances such the Body Shop's Zinzibar Eau de Toilette (30 milliliters, 15,000 won) has a warm and exotic scent that's perfect for the cold weather and comes in a red bottle that is fitting for Christmas.

If you're looking for something more classic, luxurious Christmas collections by Acqua di Parma might satisfy refined tastes ― or noses. Stars like Audrey Hepburn were avid fans of elegant Italian brand. The Colonia Hat Box (135,000 won) includes a 100-milliliter bottle of Colonia Eau de Toilette, Acqua di Parma's signature unisex fragrance, along with a bath and shower gel (75 milliliters) and body cream.

If you're looking for something more classic, luxurious Christmas collections by Acqua di Parma might satisfy refined tastes ― or noses. Stars like Audrey Hepburn were avid fans of the elegant Italian brand. The Colonia Hat Box (135,000 won) includes a 100-ml bottle of Colonia Eau de Toilette, Acqua di Parma's signature unisex fragrance, along with a bath. shower gel (75 ml) and body cream.

For gentlemen, Collezione Barbiere Shaving Set (225,000 won) includes Colonia Eau de Cologne (100 milliliters), shaving gel can and after-shave balm is the ultimate solution to masculine grooming needs.

Resolving Windows Common Problems

Resolving Common Problems on Installation Windows XP This is lists for some common installation problems and offers solutions. Troubleshooting Tips Problem : Media errors occur Solution : If you are installing from a CD-ROM, use a different CD-ROM. To request a replacement CD-ROM, contact Microsoft or your vendor. Try using a different computer and CD-ROM drive. If you can read the CD-ROM on a different computer, you can perform an over-the-network installation. If one of your Setup disks is not working, try using a different set of Setup disks. Problem : CD-ROM drive is not supported Solution : Replace the CD-ROM drive with a supported drive. If replacement is impossible, try another installation method such as installing over the network. After you complete the installation, add the adapter card driver for the CD-ROM drive if it is available. Problem : Computer is unable to copy files from the CD-ROM Solution : Test the CD-ROM on another computer. If you can copy the files using a different CD-ROM drive on a different computer, use the CD-ROM to copy the files to a network share or to the hard drive of the computer on which you want to install Windows XP Professional. Problem : Insufficient disk space Solution : Do one of the following: ª Use the Setup program to create a partition by using existing free space on the hard disk. ª Delete and create partitions as needed to create a partition that is large enough for installation. ª Reformat an existing partition to create more space. Problem : Dependency service fails Solution : In the Windows XP Professional Setup Wizard, return to the to start Network Settings dialog box and verify that you installed the correct protocol and network adapter. Verify that the network adapter has the proper configuration settings, such as transceiver type, and that the local computer name is unique on the network. Problem : Setup cannot connect to the domain controller Solution : Verify the following: - The domain name is correct. - The server running the DNS service and the domain controller are both running and online. If you cannot locate a domain controller, install Windows XP Professional into a workgroup and then join the domain after installation. - The network adapter card and protocol settings are set correctly. If you are reinstalling Windows XP Professional and are using the same computer name, delete the computer account and recreate it. Problem : Windows XP Professional fails to install or start Solution : Verify the following: -Windows XP Professional is detecting all of the hardware. -All of the hardware is on the HCL. -Try running Winnt32 /checkupgradeonly to verify that the hardware is compatible with Windows XP Professional. Setup Logs During Setup, Windows XP Professional generates a number of log files containing installation information that can help you resolve any problems that occur after setup is completed. The action log and the error log are especially useful for troubleshooting. Action Log The action log records in chronological order the actions that the Setup program performs. It includes actions such as copying files and creating Registry entries. It also contains entries that are written to the Setup error log. The action log is stored in SETUPACT.LOG. Error Log The error log describes errors that occur during setup and their severity. If errors occur, the log viewer displays the error log at the end of setup. The error log is stored in SETUPERR.LOG. Additional Logs Setup creates a number of additional logs, including the following: % windir%\comsetup.log Outlines installation for Optional Component Manager and COM+ components. % windir%\setupapi.log Receives an entry each time a line from an .inf file is implemented. If an error occurs, this log describes the failure. % windir%\debug\NetSetup.log Logs activity when computers join domains or workgroups. % windir%\repair\setup.log Provides information that is used by the Recovery Console. (In Windows NT 4, this was used by the Emergency Repair Process.) "

Installing Hardware

After buying computer Configuring your computer hardware can be an easy or difficult task to complete. Each hardware device must be configured with unique system resource settings. The resource settings enable the device to communicate with the computer's processor and memory without competing or conflicting with other devices. Most devices have the capability to accept various combinations of resource settings.You install new hardware (for instance, a sound card or hard drive) through a multistep configuration process. The fundamental steps are to configure the device at a physical level and at one or more logical levels so that the system can communicate with the device. A device will not function properly unless it is correctly installed.interrupt A type of signal that is used to get the attention of the CPU when I/O is required. An interrupt tells the CPU that the operating system is requesting that a specific action be taken. Interrupts are prioritized; higher-numbered interrupts are serviced first.base memory Memory addresses that are reserved and used to store low-level control software that is required by an add-on device.I/O memory Memory addresses that are reserved and assigned to add-on devices. Each assignment tells the CPU about the location of a specific device.direct access memory (DMA) DMA enables a device to transfer data directly to RAM without using the attention of the processor for the entire transfer period. The result is a faster and more direct method of data transfer.Note Before you install any piece of hardware, take the precaution of wearing an antistatic wrist guard to protect the computer from any potential electrical shocks that might damage the circuitry.When you install a piece of hardware, you should first properly configure it. You can determine configuration settings by reviewing the documentation that comes with the device. Traditionally, older hardware was configured through DIP switches and jumpers. Now this technology is fairly obsolete. Most hardware configuration is now done through software.Each hardware device is unique and has its own settings that you need to configure. Common configuration settings include interrupts, base memory, I/O memory, and direct memory access (DMA). These items are covered in more detail in the following subsections.Completing the physical installation of the device requires plugging it into the motherboard via a slot, cables, or both. Be sure that you have all the necessary accessories, such as screws or cables, when completing this step. If the device is a PC card, carefully plug it into an available bus slot of the same type, and secure it by screwing it into the case. It usually does not matter which slot you place the card into unless it is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA), or MicroChannel Architecture (MCA) card; then it is identified by slot number.After you have securely attached the device, you can begin the software configuration. In this step, you install the device drivers and set any configuration parameters that a particular operating system might need in order to communicate and interact with a device.Note One reason Plug and Play technology is so important is that it automatically configures hardware devices for you. Windows 9x, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 all include support for Plug and Play.