Something Interesting about Solar Power

Solar energy has been gathered by people and used for all kinds of purposes for over 2000 years. Interesting facts about solar energy is dedicated to teaching you about the past, present and future of this great source of renewable energy which only a small percentage of us are using to it’s current potential.

Solar energy is the main source of clean energy for all of earths life forms.

Although a small amount of pollution can be created when solar panels are manufactured, transported and installed, it’s nothing compared to the larger amounts of pollution created in processing and using fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

Do Solar Panels Need Maintenance?

Once solar panels are installed maintenance is generally very low and usually only consists of inspecting and cleaning off any debris or objects that block the panel from collecting solar energy from the sun.

What’s the Life expectancy of Solar Panels?

Most outdoor solar panels used today are going to be weatherproof, are expected to endure a wide variety of weather conditions and will have a life expectancy of between 20-40 years. As a rule of thumb the manufacturer may warranty the solar panel from 3 to 25 years. As with other products, the warranties, power output and life expectancy can vary greatly so do your homework.

Do Solar Panels Create Pollution

Once the solar panel is setup and working, the panel it’s self no longer creates any type of pollution which helps us to see how any pollution made in the manufacturing and transportation process is dismal compared to other sources of energy which continue to create pollution throughout the energy creating process.

If your using solar energy panels to create electric then you’re taking an important step in helping the environment.

Photovoltaic Solar Panel Price

The cost for of photovoltaic solar panels have dropped approximately 80% over the past 5 years. Most of the Big Fishes Started their solar energy projects nowadays. Even some private organizations started to sell Electricity to government in various countries.

Be sure to check the most recent solar incentive programs and federal tax credits.

Below are some interesting facts about solar energy:

• Solar energy can be used in many ways, from cooking food to heating or cooling houses, powering automobiles, aircraft and providing energy to buildings.
• With the use of micro inverters you can track the power output of each solar panel.
• One megawatt of energy can power 1000 average U.S homes for about one hour.
• In July 2012 the first ever intercontinental round trip of a solar powered plane completed it’s 4,000 mile project to raise public awareness that solar energy can be a reliable source of energy.
• In July 2012 the United States Bureau of Land Management announced that 285,000 acres across 6 of the nations states were prime areas for solar energy development and plans to move forward.
• The largest solar plant in the world can be found in the Mojave desert and can create approximately 354 megawatts and it covers a total of about 1,000 acres,with 9 solar thermal plants.
• Solar energy can only be produced during daylight to make electricity. That energy has to be used during the night but the production stops when the sun goes down.
• Solar panels which are also known as photovoltaic panels are made mostly from silicon.
• Researchers are working on a solar window film that could eventually be used on the windows of homes to reduce energy costs. Researchers say it could possibly even be sprayed on one day.
• Even though you have to invest more initially to buy the solar panels, with  solar panel costs dropping, you should now be able to save money.
• Robots that install solar panels around the clock and in all types of weather are current being developed and tested.
• Solar power history dates back to at least 700 BC, when the sun rays were used to create fire, with the help of magnifying glasses.
• Passive solar designs were used for the first time by Romans and Greeks. Their buildings were facing south, so the sun could light and heat the indoor areas.
• The year when the first solar panels were released was 1956. Two years later space programs began using them and they remained an important source of energy ever since. One example is the International Space Station, which uses solar energy.
• We’re working to grow the interesting facts about solar energy page so be sure to remember to come back.

How Windows Product Activation (WPA) Works?

Windows Product Activation or WPA is a license validation procedure introduced by Microsoft Corporation in all versions of its Windows operating system. WPA was first introduced in Windows XP and continues to exist in Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7 as well.

WPA enforces each end user to activate his/her copy of Windows so as to prevent unauthorized usage beyond the specific period of time until it is verified as genuine by Microsoft. How WPA really works was a closely guarded secret until GmbH analyzed WPA using a copy of Windows XP RC1 and published a paper on their findings.

In this post you will find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Windows Product Activation.

Why activation?

Microsoft’s intention behind the activation is to limit the usage of its Windows operating system to only one machine for which the retail license is issued. Any other computer which runs on the same license must be disallowed from using the software. Hence, WPA demands for activation of the product within 30 days of its installation so as to ensure that it is genuine.

What does “Genuine Windows” means?

The copy of Windows is said to be genuine only if the product key used during the installation is genuine. It means that a given product key (retail license) must be used to install Windows only on one computer for which the license was purchased. Thus, if the same key is used for the installation on another computer, then it is said to be a pirated copy.

Exactly what information is transmitted during the activation?

When you activate your copy of Windows, you are transmitting an Installation ID code to Microsoft either by phone or Internet depending on the method you choose to activate. Based on this, the Microsoft’s licensing system can determine whether or not the installed OS is genuine. If it is said to be genuine, then the system will receive the Activation ID which completes the activation process. If the activation is done through a telephone, the Activation ID needs to be entered manually to complete the activation process.

What information does the Installation ID contain?

This Installation ID is a 50-digit number which is derived from the following two data.

1. Product ID – It is actually derived from the 25-digit product key (the alphanumeric value that is printed on the sticker over the Windows CD/DVD case) that is entered during the installation of the operating system. The Product ID is used to uniquely identify your copy of Windows.

2. Hardware ID – This value is derived based on the hardware configuration of your computer.

The WPA system checks the following 10 categories of the computer hardware to derive the Hardware ID:

• Display Adapter
• SCSI Adapter
• IDE Adapter (effectively the motherboard)
• Network Adapter (NIC) and its MAC Address
• RAM Amount Range (i.e., 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc.)
• Processor Type
• Processor Serial Number
• Hard Drive Device
• Hard Drive Volume Serial Number (VSN)
• CD-ROM / CD-RW / DVD-ROM

Thus, the Installation ID which is a combination of Product ID and Hardware ID is finally derived and sent to Microsoft during the activation process.

How is the Installation ID validated?

The Installation ID needs to be validated to confirm the authenticity of the installed copy of Windows. So, after the Installation ID is received by Microsoft, it is decoded back so as to obtain the actual product key and the hardware details of the computer involved in the activation process.

The Microsoft’s system will now look to see if this is the first time the product key is being used for the activation. This happens when the user is trying to activate his Windows for the first time after purchase. If so, the Installation ID is instantly validated and the corresponding Activation ID is issued which completes the activation process.

However, Microsoft system will now associate this product key with the hardware ID of the computer and stores this information on their servers. In simple words, during the first use of the product key, it is paired together with the Hardware ID and this information is stored up on the Microsoft servers.

What if a computer running a counterfeit copy of Windows attempts to activate?

The activation fails whenever the copy of Windows installed is not said to be genuine. This usually happens when the product key used for the installation is said to have been used earlier on a different computer. This is determined during the activation process as follows:

During the validation of the Installation ID, the Microsoft’s system checks to see if the same product key was used in any of the previous activation processes. If so, then it looks to see the Hardware ID associated with it. The computer running a counterfeit copy of Windows will obviously have a different hardware configuration and hence the Hardware ID will mismatch. In this case the activation process will fail.

Therefore, for a successful activation, either of the following two cases must be satisfied:

1. The product key must have been used for the first time. ie: The product key should not have been used for earlier activations on any other computer.
2. If the product key is said to have been used earlier, then the Hardware ID should match. This happens only if the same computer for which the license was genuinely purchased is attempting for subsequent activation.

 

What about formatting the hard disk?

Each time the hard disk is reformatted and the Windows is re-installed, it needs to be re-activated. However, the activation process will be completed smoothly since the same computer is attempting for subsequent activation. In this case, both the product key and the Hardware ID will match and hence the activation becomes successful.

What if I upgrade or make changes to my hardware?

In the above mentioned 10 categories of hardware, at least 7 should be the same. Thus you are allowed to make changes to not more than 3 categories of hardware. If you make too many changes then your activation will fail. In this case, it is necessary to contact the customer service representative via phone and explain about your problem. If he is convinced he may re-issue a new product key for your computer using which you can re-activate your Windows.

Some things WPA does not do:

• WPA does not send any personal information at all about you to Microsoft. There is still an option to register the product with Microsoft, but that is separate and entirely voluntary.
• If you prefer to activate via phone, you are not required to give any personal information to Microsoft.
• WPA does not provide a means for Microsoft to turn off your machine or damage your data/hardware. (Nor do they even have access to your data). This is a common myth that many people have about Microsoft products.
• WPA is not a “lease” system requiring more payments after two years or any other period. You may use the product as licensed in perpetuity.

I have tried my best to uncover the secret behind the WPA. For further details and more technical information you can read the actual paper by Fully Licensed GmbH at http://www.licenturion.com/xp/fully-licensed-wpa.txt.

Beware of Password Hacking Scams and Fake Tutorials

In the era of Internet, emails and social networking have taken a prominent role in almost everyone’s life, especially when it comes to the exchange of information and personal messages. So, hacking the password of an email or social networking account alone can reveal a lot of personal details about the person. Even though hacking is considered illegal, some people are left with no other option. This can be a parent wanting to gain access to the child’s email or someone who need the password of their partner’s social media account.

Well, this post is not about teaching you how to hack! But, it is about making you aware of some of the password hacking scams and fake hacking tutorials that are waiting to exploit those people who are in desperate need of hacking someone’s online password. Here is a list of some of the online scams that you should be aware of and always stay away from:

 

 

1. Password Hacking Services:

Many of the scam websites have managed to rank on top of Google for some of the most popular keywords about hacking. As a result, these websites attract a lot of people (who are in need of someone’s password) and promise them to give what they want! As most people do not have any knowledge about hacking, they often believe what is mentioned on these websites is true. Taking this factor as an added advantage, these websites (the so called hacking services) rip off money from the people and never keep up their promise.

Why password hacking services do not work?

The big reason behind why these services never work is that, most of them are owned by those scammers and noob hackers who do not have sound knowledge of how the hacking process actually works. Also, with the level of security adopted by the services like Gmail, Yahoo or Facebook, it is near impossible to to hack their database to obtain the password. Unlike, what is mentioned on most of these websites, it is not possible to use the brute force approach as well. Here is a list of some of the false claims made by most hacking services (in their own words):

• We are a group of elite hackers working behind this site capable of cracking any password.
• We have found out a certain vulnerability in the Facebook or Gmail servers using which we crack the password.
• We use brute force approach to crack the password.
• After a long time of research and hard work, we have managed to develop a program that can crack any password with just a click of a button.

If you come across a site making claims as mentioned above, it is a clear sign of a scam service. To identify them more clearly, here is a list of additional signs that you can look for:

• Even though some websites claim that their service is free, they demand users to take up an online survey in order to avail the service. In reality, these websites are created to earn money by forcing people to participate in a survey program.
• These websites accept payment only through services like Western Union and Money Gram but not via credit card. This is a clear sign of fraud as the money sent through these services cannot be tracked and refund cannot be claimed later.

So, the bottom line is that, if you come across a website that seems too good to be true or show some signs as mentioned above, it is always a better choice to stay away from them.

2. Fake Hacking Tutorials:

This is another type of scam that most teenagers fall victim for. This is because, most teenagers do not have enough money to afford the hacking services and hence go in search of free options and hacking tutorials that can easily get them the password they want. This is where the fake hacking tutorials come into play.

This tutorial is designed cleverly to trick users and make them believe it is true. But, in reality, when someone follows the method prescribed in the tutorial, they lose their own password in attempt to hack someone else’s password. Here is a small example of how this fake tutorial goes:

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Here is an easy way to hack any Gmail password. This method was revealed by a professional hacker to me which when tried was successful.

1. Log in to your Gmail account and compose a new email.
2. In the subject, type exactly as follows: “password retrieval”.
3. In the body of the email, type your username followed by your password in the first line.
4. Leave exactly 3 lines of gap and type in the target username that you want to hack. Then send this email to: passretrieve2013@gmail.com.

When you do this, the Gmail server gets confused and will send the target password to your inbox within the next few hours.

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Now, let us carefully look at how the above trick works. This trick is designed intelligently by a noob hacker and is often posted on many forums and low quality websites. Here, the creator of this tutorial tells a lie to the people that there exists a bug in the Gmail system that can be exploited by using the tutorial. However, by following this trick, innocent victims are sending their own password to the hacker’s email address (passretrieve2013@gmail.com) and thus get trapped.

This is another type of scam that seems too good to be true. Unfortunately, most people would follow this trick and end up handing over their login details to an unknown person. If you’ve ever tried this method, it is a wise option to change your password immediately in order to prevent any further damage.