10 Good Habits For Learning Japanese

1. Keep a Notebook

Buy a cheap notebook (I recommend moleskine) and jot down any new vocabulary or phrases that you hear. For each entry, write down the new language, its meaning, and one or two examples of its usage. If you hear a word you know used in a new way, write it down again.

2. Take Up A Japanese Hobby

If you take up a Japanese hobby you get three benefits. First, you get to take up an interesting and enjoyable hobby which is fun in itself. Second, you'll find a great place to interact with Japanese natives and get plenty of speaking practice. Finally, you'll get a source of motivation to study Japanese harder. You can take up anything from flower arranging (ikebana) to sword-fighting (kendo).

3. Make Japanese pen-friends

Google 'japanese pen friend' and you'll find a host of websites dedicated to finding you a Japanese pen friend. Make sure you insist on replies in English and Japanese. This is a great way to expose you to new language, and of course, make connections in Japan. If you can't read Kanji, you should try downloading Rikaichan, a plugin for the Firefox web browser (which you should be using anyway!)

4. Review Characters Once A Week

If you are just starting out, it's very important that you review hiragana/katakana characters at least once per week. Rather than spending one afternoon trying to cram all the characters into your brain, its much easier and more effective to go slowly and review periodically. You should be able to read words you see, and write words you hear. If you are confident with your kana, you should move onto Kanji when you feel ready.

5. Make Japanese Skype Friends

Similar to making pen-friends, the difference is you will actually be speaking to them over the internet. Often you can convert pen-friends to skype-friends and vice versa. This is a great way to get speaking practice if you don't meet Japanese natives in your day-to-day life, but it's never a substitute for the real thing.

6. Listen To The JapanesePod101 Podcast

If you open iTunes (comes with all Macs, you'll need to download it for Windows), and go to the iTunes Store, you can find a podcast made by JapanesePod101. They regularly broadcast high quality Japanese lessons via their podcast. They can be a little pushy for you to join their paid website, but the podcast is very well produced and is a great way to get listening practice for free.

7. Check Your Grammar With Tae Kims Guide To Japanese

Tae Kims guide can be found at this url:

Http://www.guidetojapanese.org

It is a one-stop shop for Japanese grammar explanations. Though I wouldn't recommend it as a good way to start studying Japanese, it's a great way to review grammar that you might have forgotten. His explanations are brief and filled with examples. He also has a great understanding of contemporary Japanese language usage. Best of all, it's free.

8. Correct Yourself

We all make mistakes when speaking, the most important thing is that we go back and correct them. If you know you've made a mistake, don't be lazy and let it slide. If you make a habit of letting yourself go, you will never improve. Go back to what you said, make the correction, and carry on the conversation from there.

9. Don't Second Guess Yourself

Don't try to make everything you say perfect. Do your best to speak naturally, and then only after you've made a mistake are you allowed to go back and correct it. Unless you're giving a speech, never spend more than a couple of seconds trying to figure out what you're going to say.

10. Come to Japan!

Whether only for a few weeks or the rest of your life, coming to Japan will multiply your Japanese ability. If you are a beginner, you'll get 24/7 exposure to the language as its spoken naturally. If you're intermediate, then you will have more speaking opportunities than you could ever handle or prepare for (which is a good thing). If you're advanced, then you probably already live here :

Najaf Ali is a fluent Japanese speaker living in Tokyo. Get more content on studying Japanese from his eBook at SpeakFluentJapanese.com [http://speakfluentjapanese.com].

NTP Time Server Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is NTP?

A. NTP - Network Time Protocol is an Internet protocol for time synchronisation, whilst other time synchronisation protocols are available NTP is by far the most widely used having been around since the mid 1980's when the Internet was still in its infancy.

Q. What is UTC?

A. UTC - Coordinated Universal Time is a global timescale based on the time told by atomic clocks. Because these clocks are so accurate every year or so 'leap seconds' have to be added as UTC is even more accurate than the Earth's rotation which slows and speeds up thanks to the Moon's gravity.

Q. What is a Network Time Server?

A. A network time server also known as a NTP time server is a network device that receives a UTC time signal and then distributes it among the other devices on a network. The time protocol NTP then ensures that all machines are kept synchronised to that time.

Q. Where does a network time server receive a UTC time from?

A. There are several sources where a UTC time reference can be taken. The Internet is the most obvious with hundreds of different time servers relaying their UTC time signals. However these are notoriously inaccurate depending on many variable the Internet is also not a secure source and not suitable for any computer network where security issues are a concern. The other methods that provide a more accurate, secure and reliable source of UTC time is to either use the transmissions of the GPS (global positioning system) network or the national time and frequency transmissions broadcast on long-wave.

Q. Can I receive a radio time signal from anywhere?

A. Unfortunately not. Only certain countries have a time signal broadcast from their national physics laboratories and these signals are finite and vulnerable to interference. In the USA the signal is broadcast from Colorado and is known as WWVB, in the UK it is broadcast from Cumbria and is called MSF. Similar systems exist in Germany, Japan, France and Switzerland.

Q. What about the GPS signal?

A. A satellite navigation system relies on the time signals from the onboard atomic clocks in the GPS satellites. It is this time signal that is used to triangulate positioning and it can also be received by a network time server fitted with a GPS antenna. GPS is available everywhere in the World but an antenna does need to have a clear view of the sky.

Q. If I have large network then I will need multiple network time servers?

A. Not necessarily. NTP is hierarchical and divided into 'stratum' an atomic clock is a stratum 0 device, a time server that receives the clocks signal is a stratum 1 device and a network device that receives a signal from a time server is a stratum 2 device. NTP can support 12 stratum (realistically, although more is possible) and each strata can be used as a device to synchronise to. Therefore a stratum 2 device can synchronise other machine lower down the strata and so on. This means no matter how big a network is, only one network time server would be required.

Richard N Williams is a technical author and specialist in atomic clocks, telecommunications, NTP and network time synchronisation helping to develop dedicated NTP clocks. Please visit us for more information about a network time server or other ntp server solutions.

How to Make Money on eBay - Make a Bad Economy Work For You

Making some money on eBay is easy. You simply sell those unwanted gifts and stuff lying around the house and profit from each sale. However, those items will soon run out leaving you with no stock to sell. A dilemma for the majority of new eBay sellers.

The List And Swipe Method

This is a simple method that works so well, people are making a full time income from using this one technique alone. Let me explain how it works.

1. The method is basically preying on newbie eBay sellers that end their auctions at the wrong times. Some of them have their auctions ending at 2am and other silly times. If you're savvy and want to compete in an arena that's not that competitive, you'll have to stay up or wake up at these sort of times and grab yourself a bargain.

2. In some instances, you can get hold of items 40-50% less than if they finished at the correct time. If you're talking high priced goods like plasma TVs or laptop computers you can make an absolute killing.

3.Once you've received delivery on the item, simply re-list and have your auction finish on a Sunday evening. This one of the busiest times for bidding as people have had the chance to view this item all weekend and you've probably got plenty of bids on it anyway. This attracts attention. We like attention.

4. Make sure you answer an questions that people ask ask quickly as possible. If they're bidding on a similar item and you happen to reply faster than the competition, this will give you brownie points.

Make a Bad Economy Work for You

I don't often sell consumer electronics, but it seems that they still sell like gangbusters in this bad economy. I would concentrate on laptop computers, iPods, and MP3 players. Take a look at eBay pulse for ideas if you like. In essence, sell what's already being searched for and you succeed where others have failed.

I won't suggest marketing consumer electronics again since I believe it works well using this technique and fails miserably any other time. It's also a very impractical way to do it. To be successful on eBay is going to take hard work and dedication. The success stories that you here

Find out how you can dominate markets and align yourself with other Powersellers on eBay by using some easy to use Internet marketing tools.

Download a tried and tested system: Click Here

Or...do you want to learn how to find what the most popular and hot products are selling for on eBay?

Find out how here: Top Selling Items On eBay.

If you have the desire and will to succeed online then I can give you the tools to be successful. So many people try and fail to build a sustainable eBay business and fail. The simple fact of the matter is, they haven't followed a tried and tested system.

Backpacking Checklist - Paperwork

Work related

Finish paperwork at work (e.g. time reporting).

Book hotel

Make a booking for the first night if you arrive at an inconvenient hour, have traveled for many hours or you arrive in high season (where finding accommodations may be difficult). There are many on-line services for booking or just use your travel agency.

Sticky labels

Get sticky labels and write peoples name on them, then just stick them onto your postcards.

Visa

Get necessary visas in your passport. Start this process in time since it can be time consuming. Sometimes you can get visa on arrival. See visa section for details.

Certificate of Immunizations

Bring your Certificate of Immunizations (health book)

Drivers license

If you plan on driving bring your drivers license along. Get an international drivers license if needed.

Other cards

Bring other relevant cards such as airline bonus cards, phone cards, student cards (e.g. ISIC) to obtain discounts, Hostelling International card etc. If you have an e-ticket and it was registered to a card, make sure that you bring the relevant card along.

Insurance

Make sure you have a paper which states your insurance cover with policy number and contact details. If you live in the European Union and will visit another country in the E.U. get a European Health Insurance Card which entitles you to receive health care under the same economic conditions as the citizens of the country you will visit.

Ticket and itinerary

Bring your ticket and itinerary along.

Contact information

Print contact information to:

* Embassies

* Health clinic where you got your immunizations

* Insurance company. Note if there are special emergency contact numbers (sometimes reverse charge)

* Your bank/credit card issuer so that you can report stolen/lost cards

* Travel agent

* Traveler´s cheques issuers local office

* Hotels

* Emergency contacts

* Addresses and phone numbers to friends(for postcards)

Photo

Bring passport photos if needed in order to get a visa on arrival or if you lose your passport and need to get a new.

Book to read on the plane

Get it before you go to the airport (where they are usually more expensive).

Photocopies

Make photocopies of all important documents such as:

* Visa

* Passport

* Tickets

* Certificate of Immunizations (health book)

* Maps in the guidebook (in order not to have to carry the book along while walking around)

Store the photocopies in a separate location from the originals and protect the copies from rain with a plastic cover.

Upload copies

If you have access to a scanner you can scan the photocopies (see previous bullet) and upload them to the Internet (e.g. send an e-mail to yourself with the files attached). If you do not have a scanner you can take a photo with your digital camera instead of scanning. You can also e-mail them to a friend or your family.

Print information from the Internet

Print the information you have gathered on the Internet about your destination).

Your own checklist

Make a copy of your own checklist (based on this one) and bring along. It may be useful for insurance purposes if your luggage is lost/stolen.

Phrase list

A small list with the most useful phrases in the local language to keep in your wallet/purse for easy access or on your mp3-player.

Guidebook

Dictionary

There are electronic ones you can download to your cell phone or portable computer. You can also get a separate electronic device or a good old paper dictionary :)

Passport

Apply for a passport well in advance if you do not have one. Check the expiry date of your passport. Some countries require it to be valid for at least six months from your date of entry.

Check the state of your passport, I was once almost refused to board a plane to Japan because the page with my passport photo was almost falling out of my passport (a well know quality problem with some Swedish passports). This can also prevent you from getting a visa.

Happy travels!

For a full checklist for your backpacking trip download the free e-book the The Backpacker's Toolbox It contains checklists, templates, FAQs and practical advice (and a few bad jokes) to make your backpacking experience as smooth as possible.

http://www.hellobackpacker.com - practical advice for new and experienced backpackers for all trip stages: get inspired, plan your trip, advice on the road, tips when back home.

Ringtones - Development of Ringtones

Downloading your own ringtone is very famous nowadays. A lot of users are mesmerized because they can practice their creativity by composing their own. The phones that have the capability of composing your own melodies are initially introduced in Japan and it struck the public attention immediately.

Because of the instant popularity of creating your own ringtones, a Japanese author created a book that will help users how to create their own ringtones. It contains several types of ringtones that you can choose from. At the time the book was released, they printed millions of copies and sold all over Japan. The success of these cell phones hit the market internationally including US and some countries in Europe. The first tone that was created was monophonic tones. These tones are a plain notes that are played one note at a time.

More and more users had become addictive to more melodic type of ringtones. Because of these polyphonic tones was created. Cell phones manufacturers need to adapt to the demand of mobile phone capability which includes a more audible sound with good quality. These polyphonic ringtones has become the favorite element of mobile phones of our new generation. You can share these tones through short messaging system or what we call SMS and multimedia messaging system or MMS. But with the new features of connectivity, you can now use Infrared or Bluetooth.

Since ringtones are a success in the development of mobile phones, manufacturers developed a new element of phone ringer which is called Truetones. True tones are ringers of your mobile phones which has real voices and accessory. The public especially teenagers accepted these new existing types of ring tones.

Nowadays, most of the cell phones available in the market are capable of either polyphonic and truetones. However, you can still find some refurbished monophonic phones to some stores if you do not have enough budgets for new ones. Truetones are now considered the most favorite tones to download because you can almost hear the close-to-real melody. Aside from the good quality of truetones, you can compose it easily. Normally, users convert their mp3 files to mobile phone ringers and then send it to their mobile phones.

For more information on ringtones please visit RingtoneSmash, the best site for ringtone news, articles and reviews.
Charles is a leading expert on the ringtone industry, and recently reviewed Mobango - a free ringtone website that lets you send ringtones directly to your mobile phone.