How to Make Voice Command Programs in Visual Basic

Twenty-first century computer technology allows users to talk to their computers. Speech recognition software converts human speech into digital data that computers can recognize. Several commercial products, such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking and MacSpeech, allow users to perform a variety of speech recognition tasks. Using software built into Microsoft's Visual Studio development environment, you can create your own voice command programs using the latest version of Visual Basic.

Instructions

1. 1
   Launch Microsoft Visual Studio and click "New Project" to open the "New Project" window. Click "Visual Basic" to highlight it, and then double-click "Windows Forms Application" to create a new Windows forms project. Code files will appear on the right side of the user interface in the Solution Navigator panel. An empty form named "Form1" will also appear on the user interface.
   
2. 2
   Click "Project," and then click "Add Reference" to display the "Add Reference" pop-up window. Type "Speech" (without the quotes) in the text box and press "Enter." The name "System.Speech" will appear in the search results. Click "Add" to add it to your project, and then click "Close" to close the "Add Reference" window.
   
3. 3
   Double-click the title bar of the empty form named "Form1." This causes Visual Studio to open a code window and display the following code:
   
   
   
   Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
   
   
   
   End Sub
   
   
   
   This method, named "Form1_Load," executes when the application starts and loads the form.
   
4. 4
   Add the following code before the "End Sub" statement shown in the previous step:
   
   
   
   Dim engine As New Speech.Recognition.SpeechRecognitionEngine
   
   Dim dictionGrammar As New Speech.Recognition.DictationGrammar
   
   Dim recognitionResult As Speech.Recognition.RecognitionResult
   
   Dim timeSpan As New TimeSpan(0, 0, 10)
   
   
   
   engine.SetInputToDefaultAudioDevice()
   
   engine.LoadGrammar(dictionGrammar)
   
   
   
   recognitionResult = engine.Recognize(timeSpan)
   
   
   
   For Each word As RecognizedWordUnit In recognitionResult.Words
   
   MessageBox.Show(word.Text)
   
   Next
   
   
   
   The first four lines initialize the Microsoft speech recognition engine. Line five sets the engine's audio input parameters. Line six tells Visual Basic to use the standard speech recognition dictionary that Windows uses. The line that begins with "recognitionResult" starts the speech recognition engine. The final three lines of code display the words that the program recognizes when someone speaks into a microphone.
   
5. 5
   Connect a microphone to your computer, and press the "F5" key to launch the application.
   
6. 6
   Speak several words into the microphone. The "engine.Recognize(timeSpan)" code will capture your words and store them in the variable named "recognitionResult." Visual Basic will then display your words in a pop-up window.
   

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How to Get Internet Jobs

How to Get Internet Jobs

If you'd like to work from home, you'd probably love to find a job on the Internet, right? After all, if you can work on the internet, you should be able to work from the comfort of your own home instead of going in to an office or work place each day. And it's this same reason that many people are always on the lookout for internet jobs they can do.

Now, there are actually many jobs on the internet, but they're not always easy to find, and they might not always look exactly like you'd expect them to. Many internet jobs for instance, are not technically jobs that you get a steady paycheck for. Instead, most jobs on the internet tend to be temporary work, and work for freelance contractors. This allows companies to hire people for completing their jobs on the internet, without having to pay them a full time salary with benefits.

Many internet jobs also involve providing a service of some kind. Writing is a common job that can be found on the internet for instance, and being a writer usually means you'll need to create custom content for your internet jobs, clients, or employers. Programming is another common job done on the internet, and so is customer or technical support - all of which involve providing some level of service or another.

There are plenty of jobs which allow you to work on the internet, but those often involve reporting for work as scheduled at a specific office or workplace location. With these jobs, your clocked in for a the required eight or ten hours a day, sitting at a desk in a cubicle, and using your employers equipment.

Most people who want to find a job on the internet though, really want to find internet jobs that let them work from home, set their own hours, and maybe have more time for their families. If this is the type of internet job you're looking for too, then you'll need to modify your definition of a job slightly.

To get jobs on the internet, you have to be willing to become a freelancer or independant contractor. Now there are exceptions to this rule, but those opportunities are very rare, so we're discussing internet jobs in the general sense here.

Since internet jobs are often short term project related assignments, employers don't usually hire full time employees to do those jobs. Instead, they hire someone who does freelance work on the internet, pays them a set agreed upon fee, and doesn't have to pay anything else once the job is completed. The great thing about temporary internet jobs like this though, is that you can often have several jobs going at once, and you can choose to work whatever hours you'd like.

One of the best ways to find internet jobs for freelancers and contractors, is to visit one or more of the freelance project websites. Sometimes there is a fee to join these, but you'll find there are many new internet jobs posted almost every day, and you can compete with other job seekers to be the winning contractor.

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How to Register a Domain Name

This article demonstrates how to register a domain name. A domain name is the thing that looks like my-domain-name.com. If you intend to create a website, you will need to know how to register a domain name.
Registering a domain name is no different to any other online purchase - you simply add it to your shopping cart, then head to the checkout.

Where Can I Register a Domain Name?

You register your domain name through a domain name registrar (or partner site) like ZappyHost.
To register your domain name, enter your preferred domain into the search form. If it's available, simply proceed to the checkout. ZappyHost will walk you through the registration step by step.

Step by Step

Here's more detail on registering your domain name.

1. Check Availability (opens in new window) This is where you check that your preferred domain name hasn't already been registered by somebody else. A domain name can only be registered to one person at any one time, so if someone else has already registered it, you won't be able to (or you can put it on back order). Of course, the good thing about this is that, once you register your own domain name, nobody else can get it - it's yours for as long as you want it to be!
   To check availability, go to ZappyHost, enter your preferred domain into the search form, and click "GO!".
   
2. If the domain is not available, try again using an alternative name.
3. If the domain is available, continue to checkout. This part is just like purchasing any other product online. You simply follow the prompts through to the checkout. You may be offered related products, such as similar domain names or different top level domains. To add these to your order, click "YES! Add these to my order.". Otherwise click "Continue to checkout".
   Note that you must supply up to date contact details. Domain name registrars won't let you register a domain name without providing these details. This is a requirement by ICANN (see below for info on ICANN).
   

Who is the Worldwide Authority for Domain Names?

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the organization responsible for top-level domains. Top level domains include .com, .org, .net, and much more.
Although ICANN is responsible for top-level domains, you can't actually go directly through them to register your domain name. You have to go through an accredited domain name registrar or partner site (such as ZappyHost).
ICANN operates the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and is in charge of maintaining the DNS root zone.

About Domain Name Registrars

Domain name registrars are companies accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and/or by a national ccTLD authority to register Internet domain names. These companies are often web hosting companies who offer a range of website-related services.
Again, ZappyHost is an example of a web hosting company offering domain names.

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How to Block a Website

Introduction

There are many reason why you need to know how to block a website. Some of the most common reasons are you have been targeted by spammers who use adware and popups to attack your PC. Other reasons may be to prevent your children from having access to certain site content such as porn and gambling.

Depending on the level of security you wish, learning how to block a website may require a adjustments of your web browser, the use of internet filtering software or editing of your host file. At any rate you can try all methods to see which works best for you.


How to block a Website using Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer version 5 and later offer the ability for heighten security and privacy. You can block a site by following the directions below:
1. Load your Internet explorer
2. Click Tools
3. Click Internet Options
4. Click the Privacy tab
5. Under the Privacy window, Click Sites
6. Type in the site address that you want to Block and Click OK. Remember this technique only blocks on one site at a time. Parental control software will allow you to block multiple sites and categories.

Here are alternate instructions to block a website using Internet Explorer.
Tools ->Internet Options->Security->Restricted sites->Sites->Type in the site address and Click ADD then click OK

How to Restrict a Website using Firefox
Firefox requires an add-on to restrict sites. You can find many good ones at Mozilla.org. The best one is BlockSite.

Here is How:
1. In Firefox, click Tools
2. Click Add-ons
3. Click Get Add-ons
4. Choose Browse All Add-ons.
5. Type blocksite in the search bar.After installing the add-on you will be able to block sites with just a few clicks.

How to block a Website using Google Chrome
1. Open your Chrome Web Browser
2. Click the wrench symbol in he upper right corner.
3. Choose Tools
4. Click Under the Hood tab.
5. Choose Change Proxy Settings.
6. Click Security, click Restricted Sites
7. Double click Sites and add the site you want block

How to Block A Website in All Web Browsers

This action will require you to edit your Host file. Your host file is a computer file used to store information on where to find a node on a computer network. For more a more detailed description. Check out this link Host File Description Link
In Windows XP
1. Click Start->All Programs->Accessories->Command Prompt.
2. Click Command Prompt This will open a DOS command window.
3. Type: notepad C:/Windows/System32/drivers/etc/hosts
4. Locate the line 127.0.0.1 localhost
5. To block the website google.com for example, just add this text under 127.0.0.1 localhost:

127.0.0.1 google.com
127.0.0.1 www.google.com
You can add as many sites any site, However you will need to prefix it with "127.0.0.1".

6. Save the file
Google will now be blocked in all web browser. This is an advanced but easy method on how to blow a website.

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