Sunglasses have been considered a fashion statement for decades, worn by celebrities and other famous folks in either a desperate attempt to conceal their identity or to play the movie star role, all while looking fabulous.  Even though this usage still exists, more and more average people are realizing the importance of wearing them to protect their invaluable eyesight.

Even though the sun is over 93 million miles away, its harmful rays can be the sole cause of an assortment of health problems.  Ultra violet radiation (also known as UV radiation or UV rays) is probably the largest solar-based contributor to such health problems. UV-A, UV-B and UV-C are the categories of UV radiation known to us at this time.  With the exception of UV-C (which is believed to be absorbed by the ozone layer around the earth), these rays can have both short and long term effects to your eyes and your vision.

Now that you’re a bit more aware of why, you need to know more about when.  For instance, UV rays reflect off of snow, sand, pavement and water, causing a greater risk for damage than in a “greener” environment, like a park or field.  The rays in a reflective situation will be coming at you from two angles instead of the one in a greener environment, as the rays will bounce off of the reflective surface in addition to coming at you straight on. Wearing sunglasses that offer you UV protection will help to protect your eyes when in this type of circumstance.

High altitude is another situation for which sunglasses should be worn. UV rays are filtered out through the earth’s atmosphere, resulting in lesser amounts of the harmful rays converging with the earth’s surface.  Simply put, high altitudes yield a greater amount of the rays because they haven’t had the chance to be filtered yet.

Between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm is the time of day when the UV rays are their most powerful, so protective eyewear is crucial during this timeframe, whether or not the sun is bright and beaming in the sky or hidden behind large amounts of clouds (both white and fluffy and dark and  gloomy).  UV rays can easily leak through the cloud cover and rain to wreak its irreversible damage on your eyes.

Since you now are aware of the situations that necessitate proper eyewear protection, you need a brief list of what to look for when shopping for your ideal pair of sunglasses.  Typically, lenses that are green, brown or grey work the best, combined with a feature that filters out of at least 99% of UV-A and UV-B radiation and 75% – 90% of visible light. Taking care of your baby blues, browns and greens now will ensure you a lifetime of beautiful visions.

In an increasingly diverse world of manufacturing, the product you need at the price you want to pay, might be made by a company in Vietnam or Brazil. It’s all very well to talk about globalisation but how in practice, can you find what you need if you’re over here and they’re over there?

For just about every available product being produced in the world, the internet is the first port of call. There is no shortage of websites offering to help you find the goods you need wherever the manufacturer is based.

Operating for the most part in English, these online marketplaces exist to bring buyers and sellers together irrespective of their geographical location. But what if the product you want is being produced in Vietnam and Brazil? And how can you be sure of quality and reliability. These questions all form an essential part of Product Research, an essential element in the import/export business.

After twelve years of owning desktop computers, I finally opted for a laptop so I would no longer be chained to my desk. After months of research and weighing various makes and models, I settled on the Dell Inspiron 600m Notebook Computer. This particular model has exceeded all of my expectations and at a price that is hundreds of dollars lower than many competing brands.

For several months I agonized over my next computer purchase. I knew I needed to be more mobile and only a notebook computer would permit me to take my “show on the road.” Still, the decision making process was not easy as the number of different makes and models out there is mind boggling. Ultimately, I settled on a Dell in part because of previous good experience with the company as well as affordability of their product line.

The model I chose was the Inspiron 600m. As with almost everything that Dell builds, it is a “new” model; at least the 600m designation is. That is one of the confusing things about Dell and some other manufacturers: every month Dell introduces new models and you need a scorecard to compare one model with all the others. Fortunately, Dell’s website allows you to do just that.

<b>Key features of the Inspiron 600m include:</b>

Lightweight: Just over five pounds.

Mobile Centrino Technology is standard.

14.1 inch screen

Pentium M 725 Processor

24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive

256MB DDR SDRAM 1 Dimm Memory

Wireless Network Card

Extended Battery

Microsoft Windows XP Home Addition

WordPerfect Productivity Pack

I kept my computer fairly basic but I did opt for the latest version of Norton Security, a surge protected cable, a wirless router, and a wireless mouse. I selected the wireless mouse as I thought the keyboard’s mouse would be difficult to use. After two days I quit using the wireless mouse as I quickly got used to the  built in one.

The screen is bright and the keyboard is solid. The mouse keys, however are noisy, almost clunky; you wonder if Dell could have used a quieter spring for each key.

The battery lasts at least four hours without recharging and when I do need to recharge I can go from nearly dead to fully charged in less than one hour.

For the price — I paid just over $1100. for everything including shipping and local taxes — the Dell cannot be beat. I haven’t had to call customer service yet, so I cannot comment on that although in years past your call would be routed to a technician in India. This model comes with a standard one year limited warranty; I avoided a later sales pitch over the phone to get a three year warranty. Their top of the line warranty sends a technician to your house to fix your computer, so it can be option for those of you who do not want to ship — and thereby lose the use of — your computer back to Dell for repairs.

You will find the Inspiron 600m to be adequate for standard business work. Check out their myriad of other models if you do plenty of graphic design or if you need a larger screen. I am happy with the 14.1 screen, but you may prefer their 17″ model.