My Personal Computer: 10/10 Electronics

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5 Tips to Improve Your Wireless Connection
October 9, 2009 at 7:28 pm

Wireless technology makes it easy to get rid of the cables
and take computing away from the desk. It's becoming the
household norm, and while the technology is advancing
quickly, there are some easy things you can do to improve
your own wireless connectivity.

Position Your Router

A wireless signal doesn't carry far, and any walls or large
objects may cause interference. For this reason, a wireless
router should be centrally located in your home to insure
the best range possible. Place the router on a flat surface
off the floor and away from obstructions. Additionally,
there could be interference from a neighboring wireless
signal. Make sure that you're using a unique wireless channel
to limit interference.

Replace your Antenna

The antennas shipped with most routers are small antennas
with omni-directional capabilities. These antennas broadcast
a signal in all directions, which can be useful if you need
wireless throughout your house, but the range is quite short.
A directional antenna can improve range by focusing the
signal in a specific way, allowing you to aim it where it's
needed. These antennas are often called "high-gain" and the
signal increase is measured in decibels (dB).

Get a Repeater

A wireless repeater is the easy and safe way to boost your
signal. A repeater works very much like a router, but instead
of creating a signal, it relays an existing signal.
A repeater is easy to install and doesn't require any
additional wires or connections. Multiple repeaters make it
easy to create a home or business network with complete
connectivity.

Get an Antenna Booster

It's possible to make a homemade reflector or antenna to
improve your wireless signal. There are templates and
building instructions on many Web sites across the internet
to use materials as commonplace as foil and cardboard. Common
designs are a parabolic satellite shape and a "coffee can"
yagi antenna. Both can increase range and direct your signal,
though homemade quality will vary.

Upgrade Firmware

Router manufacturers publish firmware updates regularly and
upgrading your router can provide a performance boost and
access to new features. Another option for the tech savvy
is to install third-party firmware. There are a number of
free, safe alternatives that may be compatible with your
router. One project, DD-WRT, offers more robust features than
many of the official firmware packages.

Using these tips, you should be able to squeeze every bit of
connectivity out of your own home network.

10 Types of Computers
October 9, 2009 at 7:27 pm

There are a lot of terms used to describe computers. Most of
these words imply the size, expected use or capability of the
computer. While the term computer can apply to virtually any
device that has a microprocessor in it, most people think of
a computer as a device that receives input from the user
through a mouse or keyboard, processes it in some fashion and
displays the result on a screen.

Do you know the different types of computers?

1.PC

The personal computer (PC) defines a computer designed for
general use by a single person. While a Mac is a PC, most
people relate the term with systems that run the Windows
operating system. PCs were first known as microcomputers
because they were a complete computer but built on a smaller
scale than the huge systems in use by most businesses.

2. Desktop

A PC that is not designed for portability is a desktop
computer. The expectation with desktop systems are that you
will set the computer up in a permanent location. Most
desktops offer more power, storage and versatility for less
cost than their portable brethren.

3. Laptop

Also called notebooks, laptops are portable computers that
integrate the display, keyboard, a pointing device or
trackball, processor, memory and hard drive all in
a battery-operated package slightly larger than an average
hardcover book.

4. PDA

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are tightly integrated
computers that often use flash memory instead of a hard drive
for storage. These computers usually do not have keyboards
but rely on touchscreen technology for user input. PDAs are
typically smaller than a paperback novel, very lightweight
with a reasonable battery life. A slightly larger and heavier
version of the PDA is the handheld computer.

5. Workstation

The fifth type of computer is a workstation. A workstation is
simply a desktop computer that has a more powerful processor,
additional memory and enhanced capabilities for performing
a special group of task, such as 3D Graphics or game
development.

6. Server

5 Types of Microphones
October 9, 2009 at 7:26 pm

Sound is an amazing thing. All of the different sounds that
we hear are caused by minute pressure differences in the air
around us. What's amazing about it is that the air transmits
those pressure changes so well, and so accurately, over
relatively long distances.

If you have read the HowStuffWorks article How CDs Work, you
learned about the very first microphone. It was a metal
diaphragm attached to a needle, and this needle scratched
a pattern onto a piece of metal foil. The pressure
differences in the air that occurred when you spoke toward
the diaphragm moved the diaphragm, which moved the needle,
which was recorded on the foil. When you later ran the needle
back over the foil, the vibrations scratched on the foil
would then move the diaphragm and recreate the sound. The
fact that this purely mechanical system works shows how much
energy the vibrations in the air can have!

All modern microphones are trying to accomplish the same
thing as the original, but do it electronically rather than
mechanically. A microphone wants to take varying pressure
waves in the air and convert them into varying electrical
signals. There are five different technologies commonly used
to accomplish this conversion.

1: Carbon Microphones

The oldest and simplest microphone uses carbon dust. This is
the technology used in the first telephones and is still used
in some telephones today. The carbon dust has a thin metal or
plastic diaphragm on one side. As sound waves hit the
diaphragm, they compress the carbon dust, which changes its
resistance. By running a current through the carbon, the
changing resistance changes the amount of current that flows.

2: Dynamic Microphones

A dynamic microphone takes advantage of electromagnet effects.
When a magnet moves past a wire (or coil of wire), the magnet
induces current to flow in the wire. In a dynamic microphone,
the diaphragm moves either a magnet or a coil when sound
waves hit the diaphragm, and the movement creates a small
current.

3: Ribbon Microphones

In a ribbon microphone, a thin ribbon is suspended in
a magnetic field. Sound waves move the ribbon which changes
the current flowing through it.

4: Condensor Microphones

A condenser microphone is essentially a capacitor, with one
plate of the capacitor moving in response to sound waves. The
movement changes the capacitance of the capacitor, and these
changes are amplified to create a measurable signal.
Condenser microphones usually need a small battery to provide
a voltage across the capacitor.

5: Crystal Microphones

Certain crystals change their electrical properties as they
change shape (see How Quartz Watches Work for one example of
this phenomenon). By attaching a diaphragm to a crystal, the
crystal will create a signal when sound waves hit the
diaphragm.

As you can see, just about every technology imaginable has
been harnessed to convert sound waves into electrical signals.
The one thing they all have in common is the diaphragm, which
collects the sound waves and creates movement in whatever
technology is being used to create the signal.

Use a cell phone as a credit card
October 9, 2009 at 7:21 pm

Radio technology will soon do another consolidating act and
remove an apparently extraneous "device" from your pocket:
Your wallet. Or at least your credit card. If you're the type
who never leaves home without your cell phone, you'll
automatically have a credit card or debit card with you
wherever you go thanks to an improvement on standard RFID
technology called near-field communication, or NFC.

The NFC mobile-payment application is currently in trials in
the United States, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands and
a few other countries, with transportation ticketing as
a primary use (think SpeedPass on a cell phone). The idea is
that you just touch your phone to an NFC reader (or bring it
to within a few centimeters), and it acts just like the
credit card or debit card you use right now.
A mobile-payment-enabled phone is associated with a bank or
credit-card company just like it's associated with
a phone-service provider. The technology is similar to the
RFID (radio frequency identification) transmitters used in
contactless credit cards, except that NFC chips allow for
two-way communication instead of only one way, which is
supposed to make for a more secure payment method.

The technology behind NFC, like RFID, uses inductive coupling
to transfer data. Induction occurs when a wire (or any other
conductor of electricity) passes through a magnetic field,
generating an electric current in the wire. It's similar to
the principal of electromagnetism -- that passing an electric
current through a coil of wire will generate a magnetic
field -- only in reverse. An NFC chip has a coil of wire
built into it, much like an RFID chip. When an NFC-equipped
cell phone gets to within a few centimeters of
an NFC-equipped payment station, which is generating
a magnetic field and also has a coil of wire inside,
an electric current jumps between the two coils of wire,
signaling data-carrying, short-range radio waves to pass
between the two devices.

Unlike the RFID tags in contactless credit cards, which only
send information when asked for it, an NFC chip can also
receive information. So when an NFC phone gets close to
an NFC payment station, it can have a two-way conversation
with the payment station. Instead of simply sending your
name and credit card number when the data is requested via
the circuit, the chip can have a conversation with the chip
in the requesting device. It can say, for instance,
"Not yet -- wait until my owner enters a password on my
keypad." The pay station will then say, for instance, "Okay,
I'll wait," and the devices will keep the connection open
until the phone approves the transaction and sends the data.

Nokia revealed the first fully integrated NFC phone, the
Nokia 6131 NFC, at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
in Las Vegas. At CES, Nokia was in a perfect position to show
off what some in the industry consider to be the myriad other
applications for an NFC phone -- like sucking data off
an NFC-equipped business card and downloading data from
an NFC-equipped kiosk. The NFC chip is embedded underneath
the cover of the phone. According to the NFC forum, you could
also use an NFC phone to unlock the door to your house and
synch your phone calendar with your PC calendar.

The 6131 NFC is in trials in New York City as of January
2007. Nokia says it should available to consumers by March.
No word yet on which stores or transportation venues will be
equipped with the standardized NFC readers.

Use a cell phone as a credit card
October 9, 2009 at 7:20 pm

Introduction to How LCDs Work
October 9, 2009 at 7:19 pm

About LCDs

You probably use items containing an LCD (liquid crystal
display) every day. They are all around us -- in laptop
computers, digital clocks and watches, microwave ovens, CD
players and many other electronic devices. LCDs are common
because they offer some real advantages over other display
technologies. They are thinner and lighter and draw much less
power than cathode ray tubes (CRTs), for example.

But just what are these things called liquid crystals? The
name "liquid crystal" sounds like a contradiction. We think
of a crystal as a solid material like quartz, usually as hard
as rock, and a liquid is obviously different. How could any
material combine the two?

We learned in school that there are three common states of
matter: solid, liquid or gaseous. Solids act the way they do
because their molecules always maintain their orientation and
stay in the same position with respect to one another. The
molecules in liquids are just the opposite: They can change
their orientation and move anywhere in the liquid. But there
are some substances that can exist in an odd state that is
sort of like a liquid and sort of like a solid. When they are
in this state, their molecules tend to maintain their
orientation, like the molecules in a solid, but also move
around to different positions, like the molecules in a liquid.
This means that liquid crystals are neither a solid nor
a liquid. That's how they ended up with their seemingly
contradictory name.

So, do liquid crystals act like solids or liquids or
something else? It turns out that liquid crystals are closer
to a liquid state than a solid. It takes a fair amount of
heat to change a suitable substance from a solid into
a liquid crystal, and it only takes a little more heat to
turn that same liquid crystal into a real liquid. This
explains why liquid crystals are very sensitive to
temperature and why they are used to make thermometers and
mood rings. It also explains why a laptop computer display
may act funny in cold weather or during a hot day at the
beach.

Nematic Phase Liquid Crystals

Just as there are many varieties of solids and liquids, there
is also a variety of liquid crystal substances. Depending on
the temperature and particular nature of a substance, liquid
crystals can be in one of several distinct phases. In this
article, we will discuss liquid crystals in the nematic
phase, the liquid crystals that make LCDs possible.

One feature of liquid crystals is that they're affected by
electric current. A particular sort of nematic liquid
crystal, called twisted nematics (TN), is naturally twisted.
Applying an electric current to these liquid crystals will
untwist them to varying degrees, depending on the current's
voltage. LCDs use these liquid crystals because they react
predictably to electric current in such a way as to control
light passage.

Most liquid crystal molecules are rod-shaped and are broadly
categorized as either thermotropic or lyotropic.

Thermotropic liquid crystals will react to changes in
temperature or, in some cases, pressure. The reaction of
lyotropic liquid crystals, which are used in the manufacture
of soaps and detergents, depends on the type of solvent they
are mixed with. Thermotropic liquid crystals are either
isotropic or nematic. The key difference is that the
molecules in isotropic liquid crystal substances are random
in their arrangement, while nematics have a definite order or
pattern.

The orientation of the molecules in the nematic phase is
based on the director. The director can be anything from
a magnetic field to a surface that has microscopic grooves in
it. In the nematic phase, liquid crystals can be further
classified by the way molecules orient themselves in respect
to one another. Smectic, the most common arrangement,
creates layers of molecules. There are many variations of the
smectic phase, such as smectic C, in which the molecules in
each layer tilt at an angle from the previous layer. Another
common phase is cholesteric, also known as chiral nematic.
In this phase, the molecules twist slightly from one layer to
the next, resulting in a spiral formation.

Ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) use liquid crystal
substances that have chiral molecules in a smectic C type of
arrangement because the spiral nature of these molecules
allows the microsecond switching response time that make FLCs
particularly suited to advanced displays. Surface-stabilized
ferroelectric liquid crystals (SSFLCs) apply controlled
pressure through the use of a glass plate, suppressing the
spiral of the molecules to make the switching even more rapid.

Creating an LCD

There's more to building an LCD than simply creating a sheet
of liquid crystals. The combination of four facts makes LCDs
possible:

* Light can be polarized. (See How Sunglasses Work for
some fascinating information on polarization!)
* Liquid crystals can transmit and change polarized
light.
* The structure of liquid crystals can be changed by
electric current.
* There are transparent substances that can conduct
electricity.

An LCD is a device that uses these four facts in a surprising
way.

To create an LCD, you take two pieces of polarized glass.
A special polymer that creates microscopic grooves in the
surface is rubbed on the side of the glass that does not have
the polarizing film on it. The grooves must be in the same
direction as the polarizing film. You then add a coating of
nematic liquid crystals to one of the filters. The grooves
will cause the first layer of molecules to align with the
filter's orientation. Then add the second piece of glass with
the polarizing film at a right angle to the first piece. Each
successive layer of TN molecules will gradually twist until
the uppermost layer is at a 90-degree angle to the bottom,
matching the polarized glass filters.

As light strikes the first filter, it is polarized. The
molecules in each layer then guide the light they receive to
the next layer. As the light passes through the liquid
crystal layers, the molecules also change the light's plane
of vibration to match their own angle. When the light reaches
the far side of the liquid crystal substance, it vibrates at
the same angle as the final layer of molecules. If the final
layer is matched up with the second polarized glass filter,
then the light will pass through.

If we apply an electric charge to liquid crystal molecules,
they untwist. When they straighten out, they change the angle
of the light passing through them so that it no longer
matches the angle of the top polarizing filter. Consequently,
no light can pass through that area of the LCD, which makes
that area darker than the surrounding areas.

Building a simple LCD is easier than you think. Your start
with the sandwich of glass and liquid crystals described
above and add two transparent electrodes to it. For example,
imagine that you want to create the simplest possible LCD
with just a single rectangular electrode on it. The layers
would look like this:

The LCD needed to do this job is very basic. It has a mirror
(A) in back, which makes it reflective. Then, we add a piece
of glass (B) with a polarizing film on the bottom side, and
a common electrode plane (C) made of indium-tin oxide on top.
A common electrode plane covers the entire area of the LCD.
Above that is the layer of liquid crystal substance (D). Next
comes another piece of glass (E) with an electrode in the
shape of the rectangle on the bottom and, on top, another
polarizing film (F), at a right angle to the first one.

The electrode is hooked up to a power source like a battery.
When there is no current, light entering through the front of
the LCD will simply hit the mirror and bounce right back out.
But when the battery supplies current to the electrodes, the
liquid crystals between the common-plane electrode and the
electrode shaped like a rectangle untwist and block the light
in that region from passing through. That makes the LCD show
the rectangle as a black area.

Backlit vs. Reflective

Note that our simple LCD required an external light source.
Liquid crystal materials emit no light of their own. Small
and inexpensive LCDs are often reflective, which means to
display anything they must reflect light from external light
sources. Look at an LCD watch: The numbers appear where small
electrodes charge the liquid crystals and make the layers
untwist so that light is not transmitting through the
polarized film.

Most computer displays are lit with built-in fluorescent
tubes above, beside and sometimes behind the LCD. A white
diffusion panel behind the LCD redirects and scatters the
light evenly to ensure a uniform display. On its way through
filters, liquid crystal layers and electrode layers, a lot of
this light is lost -- often more than half!

In our example, we had a common electrode plane and a single
electrode bar that controlled which liquid crystals responded
to an electric charge. If you take the layer that contains
the single electrode and add a few more, you can begin to
build more sophisticated displays.

Common-plane-based LCDs are good for simple displays that
need to show the same information over and over again.
Watches and microwave timers fall into this category.
Although the hexagonal bar shape illustrated previously is
the most common form of electrode arrangement in such
devices, almost any shape is possible. Just take a look at
some inexpensive handheld games: Playing cards, aliens, fish
and slot machines are just some of the electrode shapes
you'll see.

Passive and Active Matrix

Passive-matrix LCDs use a simple grid to supply the charge to
a particular pixel on the display. Creating the grid is quite
a process! It starts with two glass layers called substrates.
One substrate is given columns and the other is given rows
made from a transparent conductive material. This is usually
indium-tin oxide. The rows or columns are connected to
integrated circuits that control when a charge is sent down
a particular column or row. The liquid crystal material is
sandwiched between the two glass substrates, and a polarizing
film is added to the outer side of each substrate. To turn on
a pixel, the integrated circuit sends a charge down the
correct column of one substrate and a ground activated on the
correct row of the other. The row and column intersect at
the designated pixel, and that delivers the voltage to
untwist the liquid crystals at that pixel.

The simplicity of the passive-matrix system is beautiful, but
it has significant drawbacks, notably slow response time and
imprecise voltage control. Response time refers to the LCD's
ability to refresh the image displayed. The easiest way to
observe slow response time in a passive-matrix LCD is to move
the mouse pointer quickly from one side of the screen to the
other. You will notice a series of "ghosts" following the
pointer. Imprecise voltage control hinders the passive
matrix's ability to influence only one pixel at a time. When
voltage is applied to untwist one pixel, the pixels around it
also partially untwist, which makes images appear fuzzy and
lacking in contrast.

Active-matrix LCDs depend on thin film transistors (TFT).
Basically, TFTs are tiny switching transistors and capacitors.
They are arranged in a matrix on a glass substrate. To
address a particular pixel, the proper row is switched on,
and then a charge is sent down the correct column. Since all
of the other rows that the column intersects are turned off,
only the capacitor at the designated pixel receives a charge.
The capacitor is able to hold the charge until the next
refresh cycle. And if we carefully control the amount of
voltage supplied to a crystal, we can make it untwist only
enough to allow some light through.

By doing this in very exact, very small increments, LCDs can
create a gray scale. Most displays today offer 256 levels of
brightness per pixel.

Color LCD

An LCD that can show colors must have three subpixels with
red, green and blue color filters to create each color pixel.

Through the careful control and variation of the voltage
applied, the intensity of each subpixel can range over 256
shades. Combining the subpixels produces a possible palette
of 16.8 million colors (256 shades of red x 256 shades of
green x 256 shades of blue), as shown below. These color
displays take an enormous number of transistors. For example,
a typical laptop computer supports resolutions up to
1,024x768. If we multiply 1,024 columns by 768 rows by 3
subpixels, we get 2,359,296 transistors etched onto the
glass! If there is a problem with any of these transistors,
it creates a "bad pixel" on the display. Most active matrix
displays have a few bad pixels scattered across the screen.

LCD technology is constantly evolving. LCDs today employ
several variations of liquid crystal technology, including
super twisted nematics (STN), dual scan twisted nematics
(DSTN), ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) and surface
stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal (SSFLC).

Display size is limited by the quality-control problems
faced by manufacturers. Simply put, to increase display size,
manufacturers must add more pixels and transistors. As they
increase the number of pixels and transistors, they also
increase the chance of including a bad transistor in
a display. Manufacturers of existing large LCDs often reject
about 40 percent of the panels that come off the assembly
line. The level of rejection directly affects LCD price since
the sales of the good LCDs must cover the cost of
manufacturing both the good and bad ones. Only advances in
manufacturing can lead to affordable displays in bigger
sizes.

Secure Your Home Network
October 9, 2009 at 7:18 pm

We've been treated to some pretty entertaining feats of
espionage courtesy of Hollywood. Who can forget the way Tom
Cruise dangled from the ceiling as he attempted to crack into
a computer security system in "Mission Impossible?" Or how
about the mysterious hacker who seems to slip past every
security to corrupt the Rossum Corporation's data in the
"Dollhouse" television series? Hacking into a network must
require superhuman skills and knowledge, right?

You might be surprised to learn how easy it is for someone to
hack into a computer network. The fact is that many computer
networks are practically defenseless to intruders. In the
early days of home computer networks, the people who put the
networks together were experts and enthusiasts. They put
their systems together knowing how computers can communicate
with each other and built in protective measures to prevent
other computer users from snooping.

Today, home computer networks are popular among a broad range
of consumers. User knowledge spans from expert to newbie.
Some users may be unaware of the dangers they can encounter
if they don't properly secure their network. Others may think
home network security is too complicated or confusing. But
network security is more important than ever and it's worth
the effort to learn more about it.

An unprotected network could allow malicious hackers -- known
as crackers -- access to your data. It might even allow
someone to take control of your computers and use them to
commit crimes like a distributed denial of service attack
(DDoS). Even if no one snoops on your information or controls
your computer, someone might use your network to access the
Internet. As more ISPs begin to place caps on how much data
you can download, it becomes even more important to control
your network. You don't want to get slapped with a huge bill
for Internet services you didn't even use.

With the right tools and knowledge, you can minimize your
chances of having your security compromised by malicious
hackers or computer viruses.

>A Week With the Zune HD 5 Things I Love (and 5 Reasons I'm Keeping My iPod)
October 9, 2009 at 7:17 pm

Can Microsoft's new player replace "the funnest iPod ever"? I
took a week to find out for myself.

Is Apple unstoppable? If it is, the Zune HD has long appeared
to be the best shot at unseating the MP3-player kingpin.
Knowing that, when a Zune landed at PopSci HQ, we had to see
if such a thing could actually be true.

For a week, I split my commute between a Zune HD and a brand
new iPod touch (my fourth Apple player). These are the high-
(and low) lights of my week with the Zune HD.

Naturally as an iPod devotee, I felt predisposed to Hate
(with a capital "h") the Zune, but I decided to give it
a fighting chance nonetheless. I loaded 'er up with about
2 gigs of my most-played music, downloaded whatever apps the
Zune Marketplace had to offer, subscribed to a podcast or
two, and got myself a two-week ZunePass to make sure I was
getting the full sha-bang.

After five days' worth of go-rounds on the NYC subway, I
realized there are a few spots where the Zune HD does in fact
out-class the "funnest iPod ever." But don't check me off as
a convert: For every nugget I came to love about the Zune,
there was another one tipping the scales back to the touch.

Five Things I Love:

1. Music Discovery: The Zune HD would feel like nothing
without a ZunePass, a subscription service that allows full
access to Zune Marketplace features and music suggestions.
With my trail ZunePass, I chose to subscribe to so-called
"channels" in the Market; once I added the Billboard channel
to my queue, it automatically synced the top 20 singles with
a list in my collection and on the Zune every time I
connected it. A ZunePass also lets you create SmartDJ
playlists, which work a lot like Genius lists on iTunes --
except you can keep the songs you don't own on your player
for a month without purchasing them. A ZunePass is $14.99
a month, and includes 10 permanent song downloads.

2. Collection Loading: This has always been the great
pain-in-the-ass of iTunes, and kudos to the Zune desktop
software for getting it right. There is no need to manually
add music to the library; any music, video, pics,
whatahaveyou that you load into specified folders
automatically shows up in your collection ("Documents/Music"
for example). Huzzah!

3. Shortcuts: A left-to-right swipe from the home screen
brings you to a secondary menu where you see a quick-glance
of your collection activity. The best of this menu are the
"pins," which are basically library bookmarks you create on
the fly. I, for example, cannot get the song "Say Hey" by
Michael Franti out of my head, so a press-and-hold on that
track creates a shortcut. This screen also tracks what's
currently playing, what you've listened to or watched most
recently, and what's been newly added to the player.

4. HD Radio: I know, I know, they finally added an FM tuner
to the new iPod nanos, but a) it's not high-def and b)
there's no one-click way to add a song on the radio to your
cart in the music store. 'nuf said.

5. Text Input: At first glance the keyboard might look the
same (even smaller) than on the iPod, but this one for
whatever reason is a whole lot easier to type on.

Five Reasons to Stick to my iPod:

1. Games: Sure, they've only just gotten started (and the
Zune HD will support 3D gaming), but the selection of
downloads in the Marketplace is slim (and that's being
generous). The glory of the iTunes App Store is choice (one
word scramble game? Please, how about 40?) Zune users have
nine apps total (seven games, a weather app, and a
calculator).

2. Social Networking: It all comes back to apps. While the
Zune HD has its own dedicated social component through the
Marketplace where you and friends can share playlists and
the like, it's severely limited. Facebook on the touch, runs
circles around it, and doesn't require that everyone you
connect with be running the same hardware to see each other.

3. No-Look Controls: The reason I didn't buy a first-gen iPod
touch was simple: I didn't want a music player I had to look
at to adjust the volume, controls the second- and third-gen
models have added to the left-hand side. The Zune HD's
left-hand key brings up an on-screen volume control, but
doesn't directly adjust the output.

4. Daylight-Friendly: So neither OLED screen is perfect in
bright sunlight, but at least I can still see the iPod
walking down the street. The Zune forced me to pull over into
the shade nearly every time I needed to do anything -- very
irritating (see above re: volume controls).

5. Longer Battery Life: Microsoft and Apple both rate their
player's battery life around the same 33-36 hours of music
playback, but they were far from neck-and-neck for me. Using
both the iPod and Zune more-or-less equal amounts over
a week, the iPod needed 1 recharge to the Zune's 3.

Why 4G is Nothing More Than a Band-Aid and Why the FCC Isn't Helping
October 9, 2009 at 7:16 pm

Besides world peace and a visit from the Publishers Clearing
House van, the one thing I want in life is an always-on
Internet connection—and, I want it affordably. More
specifically, I want always accessible, reasonably priced,
quick and dependable wireless Internet. After all, my
broadband connection through the cable company is technically
always on, but it's worthless once I walk out of the house.
It stands to reason, then, that only a mobile provider will
ever be capable of fulfilling this wish.

It dawned on me while on vacation recently that I actually
already have what I've always wanted. The problem is that
it's a last-generation definition of what Internet access is
and needs to be.

There I was on Cape Cod, MA, with a bit of work to sew up
before I could truly get down to what I was there for: to not
work. I'd assumed that my accommodations would supply Wi-Fi
and that was my first mistake. After finding the public
library closed and the local Starbucks filled to capacity
with outlet-hogging loiterers, my only option was to visit
a Verizon Wireless store to investigate Big Red's mobile
access offerings.

The abridged version of my two-hour nightmare at the Verizon
store is this: I could have very easily purchased a cable to
tether my laptop to my LG Voyager without paying an additional
access fee. But, my connection would have equated to dial-up,
and so I refused to go down that road. No, I'm not a bandwidth
diva. The reality is, dial-up is no longer the speed at which
the Internet (or business, for that matter) moves. Trying to
work on it would have been counter-productive. The alternative
was to buy a wireless access USB dongle for $70 and enter
a two-year $60/month contract (on top of a plan that already
includes data). If I'd owned the new Blackberry Tour, I could
have skipped the dongle and tethered for an additional
$30/month on top of my plan.

And, there's the rub. Always-on broadband that follows me
wherever I go is mine if I want it—it just happens to be
prohibitively expensive. Now, why's that? For that answer, we
needn't look any further than AT&T, which is finally limping
out iPhone MMS this week, two years too late.

By it's own admission (via the dutiful outreach
manager/apologist Seth the Blogger Guy), AT&T's network has
been unable to keep up with the bandwidth demands of its
users. Though just about everyone but AT&T saw it coming, the
amount of bandwidth consumed by iPhone users is unprecedented.
And that's with features like tethering and, until last week,
MMS turned off—not to mention the crippling of high-bandwidth
apps like Skype and Sling. If you think AT&T's network
robustness is dismal now, imagine how quickly it would have
imploded under the stress of millions of users feely streaming
voice and video.

The quagmire AT&T finds itself in is a problem endemic to all
mobile providers. If they made it easy for us to use our
connections for all that that we want to use them for, they'd
crumble. It's why Verizon wants to charge me so much money to
get my laptop online. They don't really want me to do it, and
they certainly don't want millions doing it. If I want the
privilege of desktop-quality Web browsing, I have to pay
through the nose for it. The issue isn't lack of demand, it's
lack of supply which is keeping costs up—prohibitively for
many. Which must drive the suits crazy, because the customer
base waiting to subscribe to an always-on connection when the
price comes down just a bit is a huge one.

Our country's wireless network providers are playing a losing
game of perpetual catch-up. As devices, apps and speeds
improve, our desires and demands increase. But don't mistake
4G for the magic pill. Why? Because today's networks are
built to withstand yesterday's bandwidth demands. By the time
tomorrow's networks are widely deployed, the way we want to
use them will have changed. Tomorrow's demands will have
become today's. Sure, LTE is going to be sweet when it's
first launched and all of our 3G devices and apps are
suddenly on the autobahn. But what happens when 4G bandwidth
propagates 4G devices and applications? We'll be in the same
boat as we are today: not enough bandwidth to handle what we
want and need to do.

Sadly, the FCC's newly official stance on net neutrality only
exacerbates the situation. The only reason the AT&T network
still even has a pulse is because the provider has been
allowed to manage bandwidth by blocking iPhone access to the
aforementioned high-bandwidth applications. It's a crappy
compromise we have to swallow, but that's the sad shape
today's wireless networks are in. Forcing an AT&T or Verizon
to accommodate the insatiable bandwidth demands of users and
abusers alike is unrealistic. Say goodbye to unlimited access.
Under net neutrality, bandwidth will be managed with
exorbitant per-megabit fees.

For CTIA, the International Association for the Wireless
Telecommunications Industry, the magic pill is more spectrum.
"If the spectrum is the highway, then LTE and WiMax are
brand-new types of cars," says Chris Guttman-McCabe, CTIA's
Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. "New cars will be
faster, they'll carry more people and they'll get better gas
mileage. But, the highway is crowded. LTE and WiMax are more
spectrally efficient, and so they will benefit both consumers
and providers—but not enough to offset the need for more
spectrum."

To back his case for more spectrum, McCabe points to some
fairly staggering numbers in a recent CTIA report. The US
currently leads the world in the amount of spectrum made
available for commercial wireless use with 409.5 MHz
(counting the recent AWS and 700 MHz auctions). The UK has
made a little less available with 352.8 MHz. The difference
is, our spectrum is split between nearly 200 million more
wireless customers than in the UK—so there's much less to go
around. Even more alarming, though, is the fact that the FCC
has only set aside another 50 MHz for potential commercial
wireless use, while the UK has set aside seven times that
amount. Again, for far fewer subscribers. More spectrum means
more can be allocated to every user in a cell site, which,
depending on the band, can translate to higher speeds, more
robustness and better building penetration. If the FCC is
going to open a floodgate of bandwidth usage with net
neutrality, then we all better hope it also opens up more
spectrum.

Of course, the impending spectrum shortage is only half the
answer and shouldn't be a cop out for what our country's
mobile providers can do today. AT&T isn't using a secret
stash of spectrum to finally launch MMS on the iPhone.
According to Seth the Blogger Guy, the company has been,
"working for months to prepare the radio access controllers
in our network to support this launch. That means calibrating
base stations all over the country, and frankly that's a very
time-consuming process." In other words, AT&T is using
existing spectrum and existing infrastructure—it's just using
it better (we'll see). AT&T should have done this two years
ago, and that's the point. Our current mobile networks could
be much improved if providers spent less money on PR,
advertising and Seth the Blogger Guy videos and invested more
in the quality of their product.

As for the shape of things tomorrow, a couple of things need
to happen in order to keep the machine running smoothly, if
at all. More spectrum is one of them. The other is that AT&T,
Verizon, Sprint and T-mo need to stop playing perpetual
catch-up with our demand and start making investments today
in what their roadmaps tell them is still 20 years away.
Forget 4G in 2010. It's already antiquated.

3D Scanning Brings the Future of Fingerprinting
October 9, 2009 at 7:15 pm

A new touchless fingerprinting system is faster and more
accurate than rolling your fingertips on an ink pad.

Fingerprinting with ink or even sensor plates poses a chore
for everyone involved, except possibly 10-year-old kids. But
that could change with a 3-D system that projects light
patterns onto a finger and analyzes the image within a second.

The method works by beaming a series of striped lines so that
they wrap around a finger. A 1.4 megapixel camera captures
the lines at almost 1,000 pixels per inch, and creates
a highly detailed 3-D map of the fingerprint ridges and
valleys.

The new device has proved both more efficient and accurate
than traditional 2D fingerprinting. Ink fingerprinting has
always been a painstaking and none-too-accurate process.
Even modern scanners with glass plates often require several
tries, and can take several minutes to capture prints from
all 10 fingers.

This effort by University of Kentucky researchers represents
one of several government-funded efforts to develop 3D
fingerprinting technology. The team hopes to eventually
reducing processing time to less than 0.1 seconds, and scan
all 10 fingers at all once -- a likely boon for both customs
agents and the FBI in the near future.

Such fingerprinting won't necessarily help forensics teams in
the field, even if law enforcement databases improve based
on the new technology. But there's always more CSI-style
methods waiting to lift fingerprints left behind by perps.

The Age Of Telekinetic Cyborg Monkeys Is Upon Us
October 9, 2009 at 7:14 pm

Last year, a monkey managed to move a robot arm using nothing
but its mind. The arm was wired to the monkey's brain, and
the simian test subject maneuvered the arm as if it was its
own appendage. Where do you go from there? Apparently, you go
wireless.

A team at the University of Utah has created a brain chip
that uses broadband RF to communicate with machines. Without
wires to tangle up with each other, the wireless brain
implants can cover more of the brain than their wired
counterparts, thus providing more function and more control.

The wireless brain implant represents a breakthrough in
cooling technology. Beforehand, the electricity needed to
power the wireless signal would heat the implants up so much
they would fry any neurons they touched. Now, the University
of Utah team has managed to keep the implants cool enough to
allow the monkey's brain to go Wi-Fi.

The researchers hope that the wider range of movement enabled
by brain implants without cumbersome wires will one day allow
humans to operate their robotic limbs during physical
activities like dance and sports. Or, we could all get the
implants and log into the Matrix without that pesky plug in
the back of the head.

Long-distance Wireless Power
October 9, 2009 at 7:12 pm

Whether or not it incorporates resonance, induction
generally sends power over relatively short distances.
But some plans for wireless power involve moving electricity
over a span of miles. A few proposals even involve sending
power to the Earth from space.

In the 1980s, Canada's Communications Research Centre
created a small airplane that could run off power beamed from
the Earth. The unmanned plane, called the Stationary High
Altitude Relay Platform (SHARP), was designed as
a communications relay. Rather flying from point to point,
the SHARP could fly in circles two kilometers in diameter
at an altitude of about 13 miles (21 kilometers). Most
importantly, the aircraft could fly for months at a time.

The secret to the SHARP's long flight time was a large,
ground-based microwave transmitter. The SHARP's circular
flight path kept it in range of this transmitter. A large,
disc-shaped rectifying antenna, or rectenna, just behind
the plane's wings changed the microwave energy from the
transmitter into direct-current (DC) electricity. Because
of the microwaves' interaction with the rectenna, the
SHARP had a constant power supply as long as it was in range
of a functioning microwave array.

Rectifying antennae are central to many wireless power
transmission theories. They are usually made an array of
dipole antennae, which have positive and negative poles.
These antennae connect to semiconductor diodes. Here's what
happens:

1. Microwaves, which are part of the electromagnetic
spectrum, reach the dipole antennae.
2. The antennae collect the microwave energy and transmit
it to the diodes.
3. The diodes act like switches that are open or closed
as well as turnstiles that let electrons flow in only one
direction. They direct the electrons to the rectenna's
circuitry.
4. The circuitry routes the electrons to the parts and
systems that need them.

Other, longer-range power transmission ideas also rely on
rectennae. David Criswell of the University of Houston has
proposed the use of microwaves to transmit electricity to
Earth from solar power stations on the moon. Tens of
thousands of receivers on Earth would capture this energy,
and rectennae would convert it to electricity.

Microwaves pass through the atmosphere easily, and rectennae
rectify microwaves into electricity very efficiently. In
addition, Earth-based rectennae could be constructed with
a mesh-like framework, allowing the sun and rain to reach
the ground underneath and minimizing the environmental impact.
Such a setup could provide a clean source of power. However,
it does have some drawbacks:

* The solar power stations on the moon would require
supervision and maintenance. In other words, the project
would require sustainable, manned moon bases.
* Only part of the earth has a direct line of sight to
the moon at any given time. To make sure the whole planet
had a steady power supply, a network of satellites would have
to re-direct the microwave energy.
* Many people would resist the idea of being constantly
bathed in microwaves from space, even if the risk were
relatively low.

While scientists have built working prototypes of aircraft
that run on wireless power, larger-scale applications,
like power stations on the moon, are still theoretical. As
the Earth's population continues to grow, however, the demand
for electricity could outpace the ability to produce it and
move it around. Eventually, wireless power may become
a necessity rather than just an interesting idea.

Resonance and Wireless Power
October 9, 2009 at 7:11 pm

Household devices produce relatively small magnetic fields.
For this reason, chargers hold devices at the distance
necessary to induce a current, which can only happen if the
coils are close together. A larger, stronger field could
induce current from farther away, but the process would be
extremely inefficient. Since a magnetic field spreads in all
directions, making a larger one would waste a lot of energy.

In November 2006, however, researchers at MIT reported that
they had discovered an efficient way to transfer power
between coils separated by a few meters. The team, led by
Marin Soljacic, theorized that they could extend the distance
between the coils by adding resonance to the equation.

A good way to understand resonance is to think of it in
terms of sound. An object's physical structure -- like the
size and shape of a trumpet -- determines the frequency at
which it naturally vibrates. This is its resonant frequency.
It's easy to get objects to vibrate at their resonant
frequency and difficult to get them to vibrate at other
frequencies. This is why playing a trumpet can cause a nearby
trumpet to begin to vibrate. Both trumpets have the same
resonant frequency.

Research at MIT indicates that induction can take place
a little differently if the electromagnetic fields around
the coils resonate at the same frequency. The theory uses
a curved coil of wire as an inductor. A capacitance plate,
which can hold a charge, attaches to each end of the coil. As
electricity travels through this coil, the coil begins to
resonate. Its resonant frequency is a product of the
inductance of the coil and the capacitance of the plates.

As with an electric toothbrush, this system relies on two
coils. Electricity, traveling along an electromagnetic wave,
can tunnel from one coil to the other as long as they both
have the same resonant frequency. The effect is similar to
the way one vibrating trumpet can cause another to vibrate.

As long as both coils are out of range of one another,
nothing will happen, since the fields around the coils aren't
strong enough to affect much around them. Similarly, if the
two coils resonate at different frequencies, nothing will
happen. But if two resonating coils with the same frequency
get within a few meters of each other, streams of energy move
from the transmitting coil to the receiving coil. According
to the theory, one coil can even send electricity to several
receiving coils, as long as they all resonate at the same
frequency. The researchers have named this non-radiative
energy transfer since it involves stationary fields around
the coils rather than fields that spread in all directions.

The MIT team's preliminary work suggests that this kind of
setup could power or recharge all the devices in one room.
Some modifications would be necessary to send power over
long distances, like the length of a building or a city.
The team is making progress -- in June 2007, the MIT team
published a paper detailing a successful demonstration of
their prototype. They used resonating coils to power a light
bulb over a distance of about seven feet (two meters).

Other wireless power theories involve enormous distances --
like from space to the Earth. We'll talk about them in the
next post.

Introduction to Wireless Power
October 9, 2009 at 7:10 pm

Unless you are particularly organized and good with tie
wrap, you probably have a few dusty power cord tangles around
your home. You may have even had to follow one particular
cord through the seemingly impossible snarl to the outlet,
hoping that the plug you pull will be the right one. This is
one of the downfalls of electricity. While it can make
people's lives easier, it can add a lot of clutter in the
process.

For these reasons, scientists have tried to develop methods
of wireless power transmission that could cut the clutter or
lead to clean sources of electricity. While the idea may
sound futuristic, it isn't particularly new. Nicola Tesla
proposed theories of wireless power transmission in the late
1800s and early 1900s. One of his more spectacular displays
involved remotely powering lights in the ground at his
Colorado Springs experiment station.

Tesla's work was impressive, but it didn't immediately lead
to widespread, practical methods for wireless power
transmission. Since then, researchers have developed several
techniques for moving electricity over long distances
without wires. Some exist only as theories or prototypes,
but others are already in use. If you have an electric
toothbrush, for example, you probably take advantage of one
method every day.

The wireless transmission of energy is common in much of the
world. Radio waves are energy, and people use them to send
and receive cell phone, TV, radio and WiFi signals every day.
The radio waves spread in all directions until they reach
antennae that are tuned to the right frequency. A similar
method for transferring electrical power would be both
inefficient and dangerous.

For example, a toothbrush's daily exposure to water makes
a traditional plug-in charger potentially dangerous. Ordinary
electrical connections could also allow water to seep into
the toothbrush, damaging its components. Because of this,
most toothbrushes recharge through inductive coupling.

Inductive Coupling

Inductive coupling uses magnetic fields that are a natural
part of current's movement through wire. Any time electrical
current moves through a wire, it creates a circular magnetic
field around the wire. Bending the wire into a coil amplifies
the magnetic field. The more loops the coil makes, the bigger
the field will be.

If you place a second coil of wire in the magnetic field
you've created, the field can induce a current in the wire.
This is essentially how a transformer works, and it's how
an electric toothbrush recharges. It takes three basic steps:

1. Current from the wall outlet flows through a coil
inside the charger, creating a magnetic field. In
a transformer, this coil is called the primary winding.
2. When you place your toothbrush in the charger, the
magnetic field induces a current in another coil, or
secondary winding, which connects to the battery.
3. This current recharges the battery.

You can use the same principle to recharge several devices
at once. For example, the Splashpower recharging mat and
Edison Electric's Powerdesk both use coils to create
a magnetic field. Electronic devices use corresponding
built-in or plug-in receivers to recharge while resting on
the mat. These receivers contain compatible coils and the
circuitry necessary to deliver electricity to devices'
batteries.

A newer theory uses a similar setup to transmit electricity
over longer distances.

Creating an Internet Radio Station
October 9, 2009 at 7:08 pm

A college student in Wisconsin listens to a disc jockey in
Jamaica play the latest rapso (calypso rap) music.
A children's advocacy group unites its geographically
diverse members via private broadcast. A radio listener
hears an ad for a computer printer and places an order
immediately using the same medium on which he heard the ad.
All of this is possible with Internet radio, the latest
technological innovation in radio broadcasting since the
business began in the early 1920s.

Internet radio has been around since the late 1990s.
Traditional radio broadcasters have used the Internet to
simulcast their programming. But, Internet radio is
undergoing a revolution that will expand its reach from your
desktop computer to access broadcasts anywhere, anytime, and
expand its programming from traditional broadcasters to
individuals, organizations and government.

In this article, we'll explore the Internet radio revolution
in terms of equipment, transmission, programming and the
alterations in the listener/broadcaster relationship.

Freedom of the Airwaves

Radio broadcasting began in the early '20s, but it wasn't
until the introduction of the transistor radio in 1954 that
radio became available in mobile situations. Internet radio
is in much the same place. Until the 21st century, the only
way to obtain radio broadcasts over the Internet was through
your PC. That will soon change, as wireless connectivity will
feed Internet broadcasts to car radios, PDAs and cell phones.
The next generation of wireless devices will greatly expand
the reach and convenience of Internet radio.

Uses and Advantages

Traditional radio station broadcasts are limited by two
factors:

* the power of the station's transmitter (typically
100 miles).
* the available broadcast spectrum (you might get
a couple of dozen radio stations locally).

Internet radio has no geographic limitations, so
a broadcaster in Kuala Lumpur can be heard in Kansas on the
Internet. The potential for Internet radio is as vast as
cyberspace itself (for example, Live365 offers more than
30,000 Internet radio broadcasts).

In comparison to traditional radio, Internet radio is not
limited to audio. An Internet radio broadcast can be
accompanied by photos or graphics, text and links, as well as
interactivity, such as message boards and chat rooms. This
advancement allows a listener to do more than listen. In the
example at the beginning of this article, a listener who
hears an ad for a computer printer ordered that printer
through a link on the Internet radio broadcast Web site. The
relationship between advertisers and consumers becomes more
interactive and intimate on Internet radio broadcasts. This
expanded media capability could also be used in other ways.
For example, with Internet radio, you could conduct training
or education and provide links to documents and payment
options. You could also have interactivity with the trainer
or educator and other information on the Internet radio
broadcast site.

Internet radio programming offers a wide spectrum of
broadcast genres, particularly in music. Broadcast radio is
increasingly controlled by smaller numbers of media
conglomerates (such as Cox, Jefferson-Pilot and Bonneville).
In some ways, this has led to more mainstreaming of the
programming on broadcast radio, as stations often try to
reach the largest possible audience in order to charge the
highest possible rates to advertisers. Internet radio, on the
other hand, offers the opportunity to expand the types of
available programming. The cost of getting "on the air" is
less for an Internet broadcaster (see the next section,
"Creating an Internet Radio Station"), and Internet radio can
appeal to "micro-communities" of listeners focused on special
music or interests.

Creating an Internet Radio Station

What do you need to set up an Internet radio station?

* CD player.
* Ripper software (copies audio tracks from a CD onto
a computer's hard drive).
* Assorted recording and editing software.
* Microphones.
* Audio mixer.
* Outboard audio gear (equalizer, compressor, etc.).
* Digital audio card.
* Dedicated computer with encoder software.
* Streaming media server.

Getting audio over the Internet is pretty simple:

1. The audio enters the Internet broadcaster's encoding
computer through a sound card.
2. The encoder system translates the audio from the sound
card into streaming format. The encoder samples the incoming
audio and compresses the information so it can be sent over
the Internet.
3. The compressed audio is sent to the server, which has
a high bandwidth connection to the Internet.
4. The server sends the audio data stream over the
Internet to the player software or plug-in on the listener's
computer. The plug-in translates the audio data stream from
the server and translates it into the sound heard by the
listener.

There are two ways to deliver audio over the Internet:
downloads or streaming media. In downloads, an audio file is
stored on the user's computer. Compressed formats like MP3
are the most popular form of audio downloads, but any type of
audio file can be delivered through a Web or FTP site.
Streaming audio is not stored, but only played. It is
a continuous broadcast that works through three software
packages: the encoder, the server and the player. The encoder
converts audio content into a streaming format, the server
makes it available over the Internet and the player retrieves
the content. For a live broadcast, the encoder and streamer
work together in real-time. An audio feed runs to the sound
card of a computer running the encoder software at the
broadcast location and the stream is uploaded to the
streaming server. Since that requires a large amount of
computing resources, the streaming server must be a dedicated
server.

Top 10 Digital Cameras
October 9, 2009 at 7:07 pm

Whether you want a simple point-and-shoot camera for family
photos or you're a serious photographer who wants greater
creative control, there's a digital camera that's right for
you. We've rounded up 10 of the most popular and
feature-packed models out there.

Top 5 Point-and-shoot Cameras:

1- Canon PowerShot A620:

Packing a host of features into an easy-to-use, compact
point-and-shoot, the Canon PowerShot A620 is tops in its
class. This high-performance camera has a 7.1- megapixel CCD
and customizable shooting settings that let you decide how
much control you want and how much to leave on automatic.
Its large 2-inch LCD screen has a grid option to help you
line up and center your subject. You can also shoot movies
up to 1GB in high-quality video mode or up to 60 seconds in
fast-frame mode.

2- Canon PowerShot A610:

If you don't really need 7.1 megapixels, you can save money
with the Canon PowerShot A610, which has the same features as
the A620 but only 5 megapixels. That's still plenty for most
people to zoom, crop and print richly detailed photos as
large as 8 by 10 inches. Like the A620, the A610 offers 4X
optical zoom, a 2-inch LCD and a number of shooting modes to
make picture-taking simple, even if you're a novice.

3- Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P200:

Small camera; big LCD. The compact Sony DSC-P200 is only 4
inches wide, 2 inches high and 1 inch deep but has
a high-resolution 2-inch LCD so you can instantly enjoy
viewing and sharing photos. It also has a robust 7.2-megapixel
CCD and a quick auto-focus, 3X optical zoom lens to help
bring your subject closer. Pre-flash metering sets exposure
and reduces red-eye for great flash shots. You can also shoot
in movie mode, recording as much as your selected Memory
Stick can hold.

4- Kodak EasyShare Z740:

If you want to shoot close-up subjects and still enjoy the
simplicity of a point-and-shoot camera, consider the Kodak
EasyShare Z740, which gives you a powerful 10X optical zoom.
If that's not enough, there's also 5X digital zoom for
a total of 50X zoom capability. The exclusive Kodak Color
Science Chip gives your pictures vibrant color even under
difficult lighting conditions. Choose one of 16 shooting
modes to get your perfect shot, whether it's a beach scene or
a self-portrait.

5- Fuji FinePix S5200:

Toeing the line between point-and-shoot and digital SLR is
the Fuji FinePix S5200. It's larger and heavier than the
average pocket-friendly point-and-shoot, but just the right
size if you like to use a long lens and have more control
than the typical weekend snapshooter. Its 10X optical zoom
and 5.7X digital zoom give you a total of 57X total zoom
range. Intuitive controls on the body allow you to set up
shots quickly without navigating through menus.

If you feel confident in your shutterbug skills and you want
a faster-shooting camera that's compatible with a variety of
lenses, you'll want a digital SLR. Check out the next
seriously responsive models.

Ready to move up from the point-and-shoot minor leagues?
Here are our top five digital SLR cameras.

6- Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT:

A great camera for amateur digital SLR photographers, the EOS
Digital Rebel XT offers the easiest operation in its class.
It features an 8.0-megapixel CMOS sensor, Canon's own DIGIC
II Image Processor and compatibility with more than 50 EF
Lenses. Improving on its predecessor, the Digital Rebel, the
Digital Rebel XT has an all new lightweight and compact body,
nearly as small as digital SLRs get, with the responsiveness
of a bigger semi-pro model.

7- Canon EOS-5D:

The new Canon EOS 5D boasts a full-frame 12.8-megapixel CMOS
sensor in a relatively compact magnesium-alloy body. Canon's
DIGIC II Image Processor provides outstanding image quality,
and "Picture Style" color control gives you superior command
of color balance, contrast and sharpness. Pictures look great
from almost any angle on the large 2.5-inch LCD, and
easy-to-use menus simplify shooting operations so you can
focus on your vision.

8- Olympus EVOLT E-500:

Never worry about dust on the image sensor interfering with
your pictures with the Olympus EVOLT E-500. This
easy-to-handle digital SLR camera uses an exclusive vibrating
filter to eliminate dust and produce spotless pictures no
matter where you change lenses. It has an 8-megapixel CCD and
25 shooting modes so you can take great pictures with
a minimum of effort. A high-resolution, 2.5-inch LCD lets you
view and share your shots from a wide viewing angle. And
it's all housed in a lightweight, portable chassis.

9- Konica Minolta Dynax 5D:

It's called the Maxxum 5D in North America, the Dynax 5D
elsewhere, but no matter which name it goes by, this is
a great little digital SLR camera from Konica Minolta. It
employs an exclusive built-in anti-shake technology, enabling
blur-free shooting in just about any situation, even at
slower shutter speeds. Its 2.5-inch LCD displays detailed,
easy-to-read information about settings and exposure values.
And it has a wide variety of customizable settings so you can
control color balance, contrast, saturation and sharpness in
every shot.

10- Nikon D50:

Compact and lightweight, the Nikon D50 can go anywhere you
do, and its lithium-ion battery lets you shoot about 2,000
images before needing to be recharged. It has
a high-performance 6.1-megapixel CCD and is compatible with
Nikon's wide variety of high-quality Nikkor lenses.
High-speed continuous shooting allows you to shoot for up to
137 uninterrupted frames, depending on the type of SD card
used, and a new small-picture function lets you choose the
resolution you want when saving each shot, maximizing your
storage capability.

Inside a Digital Cell Phone
October 9, 2009 at 7:02 pm

On a "complexity per cubic inch" scale, cell phones are some
of the most intricate devices people use on a daily basis.
Modern digital cell phones can process millions of
calculations per second in order to compress and decompress
the voice stream.

If you take a basic digital cell phone apart, you find that
it contains just a few individual parts:

* An amazing circuit board containing the brains of the
phone.
* An antenna.
* A liquid crystal display (LCD).
* A keyboard (not unlike the one you find in a TV remote
control).
* A microphone.
* A speaker.
* A battery.

The circuit board is the heart of the system. Here is one
from a typical Nokia digital phone:

In the photos, you see several computer chips. Let's talk
about what some of the individual chips do. The
analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion chips
translate the outgoing audio signal from analog to digital
and the incoming signal from digital back to analog. You can
learn more about A-to-D and D-to-A conversion and its
importance to digital audio in How Compact Discs Work. The
digital signal processor (DSP) is a highly customized
processor designed to perform signal-manipulation
calculations at high speed.

The microprocessor handles all of the housekeeping chores for
the keyboard and display, deals with command and control
signaling with the base station and also coordinates the rest
of the functions on the board.

The ROM and Flash memory chips provide storage for the
phone's operating system and customizable features, such as
the phone directory. The radio frequency (RF) and power
section handles power management and recharging, and also
deals with the hundreds of FM channels. Finally, the RF
amplifiers handle signals traveling to and from the antenna.

The display has grown considerably in size as the number of
features in cell phones have increased. Most current phones
offer built-in phone directories, calculators and games. And
many of the phones incorporate some type of PDA or Web
browser.

Some phones store certain information, such as the SID and
MIN codes, in internal Flash memory, while others use
external cards that are similar to SmartMedia cards.

Cell phones have such tiny speakers and microphones that it
is incredible how well most of them reproduce sound. As you
can see in the picture above, the speaker is about the size
of a dime and the microphone is no larger than the watch
battery beside it. Speaking of the watch battery, this is
used by the cell phone's internal clock chip.

What is amazing is that all of that functionality -- which
only 30 years ago would have filled an entire floor of
an office building -- now fits into a package that sits
comfortably in the palm of your hand!

Tool Smackdown: Pocket Multimeters
October 9, 2009 at 7:01 pm

Our favorite devices for measuring volts, ohms, amps, and Hz
in the real world.

On any given day you can find a miniature multimeter in my
pocket. These devices are the equivalent of a Leatherman for
electronic enthusiasts. (The Leatherman would be in my other
pocket.) Most of the time, I want to check the voltage of
a deep-cycle battery in my electric-vehicle or troubleshoot
a problem with a solar photovoltaic system. But multimeters
do things like current measuring, resistance and continuity,
which make them handy for solving problems ranging from home
wiring to electronics repair. I've used a number of
"portable" units over the years, and while many are anything
but, one jumps out as my solid favorite. Here's my take on
a few popular units.

Portable multimeter Victor (VC921):

This meter feels like a piece of crap. The case is all
plastic and wide enough that it will have to sit in the back
pocket of your jeans. I dislike the aesthetics of this model
so much that I have banished it to my battery room. This
meter cannot measure current at all, though that's common in
the mini-meter world. That said, the clunky old Victor has
a some cool tricks that the other meters do not have.

1. A frequency counter (eg. 60Hz for electrical mains. this
beats using $300 / 30 pound oscilloscope to measure
frequency).
2. A capacitance tester (testing small surface mount sized
capacitors - not that useful)
3. A clever plastic flap which allows for the meter probes to
quickly be released.

Portable multimeter Cen-tech P34907:

This Cen-Tech model used to be sold at Harbor Freight for $10.
Google around and you can probably still find it or a similiar
version elsewhere. This has been my primary meter for the
last three months after I purchased it on a whim from my
local autoparts store. What I like best about this model is
the test probes can be released with one hand! Tying the
probes back up is much faster than the other two meters as
they are designed to wrap around the case and lock in place.
The Cen-Tech does not have the special features that the
Victor model, but can measure up to .5A—a slight improvement
over the Radio Shack model. The Cen-Tech is also a lot better
looking than the Victor so if you can find it for $10, it's
a pretty sweet deal.

Pocket Multimeter Radio Shack (22-820):

The Radio Shack 22-820 is hands down my favorite unit. My
eyes tear up just thinking back to this one as I managed to
destroy it during a freak high voltage accident. The comments
on RS's site have multiple people stating that they broke the
continuity testing. I never had that problem and I use the
continuity option often to verify my connections are good on
new circuit boards and old automotive wiring. This unit is
smaller than the others and good looking with a smooth rubber
case. Many meters have a big silly dial to change between
settings but I prefer this one's small slider switch. The
drawbacks to this unit are price, .2A current limit, and the
fact that the wire leads take some practice to put away. The
benefits are that it's small and sexy: While I had this unit
I did actually carry it everywhere and people would drool
over it.

Google Voice Gives You One Number to Ring Them All
October 9, 2009 at 6:59 pm

The service, which launched publicly this week, includes
automatic transcription of voicemail and recording of calls.

Google Voice is one of those technical advancements that
could change your way of communication. With it, you can sign
up for a single phone number that rings every phone you own.
Then you can hand out the number to everyone you know.

Google acquired GrandCentral.com, the creator of the service,
in 2007, and changed the name to Google Voice. The service
now supports speech-to-text, using Google's technology, so
that voicemails are transcribed automatically and sent to you
by email.

Once you sign up, when someone calls your Google Voice number,
your home phone, cell phone, desk phone at the office, and
even your Internet voice-over-IP number will ring, all at the
same time, no matter where you are. It means you can switch
phone numbers at any time, but retain a single Google Voice
number for years.

This week, the service started granting access for public use,
so if you signed up several weeks or months ago, you will
likely receive a message that the service is live.

The service has several interesting additional perks. When
a call arrives, you can press 4 to record the call. You can
also listen in while the caller leaves a message, and
interrupt to answer. Recorded calls are not transcribed, but
you can listen to them online.

There are some minor caveats. Some people will be reluctant
to give over yet another aspect of their life to the giant;
Google reads our mail, and now it's listening to our phone
calls. Placing calls is cumbersome: you have to go to a Web
browser on your phone, access Google Voice, select which
phone to use, and place the call. And Google Voice simply
hands the call off to your wireless carrier. But the power of
one number ringing many lines, and near-instant text
transcription of voicemail, is enough to make the service
worth a try.

Humanscale Humanair Purifier Brings Industrial Strength to the Desktop
October 9, 2009 at 6:58 pm

Humanscale Humanair

* A low-current electric field gives particles a negative
charge.
* Slow, quiet fans direct air through filter (and toward
you).
* Oppositely charged strips of paper attract particles.
* Carbon filter catches unwanted gases, like odors.
* Case allows a large volume of air to flow through.

A new technology has made giant air cleaners in Swedish
factories smaller and more energy-efficient, and now it's
doing the same for filters in your home. The innovation:
paper.

Many purifiers, both industrial and residential, clean the
air by giving pollutants an electric charge and trapping the
staticky gunk with oppositely charged metal plates.
Humanscale's tabletop Humanair replaces metal with strips of
paper coiled into a foot-wide spiral. The paper attracts dirt
like metal plates do, because charged lines of metallic paint
run along one side of the strips. But the nonconductive
layers of paper can be packed just 0.06 inch apart without
creating sparks, so the paper traps more grit. It squeezes
14 square feet of filth-catching surface—at least twice as
much as other electronic home purifiers—inside
a 15-by-13-by-4-inch case.

Since the Humanair is so skinny, it needs only low-power fans
to nudge air through. And with the small current it uses to
charge dust, it sips just 17 watts, making it the most
efficient way to bring industrial cleaning power to your
personal space.

Five New Microsoft Mouse Prototypes Tackle Multitouch, Look Crazy
October 9, 2009 at 6:57 pm

By now you know the Windows 7 line, but in case you've
somehow missed it: it's the first major computer operating
system to support multitouch, meaning it (like an iPhone) can
read more than one finger press at a time. Of course, in
order to take advantage of touch, you need to upgrade your
hardware -- for a premium price, naturally.

Multitouch screens add a couple hundred bucks to the price of
a monitor or laptop screen, but Microsoft's Applied Sciences
group is working to make it more available to the masses with
peripherals. We got a sneak peek at five mouse concepts that
read multitouch gestures from MS's Dan Rosenfield and Shahram
Izadi. There no word on when any of 'em will be mass-produced.

FTIR (Frustrated Total Internal Reflection) Mouse: A infrared
camera shines through a curved plastic sheet on which your
fingers rest to track your finger ticks (like pinching and
scrolling) while a regular mouse sensor under the palmrest
tracks movement.

Orb Mouse: This design also uses an IR camera to see how your
hand moves, but instead of only tracking your fingers, it
keeps an eye on your whole hand underneath its dome. Gestures
are tracked through a mirror that reflects movement onto the
camera lens.

Cap Mouse: Short for "Capacitive Mouse," the Cap uses a curved
multitouch surface on the front half of the mouse, essentially
morphing it into a curved touchscreen.

Side Mouse: More palm rest than mouse, the Side mouse doesn't
have any touch sensors, but follows your fingers with
a projected laser, thus turning your desktop into the defacto
touch surface. Of the concepts, this one creates the largest
mustitouch area overall; the laser can see directly in front
of the rest and up to 60 degrees on either side.

Arty Mouse: The so-called "Articulated Mouse" tracks your
index finger and thumb on separate pads, which makes it ideal
for more minute tasks, like manipulating 3D rendering (or CAD)
software.

What is better? Desktop or Laptop?
October 9, 2009 at 6:56 pm

It is true that in certain aspects the advantages of the desktop PC are more than any other form of computer, but still with the changing time and techniques, the newer technologies are preferred more than the old ones. The desktop PC has a big drawback in that it lacks portability. To carry it from one place to another means a waste of energy and time. To think of carrying this frequently is something not at all practical. In comparison to the notebook computer or commonly known as the laptop it is a better alternative. Therefore, nowadays the replacement of desktop PC with a laptop has become a trend. In your opinion, what is the best?
The reasons for the replacement of desktop PC with a laptop are many. First carrying a desktop from place to place is not practical and almost impossible. Whereas, the importance of a PC is being felt at each and every step of this life. For an official presentation, for the demonstration of a special project or for attending a technical class; Under some circumstances if the particular task remains undone just because of the non availability of a computer then life would have never been able to go as fast as it is now. For fulfilling such demands of the situation the laptops are being invented and in that context it can be said that replacement of desktop PC with a laptop is the best thing ever.
Anyone can go for this perfect replacement of desktop PC with a laptop by selling their old desktop PCs and buying a new laptop. The difference in life after this change can very easily be felt by everyone doing so. But that doesn't solve all our PC problems. There are advantages and disadvantages that come with each form of computer. So it seems that we have to make a choice between the laptop and the desktop computer. However, some have chosen not to choose by having them both. Some people prefer to keep a desktop for their home while using a laptop for office and traveling, which is the laptop advantage. A disadvantage of the laptop is that you have to treat it much more delicately, which doesn't always fit with everyone's lifestyle.
Moreover, the battery of the laptop often runs out of charge at inconvenient times. For this several things should be kept in mind the laptop should not be turned on when the battery is in charge. You should avoid playing DVDs as that will consume a lot of battery power. So then using the laptop sometimes comes with some minor hassles. That is why the replacement of a desktop PC with a laptop may not always be the best idea.
So, all these attraction and advantages of the laptop make you think to replace your old PC with a new laptop. You can take it anywhere and make you convenient.

Do you want to know about MP3 Players?
October 9, 2009 at 6:55 pm

There are many formats that you can open your music or video on such as RealPlayer, MP3, MP4 and ect. Which one is the better for you? Do you want to know anything about MP3? Read the article to know about it.
The first mp3 Player was introduced in 1998 by Eiger Labs and was called the MPMan. It had a storage capacity of 32MB (about 10-20 songs) and sold for $69. Now it is not uncommon to find an mp3 player with 120GB of storage capacity (up to 30,000 songs) for $249. However, long gone are the days of using an mp3 player as, well, an mp3 player? Most mp3 players now serve as the "swiss-army knife" of electronics. They can play music, show photos, play videos and movies, connect to the internet, check email, and serve as a personal arcade.
When the word "mp3 player" is uttered, the first thought that comes into people's mind is "iPod". Why is this the case when there are several mp3 player manufacturers out there (Sony, Samsung and Creative Technologies to name a few)? Is it the creative television ads that seem to bombard us at least twice during a 30-minute episode of "The Office"? Is it the fact that these players come in several different colors to fit our mood? Is it the slick navigation and the ease of use? Or is it due to the fact that inside each of us, we are rooting for Apple, the underdog, who has pitted itself against the mighty Microsoft Corporation?
Whatever the reason, the fact is Apple has creative geniuses behind the marketing and development of these ever-changing devices. Each ad we see on TV gives us a sense that we have to have one of these devices... to be hip, to be cool, to actually have fun in life. Then you take a look at the actual devices themselves. They come in ultra small (iPod shuffle), ultra colorful (iPod nano) and ultra slick (iPod touch). The varying types of iPods makes it easy to please anyone from the occasional music listener with small pockets, to the frequent flyer who needs a device that can keep them occupied with music, movies and games during a three hour flight. There is literally an iPod for every lifestyle.
Don't forget the ease of use, the simple iTunes integration and the continual updates and new applications that ensure you are getting the most from your iPod. The realization is that Apple is leading the way in mp3 player development while all the other mp3 player manufacturers just seem to be a step behind. With prices ranging from $79 to $229, every budget is considered.
Not only are consumers jumping on the iPod bandwagon. Many companies have focused on developing iPod accessories for each model ranging from plug-and-play stereo systems, to sports bands, to iPod sleeves. These iPod accessories are becoming as hot a commodity as the iPod itself. Now the question isn't "which brand of mp3 player should I get?" but "what accessory can I get for my iPod?"
With the iPod being such a hot commodity, iPods and iPod accessories are readily available for purchase with more online stores showing up every day and with the iPods and iPod accessories being sold at "big box" stores like Walmart and Target.
As more people invest in iPods, there is an increasing demand for iPod repair services. For a few of the inexpensive iPod models (iPod shuffle for example), it doesn't make much sense to pay for iPod repair service. However, for the more expensive models, iPod repair can be a substantially cheaper alternative to buying a new iPod altogether.

We need a lot of accessories for our electronic devices
October 9, 2009 at 6:54 pm

Electronic Devices accessories
such as iPod charger or iPhone 3G headphones. The question is do you think you will ever find to find them reliable and affordable, anywhere and everywhere? Never, there are only countable web portals that would offer those really awesome cute accessories, cases and Bluetooth devices at affordable range of prices with trustworthy quality available in new age designs with stylish models. There are very few websites which represent these sophisticated accessories, cases, earphones, headphones and headsets at affordable prices with best quality that can increase the efficiency of your devices to the maximum.

Skullcandy headphones and sennheiser headphones are the best quality headphones available online. These headphones are very reliable and are the best equipment for your devices. Skullcandy headphones and sennheiser headphones have a high quality bass and a feel that really blow your mind.

In the online market there are various other advanced devices available, the varieties would include such as Bluetooth headset, wireless USB adapter and laptop cases. These technical beauties like Bluetooth headset, wireless USB adapter and laptop cases are some of the most sophisticated additional equipments will definitely increase efficiency and quality of your devices. The Bluetooth, with help of Bluetooth headset, will enhance compatibility and make you life much easier unlike laptop cases. The Laptop cases available on the net will help you ensure the life time of your laptop and comes in various unique designs and beautiful colors.
Apparently, it is not only for your Bluetooth devices and laptops cases or Bluetooth headset which are the only ones available but there is a huge quantity and high quality iPhone 3G Nano cases and iPhone 3G accessories abound which are bound to be available almost everywhere. The entire catalogue would consist of a huge list of iPhone 3G accessories and iPhone 3G cases available in different quality and standards. These accessories will definitely make a huge difference to your new age high tech devices look totally sophisticated and flashy creating a very impressive look to your personality. IPhone 3G cases will help keep your iPhone functions long lasting improving its life span. These cases will not only pamper your new age high tech iPhones but will also make them look new all the time.

Many other sound devices like speakers, headphones and earphones are one of those items with very attractive designs and styles which are also now available on the online ecommerce sites. IPod speakers, iPod earphones, Bluetooth earphones and iPod headphones of simple and cool design at also available at affordable prices. The web portals nowadays provide you with best quality ipod speakers, ipod earphones, Bluetooth earphones and ipod headphones at the desired prices to make your experience unforgettable.

The durability of your iPod is another big factor which people usually tend to neglect. If you don't have a good iPod charge you are definitely missing out on a lot of your valuable time, energy and money. Now you even get a combined package of the iPod accessories like IPod speakers, iPod earphones, Bluetooth earphones and iPod headphones along with an iPod charger to help you make your iPod available for long durations and consume energy saving a lot of time and money for you. Sounds like really good value for money.

How to Improve Laptop Memory with Virus Repair?
October 9, 2009 at 11:25 am

Memory is crucial to the operation of your laptop or any computer for that matter. Memory is used for every tiny bit of processing that your computer must do. From start up to shut down and everything in between the memory is critical. However, did you know that having a virus on your machine could actually be eating up your laptop memory?
Viruses are nasty bugs that reach the very core of your computer in many cases. They often operate in the background without you ever even knowing it. However, because they are operating in the background, they are also using up your memory, which as you know, you could use in other, more important areas. Therefore, if you are having some memory problems and have found a virus on your computer, free up your laptop memory with virus repair.
Virus repair can be performed in multiple ways. You can either use an established anti-virus program to scan the laptop for any bugs and subsequently repair them at the same time or you could take your laptop into a certified virus repair technician and allow him or her to do the job for you. Either way, it is important to rid your laptop of the virus, improve the overall health of your laptop, and finally free up your laptop memory.
The memory is constantly used whenever your laptop is turned on. With every process that occurs, the memory is being accessed, which means there is a little less for another program to be used. Even if you have a good bit of memory on your laptop, a virus can still be taking its toll. You never want to leave a virus sitting on your computer for any length of time because it start to affect more than just one area of your computer, it can begin to affect multiple areas.
No matter which method you choose of virus repair, be sure that you follow all instructions as given to you precisely. If your anti-virus program finds the virus, but does not have the ability to remove it, you may still want to visit a technician for removal. This will be the safest and most complete method than trying to remove the bugs yourself, which can sometimes be dangerous to the health of your computer overall.
As we know, laptop memory is the most important part in our laptop and we need this small thing in order to be able to preserve anything in our computer. We try to be careful and take care of it.

Improve Your Computer Skills with Computer Books and Ebooks
October 9, 2009 at 11:22 am

Anyone has a computer thinks how to improve it and make run better with programs or attaching other devices. Are you looking for a computer book to improve your computer programming skills or general IT knowledge?
A distinguishing mark of professionals is that they keep up-to-date with the newest ideas, techniques and developments in their field. If you are a computer professional you should read every computer book and computer Ebook which can help you to improve your computer skills.
You can find good Computer Books and eBooks on the Internet. Some of them can be purchased online, whereas other ones are free and can be easily downloaded.
Purchasing Computer Books
There are many online Book stores, which sell Computer Books and Computer Ebooks and the most famous one is surely Amazon. They have search facilities which allow finding what you are looking for in a way that is surely easier and faster than searching in a main street bookstore.
You can select a category from a menu (e.g. Databases, Programming, Linux and Unix, AS/400) or use the search facilities to find Books or Software in your area of interest.
If you browse some computer book among the possible choices, you will normally find a good product description which often includes the table of contents and, in many cases; you will find also reviews submitted by people who have read the book. Often there is also an average customer review which can be useful to decide if the purchase is worthwhile.
If you decide to buy, you can easily add your choices to a shopping cart and pay online by using a Credit or Debit Card. The Books are usually delivered from the Online Bookstore pretty fast.
Free Programming E-Books
There are many good Computer Ebooks, often published in PDF format, with plenty of useful information.
Some of them are free downloadable Ebooks whereas other ones (especially computer tutorials) can read online.
Computer manufacturers, such as IBM, often allow to access an online library of their technical documentation and often provide good computer tutorials (visit for example the site Developer Works ).
An author which offers online many free downloadable ebooks is Bruce Eckel. His company provides public and private training and consulting services and he has decided to offer the FREE downloadable Ebook version of many good Programming books, which are also sold in Book stores in the printed format.
Bruce Eckel has published over 150 articles and several computer books such as Thinking in Java (Prentice-Hall, 1998, 2nd Edition, 2000), the Hands-On Java Seminar CD ROM (available on his Mind View site and enclosed to the previous book), Thinking in C++>/b> (PH 1995; 2nd edition 2000), C++ Inside & Out (Osborne/McGraw-Hill 1993), among others.
He's given hundreds of presentations throughout the world, published over 150 articles in numerous magazines, was a founding member of the ANSI/ISO C++committee, speaks regularly at conferences and is the C++ and Java track chair for the Software Development conference. He provides public and private seminars and design consulting in C++, Java and Python.
His books can be purchased in Book stores, but previous versions can also be easily downloaded as Ebooks and are surely very useful to Computer professionals.
Conclusion
If you want to improve your computer knowledge, try the Internet as a valid alternative to traditional Bookshops and Libraries.

An iPod Touch Battery Life
October 9, 2009 at 11:21 am

Nowadays, iPod became an essential gadget with everyone kids, teenager or adult. It offers a lot and beautiful things and makes anyone spend a good time with it. The wonders of the future never cease to amaze us as time goes on. Now a common household product name, Apple has a revolutionary new product in the iPod Touch with the ability to play TV and video, support thousands of games and almost every audio format out there - but how long will the fun last before the battery is depleted?
The Apple website has the iTouch's battery life rated at 36 hours, which means that if the iPod is on shuffle and the screen is dark, music will play until then. They also have the video playback time listed at 6 hours, which is when the iTouch is nonstop playing movies or video. However, there is a darker side to this story.
Many users report the iTouch out of the case having a consistent battery expectancy of 16-22 hours for music, and 3-4 hours of video and game usage, which are the most extreme users of battery life games being even moreso due to the fact that games are highly interactive, colorful, and some can even use the WiFi connection in addition to draining the battery as extensively as a movie. The reasons for the spectrum being so broad can be for any number of reasons, though. There are many background processes that all use up a portion of the total battery life for the iTouch. If one were to turn off the WiFi, battery life can be improved. Screen brightness is also a huge portion of determining how much battery life can be drained. If operating the iTouch in a dark room or during the evening, the brightness can be turned down anywhere from 10-25% and still be easily viewable for the average user. It has also been reported that the Auto Brightness feature, though designed to be a courtesy option, can also drain the battery life rather than preserve it.
All sorts of things can determine what exactly will alter the life of the iTouch battery. There are even applications available on the Apple Application Store that can show exactly how much battery life remains for specific actions, easily searchable and free to download that work for both the iTouch and the iPhone. Regardless of all the specific details, there are numerous ways to change and preserve the battery life of an iTouch. Be it 4 hours of video or 22 hours of music, a conscientious consumer can get the most out of their iPod's with ease.
We know now how much our iPod battery will last with us if we are in a long way. So, we try to charge before travel in order not to get bored in the street.

How to Get Free Digital Satellite TV Requirements and Alternative?
October 9, 2009 at 11:21 am

Every house now has satellite which gives people entertainment and a good time. Free digital satellite TV is within reach but to the unfamiliar, it could mean a big deal of trouble. And you must take note that the only free satellite television you are going to get is what people call Free-To-Air (FTA) TV. This is the only kind of free digital television you would get without scrambling or stealing signals from TV stations. We will study some of the requirements in order to receive free digital satellite TV as well as a powerful alternative that could become mainstream for all who want to watch satellite television for free.
Free digital satellite TV or FTA TV are basically TV programs broadcast by satellite stations that are unencrypted for viewing. There is a list of equipment you need in order to watch satellite programs for free such as the satellite dish, TV and peripherals like LNB. There are many online classified ads and auction sites like eBay, Craiglist, US Free Ads etc that sell such satellite dish. You can also buy them at your local hardware stores but at a higher retail price in most cases. Let us take a look at the following components you need to watch TV via satellite for free using digital satellite TV signals.
1. Satellite Dish
Commercial satellite signals are often stronger than FTA signals and therefore do not require a huge dish. As such, to receive free digital TV, you would need a bigger dish of at least 90 cm or 1 m in diameter. This is to improve the reception of TV feeds.
2. Low Noise Block (LNB) Converter
Low Noise Block (LNB) Converter is an amplifier which receives the free digital TV signal from the satellite after it has been reflected by the satellite dish. You need a linear polarized LNB in order to watch TV via satellite for free. To enable your TV to display multiple channels at once, you need a multi-output LNB. And one thing people often overlook is to buy the LNB bracket.
3. Rotor
Free digital satellite TV or FTA signals are scattered and do not originate from the same satellite. A rotor is required to enable the dish to move around and point towards the different satellites carrying the desired channels you want to watch. But it is not cheap to buy a rotor which can be as expensive as the dish.
4. Receiver
Free digital television receivers are available for about $100 per piece for brand names like Pansat, Digiwave, Coolsat, etc.
5. Cables
This is an important piece of equipment you need to connect the receiver, rotor and then the rotor to your LNB. Heavy duty cables like RG-6 are ideal as the transmission of signals would be much better.
The beauty of watching free digital satellite TV is that you do not need a digital television set at all to watch TV for free. Something for you to pay attention to is the receivers for receiving TV feeds are not built with digital outputs. Thus, you need to sort out the cabling from the receiver to your TV set. By using three RCA cables, you can work around it.
This set up is necessary in order for you to receive free digital television. But if you are not good with mechanical stuff or simply cannot understand the technical jargon mentioned, there is an alternative for you in the form of proprietary PC satellite TV software which you can read about at my TV blog. With the software, you can easily tune into thousands of satellite channels and watch TV via satellite for free without any challenging equipment installation. All it takes is a couple of minutes to plug and play the free digital satellite TV programs listed.
With the free digital satellite TV requirement, you can watch all the channels that you like without paying money for anything. You can see your favorite football game or your favorite band in any time you like and for free.

How to Create Computer or Video Games?
October 9, 2009 at 11:20 am

Many people like computer or video games and may spend all the day on them. Have you ever think how they create those games? Or what are the programs we need to make them? This article is going to explain the steps to creating a video or computer game and will name some of the software that can be used to make a game. I will try to equate the different parts of the game making process to the human body to simplify it. The first process in creating a character or model is to create the muscle. One would think we would start with the bones but that would not be accurate.
After the muscles have been created, you stick the bones inside. Then we flatten our person out like a medical examiner conducting an autopsy. The next piece of the puzzle is to add the skin and clothes. Once that's done we define a range of motions like the motions we do on a daily basis. Now the bulk of the work is done and we stick our character in a game. Even though I used a human just to give a comparison of the steps involved in creating a model, the same steps apply whether you're creating an animal, a machine or an entire city. In the following sections I will explain the steps in more details.
First you create the muscle and bones of the animation. The muscles in humans are generally the same color all over. They outline the shape of the individual. The 3D modeling terminology of the muscles is called the mesh. The mesh is a colorless, transparent frame drawn over a grid. The next step is to create the bones inside the muscles. In 3D terminology this is actually called adding bones to a model. The bones and the joints they are attached to, make it easier for us to animate the character.
It is also possible to animate a character using the muscles or mesh. This is more like real motion where the muscles move bone. However, this method of animation requires more time and processing power from the computer. Can you image trying to manipulate hundreds of individual muscles to move someone instead of just moving a couple of bones? The most important thing to know about your software is; does it create a model compatible with the software your using to make your game or animation? They usually have a list of different formats they can save a character in. The good news is that all you have to do is create a character once and you can save it in different formats for different software. Here are some popular software to create the mesh and bones.
3DS max
Maya
Blender
Lightwave
Milkshape
Sketchup pro
Ulead
Truespace
Next, once the muscles and bones are created we would of course want to add skin to our model. But it's difficult to draw skin on a 3 dimensional character so we have to make it a 2 dimensional character. We do that by unwrapping the model. We, in essence, become morgue technicians and slice up our poor little person and lay him out flat. The tools below are used to unwrap a mesh. Some tools are the same tools mentioned in the previous section.
Unwrap
Lithunwrap
3DS max
Maya
Blender
Lightwave
Now that our 3d model has been flattened we can draw the skin and clothes on him or her or it. We say skin and clothes because if your model always wears the same clothes then there is no need to draw the skin that no one will ever see. The skin and clothes gives us our color and texture. In 3d modeling terminology we say skinning a model or adding texture. These tools have a function called layering where we can draw the skin of the person add a layer and then draw the clothes if we want a more realistic appearance.
Paint.net
Paint shop pro
Photoshop
MS Paint
Zbrush
Lightwave
Blender
We are getting close to the end now. Now that we have our characters for our game created, we have to create the motions that the models will use throughout their game life. Most character will have the actions walk. In the simplest form of this action, you simply move the characters leg bones a couple of times back and forth. After each movement you use the animation tool to set a "key frame" which is just a snapshot of the motion. Adding 3 or 4 key frames of the characters leg bones moving back and forth will create the illusion of walking when the key frames are added together. A more complicated way of doing this is to move the muscles to create leg movement instead of the bones. This creates a more realistic look as in reality the muscles move the bone, not the other way around. However, there are more muscle fibers than bones, thus making it more complicated. The next motion would probably be "run" which of course adds more steps because more body parts are involved in running. After those two you would do the different "fight" movements and of course a game where the player keeps winning is not a challenge so you have to eventually die.
Poser
3DS max
Maya
Blender
Lightwave
Milkshape
Sketchup pro
Ulead
These same steps are used to create the world or levels the characters live in except that no motion needs to be added. Once the character, level, and the characters motion are created we can add it all to the game engine to get things in motion. The game engine provides the brains for the game. They detect the input from the keyboard, mouse or joystick and they translate it into one of the motions or actions designed previously. Game engines also detect when a missile fired at one of the bad guys hits the bad guy or misses and hits the wall. This is called collision detection. Game engines also decide which way a bullet goes once it is fired, this is called game physics.
Torque
3D Gamestudio
Unreal
Gamebryo
If you need more flexibility in your game than a game engine can give you then you can create your own game engine using a programming language. Be forewarned, this requires a lot of work and skill. If you're smart, you can start out with one of the game engines that give you the source code also known as "open source" and make modifications.
java
c++
directx
flash
I have used a tutorial at http://www.juniorgamemaker.com that uses relatively inexpensive software to make computer games. I used milkshape for creating the mesh. I used Lithunwrap to unwrap the model. I used Paint.net to skin the model. Last, I used 3d Gamestudio as my game engine and also to create the bones. Blender is supposed to be a good tool also and it's free, so I may try that next. Whatever you choose, I wish you good luck on your journey to make the ultimate computer game.
As we have read, creating a computer or video games is not easy. It needs a good knowledge of many programs, patience and a long time to make them.

What are Advantages of Using the Family Computer Filter?
October 9, 2009 at 11:19 am

Through keen observation one can very easily come to conclusion that in this universe everything has got two fold aspects, positive and negative. It merely depends upon the user of the product to make use of positive & productive things and ignore the harmful stuff. But it will only be possible when the user is mature enough to discriminate between good and bad otherwise it becomes inevitable to put barriers for effective control. So, if you have a lot of things in your computer and you want to remove the files and the programs that you don't need them or another person use the same computer with you, you can use the family computer filter. Read the following article to know more about it.
In case of computer and internet which itself is a full fledge universe of knowledge where any kind of information remains only one click away, advantages are countless but disadvantages are there which could be harmful not only for children but also for any immature one. Here comes the role of Family Computer Filter to be implemented and making use of it to avoid injurious impact of computer and internet.
Family computer filters are a series of different program that are available both as a freeware and paid software and with the help of them you can block unpleasant and offensive content displayed on websites. For example if there are young family members and they only need to visit educational and informative sites and you think they can come across some irrelevant stuff on the internet then with the help of program you can filter the websites and block those which are not suitable for your young children.
With the help of filters you will be able to keep your children away from website that can make them put in to practice bad influence and by making use of family filters for internet you can make them develop their mental and emotional health better and focus on their studies and productive activities only. Not only filters help you in blocking websites for children but also those website which kind of make you addict to something like shopping and excessive gaming websites.
Web filters prove to be very much productive in offices. By installing them on your employee's computer, they don't get engaged in chatting or other useless websites that make them divert their attention from work to unnecessary things which comes out to be a loss for the company. Making use of filters can solve this problem of yours and you can make your employees focus wholly on work.
By visiting unknown and unprotected website you also get hit by viruses and spywares. By installing a filter and blocking such websites you stay save from such threats and don't need to repair your software from time to time. Internet is having everything in it and family computer filters can help you get most benefit out of it than harm and make your family a group of responsible internet users.
Keep your family or job atmosphere safe by using Family Net Shield which allows parents to monitor all computer activity, even by cell phone while you're away from home!

What are the Best Computer Speaker Systems?
October 9, 2009 at 11:19 am

A lot of people download sounds and videos in their computer either to hear songs or see their favorite movies. We need a good computer speaker system in order to enjoy what we hear or watch.
Computer speaker systems are varied to say the least. They range in price and ability and choosing the right one can be a minefield. The right computer system for you could be a difficult choice depending on a number of factors including cost, reliability and sound quality. We have listed 7 of the best available systems currently on the market.
1. Altec Lansing MX5021. Altec are a massive manufacturer in the industry and create some of the best systems available. The sound quality on this system is simply unbelievable. Although on paper the MX5021 seems to be under powered the bass response is solid and extremely strong and this system easily out performs more powerful and expensive systems. A great sounding system at an excellent price if a little larger than some others. The best 2.1 speaker system ever created.
2. Creative Labs Inspire P580. A fantastic computer speaker system manufactured by Creative labs. A great system for a small office or room, the sound is fantastic the depth of sound is unbelievable at times. The sound output is more than adequate and the price is an unexpected bonus.
3. Harmon Kardon Elegant. Overall the Harmon Kardon Elegant are very nice speakers indeed. Others have reviewed this set of speakers and found them to be under performers. Good design, decent sound quality, small satellites and great bass response. Excellent speakers for under $100.
4. Altec Lansing VS2421. Another helping from Altec Lansing. This manufacturer can do no wrong. This is another set of great speakers with excellent sound and plenty of power without distortion. Controls are built in for easy adjustment of treble, bass and mid. Something that is interesting about these speakers is that the power supply is built in, no transformer or external supplies, simply plug straight into the socket. Excellent reproduction of sound. A piano will sound as if the piano is in front of you in the same room.
5. Philips MMS 321. These Philips speakers are in the top range of computer speaker systems at around $500. Does the sound quality reflect the price? The sound quality is exceptional and the build quality is faultless. The sound output on these beasts is unbelievable. They are loud! The walls will shake and the windows will rattle! Excellent sound reproduction and virtually zero distortion at any level are much better than other speaker systems in this price range; far superior to the JBL range.
6. Altec Lansing FX 4021. Yet another Altec system! Altec seem to be unbeatable, having speaker systems in every price range and they all seem to be of exceptional quality. The FX 4021 speakers are great. Sound quality is fantastic and distortion free. Superb sound clarity and mind boggling bass response make this a must have sound system for any computer audiophile. The sound reproduction is great and crystal clear.
7. Logitech Z-560. A fantastic looking system with great bass response and crystal clears highs and midrange. This 5.1 system gives great, accurate depth of sound and the build quality is excellent. This system will shake your whole neighbourhood to pieces, the bass response is unbelievable. The SoundTouch control pod is a great addition.
The computer sound system market is huge and varied, be sure to find your ideal system by reading as many reviews as you can find. Lots of reviews of Computer speaker systems can be found on the internet. Reviews of speaker systems and computer hardware in general are everywhere.

The Three Biggest Playstation 3 Games Coming in 2010
October 9, 2009 at 11:18 am

As we know, a lot of people are addicted to video games and spend most of their time on them. Now, the most popular one is playstation 3 which a lot of people like it although it's very expensive. 2009 is shaping up to be a big year for the Sony Playstation 3. Sony is already calling this the year that the Playstation is returning to the top of the gaming heap. This is the first year that the PS3 beat the Xbox 360 in sales numbers. It was also the first time, although short-lived, that the Nintendo Wii was knocked from the top of the Japanese gaming charts, again by the Playstation 3.
With some big titles coming up in the fourth quarter of the year, 2009 is looking good for Sony Entertainment.
But the games that are coming this holiday season have been expected for more than a year, so they're really no surprise. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Modern Warfare 2, and Rock Band: Beatles, Brutal Legend and Tekken 6 are some of the big-name titles that are already on most PS3 owners' want lists.
But what's coming after 2009?
Are there any big games that are going to help strengthen Sony's grip on the market in 2010?
Here are three of the biggest game franchises landing on the PS3, all of which are expected to be blockbuster titles.
1. God of War III (March 2010). God of War has become the flagship property of Sony, and it's coming to the Playstation 3. The third installment of the series will have Kratos - the God of War - battling forces from the Underworld and the wrath of other gods in worlds at the back of the long-vanquished Titans. Yes, ENTIRE worlds on the surface of the back of Titans means this is going to one large-scale game environment. The technical demo showed the camera panning in and out with no apparent loss of framerate, showing Kratos knocking off some monsters in a forest one moment, the back of a Titan the next. This is expected to be one of the biggest selling games of 2010, and is in the early running for the Game of the Year (GOTY).
2. Final Fantasy XIV (2010, right after FF XIII is released). Final Fantasy XI was the first true MMORPG of the series. It's been seven years since its release, and it still boasts over 2 million active subscribers - a number that is looked at with envy by most of the more advanced MMORPGs of today. The next entry in the FF franchise is scheduled for 2010. Final Fantasy XIV Online is planned to be exclusive on the PS3.
3. Heavy Rain. This PS3 game really shows off the technical power of the Playstation 3, with some of the most impressive graphics ever seen in a video game. It's a story-driven game that puts you in the shoes of a detective investigating a mystery that has ramifications for all existence. Heavy Rain is another one of the most highly anticipated PS3 titles for 2010.
These 10 must-have Playstation 3 games should be in every PS3 owner's library. If you're looking for the best deals on them, or any other PS3 games, system or accessories, check out the Game Console Bundles website at GameConsoleBundles.net
Enjoy playing those new games on your PS3 with your friends and family. Try to choose the best one and what fits with your interests.

How to Repair your Laptop Keyboard?
October 9, 2009 at 11:17 am

Laptops have become an integral part of our lives. There are many kinds and shapes of laptop. Each manufacturer has different sizes of laptops to offer and sometimes the size of the parts differ. This fact is not a problem, at least not until the laptop starts needing repairs or replacement parts. Since one laptop is quite different from the other, it is very difficult to repair them in the first place, or in case of a replacement, find a part for the specific type of laptop. Even a simple thing like a laptop keyboard, is different for different makes and models of laptops on the market.
The main problem that arises due to rigorous usage of laptop keyboards is of damaged keys. Sometimes, the port that connects the keyboard to the laptop inside also gets damaged. If the damage is of the connecting cable inside the laptop, there is not much repair work required. Repair is surely possible if there is a problem with some of the keys.
Every key in any keyboard has a spring like arrangement that allows the key to press the sensor below and show the typed words on the screen. Most of the problems with keyboards and their keys occur when it refuses to press the sensor below and the typed alphabet will not show on the screen. This can be rectified easily and does not need the help of a repair person. One can find an online guide and find out how to take the key out of its main body. Once you do that, you can see for yourself what's wrong with the keyboard. If you find that it is damaged below, you can try and fix it on your own or if you are unable to do so, you can go in for a new key to put in its place. This is where the problem starts. It is not easy to find as small a spare part as a few damaged keys. However, the possibility of finding them increases in a used laptop store. Laptops that are damaged that they cannot be repaired are disassembled and their parts sold separately in the market. You are sure to find your keys there.
If a keyboard is damaged beyond repair then one has to go in for the replacement of the keyboard which proves to be quite expensive. Another option is to use a new external keyboard with a USB or PS2 port and can use that keyboard for laptop computers.
So, you have to be careful and take care of every part in your keyboard because each one is sensitive and hard to replace. Also, they are expensive and you will spend a lot of money on it.

How to Fix a PS3 That's Not Reading Games?
October 9, 2009 at 11:17 am

Are you mad because your PS3 doesn't work? Do you want to play your favorite game but you could not? Do you face any other problems with your PS3? When you have a Ps3 that's not reading games, then it's obvious that there's something wrong, but what? How can you know what's wrong with your PlayStation 3? It's quite easy to determine what's wrong, especially with a PS3 that's not reading games. It has to do with your ps3 Blue-ray lens. It's high likely that it's dusty and it needs to be fixed if you want to play a game or watch a movie again.
Few tips for fixing your PS3 not reading games
1) Restart your PlayStation 3.
2) Check for any loose cables. If so, put them back in and start your ps3 again.
3) Put out your hard drive and put it back in again.
4) Delete all your saved games and install files. Delete everything that has to do with your games.
Nothing worked? Oh. What a shame isn't it? It always has to be on the hard way to fix your PS3 not reading games problem. Let's check out the last 2 options you have.
You could send your console back to Sony. This might sound like a good idea to let them fix your PS3 problem, but take a look at this. They first have to send you a shipping box - takes 1 week. Then you have to send it back, that's 1 week also, then there's the repair phase, takes 2 weeks. And after that they will send it back to you again, that's 5 weeks you have to wait!! Also, if you don't have your warranty anymore, you will have to pay $150 for the repair. It's quite expensive for a small fix like this.
Fix the PS3 not reading games problem by yourself!
I'd recommend you to do this, because it's not that hard as it looks like. It could be done in one day and it doesn't cost a lot ($25). As long as you use a guide to help you out, it should be no problem for you to fix your PS3 not reading games problem!
Why would you wait 5 weeks and pay $150 to let Sony repair it for you when you can fix it by yourself right now? As I've said before, if you use a repair guide, it should be no problem to fix the problem by yourself. Also, you can repair it in a short time and without spending money.

Download and Save YouTube Video to Your Computer
October 9, 2009 at 11:16 am

YouTube has been one of the most popular website to view all kind of videos posted by people around the world. Just enter the YouTube website and you can search virtually any kind of videos on the subject you like. With embedded HTML code and video streaming technology; you are able to watch videos directly from your browser. You are also able to post text comment or a video response to the videos, view other related videos and upload your own video as well. With lots of features given, unfortunately there is one feature that YouTube does not provide and that is to let you download the video.
But here is a trick to let you download and save the video for offline viewing.
1. Go to any YouTube video you are watching. Right click on page and select the "View Source" option from the menu. Or "View Page Source" for FireFox browser.
2. Press "CTRL + F" to search for a word "player2.swf". And notice there is a HTML line like this:

"/player2.swf?hl=en&video_id=tRTk0RPXtW4&l=63&t=OEgsToPDskIQlbZwT1Qgaln7RKqMqrKe"
3. Replace the "/player2.swf" to "www.youtube.com/get_video" and it will become:

"www.youtube.com/get_video?video_id=tRTk0RPXtW4&l=63&t=OEgsToPDskIQlbZwT1Qgaln7RKqMqrKe"
4. Paste it to the "Address Bar" at top of your browser and press "Enter". Then it will prompt you to save the video. REMEMBER to name your video with the ".flv" extension at the end of the filename. A correct example would be something like "myvideo.flv".
Keep in mind that the video you have saved just now is in Flash Video Format. It is the standard file format YouTube use to play video on their website. So, your Windows Media Player might not able to play the video. But no worry, what you need to do is just go to google.com and search for "flv player" and there are couples of Free player available. Just download and install it on your computer you will be able to watch the video you saved just now.
OK, now grab the popcorn and enjoy the movie! You can do those easy steps in few minutes and will not take all your effort.

A Total Security Virus Removal
October 9, 2009 at 11:16 am

We have to protect our computer, files and programs from viruses and any other things cause damage for them. Also, we have to choose the best one that suitable to our computer system. Need help with the Total Security Virus? There is legit security software with the same name by BitDefender, however Total Security is not related in any way. What this virus will do is slow down your system to a crawl, corrupt your files, and attempt to steal your credit card information. Get rid of it before it does you any harm!
How Did I Get Infected with the Total Security Virus?
Common ways of infection of a virus such as this one are an infected download of an mp3, a video file, a corrupt photo, or an exploit in your internet browser. I know someone who was infected through a link in a Facebook message.
What are the Total Security Virus Symptoms?
A 'sick' computer has some telltale signs.
• Slow system performance
• Slow internet browsing
• System crashes and/or blue screens
• Lots of annoying popups
• Program error messages
• Strange icons or desktop changes
• Internet Browser hijacks
How Do I Get My Computer Normal Again?
There are a couple schools of thought. The first thing you can try is to manually remove the software, but I do not recommend a beginner attempt such a removal.
Manual Removal of Total Security:
Virus removal is no easy task. It involves diving into your protected system registry, normally the LOCAL_HKEY_USER folder, and deleting all infected registry files. For a manual removal of this Trojan what you will need to do is first stop all 'TSC' system process and delete all associated registry keys and system files. You could delete 99% of the virus and have it come back worse than before after every system reboot. For this reason I don't recommend manual deletion for anyone except IT professionals.
Automatic Removal, "Bob Approved"
The easy way to get rid of Total Security is to just download an automatic detection and deletion tool. A program that will scan your system, show you exactly what viruses and spyware are hiding, and best of all, will protect you in the future against similar threats. Automatic removal and protection truly is a no-brainer.
Are you tired of worrying about the next virus to wipe out your computer? Put your fears at ease, get a Total Security Virus Removal - it will be off your system in 5 minutes!
Bob Walker is a veteran IT consultant with over twenty years of experience in the industry. He's helped clean up the computers of everyone from fortune 500 organizations to individual users and families. His website is dedicated to anti-spyware and virus removal research, where he ranks the most efficient anti-spyware and anti-virus programs currently available.

Now, you know the way to delete your important files forever. No one else can see or restore them again.

How to Fix Windows Blue Screen Error?
October 9, 2009 at 11:15 am

What will you do if you are working on your computer and suddenly something horrible faced you? Oops! Before you freak out upon seeing windows blue screen error identify first whether the error is grave or manageable. After all, there's no problem that does not have corresponding solution. This also applies on finding solutions when your computer fails to operate. Every error that will be displayed on your computer will certainly include what causes the error and which driver is malfunctioning.
Believing that there's always one solution that will make things work out is one way of biting into the brighter side of a seemingly threatening situation. However, pc owners need to acknowledge that once windows blue screen error is displayed on your computer it is asking necessary action from you.
Dismissing it as if it is nothing to be feared of is not a good solution. Error display actually is a warning and you are fortunate if on the first-time you encountered it allowed you still to use your computer, though in some instances it prompts the operating system to automatically shut up to avoid further damage.
The best solution one can give to pc owners once errors of these types occur is to be able to comprehend what the error message is all about. Every error message displays what the actual error is and through it one can already hint the necessary solution to fix your computer. To make it clearer it's better to include in here the many types of errors that cause computer's operating system to fail.
The simplest errors are cured by rebooting the computer and the rest require specific treatment to finally get over of the computer's malfunctioning. One of the most generic windows blue screen error is NMI_HARDWARE_FAILURE where the computer's hardware abstraction layer is not capable of detecting actual error. To solve this it's better to call for help of hardware dealers and vendors.
Some errors can be caused by wrong procedures of configuring device drive, such as KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED error. Understandably, the solution is to disable the newly loaded device and reinstall it but this time through accurately following of the right procedure.
There are times also that your computer's registry will become crowded and get messy. As a result the performance of your computer is expected to slow down, or worst it will fail to operate. But what's good about pc registry is that it can do the magic trick since included in its default feature is the ability to diagnose and fix registry-related problems. If your pc registry cannot do the trick the registry cleaners sold online can help you eliminate unwanted and unneeded installed device. Registry problems are considered as one of the most familiar computer errors.
Intrusion of malicious software like computer viruses can damage your pc's operating system. When your pc has bad small computer systems interface (SCSI) terminator you'll likely experience INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE error. The fix this problem simply makes sure that the virus has been totally eliminated.
See? There's nothing really frightening about error screen display. As long as the problem is diagnosed earlier and solved right away the computer's operating system will operate in its normal self. This article is really wonderful to help you solve that by yourself without be mad or puzzled of those problems.

How to Destroy your Old Computer Disks?
October 9, 2009 at 11:15 am

If you have important information, files and documents on your computer and you deleted them, it's not enough because you have to destroy them. Given how quickly technology upgrades, it's no surprise to walk into your office closet and find boxes of outdated floppy disks and detachable drives, some of which probably are not compatible with the current hardware in your workplace. When one considers the pack-rat mentality to hang onto obsolete data, one must also wonder why these disks need to remain in storage. If you need the space for other purposes, it's time to consider massive spring cleaning.
However, invalid though certain disks and drives may be, it doesn't mean that the information contained within is safe. Especially if you carry sensitive information like credit card numbers, addresses, and bank statements on disks, it's important for them to be destroyed. As long as it is possible to track down the proper brand of computer to read the information, your company remains at risk. Simply throwing away software poses a threat and sends out an invitation to identity thieves to help them.
Don't Erase, Destroy!
In the interest of keeping the software for later use, you might wonder why not just erase all the disks and hang onto to them? While it sounds like a reasonable solution, erasing disks and drives is no guarantee that the data will be wholly eliminated. Forensic computer specialists are able to trace information on allegedly clean computers for criminal cases, so it stands to reason a savvy tech with fraud in mind could do the same with your data. Physical destruction, rendering the object unreadable by any machine, is the safest option for your company.
What to Destroy
Most mobile shredding companies offers services to destroy software in addition to paper. Industrial-strength shredding machinery can easily crunch through the plastic and vinyl of a disk or drive until it is nothing but confetti. If you are serious about the safety of your company, it is strongly recommended to schedule an appointment to have unneeded and outdated computer data shredded:
• Hard drives - from old laptops and desktop computers and storage drives
• Floppy Disks - 3.5 hard plastic and 5.25 flexible
• Optical Media - CD-ROMs, DVDs, and similar disks
• Zip Drives - and similar large disks
The sooner this information is collected and taken care of by a licensed, bonded shredding professional, the sooner you can rest assured your company's privacy is secured.

How to Burn and How to Copy Xbox 360 Games?
October 9, 2009 at 11:14 am

Is there any Xbox 360 game that you prefer? You want to burn your Xbox 360 game, but you don't know how to backup or copy your Xbox 360 game, right? To get your Xbox 360 games copied or burned, you will need to have a game copying software which takes out the protection that's on your games.
You see, in order to get your games copied, you will need to decode or decrypt the protection code that's on any of your games. To do this, I highly recommend you to take the Easy Backup Wizard.
How To Burn And Copy An Xbox 360 Game?
To burn an Xbox 360 game, you will need to have only 4 things that are easy to get.
1 - You need the Easy Backup Wizard.
2 - You need a DVD burner in your PC.
3 - You need an empty DVD disk.
4 - You need an original Xbox 360 game.
So, once you've got all the 4 things that you must have in order to copy, backup and burn your Xbox 360 games, then you only have to perform 5 steps in order to successfully complete the burning, copying and backing up process!
1 - Grab the original game's disk, and put it into your DVD drive in your PC.
2 - Start the Easy Backup Wizard program, and load the original game.
3 - Make a backup from the original game and save it on your PC.
4 - Take out the original game, and replace it with an empty DVD disk.
5 - Copy and paste the backup files to your burner, and simply start the burning process.
This is how you basically burn a Xbox 360 game while you use the Easy Backup Wizard. Pretty easy, right? Want to start copying, backing up and burning your Xbox 360 games? Then you'll need to get the Easy Backup Wizard first. Get it here: Burn A Xbox 360 Game
So to get your Xbox 360 games copied and burned, you will have to get 4 things. You need to have a DVD burner, an empty disk, the original Xbox 360 game and of course...The Easy Backup Wizard.
You can now get any Xbox 360 game easily without spending your money. Just follow those simple steps to burn and copy any game you want or like.

Guide for the Right Bluetooth Mouse
October 9, 2009 at 11:14 am

These days, people are more apt to choose wireless devices because space constraints do not exactly allow for additional clutter. For example, Bluetooth mouse gives you the mobility to work on your computer from a distance without confused yourself with many wires. Besides that, with the Bluetooth mouse distance is easily covered and there's no need for you to worry about the extra clutter that the mouse's cord will cause.
A Bluetooth mouse is a device that is connected to the computer via wireless Bluetooth technology in lieu of cables and wires. This technology sends data as radio waves at a frequency band of 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz). Using a Bluetooth mouse distance of up to 30 feet from the computer is conveniently covered even when there are physical barriers that appear to hinder the transmission of radio waves.
Types of Bluetooth mouses:
There are two types of Bluetooth mouses: optical and notebook mouse. An optical mouse tracks the pointer's movement through laser light sensors. It comes with a scroll that navigates through web pages. This is much like the corded optical mouse. The only difference is that it runs on radio signals.
The notebook mouse, as the name implies, is created for laptops and portable devices. They are more compact and slimmer compared to the conventional Bluetooth mouse for the desktop. This makes it easier for the user to take his mouse around especially when he doesn't want to use a touchpad.
Bluetooth mouse distance is the most important factors that you need to consider when making a purchase. You want to get a mouse that comes with a large working distance from its host PC. It's also better to opt for a mouse that comes with a charging cradle that will restore battery power when it is not being used.

How to Control Your Home Lights Via the Internet With Your Computer?
October 9, 2009 at 11:13 am

Technology improves every day. Now you can do and control a lot of things via the internet. It's a dark and rainy night as you return home from a long vacation. Your home is dark because all the lights were turned out to save energy. With your web-enabled phone you connect to your home automation controller. With a few keystrokes you instruct your controller to turn on the porch lights. The lights come on and you come home to a safe and comfortable home. It you have a router and modem for your home computer, installing a newly-released controller with amazing functionality and expandability is easy and affordable.
How it works
Picture this: You already have high speed internet service in your home. Your wireless router and internet modem are in place. You simply connect your existing router via an Ethernet cable to a smart automation controller that plugs into a nearby power outlet. Then you then plug your porch lamp into another smart module and plug that module into a nearby power outlet. After you set up your system you are ready to go!
You can control your porch light with your wireless computer from anywhere in your house. Better yet, you can control your porch light via the internet from hundreds of miles away. You can use your web-enabled phone to do the same thing.
You can check to see whether your porch lights are off or on. You can instruct your controller to dim the light. You can instruct your porch lamp to turn on automatically at sunset, and turn off at sunrise.
How is this possible?
This system uses technology that communicates both wirelessly and over the electric power lines already installed throughout your house. Compatibility is the key. Everything must work together. There are home automation products on the market today that are designed to work together with maximum functionality.
It gets even better as you expand your home automation system
The basic system that you set up to control your porch lights can be expanded to do much more. You can control dimmers and switches, hard-wired outlet modules, plug-in modules, thermostats controls for heating and cooling, garage door controls, and much more -- as long all the devices are compatible with each other.
Now you can control your home from a distance and do whatever you want.

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Friday, October 9, 2009

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