Things To Look For When Buying A Computer Microphone

Writen by Mantius Cazaubon

Computer microphones are a valuable addition to any PC and they greatly increase interactivity and communication levels. You can use a microphone for performing various tasks, both business and fun related. For example, you can hold a conference with your business partners, over the Internet, or you can chat with your friends online, instead of doing that on the phone. Of course, in order to enjoy accurate and high quality communication, you have to choose a good PC microphone. There is a huge variety of models on the market, ranging from microphones that you can buy for a few dollars and going all the way to expensive, high tech desktop microphones. So which PC microphone is right for you?

Price Vs Quality

You can pay $5 for a microphone, or you can pay $50. So where's the difference, apart from the price? Well, cheap microphones have low prices for some good reasons: they offer average to low quality sound, they break down more easily and you can't use them successfully in all applications that support a microphone. The materials they are manufactured from have to be cheap, which eliminates the idea of high quality, so the end product is of lower reliability. And at this price, you can be sure bulk manufacturing is present and quality tests are quick and far from rigorous. Microphones that come for a higher price have, in most cases, better sound quality and more features. Such microphones will have noise canceling filters, which help diminish background noise. Distortion filters and integrated circuits also help keep voice sounds clear and accurate. The materials used for more expensive microphones also last longer – plastic doesn't crack so easily and if you drop it on the floor you know that the internal components are well protected.

Choosing the right computer microphone

Determining what price range you are in and what model to purchase depends heavily on the purpose you have in mind for the microphone. Are you going to use it just to chat with friends online? In that case, spending a lot of money on a professional computer microphone is not justified. Do you plan to hold business conferences over the Internet? Then maybe you should get a better microphone that will allow the discussion to be continuous and clear, without noise distortion. Giving vocal commands to your computer or dictating to word processing software with speech recognition capabilities is another use for desktop microphones. Quality should be first here – speech recognition software is very sensitive and demands a high quality microphone and sound card. Recording your voice and inserting it into music tracks is possible, but a high quality microphone is absolutely essential in this case.

Mantius Cazaubon is a successful author and publisher of http://the-microphone-guide.com, a resource for information and tips on buying computer microphones online.

Advantages Of A Sun Powered Battery Charger

Writen by Mike Jerry

A sun powered battery charger is a convenient way of saving money while using natural resources. This transportable battery charger can go almost anywhere. They are easy to operate and do not require a technology degree to set up. Because the sun powers this type of charger, you will always have power available to use. Solar chargers are the wave of the future and they are quickly showing up in households across the world.

Sun power is one of the strongest free energy sources available today. By using a solar charger for your batteries and other electrical devices, you will eliminate the need for electricity. Solar power can be used to charge your batteries, but if you have a large amount of solar panels, you can also use solar energy to operate most any electrical device. Even on cloudy days, a solar battery charger will still be able to charge your batteries.

Portable solar chargers are smaller and do not offer as much power. They are most commonly used to charge battery packs and other small devices like cellular phones. A portable charger usually consists of one solar cell panel that you can connect to the equipment you want to use. It can take several hours for a portable solar charger to work. You may need to plan ahead and have batteries constantly charging, so they will be ready when you need them.

Many people today are afraid to try any new technology. As a society, we have already had to adjust to so many technological ideas that some people just do not want to have to learn about another gadget. However, solar chargers are easy to operate. You do not have to have specific technical skills to use a solar charger. Most portable chargers come ready to use and you simply have to plug them into your device or battery charger.

Because solar chargers are so easy to use, they are becoming more and more popular around the world. Backpackers are carrying them on long hiking trips. Car travelers are keeping portable chargers on their dashboards. There are even houses that are entirely run off of solar energy.

It can be intimidating to venture into a new technology like solar power. Once you buy your first charger, you will be hooked. Because they are so easy to use, many people end up buying several portable chargers to use with their battery chargers and other small electrical devices. Solar energy is a free source of power, which in today's world of high electric prices, is just what many households are looking for.

Try out a portable solar charger for yourself. You will see that they are easy to use and very convenient. First, decide what you want to use your solar charger for, and then get a portable charger that will fit those needs. Having solar energy available is another gift that we should all take advantage of. It does not matter whether you decide to use a portable charger for charging your batteries. You can decide to connect your entire household to solar power. Using a renewable energy source such as the sun is a great start to being environmentally responsible.

The solar charger is the hottest technology item on the market today. For helpful articles and information sources on why and what to look for when getting yours, please visit us at: http://www.solarchargertips.com/

Top 5 Budget Notebooks

Writen by Gary Hendricks

Notebook computers for budget minded consumers usually trade performance for price. If we want to pinch our pennies we have to compromise and settle for cheap notebooks that are light on performance.

Enter the best budget notebooks. With these offerings you'll be able to get the most powerful, feature-filled notebooks you want at a price that won't break your bank.

Gateway NX250X

This little beauty sports a Pentium M processor and a long-lasting battery making it a contender in our best of the best budget notebooks.

It comes with 512MB PC2-4200 DDR2, an 8x DVD burner and a 14" wide screen monitor. The 40GB hard drive spins at 5400rpm, certainly well above average. With its 6-in-1 card reader this little notebook is a full-fledged multimedia ready system you can tote with you wherever you go.

Dell Inspiron 2200

Dell is a name you know that you can rely on - and this Dell Inspiron 2200 makes the grade as one of the top 5 budget notebooks. Its powerful Pentium M 1.7 GHZ processor handles most professional applications.

This notebook comes standard with 512MB PC2700 DDR Memory, a 40GB hard drive, a 24x CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive, a Type II PC Card Slot and three USB 2.0 slots. It uses a 14.1" LCD screen, however it has no media card readers.

Averatec AV3715-EH1

If you're into ultraportable budget notebooks that pack a powerful punch, then this Averatec AV3715-EH1 Notebook is just for you.

Its AMD Semprin 3000+ processor is not as powerful as a Pentium yet is adequate for most applications. Its screen is a mere 12.1 inches, yet the notebook comes with an AMD Sempron 3000+ Processor, an 80GB hard drive, a DVD burner, FireWire, USB and a 4-in-1 media reader. Its Ethernet and Wireless support make it perfect for mobile computing.

Acer TravelMate 2413LCI

The best budget notebooks for people wanting a no-frills system, this Acer TravelMate 2413LCI Notebook is a fair-priced value. The technology is not as powerful as Pentium.

You get a 1.50GHz Intel Celeron M processor, adequate for basic desktop applications but not heavy applications. The notebook includes 512MB DDR2 RAM, a 60GB harddrive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW, Windows XP Pro, and a 15" screen. Battery life is fair and the unit includes one USB 2.0 and One Type II PC Card Slot.

Dell Inspiron 1200

Dell makes its second entry in our lineup of best budget notebooks is this with this Inspiron 1200 Notebook. Another value model, it comes with a 1.30 GHz Celeron M 350, 256MB, 30GB, DVD/CD-RW, a 14.1" widescreen and Windows XP.

It's very easy on the price, and again a perfect unit for those looking for a no-nonsense system. If you're looking for wireless support on this system, however, you can only get it with an additional PC Card.

Conclusion There you have it, our pick of the top 5 budget notebooks. The budget notebooks included in this review range from basic units to those offering more powerful performance at a decent price. As always, the first question you should ask is not the price - but what you plan to use it for. Pentium and AMD processors are required for heavy multimedia applications, whereas desktop applications can work with a Celeron processor. Consider connectivity with existing technology as well. Do you need media reader support—or a PC Card? Ask the right questions beforehand, and you will choose the right budget notebook.

Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on building computers. Visit his website at Build-Your-Own-Computers.com for tips and tricks on assembling a PC, as well as buying good computer components.

Cd Burner The Day The Music Burns

Writen by Robert Thatcher

Before, owning a copy of your favorite artist would only mean buying either from a local music store or online music sites. And a copy with an average of 16-18 cuts would cost you at least $10. If you think this is reasonable, then consider yourself lucky. However, if you are one of those who cannot afford buying copies of their favorite artists and still would want to listen to them, all you can do is to wait until your local radio stations play their songs. If you have the computer and the Internet connection, you can go to online music sites with free radio like the Launchcast, Shoutcast, Live365, and MSN radio and hope that the song will be played.

Today, with several music download shareware programs it is possible to get your favorite song directly from other users without actually buying from them. These programs let you store the songs you have downloaded to your hard drive or transfer it to your portable MP3 player.

But for you who would like to keep a complete collection of the song by actually storing it to a disc for archiving or play it to your vehicle of home entertainment system, there is one piece of computer peripheral you need: CD burner.

If you know how CD player looks like (and I'm sure you do), you would recognize the CD burner.

CD burner comes into two forms: the "independent" and the "attached". The independent CD burners or writable CD drives do not necessarily have to be permanently attached on the CPU. It could be connected through a USB port with its own power source. The other type of CD burner is the one that is attached to the CPU just like the CD ROM we know for quite some time.

Remember the times cassette players were only meant to play cassette tapes? Then came the cassette recorders that enabled users to copy the content of cassette tapes to a black one.

The same concept applies with the CD burner. It could copy from one CD to another or from a hard drive to a black CD and vice versa.

But to actually use your CD burner, you have to have software. Some of these softwares are available and downloadable for free online. Examples are ISO Recorder, DeepBurner, Burrrn, Windows Media Player, Xduplicator, Cheetah CD Burner, and more. Other CD burner softwares could be purchased. While those for free have the same burning capability, those that are sold give more features and flexibility.

CD burners are not limited to audio copying. It also can copy document files, programs, games, videos, MP3, WMA, and WAV files. Not only that, CD burner with DVD burning capability enables you to copy you favorite DVD collection to another CD if in case you would want to share it to a friend or keep it in case your original DVD is lost. You can also burn a DVD movie after you downloaded it through the Internet so that you could watch it on you television or your home theater.

Although many would argue that the release of the CD burner provides venue to produce uncopywrited CD's whether audio or video, there is no question that CD burner brings the production technology within the reach of the consumers. And soon, as technology still progresses, there would be technology more advanced to cater the needs of music and video collectors and enthusiasts.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides CD burner resources on http://www.your-cd-burner.info

How To Properly Remanufacture Your Own Lexmark Optra Tsse Toner Cartridges Just 35 Easy Steps

Writen by Joseph Mercado

The Lexmark Opera T, Opera S and Opera SE 3455 laser printer cartridges are all very similar, yet not interchangeable with a few distinct differences that will be pointed out to you later.

Since the remanufacturing process is basically the same for all, the following guidelines will be based on the Opera T, yet address all three cartridge types.

Here are your Step-by-Step "How-to-Remanufacture Your Lexmark Optra T/S/SE 3455" Instructions:

Let's get straight to the point, no beating around the bush during this lecture.

First, you will need the necessary Tools and Supplies Required:

Tools & Supplies Required:

•Phillips #1 Screwdriver (tool)
•Small Flat Blade Screwdriver (tool)
•Needle Nose Pliers (tool)
•Soft Lint Free Cloth (supply)
•Anhydrous Isopropyl Alcohol (supply)
•Cotton Swabs (supply)
•Vacuum (supply)

Here you will also be provided with the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) information:

Lexmark Optra T/S/SE 3455:

•Part Number: 12A0725 / 12A0825
•OEM Gram Load: 620 grams
•Yield @ 5% coverage: 23,000 pages
•Resolution: 1200 dpi (dots per inch)

Lexmark Optra S1250 / S1255 / S1620 / S1625 / S1650 / S1855 / S2420 / S2450 /S2455:

•Part Number: 1382920 / 1382620
•OEM Load: 250 grams
•Page Yield: 7, 500 pages
•Resolution: 1200 dpi (dots per inch)

•Part Number: 1382625 / 1382925 / 12A0150
•OEM Load: 500 grams
•Page Yield: 17,600 pages
•Resolution: 1200 dpi (dots per inch)

Lexmark Optra SE 3455/SE 3455N:

•Part Number: 12A0725/12A0825
•OEM Load: 620 grams
•Page Yield: 23,000 pages
•Resolution: 1200 dpi (dots per inch)

Lexmark Optra T610/T612/T612S/T614/T616:

•Part Number: 12A5740/12A5840
•OEM Load: 270 grams
•Page Yield: 10,000 pages
•Resolution: 1200 dpi (dots per inch)

Below are the 53 steps to know how to remanufacture your Lexmark Optra:

T/S/SE 3455:

•1382920
•1382620
•1382625
•1382925
•12A0725
•12A0825
•12A5740
•12A5840
•12A5745
•12A5845 series.

Step #1:

•Place the cartridge on the work table with the drum facing upward and the small drum gear towards you. Using a small bladed screwdriver, pry off the developer roller drive gear and set it aside.

Step #2:

•Rotate the cartridge to the right so the toner hopper is facing you. Using a spring hook or needle nose pliers, gently remove the toner hopper tension springs from the posts at each side.

Step #3:

•Grasp the toner hopper with the left hand and the waste hopper side plate with the right. Gently bend the side plate outward, while sliding the toner hopper to the left to expose the right guide post.

Step #4:

•The drum cover may be taped back to facilitate handling. Using a small flat bladed screwdriver or needle-nose pliers, take off the retaining clip on the left side of the drum shaft.

Step #5:

•Now you will need to hold the large gear end of the drum with your left hand, pull the drum shaft out with your right. Remove the drum and set it aside, just be sure not to lose the washer on the small gear end. If lost, it may take some time finding a new one, so be careful, time is valuable.

Step #6:

•Next, remove the two screws holding the wiper blade using a #1 Phillips Screwdriver.

Step #7:

•Carefully, slice the sealing tape on the topside of the waste hopper covering the top of the wiper blade (instead, some cartridge uses a foam seal behind the wiper blade, if so, delete this step if necessary). The PCR access door opens inward and sets on the horizontal lip of the wiper blade. Open the PCR door to remove the wiper blade and be careful not to break the two small plastic alignment pins positioning the wiper blade.

Step #8:

•Empty out the toner from the waste hopper and inspect the recovery blade for nicks, tears, or wrinkles and replace as necessary.

Step #9:

•While holding the waste hopper cavity firmly with your right hand and the wiper blade in your left. Open the PCR door with your left thumb and install the wiper blade on the waste hopper and secure with the Phillips screws.

Step #10:

•Now, apply a small amount of padding powder to the wiper blade, drum and recovery blade. Install the drum, washer, drum axle and retaining clip and set the waste hopper aside for now.

Note: If the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) drum comes with a one way spring, it may need to be transferred to the new drum.

Step #11:

•Place the toner hopper on your work area (label up) with the developer roller facing you. Using your fingertips of both hands, gently pull off the doctor blade spring and set it aside.

Step #12:

•Using a small flat bladed screwdriver pry against the base of the contact plate and remove the contact and lift the end piece from the developer roller.

Step #13:

•Grasp the left end shaft of the developer roller and lift it out to the left, doing your best not to damage the Teflon washers or Mylar blades.

Step #14:

•Remove the Teflon washers from the developer roller and inspect them thoroughly for damage and wear. Replace the Teflon washers as a set.

Step #15:

•Turn the toner hopper to the right so the fill plug is facing you. Using a small flat bladed screwdriver, pry the slotted encoder wheel off and set it aside.

Step #16:

•Using the same screwdriver, pry out the toner fill plug carefully and doing your best not to damage it. Clean the filter inside the plug with either vacuum or compressed air.

Step #17:

•Empty out all the toner from the toner hopper and clean the hopper with vacuum or compressed air. Be very careful not to damage the foam rollers or Mylar blades.

Step #18:

•Using a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol, clean the developer roller ends, and seal at each end of the foam roller.

Step #19:

•Clean the underside of the DR bar with a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol.

Step #20:

•Clean under the ground contacts for the foam roller shaft and the DR bar with a cotton swab and alcohol.

Step #21:

•Clean the developer roller with a dry soft lint free cloth or compressed air only. Clean the developer roller shaft with a cotton swab and alcohol.

Step #22:

•Install the Teflon washers on each end of the developer roller and slide the flat (keyed) end of the roller into position on the right side of the toner hopper. Lower the left end into position being careful not to damage the Teflon washer on that side.

Step #23:

•Install the brass end piece and contact plate into position on the left end developer roller shaft. On the Optra T and SE 3455 rotate the brass end piece downward until the lobe rests between the legs of the contact plate.

Step #24:

•Re-install the DR bar leaf spring with the point of the "V" stamped on the spring pointed towards you.

Step #25:

•Carefully pour the correct amount of toner into the hopper and re-install the fill plug.

Note: The toner amount must be matched to the correct encoder wheel, key tab and chip to ensure that the customer's machine does not reject the cartridge.

Step #26:

•Re-install the plastic encoder wheel.

Step #27:

•Place the waste hopper top down on your work area with the opening facing you and the hopper tension springs out of the way. Turn the toner hopper label down and insert the left roller guide into the slot. Lower the right side downwards, while pulling outward on the waste hopper side plate.

Step #28:

•Re-insert the guide posts into the proper holes in the waste hopper side plates and reattach the hopper tension springs. Inspect thoroughly for correct toner hopper position and ease of movement.

Step #29:

•Re-install the developer roller drive gear. The cartridge is now ready to test.

Step #30a:

•At last, align the encoder wheel with the three slots in the down position before packaging.

Step #30b:

•Test the cartridge.

Congratulations, you have successfully completed the process on how to remanufacture your own Lexmark Opera T/S/SE 3455 series LaserJet toner print cartridges.

Good luck and complete each cartridge as if it were your last. This information is provided to you at no expense to both educate and improve your knowledge in the technical area within the remanufacturing industry.

In description of, Joseph Mercado is known as The Internet Marketing Tyrant. He specializes in the consumable market involving studies on inkjet cartridges. Joseph is also a respected Marketing Innovator who seeks his own innovative mind to construct proven ink formulas designed to leave major impacts within this cartridge industry.

I'm a highly aggressive individual who is constantly seeking success. My assertiveness has brought me to a level of excellence within my marketplace. I've been driven to the point of non-failure and as a result I progress daily while conquering defeat. My intense innovations which are derived from my mind have sculptured and molded a defined marketer such as myself. In addition, my expertise is far more than geared to establish a market with inkjet cartridges the size of the once called continent of Pangea. You can judge me as a Motivational Marketing Mechanic.

http://www.inksecrets.com

Buying Refurbished Electronics Is It Worth The Risk

Writen by Andrew Ghigo

Introduction

We are always looking for new ways to save on the bigger purchase - irrespective of whether this is a new PC or notebook, a digital camera, or a big screen LCD HDTV for the living-room entertainment area.

Seasonal and clearance sales are always on the agenda of bargain hunters, but there is a further option - that of buying refurnished products. For example, a refurbished LCD TV may sell online for anything from 50% to 80% of its retail price.

Still, even at these big savings, it is not easy to get someone buy a refurbished product for the first time.

To the uninformed, buying a refurbished product may seem like a compromise; it is as if buying a car with dents and scratches on the paintwork, or unknown problems with the mechanics. However, in the electronics world, the tag 'refurbished electronics' does not refer to reconditioned, used or re-build products.

In fact, buying refurbished electronics allows you to enjoy deep discounts and still have a product that is essentially new. What's more, factory refurbished products often come with an extended manufacturer warranty. But...

You need to exercise constant vigilance when buying refurbished electronics. This is only possible if you have a through understanding of what the 'refurbished' tag, once assigned to a product, implies in the electronics world.

What 'refurbished' products are not?

Before we delve further into what may qualify as refurbished electronics, it is important to first understand what cannot be labeled as 'refurbished'. In particular, there is the misconception that 'refurbished' and reconditioned' are one and the same thing. This is NOT.

A refurbished product has practically never been used while a reconditioned is a used product. The difference between a product classified as 'USED' and one labeled as 'RECONDITIONED' is that in the case of a used product, you are buying it 'as is' after it has been used by a first owner. In the case of a reconditioned product, this is also a product that has been used previously - often under lease - but then was repaired (not necessarily by the manufacturer), and resold by a retailer.

Used or re-conditioned products represent greater savings over refurb units as these sell cheaper, but then such products constitute a higher risk. This risk is even more pronounced when dealing with expensive electronic products such as rear projection TVs, home theater projectors, flat-panel HDTV sets and the like. You can never really tell what has been the impact on the aging of the respective electronic components inside the unit as a result of the previous use.

We say: Be wary of such products. Instead, if you are after a smart buy and a great bargain, opt only for 'factory certified' refurbished products. These still represent substantial savings over the normal retail price, and carry a manufacturer's warranty.

So... what qualifies as 'Refurbished Electronics'?

As already stated earlier on, a 'refurbished product' is not a reconditioned product. While the terms 'refurbished' and 'reconditioned' are often interchangeably used say when referring to machines, cars, and the like, yet this is does not apply to the world of electronics. Thus, buying a refurbished LCD TV or plasma television is not like buying a reconditioned TV.

In general, refurbished electronics are items that were returned for one reason or another, to the manufacturer. These items are then re-tested at the factory to make sure they are in tip-top shape. Any defective or damaged parts - if need be - will be replaced in order to restore the product to its original specification, and then the product is repackaged 'like new'.

Refurbished electronics are not used items, but at the same time, these can no longer be sold as new - hence they are sold as 'refurbished electronics' often at deeply discounted prices.

More specifically, reasons for returns include: Customer Return: Most major retailers offer a 30-day money back guarantee; during this period, a customer may return the product for whatever reason and still get full refund. If there is nothing wrong with the product, most stores will simple reduce the price and resell it as an 'open box' special. However, if there is some sort of defect, the product is returned to the manufacturer were it is inspected and/or repaired, and then repackaged for sale as a refurbished item.

Shipping and Exterior Damage: These include damaged packaging due to mishandling, the elements, etc., in which case the product itself may be perfectly fine. These may also include minor damage to the product exterior casing, such as dents, scratches, etc., and any other exterior damage that in it self would not affect the product performance. Retailers would normally return these products to the manufacturer. The manufacturer would then inspect the product, replace any damaged casing, etc., and then repackage the item just like new. However, these items cannot be sold as new; hence they are tagged as refurbished electronics.

Demonstration Units: Sometimes demonstration units at major retail stores, trade shows, and even returned items by product reviewers, are often returned to the manufacturer where they are inspected and/or repaired if needed, and repackaged as refurbished units.

Opened Box: Sometimes, if a box was simply opened, the item is returned to the manufacturer where it is re-tested and repackaged. Even though technically, there is no issue here, yet the item cannot be classified as new; instead, it will have to be sold as refurbished electronics.

Defect During Production: If a specific component is identified as defective once the product leaves the factory - say as a result of an abnormal number of customer returns during the warranty period, a manufacturer may recall a product from a specific batch or production run that exhibits the same defect. When this occurs, the manufacturer can repair all the defective units and send them back out to retailers for sale as refurbished units.

Overstock Items: While most retailers with an overstock of a particular item would simply reduce the price and put the item on sale for clearance, yet there are instances when a manufacturer want to introduce a new model on the market at a time when there are still a substantial number of older models on stores shelves. In these circumstances, the manufacturer may opt to collect any remaining stock of the older model and redistribute them to specific refurb retailers for quick clearance. Overstock items are brand new items; these can be sold either as a 'special promos' for quick clearance, or can be labeled as refurbished electronics and sold at deep discounts.

To strike the best deal, you have to act fast, but not too fast!

Fast... because when it comes to refurbished electronics, you cannot expect to simply walk into a store and pick up your favorite refurbished LCD TV or plasma unit off the shelf. Refurb retailers like RefurbDepot and Second Act, work with manufacturers and distributors to acquire as many products as possible, yet the quantity they acquire can vary from just a few units to a couple of hundred units. In other words, you never really know how long they will last, and at 50% to 80% off the retail price, inventory levels change all the time. Additionally, you never really know if a particular model will be available as refurbished item.

But... do not just jump on the first deal. Act too quick and you may equally miss on the right deal. Act only when you feel you have got the right product at the right price. Once you think you have found what you want, then it is time to check with the retailer about return policies and warranty issues. If the refurbish item is factory-refurbished and comes with a full manufacturer warranty, then it is time to act!

Finally, remember: Purchasing a refurbished item can be a great way to a smart buy. There is no reason why the 'refurbished' tag should lead to a negative connotation to the product under consideration. At the same time, it is important that you inspect the product yourself within the return policy period. This is especially important since with refurbished electronics, you are getting a bit of a hit on product warranty in that you are only getting a typical 90 days warranty against the one year or so associated with standard products.

In other words, it is true that there is a higher risk when purchasing refurbished products, but if you follow through the guidelines detailed in this article, and the additional buying tips detailed in our Buying Refurbished Electronics guide, you can easily transform that risk into a great buy - one which results in a big reduction in price.

And in the end, you are still getting a 'like new' item. Happy bargain hunting!

Andrew Ghigo – A Telecoms/Electronics engineer by profession. Editor and publisher of http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com - a comprehensive home theater guide to home theater systems, product reviews and home theater design. This article is an excerpt from a series of informative guides appearing under the LCD TV Guide section of the site.

Inkjet Ink

Writen by Josh Riverside

The most important part of the inkjet printer is the ink that is used in the cartridge. The quality of printing is directly affected by the quality, type and amount of ink in the cartridge. Inkjet inks are designed for use in specific printers or print heads.

Inkjet inks can be classified into the following categories: water based, solvent-based, oil-based, UV-curing and hybrid ink. Water based inkjet inks have no volatile organic compounds and have low toxicity. This slows down the drying rate in non-absorbent surfaces. They are not suitable for high resolution printing as they tend to feather or bleed. These inks are generally used on paper, while solvent-based inks are usually used for commercial printing like coding and marking on cans and bottles. They dry faster but emit volatile organic compounds. Oil based inks are used for card printing, packaging, labels and boxes where ink is fully absorbed. As the droplets can be formed with very small quantities, they can be used for high-resolution printing. Oil based inks tend to clog if left unused for long period of time but need a special medium to ensure proper drying. UV curing inks are used in high quality printing. These inks do not emit volatile organic compounds, and are thus environment friendly. These are used in applications that require excellent durability such as card printing and billboards. They cure only when exposed to UV light. The cost of UV curing ink is higher than any other ink but requires low print head maintenance. Hybrid inks are a combination of two or more of the above mentioned varieties. Though they are high in cost, they ensure better control of resolution.

Every new development in printing has brought in a suitable modification in the ink used.

Different types of inks are used for different applications depending on various factors like cost, quality and durability.

Ink provides detailed information on Ink, Ink Cartridges, Printer Ink, Inkjet Ink and more. Ink is affiliated with Printer Ink Cartridges.

Convenience More Than Enough Reason To Own A Set Of Wireless Headphones

Writen by Meryl Rougeaux

Looking for a gift for the business person in your life? Look no further than wireless headphones as the perfect gift...even for the person who has everything. These excellent music accessories make a great gift to give, whether as a business gift or as a personal gift to someone important to you. What makes these listening devices such a good gift? It says that you value their time, safety, and happiness because of what these type of head phones offer.

Professionals can use these for a number of uses. In the office, they allow them to listen to music on their computer, or to take e-learning training or webinars without bothering the people around them and without having cords to get the way of their work.

These same professionals can answer phone calls with wireless headphones and attached microphones, allowing them to converse and participate in conference calls while at the same time doing work that needs to get done (typing, filing, filling out reports, cleaning up their desk, etc.). If the signal sending unit is located close enough, they may even be able to wander around their office while they talk, allowing them to stay engaged in the conversation without getting sleepy or bored by sitting down the entire time. Many units have signal distances of up to 300' away.

While on the road, they allow the professional user to make calls without taking their hands off of the wheel or their eyes off the road. It's a great way to help the busy professional stay in control of the car even during a business call. (However, many people suggest that you should still pull over to the side of the road while taking a call because your mind may not be on the road).

Traveling for business sometimes means working in airplanes, airports, and staying in hotels. Having wireless headphones allow the professional to plug into their laptop and do their work without having to untangle the cords.

Expect to spend $100 or more for a decent set of wireless head phones. You may also want to get batteries for them so the person can use them right away out of the box. There are a number of good brands out there. Some of the top names include: Koss, Logitech, Panasonic, Sennheiser, Iawa, and Shure, bluetooth, AKG, Audio-technica, Etymotic Research, JVC, Skullcandy, Philips, although there are many others.

There are a range of prices and styles. Some of the things you'll want to look for include noise canceling features (to keep out background noise) but those are often (not always), bigger and bulkier than the smaller ones available. One of the best kinds are canalbuds, which fit right into the ear (but don't mix them up with earbuds which are cheaper versions that may be of a slightly lower quality). Canalbuds offer noise dampening and great sound, and are very high quality, but can also be expensive.

Wireless headphones are the ultimate in convenience and safety because of their hands-free use and lack of cords. The professional you're buying a gift for will thank you for making their life far more convenient and enjoyable.

Give yourself the freedom to listen to great music with wireless and cordless headphones from HeadphoneWarehouse.com. This technology really gives you the listening convenience you'll love and use everyday. Get yourself a pair of wireless headphones today!

Uncapping Cable Modems

Writen by Kevin Stith

Cable modem technology has the ability to achieve speeds in excess of 1 Mbit per second, but modem cables are set to run at a lesser value. It is typically reduced to half of this number for downloads and around an eight of this number for upload. ISPs cap modems to ensure that the bandwidth is equally distributed among users and the upload cap in particular is designed to discouraged users in creating large servers.

Uncapping is defined as the concept of somehow eliminating the bandwidth limit many cable modem service providers impose. Some customers want to do this in order to improve the speed of their cable modem. This is obviously theft of service and may have seriously unpleasant consequences like imprisonment.

One way to do this is to set up a modified DOCSIS config file on a TFTP server hooked to the Ethernet side of the Cable Modem and tricking it to read the config file from the Ethernet side instead of the cable side. There are other ways but it involves highly technical skills in server technology and is too risky.

Cable modems service providers are fighting back with MIC, MAC/IP Checking and DOCSIS 1.1. MIC. Message Integrity Checking is run by authenticating the config file in the modem through robust encryption techniques using a shared secret. MAC/IP Checking is run through the service aggregation device (router) that checks the matching IP addresses with MAC addresses that were assigned to the end user PC during DHCP or statically. This would prevent the IP Accumulation attack way of uncapping. If the BPI+ of DOCSIS 1.1 is enabled, the Fake MAC way of uncapping would be consequently prevented. Most MSOs have not yet upgraded to v1.1, but that is expected to happen over time. Problems with theft of service may influence the decision to upgrade.

Cable Modems provides detailed information on Cable Modems, Installilng Cable Modems, Cable Modem Reviews, Uncapping Cable Modems and more. Cable Modems is affiliated with Computer Cables.

Laptop Battery

Writen by Richard Romando

Laptop batteries are exclusively designed for every laptop model and make. Thus, the batteries required for a particular brand of laptop differ from batteries those that are used for other brands of laptops. The life of a battery depends upon the type of that battery. This means that a nickel metal hydride battery will have a shorter lifespan compared to a lithium ion battery.

Laptops are famous for their phenomenal power consuming capacity. This happens because these batteries must be small and lightweight so that they can be easily fitted in the laptop. A typical laptop battery lasts for about ninety minutes. This is a major problem because laptops are supposed to provide service even on the road or when moving. Using heavier and larger sized batteries can solve this problem.

One more factor that affects the performance of a battery is the temperature inside the laptop. A battery loses half of its power when working because of the temperature in the laptop that can reach the 45°C mark. This happens because of the cell oxidation that takes place inside the battery. Cell oxidation is an irreversible process that is detrimental to the lifespan of a laptop battery.

All these problems cannot be solved in an instant. However, some precautionary measures can be taken in order to save time and money. Leaving a laptop in a car that is parked in the sun will result in battery damage and this situation must be avoided. Using the laptop in a cool room will result in increase in the lifespan of the battery. Lithium ion batteries are well suited for those who switch from a fixed power source to a battery on a regular basis. On the other hand, nickel based batteries are useful for those who prefer using the battery as a primary source for the laptop.

The way in which a person uses a laptop battery and the type of battery used, is more important when we realize there are very few alternatives that can really satisfy a laptop user when it comes to battery failures.

Laptop Battery provides detailed information on Laptop Battery, Laptop Battery Chargers, External Laptop Batteries, Cheap Laptop Batteries and more. Laptop Battery is affiliated with Cheap Cell Phone Batteries.

Free Computer Parts

Writen by Eric Morris

There are companies offering free computer items for qualified orders. Free computer parts are not exchangeable. When buying a computer, one should also inquire about the availability of free computer parts or accessories that comes along with the package. It varies from company to company.

Many times, at the end of the year, free computer parts are available or sold very cheaply to clear out old stock. Some of these parts can be modified to suit the exact needs of your computer for a very reasonable cost. Software can be considered free computer parts as well. Free antivirus software is available that helps protect computers from virus.

Other free computer parts include screen savers with the latest electronics and technology. You may have to pay a little for them, but the discounts are fantastic. There are many screen savers that are offered for free. Depending on the brand of your computer, you will find some companies also offer free printers along with other software. Some drivers are also included 'free' as part of a packaged computer purchase. In order to show their appreciation for your business, some companies offer you free items with your purchase if you spend a certain amount of money. Choices include free computer cases, free system accessories, free power supplies and other miscellaneous items. Some even offer clothing accessories like hats, shirts and jackets embossed with the company's logo.

Finally, you can also check out websites like craigslist.org. This site has hundreds of items that students and people who are moving are looking to get rid of. Often times, there are several computer parts and accessories listed.

Computer Parts provides detailed information on Computer Parts, Wholesale Computer Parts, Computer Part Supplies, Cheap Computer Parts and more. Computer Parts is affiliated with Computer Repair Services.

5 Tips For Buying An External Hard Drive

Writen by Niall Roche

So you've finally decided to buy an external hard drive as a backup option for your computer. This is a great choice for you because you're making backing up your data faster and easier than you could ever have imagined. You're also making your data far more portable in larger quantities than before.

You'll no longer be limited to storing a few hundred megabytes or even several gigabytes. Nope. Now you can look forward to portable and reliable storage capacities ranging into terabytes. That frustrating desktop computer or network file server backup job just got a whole lot easier.

If you've never bought an external hard disk before then there's a few pointers here that may help to have on your shopping list before you go and make that final purchase.

1. Buy A Brand
Do yourself a huge favor and buy a brand name that you easily recognize. Sure these may cost a little more than brand x but with computer accessories like this you really do get what you pay for. If a Western Digital 100GB external drive costs $200 and another brand x 100GB drive costs $80 why do you think that is? Because the company likes you? Because they like making smaller profits? No it's because it's a cheaper drive made with inferior parts that's going to break a lot sooner than you might expect.

The other aspect of sticking with a brand is your warranty. For example Maxtor, Western Digital and Iomega are all reliable companies and well known for their external hard disks. If something goes wrong with your drive you can have it fixed. With brand x you'll probably not even be able to find an email address that you can contact the parent company on. Is saving a few dollars worth that risk?

2. Google It
Whatever brand or model you decide on make sure you do some research before purchasing. Always, always Google the exact brand and model of the drive you're considering buying. Look for reviews and especially any feedback on how reliable a drive is. You'll be very surprised to find that some companies have particularly bad reputations in terms of equipment reliability and what's known as the "click of death" in the external hard drive industry.

Spend time in Google checking out your prospective purchase. You'll be glad that you did.

3. Connectivity
When it comes to external hard drives you'll need to choose carefully when selecting your connection types. Your external hard drive will support either USB or Firewire. Firewire is the fastest option available at the moment but your computer may not support this. The vast majority of modern computers will, however, feature a USB port.

The next question now is what type of USB port do you have - USB 1.0 or 2.0? If your computer only has a USB 1.0 port then your external hard drive is going to transfer data VERY slowly. USB 2.0 is the minimum you should consider as connection options for both your computer and your external hard drive. If you don't have a USB 2.0 port (also called HiSpeed USB) on your computer you may need to get a USB 2.0 card fitted.

4. Speed
Now of course we need to talk about speed. The faster your hard drive operates the faster data will get transferred to your computer and vice versa. Without boggling you with comptuer jargon there's a couple of technical things you need to include on your shopping list.

Seek time - this needs to be 10ms (milliseconds) or less

Buffer size - more is better. Get a drive with at least a 4MB buffer.

RPM - higher is better. 5400rpm as a minimum. 7200rpm being preferred.

Stick to the above basic pointers and you'll do just fine.

5. Size
This is the simple part of the whole "buying an external hard drive" equation. Buy as much as you can afford. If you can afford 100GB then get it. However if you can afford 200GB then get it. Then again if you scraped together a few dollars more you could afford 300GB then do it.

This isn't a sales pitch. Far from it. There is simply no such thing as having too much data storage space. The 160GB drive that I have here was filled up in a little under a month. Currently a terabye option sounds good for my future needs.

Always add 50% to your data storage requirements. Honestly. You'll thanks yourself within the first 90 days of buying your external drive.

Hopefully now you'll be better prepared for purchasing your new external hard drive. It's one of the best purchases you'll ever make.

Looking for the best external hard drive? Visit BackupAdvice.com for more information on your options.

Standalone Cdrom Copiers

Writen by Kent Pinkerton

The operational details of stand-alone CD-ROM copiers are similar to those of automatic CD copiers. The only difference between the two is the difference between the CD and the CD-ROM.

CD-ROM means CD-Read Only Memory (ROM). No additional data can be written on these CDs once they are recorded. The recording of CD-ROMs is done by the vendor and is known as stamping. However, the data from these CDs can be written on other blank CDs using a CD-ROM copier, provided the necessary software is available.

CD-ROM copiers work on the technology called "pits and hills." CD-ROMs are coated with an organic layer of dye. When the CD-ROMs are written, the data is encoded on them by burning specific parts of the organic dye coating. These parts are called pits and the remaining parts are called hills. While burning, a laser head reads the pits and hills and then burns the corresponding regions on the blank CDs. This results in the same data getting transferred onto the blank CDs.

The CD-ROM drives are rated with a speed factor relative to music CDs: 1x or 1-speed provides a data transfer rate of 150 kilobytes per second in the most common data format. For example, an 8x CD-ROM data transfer rate would be 1.2 megabytes per second.

CD-ROM copiers may be attached to a computer or they may be stand-alone. Stand-alone CD-ROMs have a hard disc of their own. These CD-ROM copiers are designed in a tower format. Stand-alone CD-ROM copiers may allow several CDs to be burned at once and may contain as many as 2 to 16 unitary drives and can have speeds as high as 52X.

So, if the requirement is to copy a master CD into several CD-ROMs, a high-end stand-alone CD-ROM copier may be the best solution.

CD Copiers provides detailed information on CD copiers, CD DVD copiers, CD copier software, CD copier downloads and more. CD Copiers is affiliated with Business Card CD Duplications.

Industrial Monitor Manufacturers

Writen by Kevin Stith

Buying an LCD industrial monitor is a major investment and before purchasing, you should make a list of your requirements as well as the manufacturers with the best reputations.

Another factor you need to consider is the type of LCD monitor you want-touch-screen or LCD flat displays. The major players in the market include Samsung, Dell, Sony, and Viewsonic.

Samsung offers the Samsung Sync Master series of industrial monitors based on the TFT active- matrix display technology. The monitors come in diagonal sizes of 19-46 inches, 17-18 inches, or 15 inches. The viewable size ranges from 19 to 46 inches, 17-18 inches, and 15-16 inches. You can choose from 124 different models, in vibrant colors, clear picture details and large viewing angles. These LCD monitors have extraordinarily quick contrast/ brightness settings.

Dell offers 14 models of LCD monitors ranging from 17-24 inches, 17 inches and 15-16 inches. The viewable size ranges from 19-24 inches, 17-18 inches, and 15-16 inches. Based on the TFT active matrix display they have resolutions ranging from 1600x1200 and 1280x1024.

Sony offers 74 LCD monitor types. This company offers 20 varieties with the diagonal size of 19-42 inches, 21 types at 17-18 inches, and 22 types in the range of 15-16 inches. You can choose from 24 models offering viewable size of 19-42 inches, 21models of 17-18 inches and 15 models of 15-16 inches size

Apart from the range of choice, these LCD monitors are easy on the eyes and don't have problems such as harmful glare that can cause eyestrain.

Viewsonic offers a wide range of both CRT and LCD monitors with 116 variants of the LCD monitor. Their diagonal size ranges from 18-36 inches, 17-18 inches, and 14-15 inches. Their viewable size ranges from 18-23 inches, 17-18 inches and 13-16 inches.

Industrial Monitors provides detailed information about industrial monitors, flat panel industrial monitors, industrial LCD monitors, industrial monitor manufacturers and more. Industrial Monitors is the sister site of Cheap LCD TVs.

Purchasing Ink Cartridges

Writen by Leon Chaddock

"There is something hard and difficult about finding the right printer cartridges for your specific needs. The good news is that you do not have to worry about where you can purchase them. You don't have to hope that the office supply store down the street or in your local mall will actually be carrying them. You will find the printer cartridges that you need right here on the web.

In order to know which printer cartridges you need for your fax machine, your printer, your copier…you need to know several things. For most computer printers, you will be able to find out just what you need in the way of printer cartridges when they are ready to run out. A message will pop up and telling you so. In fact, it may even tell you what type you need to purchase. But, if not, you can find this out by referring to your owner's manual.

What if you no longer have that owner's manual though? Many people mistakenly can't find it or they have thrown it away. There is no problem in this though as long as you know what type of printer you have as well as what model number it is. This information is usually provided on the printer simply because they know you will lose it!

When it comes time to making the purchase on your printer cartridges, all you need to do is to use the web to help you find it. You will find a wide range of products available and you may even be able to find some discounted printer cartridges out there as well. In fact there are some excellent opportunities for saving money on the printer cartridges that you need on the internet. You can find these by simply researching a few of the better websites that sell them. This is great news to all of you out there that hate spending money on those hard to find printer cartridges! "

for more information please see http://www.ink-cartridge-deals.co.uk

Your Business Versus Mother Nature

Writen by Harald Anderson

Business Consultants earn hundreds of thousands of dollars every year showing businesses how to improve their productivity. All business consultants in the Information Technology area agree that the biggest threat to business survival is data loss.

There are many different data backup solutions available on the Internet today. Unlike years past there are not only different providers but also many different methods of data backup. Some solutions are "on-site" based methods. These include tape drives or other magnetic storage media, DVD-R and CD-R based methods and NAS (network attached storage) methods of creating local (within the LAN) backups of critical data. These methods of data backup are definitely better than nothing, and can provide protection against user error, data corruption, and in some cases even computer theft (that is if the data backup equipment itself isn't also stolen) and many of the other pitfalls associated with digital media.

But what about protection against the most powerful of all forces, Mother Nature?

Hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, and other natural disasters are a serious potential threat to the crucial data you have stored within your computer network. Add into the equation the collateral damage of flooding and fire that often comes along with Mother Nature's wrath and you have a recipe for some serious data loss in the unfortunate event that one of these uncommon, but critically devastating, events occur. In most cases your existing backup solution would be useless and would suffer the same peril as your original data.

The answer is simple: Have a complete, up-to-date copy of your data stored at a different location. You should back up your data using an offsite data backup service. Offsite data backups allow you to store mission critical digital files in a secure, remote location. When you store data in an offsite location you are doubling the protection of your most import data files and enabling a level of security that even the best on-premises data backup solutions can't provide.

Your data is encrypted and backed up over your existing internet connection to a secure server. You can set it up to perform backups at any frequency you wish. You can even set up the system to schedule backups while the office is empty on weekends and evenings, or when the computers are idle for a certain period of time (great for those systems that need to be accessed 24/7 and cannot afford the potential downtime that may be incurred due to backup procedures being run at the time).

Mother Nature is a concern for the integrity of your critical data. All smart businesses understand this.

Your DATA is your LIFE. Protect it!

Harald Anderson is a freelance writer and webmaster for http://www.online-remote-data-backup.com an online backup service. Experience the Digital Peace of Mind that safe, secure, encrypted online data backups can offer. Online Backups

Usb Connectors

Writen by Elizabeth Morgan

Today communication and technology have reached new heights. Various types of electrical devices can be connected to laptops, computers and mobile phones. A special port is installed in these devices from where a USB connector is attached. The other end of the port is connected to external devices such as printers and scanners.

USB is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. USB connectors are used to connect different types of USB cables with all standard compatible USB ports. USB cables are primarily used for data transfer. Data transfer speeds may vary from 12 Mbps in version 1.1 and up to 480 Mbps in version 2.0. USB ports can be also used to connect numerous computer accessories by substituting their particular cables with USB connectors.

USB connectors are available in various configurations. These are widely used to connect two different USB products. They can also be used to connect peripherals to other standard port types. USB connectors provide connectivity to different systems and make possible transfer and translation of data between two separate USB ports.

Among the various types of USB connectors available in the market, the most popular ones are serial to USB connectors, parallel to USB connectors, RJ11 USB connectors and USB Ethernet connectors. Several of these connectors can be mounted directly onto PC boards and are often called USB motherboard connectors or internal USB connectors. However, this variety takes up space and is cumbersome to install.

Panel USB connectors do not need to be mounted upon the PC board. These are attached to the front of the PC board and are also known as USB front panel connectors and front USB connectors. Connectors are designed in definite male-to-male or female-to-female adapters. These may also be made to order as per requirements. Straight and right angle connector types are also available for specific needs.

Connectors provides detailed information on Connectors, Electrical Connectors, Fiber Optic Connectors, USB Connectors and more. Connectors is affiliated with Wire Mesh Conveyor Belts.

Learn Hardware And Design Your Commercial Product

Writen by O G Popa

I am certain the first question in everybody's mind is: "Why should I learn this tiresome hardware design in my spare time? I like to listen music, to play games, and to eat pizza. I just want to relax!"

There is absolutely noting wrong with listening good music and eating pizza in your spare time, but... Living our life is, unfortunately, harder and more demanding with each passing day. If you have a good job today, you also have 75% chances to lose it, tomorrow. This is the new trend in our social life: jobs are not secure anymore. Even worse; if you do manage to "keep" a job for sometime, you could discover, after ten years of dedication and hard-work, you didn't manage to set aside your 100000 $ "safe cash buffer". Realistically, our life today means a permanent search for the next job, a never-ending and terrifying resume work, and also an acute lack of sufficient money for anything.

Our society is polarized into employers and employees; between the two, being an employee it is far tougher! Some time ago a manager was required to know how to work with many, psychically different employees; today, it is the employee who must know how to "deal" with the managers. More often people retire and they have to sell their homes, because they cannot afford continuously increasing costs of living--no, Sir; not anymore. Well, think ahead tiger.

Now, which is the right way to become an employer? If you want--mind this, please: only if you want to--you could start working on becoming an employer today, and hardware design is one (important) way that leads to building your own commercial product and your future business. Besides, it will also increase your chances of employment, so... there are only benefits ahead for you. Please note, our entire social activity it is strongly--if not totally--dependent on hardware, firmware, and software technologies.

The first thing you should know about hardware design is, it doesn't work by itself--well, not much. Hardware it is driven by firmware and/or software most of the times. This complicates things a little, but not too much--don't worry about this. Now, let's detail the action plan, a bit. The first thing you need to do is, start with a reasonable life-plan. For example, you could decide in ten years from now you are going to start your "J J Hardtronics Technologies Ltd." business. Ten years is a good time-buffer, in which you will learn everything you need to know about hardware, firmware, and software design. However, please be aware the most important thing, during these ten years, is to discover your future commercial product!

There are millions of good commercial products waiting to be discovered, and do not look at the high-end technological monsters like cell-phones; this market is so fiercely driven by competition that the best thing is to stay away from it. This doesn't mean you cannot design a good product for the cell-phones industry if you want to. A quick example is a cell-phone utility software program, or a game.

Truth is, the most beneficial applications are the industrial ones. There are thousands of industrial sensors that may be embedded into nice applications; a quick example is the acceleration sensor, or the one that measures the O2 concentration in water. You could design commercial motor-drivers, particularly for brushless DC or steppers motors. Other promising applications are: designing an instructive toy; you could break into the display-signs industry; or you could start building light-organs if you are a true music lover. The analog light-organs were a mandatory accessory in the 60s and 70s; without one, you simply couldn't understand music, because you missed the related visual analog equivalent--please, take this last one just as a personal opinion. (The right way to relate colored light to music is: blue for low frequencies produced by the bass-guitar or drum, then green for solo-guitars and normal organ notes, red for voice, and finally yellow for the highest and most delicate frequencies which few people manage to hear.)

I have seen an automotive coolant sensor controller selling very well for 35 $, and it contained only 2 transistors and few resistors; a temperature transducer was efficiently sold for 20 $ and it contained only resistors! A friend of mine has sold for half a million dollars the license of a tiny, intelligent controller for boilers. Please note, he was a beginner designer, and the application itself was nothing past beginning hardware design level. Of course, my friend was very lucky to find the right people who needed that particular application, and who were willing to pay handsomely for it. This is in fact the difficult problem: finding the right and the needed commercial product, and this is why I said you should allocate ten good years to research the market, or to find the opportunity. Sure, you could discover even ten commercial products in ten years--the more they are, the better it is!

So, the need to become an employer and of improving your skills are sufficiently strong motivations to start learning hardware design. You could still be unclear about why hardware design in particular; why not firmware, or even software design? This is true, and you could do it anyway you want; however, starting with hardware design it is particularly beneficial. First of all, hardware is the beginning of the hardware-firmware-software chain, and it is best to start everything from the very beginning, one step at a time. Secondly, hardware design helps building your commercial product as an independent unit, or as a perfectly contained application. Next, the range of beneficial hardware applications it is way larger, and the competition is a bit less brutal, when compared to firmware and software. On the other hand, hardware design is going to lead you, naturally, to firmware and software design. My belief is, starting with hardware design it is the best method of learning, because you take everything from ground up.

All right, I am certain you are motivated enough by now. Your next question is: "How do I do this?" You see, this is in fact the easy part! Incidentally, you could start by visiting my home site, Corollary Theorems. Have no fears, my friend; you are going to discover that hardware, firmware and software design are very easy to learn, and they are even fun!

Little relaxation in your spare time it is very good and quite necessary. Although you do not hear much about this, lately, when I was a bit younger we were encouraged to experiment with "active relaxation". This means, by reading an instructive, useful book, you could get the same level of relaxation as when listening music, or playing PC games. However, the lecture of a good book is going to enrich your level of knowledge, and you will gain valuable skills, instead of just "killing time". This is the theory behind the active relaxation concept. Nice, aye?

O G POPA is Professional Engineer in BC, Canada. His home site is Corollary Theorems at http://www.corollarytheorems.com

Everything You Need To Know About Touch Typing

Writen by Sindy Coffard

Hunt - and - peck typing vs. touch - typing

Typing is an immanent part of work for predominant number of people. It is a daily task, the ability we can't go without. It is no wonder that the necessity to master this skill has increased essentially in the recent years. It led to the emergence of the considerable amount of computer courses, which were flooded with those who eagerly wished to master typing as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, the popularity of courses was brought down by various computer self-tutors, which offered amazingly fast programs to master typing.

It was natural that the typing skills were tried to be improved. People aimed at equalizing quality and quantity. Hence, the method which combined all the requirements to typing with personal approach to each user was invented and called touch-typing. Touch typing means to engage in typing without having a look at the keyboard. The fingers are trained to locate the keys by position.

It is an intrinsic to the human beings to bring the development of the skills to perfection, to introduce automation to the daily routine, to simplify life by all means, making it more enjoyable. Same was in the case of touch - typing.

Touch-typing has become an essential, even mandatory skill these days no matter what line of work anyone does. Touch-typing is a method of typing, where the typist uses the sense of touch finding the proper keys rather than the sight. This method of typing is considered to be highly effective, as it redoubles the productivity of work and allows the typist to concentrate not on the search of proper keys while typing but on the sense of the information he types. In such a way the typist avoids the process of continuous and time consuming proof reading and makes only some minor editing after typing. The quantity of the misprints reduces twice.

It was counted that using the touch - typing method allows touching 60+ words per minute. People using the touch - typing method have much more advantages in comparison with the 'hunt - and - peck' typists. Hunt - and - peck typing or so called two - fingered typing is slower than touch - typing, using this method the typist required to find each key by sight, instead of relying on the memorized position of the keys.

It takes from 30 to 40 minutes to type one page of the text by the 'hunt - and - peck' method and only 5 or even 4 minutes by the touch typing method. So it helps to blueprint the time more rationally. At the same time general culture of labor increases. There is an important rule of touch typing which makes the technique of this method easier and distinguishes it form the 'hunt-and-peck' method. The less quantity of keys falls at one finger, the quicker the typing is.

Mastering the touch - typing and utilizing it in practice also helps to preserve health. As touch typists don't have to shift the gaze from the keyboard to the screen, so the eyes don't get tired and the eyesight doesn't damage. Consequently, touch - typists are able to cope with the larger scopes of work and get tired less after the working day. At last, touch - typing leaves more time for the personal life and lets you enjoy your work.

Touch - typing software

How is it possible to master and become familiar with touch typing? There are a great variety of programs, which were specially elaborated to teach touch - typing. Preparing this article I've got acquainted with a stunning number of the freeware and read a lot of polar comments about different programs which teach touch typing. I want to share with you the information about some programs which are considered to be the most effective in teaching touch typing. They received a lot positive feedback both from the users and from the specialists.

Stamina Typing Tutor 2.5 is a multifunctional typing tutor with support for several layouts: QWERTY (US, UK), AZERTY, Dvorak etc. The intimate details: work with lessons and text (5 modes), a lesson editor, statistics, progress graphs, virtual keyboard (can be hidden), super MP3 sounds and music, a play list, support for several users.

Kiran's typing tutor is an effective typing program, which was worked out especially for beginners. It contains 500 typing lessons and 500 testing lessons. It measures typing speed, errors for each letter and shows Accuracy, Word per minute and key per minute after every lesson.

TypingMaster Typing Test is a full-featured typing tester for Windows. After warming up with enjoyable typing games, you can evaluate your typing skills with any of the several test texts, or add your own one. This program includes custom texts, multi-user support, warm-up games, result history, and a printed test diploma.

Max Type LITE is a multifunctional typing tester for Windows, which has two different modes of learning. Extreme Typing mode allows you to compete with an opponent, who can be set according to your typing level, for a typing speed in a chosen text. Another unique feature of this mode is that the record of your own typing at a wanted replay speed can be your opponent. Typing Test mode gives a possibility of statistical evaluation of your typing according to 20 parameters of any txt-file.

KP Typing Tutor is an easy-to-use program, which lets you practice basic typing course, sentences and longer texts. KP Typing Tutor supports Dvorak keyboard layouts (Dvorak, Left Single-handed Dvorak and Right Single-handed Dvorak) with special typing courses.

And one more program, unique to my mind. Only imagine it can teach you to touch type in 90 minutes! KAZ - Learn To Touch Type in 90mins v17 costs 13.97 $ on the Amazon.com. It is based on just 11 words in 5 phrases. It offers KAZ Speed builder short practice sessions for daily use. KAZ - Learn To Touch Type in 90mins v17 is designed for all ages from 5 to 95 and can be utilized in all versions of Windows to XP and Mac OS 8, 9 and X on same CD ROM".

Touch - typing technique

How does touch typing method work? Everything is simpler than can seem. The keyboard is divided in the areas; moreover each area corresponds to the appropriate quantity of fingers, for instance keys QAZWSX should be typed with a little finger. The position of the hands also depends on the areas; your left hand's fingers should be placed on the home row keys ASDF and your right hands' fingers should be on the keys JKL;. The letters on the keyboard are positioned so that the most frequently used letters are placed in the central row and are pressed with the forefingers.

By the way, there are a lot of different variants of layouts. The type of the layout is also important in the development of the technique of typing. The most habitual and accustomed is QWERTY, moreover it is the most frequently used layout, but according to the results of testing Dvorak proved to be more effective as it increased the speed of typing for 20 - 40 percents.

In touch typing not only the correct position of the hands and the type of the layout are significant, but the position of the body also plays an essential role. Your posture should be straight, legs shouldn't be crossed, palms and fingers should be loose as though they rest over the keyboard. Imagine that you are having an apple in your hand and it is going to slip. You should hit the keys lightly and abruptly. The quieter the sound from the keyboard is, the better it is. Touch the keys with the finger cushions and after the hit withdraw the finger from the key.

Hence, I recommend you not to procrastinate and to set to touch typing right now. Remember "Knowing how to study is like knowing how to fish. It is a set of learning skills that lasts a lifetime and brings many rewards. Just as there are ways to know that you are a competent fisherman, there are ways to develop skills competency." And one of them is touch typing.

About author: Sindy Coffard is a staff writer of http://www.CustomResearchPapers.us. She helps students write college research papers, term books, admission essays, book report and many other types of writing assignments: from personal statements to professional case studies. For more information and help, please, go to: http://www.customresearchpapers.us

5 Ways To Backup Your Data

Writen by Jason Kohrs

The data on your hard drive is the most critical item inside your computer, and the only item which can not be replaced. It may be an unwanted hassle and expense to replace a defective memory module, monitor, or processor, but there is no replacing data once lost.

In addition to the possibility of a simple hard drive failure, the threat of internet borne worms and viruses has become an increasing risk to data loss or corruption. Although you may not be able to provide absolute protection to your hard drive, there are various ways that you can ensure that the data on your hard drive is protected. Five methods of backing up your data are summarized below…

1. USB Flash Drives

Although I am not recommending that flash drives be used for the actual data storage, they are a convenient means of transferring data from one computer to another. Important files can be quickly loaded onto a device such as the MINIDISK-512-DGRY-CS USB 2.0 Flash Drive, and transported to another computer for safe keeping. Installation and operation is extremely simple, and other than perhaps having to install a software driver, the use of a USB flash drive is a matter of having an available USB port on your computer. Just about every computer produced over the last several years has USB ports included, with more modern systems supporting the USB 2.0 standard. USB 2.0 allows for data transfer rates of up to 480 MB/s, which is a tremendous improvement over the original USB speed limit of 12 MB/s, and allows a user to fill their drives with data in a relatively short period of time.

Although the storage capacity of flash drives has increased greatly over the last year or so, users are still limited to common sizes of 512MB and 1GB. Mass storage is obviously not an option, but even 512MB may be enough to backup your "My Documents" folder, several albums of MP3s, or other important files to be stored elsewhere.

2. CD and DVD Writers/Re-Writers

The falling prices of CD and DVD writers/re-writers have made them a staple of just about every modern computer. These devices can typically be found installed in a computer case, but external devices supporting USB 2.0 or Firewire are available for greater flexibility and ease of installation.

A combination drive, such as the NU Technology DBW-521, will provide the user a high speed CD reader/writer, as well as a DVD reader, for under $40. The extremely low price of the drive (and the blank media) makes for an inexpensive means of creating data backups, and the re-writable media increases the convenience by allowing the same disc to be erased and reused many times. The main limitation of using a CD writer for data backups is that the discs are generally limited to a capacity of 700MB per disc. Not nearly enough for a full backup, but adequate for archiving key files.

The popularity of DVD writers/re-writers has surged thanks to dropping prices, and they are pushing the stand alone CD burner towards extinction. DVD media affords the user far more storage capacity than a CD, and DVD burners can generally burn CDs as wells as DVDs. The recent availability of double layer DVD burners, such as the Sony DW-D22A-DO-N, represents a large boost in the capacity of writable DVDs, taking the previous limit of 4.7GB per disc and nearly doubling it to 8.5GB.

With proper storage, CD/DVD media can provide long term storage that can not be jeopardized by hardware failure. The data on a CD or DVD can easily be read by just about any computer, making it a good choice for archiving files that aren't excessively large.

3. External Hard Drives

As the name might imply, external hard drives are generally the same type of drive you might find inside your system, but housed in a smaller, external enclosure of its own. The enclosure will feature at least one data interface (such as Firewire, USB, or Ethernet), and the capacity is only limited by the size of hard drives presently available and the user's budget.

The Ximeta NetDisk is an example of an external hard drive that provides a user the option of connecting an additional 80GB, 120GB, or 160GB of storage to their system by using either a USB 2.0 or Ethernet connection. Installation for such a device is rather simple, and may involve the installation of some basic software, as well as making the necessary connections between the computer and the external enclosure.

The capacity of external hard drives makes them ideal for backing up large volumes of data, and many of these devices simplify the process by including software (or hardware) features to automate the backup.

For example, some Seagate External drives feature a "one-button" backup option right on the case.In addition to being a convenient method of backing up large volumes of files locally, most external hard drives are compact enough to be portable. The inclusion of a common data transfer interface, such as USB, allows an external hard drive to be connected to just about any modern computer for data transfer, or for more than one computer to share the external hard drive as a back up.

4. Additional Hard Drives

By simply adding an additional hard drive to you system, you can protect yourself from data loss by copying it from your primary drive to your secondary drive. The installation of a second hard drive isn't difficult, but does require a basic understanding of the inner working of a computer, which may scare off some users. We do offer a "how-to" section on our site for many tasks such as installing a hard drive into a computer system.

To take the installation of a second hard drive to another level of security and reliability, the hard drives may be installed in a RAID array. RAID stands for a Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks, and can be configured in several manners. A thorough discussion of RAID and all of its variations would be an article all by itself, but what may be of interest to this discussion is what is known as RAID 1. A RAID 1 array requires two hard drives of equal size to be installed on a RAID controller, which will then mirror one drive to the other in real time. Many motherboards now come with RAID controllers onboard, but the addition of a PCI slot controller card, such as the Silicon Image Sil0680, is an inexpensive purchase that will add RAID to any system. With a RAID 1 array in place, if one hard drive should ever fail, the system won't miss a best by continuing to run on the remaining good drive, and alert the user that one drive may need to be replaced.

5. Online Storage

Online services, such as Xdrive, allow users to upload their files to a server for safe keeping. Although it may be convenient to have the data available wherever an internet connection is available, there are a few limitations.

The services generally charge a monthly fee relative to the amount of storage space required. At Xdrive, for example, 5GB of storage costs $9.95 per month, which can quickly add up to more than one would spend on any of the other options discussed.

Security is supposed to be very tight on these services, but no matter how secure it may seem, it is still just a password keeping prying eyes from your potentially sensitive documents.

The speed of your internet connection will also weigh heavily on the convenience of your backup, and no matter what type of connection you have; it can't compete with local data transfer rates.

Final Words

Although not a comprehensive list of options available for backing up your data, the five items listed provide some simple and relatively affordable means to ensure that your data is not lost. Data loss is an extremely frustrating and potentially costly situation, but one that can be avoided.

http://geeks.com/pix/techtips-11-04-04.htm

Jason Kohrs
Computer Geeks tech tips and computer advice

Blade Servers Offer Efficient Energy Usage And A Lower Tco

Writen by Mike Colesante

With the release of dual-core Xeon chips for blade servers, Intel has again accentuated the ability of companies to save money in terms of lower power consumption and increased reliability.

Studies indicate a blade server can reduce power and cooling costs 15 to 25 percent, meeting the needs of energy-conscious customers. The dual-core/dual-processor capabilities are ideal for a wide range of low-power communications and embedded applications.

Blade-server fact: Even blades that don't use lower-power processors can reduce the overall power and cooling requirements of a rack by eliminating many duplicate power-consuming infrastructure components that are included in 1U and 2U rack servers.

A blade server might only consume one-half or two-thirds the power of traditional 1U and 2U rack-mount servers of equivalent processing power. The reason is that the consolidation of the resources helps the blade server gain an economy of scale. For example, rather than having 10 500-watt supplies for 10 traditional 1U servers, a blade server can have two 2,000-watt supplies.

With all that support gear removed and put into the shared chassis, the blade server is much smaller. With the reduced size, the blade server can be hot-plugged into the chassis, which provides the power and cooling. Therefore, the shared chassis provides a much more efficient use of space and power.

Add new, low power processors to the efficiency of a single chassis and blade servers become an increasingly attractive option for server consolidation projects.

The three new Xeon server chips released this year by Intel are Sossaman (released March 14), Dempsey (May 23) and Woodcrest (June 26).

The Xeon chips combine the benefits of two distinct high-performance execution cores with intelligent power management features to deliver significantly greater performance-per-watt over previous single-core Intel Xeon processor-based platforms. The following is a brief explanation of each:

Sossaman (also known as the Xeon Low Voltage) uses approximately 30 watts of power and is rated at 31 watts Thermal Design Power (TDP). It packs two to four times greater performance-per-watt than its predecessor, a 55-watt version of a single-core Intel Xeon chip called "Irwindale."

The processor comes in 1.66GHz and 2.0GHz speeds and offers 32-bit instead of 64-bit addressing (because it is derived from a notebook chip). It has a front-side bus speed of 667 MHz and L2 cache size of 2 MiB.

Within almost a month of each other, Dempsey (Dual-Core Xeon 5000 series) and Woodcrest (Dual-Core Xeon 5100) were released by Intel. The release of Woodcrest made some believe Dempsey, based on the Intel "Bensley" server platform, was immediately obsolete. However, Intel has marketed Dempsey as a low-cost alternative to Woodcrest.

The most important comparison of Woodcrest with Dempsey is that Woodcrest consumes far less power and dissipates much less heat than Dempsey because the micro-architecture was heavily optimized to reduce power consumption. Woodcrest comes in three varieties, the 40W TDP versions optimized for blades, the mainstream 65W TDP parts, and the 3GHz top bin part which has an 80W TDP.

All parts below 3GHz will fall into the 65W or 40W TDP range. In comparison, the top bin Dempsey parts had a 130W TDP, and mid range parts were rated at 95W, and the massive power requirements and thermal issues precluded ever using Dempsey in a blade.

Moreover, Woodcrest also has improved sleep states and clock gating which help to lower average power.

Dempsey's speed ranges between 2.67 and 3.73 GHz. Some models have an FSB speed of 667 MHz while others have an FSB of 1066 MHz.

Woodcrest, the first Intel core micro-architecture to be launched, provides an 80 percent boost in performance, while reducing power consumption 20 percent relative to Pentium D.

It has an FSB of 1333 MHz in most models, except for the 5110 and 5120, which have an FSB of 1066 MHz, with the fastest processor clocking in at 3.0 GHz. All Woodcrests use LGA 771 and all but the 5160 and 5148LV have a TDP of 65 W, which is much less than the previous generation of 130 W. The 5160 has a TDP of 80 W, still much less than 130 W.

Intel has begun shipping to its customers the next generation of Intel Server Systems, Server Boards and Server Chassis featuring the Dual-Core Xeon 5000 and 5100 sequences (Dempsey and Woodcrest).

The use of these blade servers provides great benefits to small and large businesses alike. For smaller operations, one or several individual servers are often the most cost-effective way to support a small network. In larger installations, particularly ones that are expected to grow quickly in capacity, the blade server architecture offers more impact and easy expandability.

In summary, blade servers - with the latest releases of Intel dual-core Xeon chips - increase reliability, decrease energy consumption, and are the best logical choice for a company to save money and improve manageability.

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Mike Colesante is a writer at Terian Solutions and can be reached at 713-482-6900. The Terian EdgeXPS® 714-62 Blade Server is powered by the latest Dual-Core Intel Xeon LV processor and can support up to 14-dual processor blade servers (28 total processors) in a single 7U chassis. For more information or assistance in selecting the right custom computer, blade server or storage solution please contact Terian Solutions at 1-800-876-8649 or visit our website at http://www.terian.com

Touch Screens

Writen by Kent Pinkerton

Wikipedia defines a touch screen as a display overlay. A touch screen is fundamentally an input device like a mouse only with touch screens, your finger on the display screen does all the functions a mouse pointer does. By simply touching the display screen, users can perform various functions.

Interestingly, a touch screen can be used for most computer applications. If you have a touch screen display for your home computer, you will probably never need a mouse again. The technology is somewhat comparable to that used in touch pads in laptops and other computing systems. Currently, touch screens are more popular for commercial uses like touch screen kiosks and at customer support desks.

There are various kinds of touch screens. Podium touch screens, touch panels, touch kiosks and touch screen monitors are some of the many varieties of display overlays that use the touch screen technology. The technology behind touch screens is complex. These touch sensitive displays use resistive, capacitive, photosensitive, or acoustically sensitive technology. Touch-sensation is the basis of resistive technology whereas capacitive technology works through electrical sensitivity. On the other hand, photosensitive touch screens operate through infrared rays and acoustic touch screens operate on the principles or surface acoustic wave.

Touch screens are very popular in the retail environment. Here, they are useful for providing information to customers. Touch screens are attractive and customers can use them without much technical knowledge. If the touch screen is used on point of sales, the screen usually also has a stylus that can be used to enter data into the system. This is common at ATMs where you can enter account information through a stylus.

Touch screens are getting very popular as a friendlier input device. Even gaming systems and smart-phones use touch screens. The technology is quite advanced but touch screens are more expensive than regular display systems so their usage is currently limited to the commercial segment only.

Touch Screens provides detailed information on Touch Screens, Touch Screen Monitors, Touch Screen Displays, Touch Screen LCD and more. Touch Screens is affiliated with Internet Kiosks.

Save Money By Buying Bulk Computer Printer Ink

Writen by Frank Bolsom

When it's time to replace you printer ink cartridge, buying bulk ink will save you some money. You need to be sure the bulk ink will be suitable for your printer, however. So how do you find the best deals?

The following your alternatives:

Original Manufacturer Cartridges

You can usually buy them for less if you buy them in bulk. If your printer uses both a black cartridges and a color, you likely use more of one than the other. If you're going to buy them in bulk, just buy the one you use most.

The original manufacturer's cartridges will usually give you the best quality prints out of any of the alternatives. They are the most expensive, however.

Also, if you buy them in bulk keep in mind that they do dry out. Most ink cartridges have a "best before" date on the box. If they sit too long before you use them, the ink may dry out (which means your bulk purchase savings will disappear out the window).

Remanufactured (Refilled) Cartridges

There are many companies that sell remanufactured cartridges. These are basically refilled OEM cartridges, but without the hassle and mess of doing the refilling yourself.

The companies that refill them also usually do a more thorough job of cleaning and testing them than you can do yourself, so they tend to be more reliable.

These cartridges are much like the original brand of ink - they will dry out if they sit too long. Don't buy more than you need to last you for a couple of months, otherwise they may not work by the time you use them.

Do-It-Yourself Refill Kits

These kits let you refill your empty cartridges and are the cheapest option of them all. The bottles that hold the ink until you refill the cartridge are also much less prone to drying out, so these kits have a much longer shelf life.

The refilling process can be tricky, however, for some printer models more than others. It can be quite messy if you aren't careful.

Comparing the Costs

Let's compare the price of each of the above options:

An original HP ink cartridge for the V40 series printer costs about $30 from most stores (black only).

If you buy this ink in bulk from a wholesaler, it will cost about $100 for 4 cartridges, or $25 per unit.

You can buy remanufactured ink cartridges for the same printer for $21 each, or less if bought in bulk.

Finally, a bottle of black refill ink for that printer will cost you roughly $15, and will refill the ink 4 times. This works out to $3.75 per refill.

Frank Bolsom writes about how to save money by using inkjet cartridge refills as well as ways to get the most out of the ink cartridges in your printer. For the full story, visit www.inketeria.com

Computer Monitor Sales

Writen by Ken Marlborough

If you are shopping for a new computer, you usually look at the size of the hard disk first, but you should also know what monitor you are purchasing. The monitor displays the messages and data that are processed and utilized as the CPU (central processing units) speed or hard disk size.

There are two kinds of monitor technologies available on the market – the CRT (cathode-ray tubes) monitors and LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors. CRTs are bigger and bulkier than the LCD, and they consume a lot more power. The screen also tends to flicker. The LCD monitors are more expensive than the CRT and have less color replication. However, LCD technology has advanced, and its viewing quality is comparable to CRT. Most people still choose the CRT monitor.

For many years, the CRT monitors were the only choice consumers had for monitor technology. CRT technology is used in most televisions and computer monitors. It works by moving an electron beam back and forth across the back of the screen. Each time the beam passes across the screen, it lights up phosphor dots on the inside of the glass tube. and it illuminates the active portions of the screen. By drawing many such lines from the top to the bottom of the screen, it creates an entire screen of images.

LCD technology is used in digital watches and computer monitors. This display has two sheets of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution between them. An electric current passed through the liquid causes the crystals to align, and light cannot pass through them. Each crystal, is like a shutter, either allowing light to pass through or blocking it. To produce color, LCD displays use two basic techniques: Passive matrix and thin film transistor (TFT). Passive matrix is the less expensive of the two. TFT, or active-matrix, produces sharp color images like the CRT, but is much more expensive.

Computer Sales provides detailed information on Computer Sales, Online Computer Sales, Laptop Computer Sales, Computer Hardware Sales and more. Computer Sales is affiliated with Computer Projector Rentals.