A Look At Laser Toners

Writen by Max Bellamy

Laser toner is the ink for laser printers. It is an extremely fine synthetic powder (usually plastic) packed into a cartridge. You insert the cartridge into your laser printer according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the printer goes to print a page, there are several steps to the process:

1. The printer receives an image from your computer.
2. Lasers project the image onto an electromagnetic drum.
3. The drum is charged positively and negatively, and at varying levels of charge, according to the image.
4. The drum attracts the four colors of toner in the cartridge according to the charges the colors are attracted to. The four colors mix to create any of millions of colors.
5. The drum rolls the image onto a page of paper, the page goes through a heating device to melt or burn the color onto the page, and the page is ejected.

This process uses up a lot of laser toner. Typically, a laser toner cartridge will yield a few thousand pages before needing to be replaced. The drum, too, eventually wears out from all the positive and negative charges it gives off, and needs to be replaced every 10,000 – 30,000 pages. Some printers are made with cartridge-and-drum replacement units in mind, while other printers are designed to separate the cartridge and drum. This way, when the cartridge runs out of toner, you don't have to replace the longer lasting drum with it. This saves you money.

You can buy laser toner from your printer's manufacturer, a computer supply store, online, or at any of a number of other types of retailers. To save money, you might want to consider buying in bulk.

Three of the most popular brands of laser toner are HP, Brother, and Samsung.

Laser Toner Info provides detailed information about later toner cartridges and refills, as well as reviews of laser toner products. Laser Toner Info is the sister site of Brochure Printing Web.

The Future For Barcode Reader Manufacturers

Writen by Ewen Chia

They're not really the greatest invention of the recent century. To claim such would be an unbelievable hyperbole. But barcode readers have attained, and kept, their place as indispensable tools for many businesses the world over. Though the world in general may not have been revolutionized by their introduction to several industries, barcode readers have made quite a fortune for benefiting enterprises and barcode reader manufacturers alike.

Indeed, barcode reader manufacturers have enjoyed tremendous and sustained profit by reason of their main products. Barcode readers have become a must in certain fields that demand for the said products has never waned, instead, has experience a steady increase throughout the years. As a result, barcode reader manufacturers are always aiming to discover new applications and improvements for their cash cow.

The Driving Force Behind Barcode Reader Manufacturers

Like most industry giants, barcode reader manufacturers discovered a need, and they provided for such a need through their worthy invention: barcode readers.

Before barcode reader manufacturers started to distribute their products, businesses involved with the identification and verification of items, especially those in minor or major transits, have been fraught with errors and delays. The reason? Everything was being carried out manually, hence the processes are susceptible to human fallibilities.

Barcode reader manufacturers offered barcode readers to solve these problems. The bread and butter of these barcode reader manufacturers was able to make things more accurate and convenient, resulting in a more efficient and speedy execution of the said processes.

Barcode Reader Manufacturers And The Developments In The Industry

Since the time they have started to offer barcode readers for the usage of relevant businesses, barcode reader manufacturers have likewise introduced improvements over the original models. Today, barcode readers come in a variety of forms, care of the many barcode reader manufacturers in the industry.

Fixed readers, portable batches and portable RF readers are just some of major types of barcode readers that barcode reader manufacturers are currently selling in the market. They come in further variations, of course. Barcode reader manufacturers have also developed scanner-based barcode readers, camera-based barcode readers, and CDD barcode readers for businesses with equally varied needs.

Barcode reader manufacturers also change the products to conform to current demands. For example, barcode reader manufacturers today offer barcode readers that could decode numeric barcodes. These barcode reader manufacturers also offer barcode readers that could translate barcodes using alphabetic characters. They also offer barcode readers that could identify and verify barcodes with lines of fixed or varying lengths.

Barcode Reader Manufacturers And The Future

Judging from history, only good things can be expected from barcode reader manufacturers in the coming years. The leading barcode reader manufacturers of today such as Symbol Technologies, Intermec, Opticon, Argox and American Microsystems, Ltd. Are already positioning themselves for their continued success in the future. They are heavily investing on their research and development departments to come up with better applications and features for the barcode readers they will manufacture for tomorrow.

It is an exciting time for both interested businesses and barcode reader manufacturers. Fueled by unceasing success, the future does look bright for those tools that have helped boost the efficiency of countless businesses throughout the years.

Ewen Chia is the owner of BarCodeReader.info providing excellent bar code reader information, news plus completely *free* barcode fonts! ==> http://www.BarCodeReader.info

Junxionbox Wifi Access Everywhere

Writen by Steve Bralovich

Now you can more easily access the Internet wherever mobile phone carriers offer high-speed data service coverage.

The JunxionBox enables multiple computing devices with Ethernet or Wi-Fi (like laptops, desktops, handhelds and remote computers) to connect with the web through your mobile phone service provider's wireless PC Card modem.

You can also use the Junxion Box to share the Internet connection, files or printers among multiple devices.

Mobile work groups, landline back-up, event connectivity, vehicles, telemetry, home or business landline replacement...with Junxion, it's easy to stay connected.

The JunxionBox (www.junxionbox.com) is a unique device that combines a cellular data card with a Wi-Fi router and runs on both 12 volts and 110 volts. This combination of features lets you establish a hotspot nearly anywhere you go and even while you're on your way there.

THE BOX The JunxionBox is pleasingly simple. It has one PCMCIA slot for your cellular data card, a connector for power (both 110 volt and cigarette lighter plugs are included), and two Ethernet ports (one for connecting directly to a computer, and another to connect to an Ethernet LAN). In addition, there are two LEDs, one power indicator, and one cellular connection status indicator.

Even that short list makes the box sound harder than it is. To use the unit, simply plug it in to a power outlet with an activated cellular data card installed. The power LED turns red, and then the connection light changes from blinking to solid green. At that point the unit is active and you're good to go.

USAGE The JunxionBox's $500 - $700 price tag is overkill for a single-user environment where you could just as easily slide the air card into your laptop. But for corporate environments there are several uses that could easily justify the cost of the unit, even for a single-user connection.

Conventions and trade shows are natural targets for the JunxionBox, where the cost of a single dialup line for a three-day show is likely to cost more than the acquisition price of the JunxionBox. Not only would you get the better connection speed to the booth, but you can have multiple connections for the same price.

OTHER APPLICATIONS:

• VEHICLE

cars, trucks, RV's

mobile command units

commercial service/fleet vehicles

shuttles, carpool/vanpool

transit (busses, trains, ferries)

taxis/limos

private/commercial vessels

• PORTABLE

landline data/voice service back-up

mobile work teams

events, trade shows, conferences

visitor mobile hotspot

incident response

vacation

• FIXED

landline data/voice service back-up

broadband alternative (w/3G service)

dial-up alternative

telemetry

• TEMPORARY

interim (waiting for landline)

seasonal hotspots

trial hotspots

kiosks

I'm certain there are more uses that make sense for the JunxionBox, such as providing a backup Internet connection for critical environments like retail stores.

This category of device is still just beginning, and hot spots are likely to emerge wherever user demand and financial incentives exist.

For example, Google Inc. has setup JunxionBoxes in its shuttle buses so its employees can be productive while commuting from the parking lot to the office.

SERVICE The box will accept any air card from any wireless service provider using any connectivity technology such as CDMA, UMTS, EDGE, etc. Travelers needing guaranteed connections can carry a variety of different cards with them and simply slide the appropriate card into the JunxionBox depending on their location and service area.

Most cellular carriers have unlimited data plans for $80 per month. These generally assume single device connections, so it's possible that as this market matures, carriers will begin to offer premium plans that recognize multi-user cellular connections.

Next time you're riding the commuter bus or train, check your laptop for a WiFi connection. You may be able to connect through a JunxionBox riding along with you on the same vehicle.

Visit The JunxionBox Website

Discuss The JunxionBox On The PDA and Mobile Today Forum

Steve Bralovich runs a Pocket PC and Smartphone development company. Visit the weblog at:http://pdatoday.blogspot.com for lots of information on PDAs, Notebooks and SmartPhones.

Network Monitors

Writen by Thomas Morva

The action of checking computers, systems and network systems is known as network monitoring. A network monitor is a part of the Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS). Network monitors manage Wide Area Networks (WAN), Local Area Networks (LAN), servers, switches, applications and more. Network monitoring helps network administrators to improve their network. Network monitors provide the information about network problems, and also provide information on how to improve networks. Network monitors allow the bringing forth of log files and charts of performance that are assigned to check a system's responses and capabilities.

Conducting network monitoring with proper software is the best thing. Proper network monitor software can identify future and present problems with the network. Network monitors perpetually monitor computer networks for failing or slow systems, and in case of outages via pagers or e-mails, they notify the administrators.

In the case of network problems or network failure, network monitors automatically tell the network administrator about it and compose expanded log files. Network monitors also takes correct action by rebooting the system or running a script. Problems caused by crashed or overloaded servers or network connections are monitored by network monitors. To ensure the condition of an e-mail server, network monitor software sends a test message through Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), which is received by Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). To ensure the condition of a web server, network monitor software sends HTTP a request to get a page.

With a network monitor, users can monitor any IP-networked device on his LAN. Most network monitors have the ability to detect a wide range of issues, like failed logins, someone using particular protocols, or connecting to particular sites. Most network monitors supervise Internet usage and also register fingerprints of each and every network connection in its database. Using a network monitor, a user can trace out worms, browser toolbars, viruses, plug-ins and more. A built-in pager and e-mail alarm keeps the network administrator informed on important situations.

Network Monitors provides detailed information on Network Monitors, Network Traffic Monitors, Network Bandwidth Monitors, Network Monitor Software and more. Network Monitors is affiliated with Network Monitoring Tools.

Cheap Options For Buying Ink Cartridges

Writen by Stephen Jones

You may have recently purchased a printer on the cheap and thought you were getting a great deal. Then you ran out of ink and went down to the store to get a replacement. Undoubtedly you were shocked at the high cost of the ink cartridges. This has become even more frustrating with the addition of the fact that many printers will give warnings of empty tanks before the ink cartridge is really empty.

Recently these high prices have come to the attention of regulators in the UK and Europe. As a result of a year long investigation the Office of Fair Trade in the UK has asked that all major printer manufacturers tell consumers at the time of their purchase of a new printer what their likely long-term costs are going to be once ink is taken into account. If the manufacturers do not comply then they face a monetary fine by the Office of Fair Trade.

However, if you are tired of paying these high costs for ink cartridges there are options you can choose that will lessen the amount you pay for ink cartridges. One of the easiest options is by purchasing your ink cartridges through online companies. The cost of ink cartridges online is much cheaper than they are in an office supply store. In addition, the internet offers you the option of comparing prices for your ink cartridges so you can be sure you are getting the cheapest price available.

Another option is to consider purchasing remanufactured ink cartridges. These are ink cartridges that are remanufactured from old empty ink cartridges. Even though these are used ink cartridges, priority is given to quality to make sure the customer is getting high quality ink cartridges and that these standards are maintained.

Many of the remanufactured ink cartridges are taken apart and tested. Old parts are replaced with new ones if necessary. Then the whole assembly is put back together and the ink cartridge is refilled with ink. The parts and ink used in remanufactured ink cartridges is of the same quality as the original equipment you get in the store that comes direct from the manufacturer. However, remanufactured ink cartridges are much cheaper and still allow you to keep up maintenance on your printer. These are also available online.

With the above two methods you can purchase ink cartridges that are the same quality as the ones that come direct from the manufacturer, but at the same time you save lots of money. Once you have a printer you are going to need to replace the ink cartridges frequently so you might as well save money in the process.

However, the cheapest option you can choose is to refill your ink cartridges yourself. Again you can look online or in your local office supply store for an ink refill kit. By changing the ink yourself you will be able to do it at a very cheap price when compared to buying new or remanufactured ink cartridges. While this is the cheapest option you still need to expect to pay some money since the refill kits only work for so many refills before you have to purchase a new kit.

So with the above three options you are bound to find something that works better than paying the high price of ink cartridges. So shop around online and find what method works best for you. This way you won't have to dread going to the store whenever your computer notifies you that your ink cartridges are running low.

Steve Jones is the owner of cheap printer ink website.

Aviation Headsets

Writen by Josh Riverside

Pilots use aviation headsets. Longer flights are very uncomfortable, especially with an ill-fitting headset. The wrong headset can cause head clamps, hotspots and pinching, which is why most manufacturers are designing aviation headsets with adjustable options. Ergonomics is very important. The main properties are the dome cavity design, weight, and the electronics, position of the microphone and shape and size of the ear seal.

Another important thing in aviation headsets is the noise cancellation ability, since there is high noise level from wind, propeller, and exhaust. Most advanced aviation headsets have active noise cancellation abilities of 20-30 db. This works on the principle of electronic noise cancellation, which is possible by generating a signal that is identical to the sound pressure level, but inverted, so that they cancel out each other.

Some aviation headsets also have audio interface options, which enable them to be connected to a CD or an MP3 player. Some are also cell phone compatible. Aviation headsets need powerful batteries. A battery life of 30-40 hours is ideal.

Refurbished aviation headsets are also available. The electronic and mechanical components are updated and put in order. These are generally offered with a one-year warranty. Most headsets are priced at around $400-500 or higher for a more advanced version.

The Internet is a good source for locating a headset. There are several web sites that provide comprehensive information about the wide range available today. Manufacturers also provide online support specialists to you select the best product including discounts and warranties.

Headsets provides detailed information about headsets, wireless headsets, phone headsets, aviation headsets and more. Headsets is the sister site of Free Phone Conferencing.

Overclocking Your Processor

Writen by Nicholas Spriggs

Overclocking, which was once the domain of power users and high-end gamers, has now gone mainstream. It's true that overclocking might prove to be a shot in the arm for your CPU. However, if things go awry, you could well have a fried CPU.

There are scads of information regarding overclocking on the Internet. But sadly, most of the websites tout overclocking as a walk in the park, misleading users by concealing the associated risks. A computer novice, unaware of the risks involved, may set out to overclock the processor based on some advice he got from such a website. This really makes me cringe. Is the whole process of overclocking a no-brainer?

In simple words, overclocking your processor requires an alteration in the hardware settings in order to make it run faster than the manufacturer's specification. The ideology is that the manufacturer's ratings are a result of stringent trials and tests performed against the CPU. Then onwards, the CPU is tagged with a particular clock frequency at which it can take up substantial workload on a regular basis without malfunctioning. This clock rate is often a notch lower than the maximum a CPU can sustain.

PC enthusiasts perceive this as a windfall, and try to breach the frequency barriers set by the manufacturers. This can be a viable option for CPUs which can be easily overclocked, since some CPUs have better overclockability than others. But in general, overclocking your processor can be a risk-prone endeavor.

Overclocking is also employed by a few unscrupulous component resellers. They overclock a processor, falsely remark it as a high speed processor, and then onwards sell it at profit. Major brands like Intel strive to curtail such swindling acts. Intel has employed a mechanism called CPU locking, where the clock multiplier is set to a permanent value. Therefore, overclocking your processor, especially if it's an Intel product, is a bit harder than usual.

A point to be noted is that Intel's CPU locking mechanism has much to do with unscrupulous vendors rather than end user overclocking. But at the end, it looks like you might have to seek out other means for overclocking your processor.

Let's say you really want something extra from your existing CPU, but you are on a shoestring budget, and the best possible option is overclocking. Even if you opt for overclocking your processor, you need to take a few precautions, lest it can be a real bummer for you.

The conventional heat sink and CPU fan won't do much good, since an overclocked processor dissipates a lot more heat. If not dealt with properly, you could face frequent hang ups, system crashes and random reboots. Though a rarity, your processor could also suffer permanent damage. It is recommended that you install an effective cooling mechanism for your overclocked processor, such as water cooling or Peltier cooling. Also ensure that you possess a computer case that enables proper ventilation for an efficacious cooling.

What I have presented here might appear dissenting to a few overclocking zealots, but it's the truth. I suggest you carry out some basic research before you plan on overclocking your processor.

Nicholas Spriggs at desktop-computer-guide.com is dedicated to providing up to date and acurate information in the computer and technology field. Check us out or subscribe to our newsletter.

Laptop Battery Chargers

Writen by Richard Romando

Laptop batteries usually come in two types - nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride. It is important to charge brand new batteries in cycles of fourteen to sixteen hours. The batteries should be allowed to cool down before recharging them because overcharging them will shorten their life.

Laptop battery charger prices range from $200 to $300 and usually have a twelve-month warranty period. Ready access to chargers is important because nickel cadmium may suffer from a 'memory defect.' A laptop user may face this problem if the batteries are not fully discharged before recharging. A nickel cadmium battery should be charged only after it has been completely exhausted, otherwise the battery 'thinks' that it only has fifty percent of its original capacity and only uses half of its potential, thus increasing the time constraints of the laptop.

A user can recharge batteries for a laptop in two ways. First, whenever the PC is using AC power, a small flow of electricity runs to the battery that is called a trickle charge. This charge will automatically recharge the batteries after the laptop is disconnected. Another method of charging a battery is with an external battery charger. The batteries are fitted into the charger and then the charger is plugged into a standard electricity outlet. Some chargers that are available in the market offer to charge the batteries in seven hours but this may damage the batteries forever. Nickel cadmium batteries are likely to self-discharge, which means they may lose power when they are not being used. Battery chargers solve this problem by providing the battery with a small charge that keeps the battery fully charged.

Nickel cadmium batteries perform more efficiently when they are fully discharged and then recharged. If a battery is used in a more piecemeal fashion then, occasionally fully discharging the battery before recharging it will enhance the productivity of the same. Some battery chargers do this automatically, but leaving the laptop during the night and recharging the battery in the morning can also invigorate the battery efficiently.

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 Dvd Burners

Writen by Marcus Peterson

Free DVD burners are DVD burners that can be obtained free of cost. It may be either a hardware piece or software that is capable of burning information onto a DVD disc. It is possible to read and write a large amount of digital data using DVD burners. The burners provide a way to back up, copy, and share home movies and other data.

Nowadays DVD burners are becoming more and more popular and the price of the burners is reduced enormously as time passes because of the tremendous growth in the field of computer technology and the use of the internet. Now it is possible to get DVD burners at much reduced amounts or even for free.

Free DVD burners are generally obtained as freebies from campaigns, where testing and marketing of products are done. If one takes part in such product testing campaigns, the manufacturer usually tests the product to see whether it is capable of meeting the necessary requirements for new DVD burners. This is not an expensive job for the manufacturers. If there is need to return the tested DVD burners, then the burners would have to be refurbished before selling it to the public. In this case, there will be some cost for the refurbishment process.

Another way to get free DVD burners is to attend test marketing campaigns. This option, which requires one to answer surveys, is a popular one. These campaigns provide a chance to win the products, including DVD burners, through prize draws.

Test marketing services are advertised by many companies. Some companies provide free DVD burner software through the internet. In certain instances, the DVD burner software can be downloaded cost free. The major drawback of such software is in the case of security, which is less compared to the software available by payment.

DVD Burners provides detailed information on DVD Burners, External DVD Burners, DVD Burner Software, Free DVD Burners and more. DVD Burners is affiliated with Inkjet DVD Printers.

Mac Printer Reviews

Writen by John Gibb

You'll find that many of today's printers, which utilize USB, will let you print from a Mac, you have to be sure drivers are included with the printer which were written specifically for a Mac.

Mac Printer Reviews

Hewlett Packard PSC 2410 Photosmart

I've included an all-in-one that will work with either the Mac or a PC. It's a higher end model, and costs accordingly at around $300. You'll get laser quality text and very high quality color. I prefer a flatbed for scanning, which it has. Another nice touch is you can fax in color. That won't do you any good though if you're faxing to a B & W fax machine. This is a nice home-office solution for most any Mac user.

Epson Photo R800

This puppy can whip out a high quality 5" x 7" photo in about 45 seconds. For the speed freak, you'll also get USB 2.0 and FireWire ®. True borderless printing at up to 8" x 10". Like some of the other Epson printers, it adds the ability to print to a CD/DVD. The 8 color ink method will give you some very vivid, high quality prints that it claims will last 100 years. None of the photos it has printed are that old yet, so who knows? You'll pay for all these snazzy features though, between $325 and $400. I confess though, a lot of Mac users do photo work, and I'd lean towards this printer if that were my situation.

Lexmark Z816

Here's a printer you can pickup for your Mac that is less then $100. It works with OS X, like most others. It has pretty good speed and quality. They tout the Accu-Feed assembly virtually eliminates paper jams, which are normally pretty frequent with this type of paper feed setup. I've never been fond of this type of setup though, but if you're budget minded and just need to print occasional letters and photos for the family, it'll do.

John Gibb manages http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com The site dedicated to computers and printers.

Industrial Lcd Monitors

Writen by Kevin Stith

LCD or Liquid Crystal Display initially intended for laptops has gained wide acceptance in digital clocks, microwave ovens and CD players and other electronic devices. Before discussing the advantages of LCDs, it is important to understand how the technology works. The LCDs trap a liquid crystal solution between two panes of polarized glass. An electric current passed through the liquid causes the crystals to align in such a manner that light is either allowed to pass or is blocked. Based on the wavelength of the light and where it is passed, the LCD monitor displays the images.

The salient features of the LCD technology include brighter, clearer, and sharper images obtained at a click of a mouse. Features such as a high picture resolution, color, clarity and brightness coupled with improved visibility of smaller fonts and a reduction in response time have all contributed towards increasing the market demand for LCD monitors by industrial enterprises ranging from banking, ATMs, games to hospitals and restaurants.

The dynamics of constant research has resulted in many advances in this technology. Initially incepted for a screen of about 12 to 14 inches, LCD is now a popular choice for a 50-inch screen. Another benefit of the advancement of technology is that the manufacturers have been able to cut down on the cost of production. This in turn, has brought down the cost of LCDs thereby making it a feasible choice for various industrial enterprises. Also, the LCD has a long life of about two decades allowing a person to use it between 8 to 10 hours daily.

The advantages of LCD monitors are such that they are gradually replacing CRT or the cathode ray tube monitors. This is because LCD technology is better for the eyes. LCDs have uniform screen brightness. Also, the screens covered with a flexible surface are less susceptible to glare as compared to the CRT screen.

Given the advantages of LCD, it is not surprising that LCD monitors are slowly and steadily replacing the conventional computer systems that used CRT technology for the computer display.

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.

How To Build Your Own External Hard Drive

Writen by Dennis Faas

An External Hard drive can come in handy for backing up files or freeing up some disk space on your PC. The only problem is they can be pretty expensive. An easy alternative is to buy a drive enclosure for about $20 and build your own using an internal hard drive.

Building your own external hard drive enclosure can be done in as little as 5 to 10 minutes time, and without opening up your PC's case. Not only does assembling your own external hard drive save money, it provides flexibility in choosing the connections, capacity and style that fit your needs. It is also an excellent way to make use of the older hard drives from previous computer systems.

I saved quite a bit of money when I built my external drive a few months ago. For example: I bought a 200GB internal IDE hard drive for only $60, and a USB 2.0 external hard-drive case for only $19. Comparatively, a pre-built enclosure with similar specs at Best Buy cost over $200. That makes for over $120 saved!

Laptop Hard Drives Versus Desktop

If you're shopping for all your parts, it's worthwhile to examine the options. There are three dimensions of internal drives to consider: laptop (1.8 in., 2.5 in.) and desktop (3.5 in.). Laptop hard drives are smaller and lighter, and most draw power through a USB cable. However, because laptop hard drives are physically smaller in size, they are always more expensive than a desktop hard drive and seldom offer as much storage capacities. Desktop drives of today offer capacities of up to 500GB; the down side is that they require their own external power source. In my case, I decided that the 3.5 inch hard drive was the better choice because it offered more storage capacity.

IDE Versus SATA Technology

In either case, there are two main types of hard drives: SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) and IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics). IDE drives have been around for quite a long time and are therefore much more common, and also tend to be cheaper.

On the other hand, SATA drives have become much more popular in the past few years because they can transfer data at up to six times the speed of IDE drives. However, keep in mind that for an external enclosure, the increased speed of a SATA drive is limited when the data is passed through a USB 2.0 cable because this type of connection transfers data at a slower speed.

Types of Enclosures

For an enclosure you are best off to go with an aluminum case since the aluminum enclosure will act as a heat sink to keep the drive cool. On the other hand, plastic cases will not help cool the drive as much and you will need most likely need to buy one with a fan.

USB 2.0 Versus Firewire

Most enclosures come standard with a USB 2.0 connection, but you can spring for the faster more expensive Firewire connections. Before choosing the latter, make sure you have a Firewire input on your computer ;-)

Assembling the Unit

Building the an external enclosure is relatively simple, and about the only tool you'll need is a small screwdriver.

1. First, consult the hard drive manual and ensure that the jumpers are set to the "master" position.
   

2. Next, secure the hard drive into the case.
   

3. Following that, plug in the power cable and a data cable. Connecting the two cables to the drive is a no-brainer as these connections are shaped so they can't be plugged in the wrong way.
   

4. When complete, close the case and connect all external cables (Power and USB).
   

5. Before you use the drive you may need to install the software that came with the enclosure. For the most part users running Windows XP will not need to install any software as the drive should be detected automatically.

You now have your very own external hard drive!

Keith Greenhalf is a columnist for infopackets.com. To read more quality articles like this one, be sure to surf over to infopackets.com, today! RSS Feeds are also available! Established in 2001 and enjoyed by over 250,000 readers worldwide, infopackets.com is a multi-authored web site that features daily tech tips related to MS Windows, Computing, The Internet, and Frequently Asked Questions. Best of all: subscription is free! So what are you waiting for? Visit infopackets.com, today!

5 Frequently Asked Questions About Computer Sound Problems

Writen by Gary Hendricks

Computer sound problems can be very frustrating. The truth is that troubleshooting sound problems is a little different than most other troubleshooting because the usual troubleshooting approach of stripping the PC down to bare essentials often doesn't apply.

The following questions and answers help highlight what can go wrong and suggest the approaches you can use to diagnose and repair the problem.

Question 1: I only hear sound out of one speaker. What's happening and what can I do?

Answer: You can troubleshoot this by isolating the problem to the sound card/computer, cable, or speakers. You can test your speakers on an alternate source, such as a Walkman, portable stereo, or other audio source.

If the test works (and you used the same cable), the problem is probably in the computer or sound card setup. If the test fails, try a different cable. If that works, the cable is the problem; otherwise, you might have a problem with the speakers.

Check the cabling between speakers and make sure the balance control is set properly. If your speakers have independent power sources, make sure both are working (don't forget that batteries fail).

Question 2: Why does the volume control on my speakers not work?

Answer: Your speakers require either an external power supply or batteries to power the amplifier, which is what implements the volume control. Make sure that you have fresh batteries or the appropriate power supply and that the power switch is turned on.

Question 3: Why does the red light on my speakers not turn on when I turn on the power switch?

Answer: Verify that you have fresh batteries or that you're using a power supply for the speakers and that it's powered on. If the speakers plug in, make sure there's power at the wall outlet.

Question 4: Can I use any speakers with any subwoofer?

Answer: Not necessarily, because some speaker/subwoofer combinations have nonstandard connections. What you can do, though, is to cable the speakers as if there are two independent sets of speakers (the speakers themselves and the subwoofer).

You do that by connecting a 'Y' adapter to your sound card. Plug the tail of the Y into the computer and speakers into the branches. (Alternatively, some subwoofers work when plugged into the line-out jack on the sound card, eliminating the need to split the speaker-out jack connection.)

Question 5: I need to set up my computer for videoconferencing, but the noise is too distracting to my office mates. What can I do?

Answer: The best answer is the same solution as for noisy speakerphones — get a headset. You can get headsets that plug into your sound card speaker and microphone jacks directly, giving you good sound quality, keeping background noise out of your conversation, and keeping peace in your office.

Conclusion
Whew! That's a whole lot of questions and answers about computer sound. Hopefully, the next time you have computer sound trouble, these answers will help you out.

Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on building computers. Visit his website at http://www.build-your-own-computers.com for tips and tricks on assembling a PC, as well as buying good computer components.

Video Cards Is Agp Dead

Writen by Nathan Holsing

If you've been looking to upgrade your computer video card you've probably heard a great deal about PCI Express and SLI. Don't run out and buy a new computer just yet and take that AGP motherboard you just threw away out of the trash. The truth is you can probably make some simple upgrades to your current computer to get a couple more years of gaming out of it. Of course if you have an extremely slow processor and/or less than an 8x AGP motherboard, you will need to do more than upgrade your graphics card. However, in most cases people's computers are only a couple of years old and really have plenty of processing power.

The three things to look at are your memory, motherboard, and video card. To get the most out of the more recent games you want to have at least 1GB of RAM. This is a very simple upgrade and only takes a couple of minutes. For more information on upgrading your memory you can visit my website. Second, check to be sure your AGP slot on your current motherboard is 8x. If your memory and motherboard meet these standards you're in luck. A new video card will probably float you for at least another year, likely two if you get a top of the line card. The thing to remember is that PCI Express is new technology and not nearly as widespread as AGP is. Game companies want to make as much money as possible from each game. For this reason, they will try to make the games play well on the widest array of platforms. When you think about it like this, it is easy to see how AGP will be useful for a while longer. For more information on AGP video cards visit the Video Card review section of my website.

If your motherboard isn't up to par or your processor is outdated it is time for an upgrade. If you are a do-it-yourselfer like I am, you should look into building your own computer. It's not as difficult as you might think and can save you a good deal of money.

Nathan Holsing is the editor of Gaming-Computers.net a website about building and upgrading computers.

Tips For Finding The Right Hard Drive Data Recovery

Writen by Cedric Dirose

Hard drive data recovery is often a difficult, time consuming and arduous process, but when a hard drive fails these services can be a lifesaver. After all, think for a moment about all the items of data that are contained on the average hard drive these days. From important but mundane information like credit card numbers and web surfing history to vital personal files like pictures of the children and family, years worth of saved emails and valuable documents for home and work, it is easy to see why the loss of a hard drive can be so very devastating.

It is important for every computer user to understand that hard drives can and do fail every single day, and while there sometimes are warning signs often there are no signs that a hard drive failure is imminent. All hard drives come rated with a MTBF, which stands for mean time between failure. This is the average time the hard drive can be expected to last, but it is important to remember that this is only an average, not an accurate prediction.

Perhaps the best way to institute a hard drive data recovery program is to always keep a good backup of your most important data. In most cases it will not be necessary to backup the operating system files, since you should already have a CD containing the operating system. If such a restore and data recovery CD package did not come with your PC, be sure to request one from the manufacturer. This restore CD, along with a good backup of your data, can get you back up and running in no time.

Of course not every computer user will have a good backup at the time the hard drive fails, and in many cases computer users do not start a backup program until they have suffered a loss of valuable data. It is with these people in mind that hard drive data recovery services were born, and many of these services are remarkably effective at recovering data from even the most seriously damaged drive.

When choosing a hard drive data recovery service, it is important to make your choice carefully, since the data on the drive may be completely unrecoverable after a first attempt at data recovery has been made. In most cases the data recovery service will evaluate the drive when they receive it, and provide an estimate of how much it will cost to recover your most important data. It is a good idea to prepare a list of which files are most important, and ask the hard drive data recovery service to focus on recovering these files.

Recovering data from a failed hard drive is never easy, and it can often be quite costly to use the services of a data recovery service. If the data is valuable enough, however, hiring a qualified data recovery service can be a real lifesaver.

Cedric has been a technical writer of a computer magazine for over 6 years. He also has a website that helps people with their technical computer problems as well external hard drive reviews. Visit http://www.altsyssoft.com for a technical priority list on what items to look for when choosing a hard drive for your new computer.

Dual Core Computer Processors Luxury Or Necessity

Writen by Peter Stewart

Most of the talk going on in the computer processor industry is revolving around dual core processors. But what advantages do they actually give and is it worth it in terms of price?

All processors have a core. A processor contains some memory, often referred to as cache, either L1, L2 or L3, depending on how close it is to the core, and the core itself, as well as a few other essentials. The core is the "brain" part, it performs all the big calculations that are needed for the various things a computer does.

Computer cores have been increasing in speed, and increasingly quickly. Manufacturers were in a race to have the chip with the fastest speed, measured in GHz. One surprise is that despite these increases in clock speed, the actual speed of programs didn't increase proportionately.

As modern programs make much heavier use of other computer parts like memory, and there are often many running at the same time, another approach was needed.

Dual core processors were the answer.

By putting two "brain" parts into the processor, you can run two programs on two cores, without having to share it between them. The effect of this is that when running two or more programs, the processor can now handle much more as a whole.

The part about them that might disappoint is gaming.

Unlike the multitasking environment that is usual for a computer either at home or at the office, games rely on the brute force of a powerful processor to help them along. So far there is no technology to take advantage of the two processors, like the ability to split its tasks over two cores. Most gaming has not improved with this new technology.

As with processors in the past the mainstream of dual core processors is dominated by the two big guys, Intel and AMD.

Intel offers two processors in its range, same processor, just different speeds. The lower priced of the Pentium D processors comes in at around $250. This price is reasonable considering how much you would pay for the top of the line single core processor.

The Pentium D is based on the same core as it's single core counterparts, just two of them inside. Its boost in performance is quite notable, and makes it presence felt in the multitasking environment.

The AMD Athlon X2 is AMD's offering in the dual core market. Unlike the Pentium D its lowest priced model comes in at a staggering $400. It's not expensive compared to processors like its FX series, which are over $1000, but in comparison to Intel it's expensive.

It too is based on the same core as its single core cousins and also offers the same performance increases.

The price of the AMD is surprising. From a company that became renowned for it's low cost, high performance processors this is quite a blow. Even the upper model of the Pentium Ds comes in at less that AMD's cheapest model.

The price might be justified if the AMD actually gave a significant performance boost, but it doesn't.

For the first time in a long time, I think I would be willing to switch back to an Intel processor. Although my preference is not for dual core, if I had or needed to switch I would certainly go straight for the Pentium D.

And finally, how do they compare to their now out of date traditional processors?

Considering how powerful processors have become I would still not make the switch. Dual core has not been around long enough to produce low cost, slightly out of date models. The power of the AMD Athlon 64 3000+ more than does it for my computing needs, and that's where I would stay for now.

So for those who are looking for the next cool thing for their desktop computer and price is not a huge issue, this would be your best choice, but go for the lower end Pentium D.

Peter Stewart is a computer enthusiast, his interest in computers and focus on practicle down to earth advice inspired his two websites. http://www.computer-buying-guide.com - Practical buying tips http://www.computer-reviews.net - Fair and honest reviews and opinions

How To Save Money With Epson Ink Cartridge Refills

Writen by Frank Bolsom

If you do a lot of printing - either at home or in the office - you've probably been surprised by the cost of replacing your Epson ink cartridges. In some cases, the replacement cartridges cost as much or even more than the printer did in the first place!

The two most effective ways of saving money on your ink is to either refill your empty cartridges yourself or use recycled or remanufactured cartridges. You can save 70% or more when you use recycled cartridges, plus you'll be doing something good for the environment.

Most retail stores that sell ink also sell refill kits, including your local Wal Mart or office supply store. There are also many websites that sell remanufactured ink cartridges for also all models of Epson printers.

You can also often buy these ink cartridges in bulk packs, saving even more. This is ideal if you do quite a bit of printing, but be careful of these bulk packs if you don't replace your cartridges that often. They will dry out if left too long before being used, so you might end up wasting money if you buy too many.

Over the course of several years of printing, you can spend up to 100 times as much on ink as you did on your printer in the first place. This makes a strong case for using refilled ink.

There are a couple of drawbacks, however. First, Epson (and most other brands) indicates that the warranty on your printer will be void if you use refilled ink. If something goes wrong with your printer and the ink is determined to be at fault, you will be stuck paying for repairs or a replacement.

The other downside to ink refills is that they can be messy if you're doing the refilling yourself. It will depend on the model of your printer - some are easier to do than others - but you might find that you ruin a set of cartridges the first time you try to refill them. Don't worry, though - it gets easier with practice.

Frank Bolsom writes about HP, Dell, and Epson ink cartridge refills for the Inketeria website. For more helpful information about saving money on your printing visit http://www.inketeria.com

Antiglare Screens

Writen by Reggie Andersen

If there is one thing about cars I never liked, it was the new fangled contraption called anti-glare screens. Don't get me wrong. I too don't like having the sun in my eyes. Not as much as the other man. But the anti glare screens do a lot more than keep the sun out. They keep out the natural color of the world as we know it.

Maybe it was the case with just my anti glare screen. But ever since I got one installed, I've been having more and more accidents! I mean, the older plain glass windows too had problems of their own. For instance, not knowing whether they were up or down, and being absentminded most of the time, I would thrust my hand out to signal only to have it whack painfully onto the glass.

This happened quite frequently. The other thing was the direction of the sun. When I drove to work in the mornings, it would shine down right one me. And when I drove back in the evenings, I would be squinting again as the glare was turned on once again.

Finally, I decided that enough was enough and decided to get the anti glare screens fitted. Big mistake! For, with the anti glare screens, although the trouble from the sun was gone for good, other issues cropped up with scary regularity. For one thing, I could no longer distinguish the depth of space. Maybe it had something to do with my failing eyesight, but the anti glare screens didn't make it any better.

Secondly, I began to miss signals that would otherwise catch my eye pretty quickly. Naturally, a direct consequence of this, and thanks to the anti glare screens, was that I began to have more and more accidents. They were all relatively minor and not life threatening. But due to the frequency, my insurance premium got higher and higher. Till it became a more viable option to take some public transport than to get my car out and drive it.

But the biggest bug bear of all was the fact that whenever I would be parked by the curb or the wayside, all kinds of weird people would walk up to the car and preen themselves in front of it. Ugly people with unkempt hair, busy people with no time for a mirror and even self obsessed people with narcissist tendencies! All of them would stop by to take a good look at themselves on my anti glare screens! It is bad enough that I have to contend with looking at my own ugly mug. Now, the world was my star cast!

Get more free computer tips and computer articles here: Articles About Computers

Choosing The Right Bar Code Reader

Writen by Ewen Chia

The importance of a bar code reader in this day and age cannot be denied. A lot of practical and pragmatic applications for a bar code reader have been rendered essential by the changing times. Whether you're running a commercial establishment, a public or private library, a company that employs a lot of people, or a school that is attended by numerous students, a bar code reader would do wonders for your daily operations.

A bar code reader would greatly help you in organizing your database, maintaining a good record of your inventory, monitoring and tracking the movement of items and people, and ensuring the security of your premises. These far-reaching benefits of using a bar code reader and simply fantastic!

But not all barcode readers are built alike. A bar code reader may come in many forms, and some are just better than others. Well, at least for particular needs, that is. Much care and deliberation should be invested in the choice of the right bar code reader for your enterprise.

Here is a guide that would hopefully help you in choosing the perfect bar code reader for your needs:

* Know the reason why you need a barcode reader. Is it to keep watch of the items used for your trade? Is it to reduce staff time in automating certain processes? Is it to monitor the entry and exit of people to and from your premises? It is to track the movement of items to and from your storage facility? The choice of a bar code reader greatly depends on the purpose for its usage.

* Check the numerous features of various barcode readers in the market today. A bar code reader is available in three forms. First, we have the laser-based bar code reader which makes use of light emitted from the bar code reader itself to identify and verify the barcodes of a particular item. Second, we have a charged coupled device (CCD) bar code reader which makes use of light emitted from the numerous light sensors in the barcodes which the bar code reader would gather and decode for identification and verification. Third, we have a camera-based bar code reader which takes a picture, literally speaking, of the barcodes, and identifies and verifies the same through the varying hues and contrasts of the bars of the latter. Each kind of bar code reader is good for particular industries. A laser-based bar code reader is perfect for monitoring the entry and exit of people to and from your premises, for example. A CCD bar code reader is perfect for tracking the movement of your company's supplies and tools, as well as permanent identification tags for employees and students. And a camera-based bar code reader is perfect for monitoring and regulating the movement of more sensitive items in your inventory.

* Canvass. A better price for a bar code reader would always save you some cash for other investments. There will be barcode readers offered at lower prices from some sources, so it would be best to seek these out first and foremost.

* Choose a credible and reliable company. A bar code reader company with an established track record of excellence would be a safer bet. A bar code reader would be a longtime investment, so might as well get things right the first time around.

A bar code reader would serve your business for a long, long time. Choosing the right one, therefore, would be the essential first step for a rewarding partnership that would render the processes in your enterprise more convenient.

Ewen Chia is the owner of BarCodeReader.info providing excellent bar code reader information, news plus completely *free* barcode fonts! ==> http://www.BarCodeReader.info

War Of The Disks A Closein Analysis Of The Hard Disk Drive Vs The Solid State Disk

Writen by Joanne De Peralta

Much has been written about solid state disks (SSDs) becoming the next big thing1 in the IT industry(1). But as to whether or not we have enough knowledge of how it will revolutionize the industry is a different question. How much do we really know about SSDs? If we are to ask people on the streets, it wouldn't come as a surprise that they dont know much of what an SSD is. Even if they do know, most probably it would be limited to a USB pen drive, a CompactFlash or a Secure Digital card, which are more on the consumer side of the storage industry.

Technically speaking, they are not wrong. Most web definitions describe an SSD as a high-performance plug-and-play storage device that contains no moving parts. Therefore, given that most of the aforementioned mobile disk storage devices contain no movable parts, they can certainly be categorized as SSDs.

But then again, there's more to SSDs than being a non-volatile device. The purpose of this article is to give readers a clearer picture of what an SSD is, its usage as well as its difference when pitted against the predominant data storage device at present - the hard disk drive (HDD). More than its non-volatility, this article will reveal how much potential SSDs have in optimizing the performance of the computing system.

SSD Defined

Here are several ways the SSD is defined:

"A solid state disk (SSD) is electrically, mechanically and software compatible with a conventional (magnetic) hard disk or winchester. The difference is that the storage medium is not magnetic (like a hard disk) or optical (like a CD) but solid state semiconductor such as battery backed RAM, EPROM or other electrically erasable RAM-like chip. This provides faster access time than a disk, because the data can be randomly accessed and does not rely on a read/write interface head synchronising with a rotating disk. The SSD also provides greater physical resilience to physical vibration, shock and extreme temperature fluctuations. The only downside is a higher cost per megabyte of storage."(2)

"Abbreviated SSD, a solid state disk is a high-performance plug-and-play storage device that contains no moving parts. SSD components include either DRAM or flash memory boards, a memory bus board, a CPU, and a battery card. Because they contain their own CPUs to manage data storage, they are a lot faster (18MBps for SCSI-II and 44 MBps for UltraWide SCSI interfaces) than conventional rotating hard disks ; therefore, they produce highest possible I/O rates. SSDs are most effective for server applications and server systems, where I/O response time is crucial. Data stored on SSDs should include anything that creates bottlenecks, such as databases, swap files, library and index files, and authorization and login information."(3)

For the rest of the article, we will compare the HDDs and Flash-based SSDs. The latter are the most popular type of SSDs employed by the military, aerospace, industrial and embedded systems industries.

Mortality Rate

Hard disk failure is a common occurrence in this age of desktops and notebooks. A lot of horror stories have been told, passed around and even published about how valuable data was lost and the agony of trying to retrieve or at least save a portion of the crashed hard drive. It is during this time that people wonder, why do hard disks fail?

The reason is simple - wear and tear. Just like any good old machine with mechanical components, HDDs tend to deteriorate over time. HDDs consist of rotating, magnetically coated disks, known as platters, that are used to store data. This rotating motion of the mechanical arms results in much wear and tear after long periods of use. The operational lifespan of a computer HDD is over three years.(4)

A Flash-based SSD is different. Although the most common Flash chips have around 300,000 write cycles, the best Flash chips are rated at 1,000,000 write cycles per block. On top of that, Flash SSD manufacturers employ different ways to increase the longevity of the drives. In some cases, they use a "balancing" algorithm to monitor the number of times each disk block has been written, which greatly extends the operational lifespan of the drive. Furthermore, these manufacturers also designed special "wear-leveling" algorithms where once a certain percentage threshold for a given block is reached, the SSD will swap the data in that block with the data in another block that has exhibited a "read-only-like" characteristic in the background. This reduces performance lag and avoids further wearing off of the blocks and thrashing of the disk. Even with usage patterns of writing/reading gigabytes per day, a Flash-based SSD should last several years, depending on its capacity. Add to that the inclusion of a DRAM cache in the disk architecture that further enhances its operational capabilities as well as lifespan.

Speeding Up

With the very fast paced lifestyle these days, most businesses are time-bound and cannot afford a slowing down in their transactions. This makes speed of HDDs a crucial point in technological purchases. The typical access time for a Flash based SSD is about 35 - 100 s, whereas that of a rotating disk is around 5,000 - 10,000 s. That makes a Flash-based SSD approximately 100 times faster than a rotating disk.

This however raises another point - what's the benefit of a high-speed SSD when the entire system cannot support it? The evolution of CPUs in terms of performance has far surpassed the development of the data storage system. The HDD is actually limiting the potential of a computer system when they are not able to keep up with the performance of the other components, particularly the CPU. If an HDD is replaced by a high-speed SSD, the performance would significantly improve. The resulting system would be a high-powered set-up that can go beyond the demands of high-speed business or military environments.

Size Matters

To be a true plug-in replacement for HDDs, Flash-based SSDs are manufactured in standard 2.5" and 3.5" form factors. 2.5" SSDs are normally used in laptops or notebooks while the 3.5" form factors are used in desktops, or in JBOD or other SAN/NAS/DAS configurations. They can often be used to replace traditional disks in storage arrays or in a server's internal disk bays. Flash-based SSDs certainly fit the storage needs of most embedded systems that require much smaller form factors.

Reliability

In terms of reliability, conventional HDDs pale when compared to SSDs. The absence of mechanical arms and spinning platters is the reason behind its reliability. In demanding environments, SSDs provide the type of ruggedness required for mobile applications. Unlike the HDD, SSD's can withstand extreme shock and vibration with data integrity and without any danger of data loss. This feature is very important in industrial applications where exposure to highly combustible materials and electromagnetic radiation are typical. Their ability to deliver unnerving performance in extreme conditions also makes SSD play a vital role in military operations, be it in defense, aerospace or aviation applications. Military applications require, in most cases, an operating temperature range of -60°C to +95°C. Shock, vibration, and temperature ratings of HDDs cannot comply with military standards, only SSDs can.

Power Play

In addition to speed, reliability and mortality rate being positively affected by the SSD's non-volatility, they also consume much less power than traditional HDDs. No additional power is required to activate the platters or the mechanical arms present in most HDDs. Its power consumption is practically only a fraction of a hard disk drive.

Heat Dissipation

Along with the lower power consumption, there is also much lesser heat dissipation for systems using Flash-based SSDs as their data storage solution. This is due to the absence of heat generated from the rotating/movable media. This certainly proves to be the one of the main advantages of Flash-based SSDs relative to that of a traditional HDD. With less heat dissipation, it serves as the ideal data storage solution for mobile systems such as PDAs, notebooks, etc. Users can do away with large cooling fans, internal power supply and batteries for large storage arrays in storage area networks.

Cost Considerations

Of course, everything comes with a price. Based on a cost-benefit logic, it is but expected that something with very impressive features be priced higher than something that offers fewer benefits. SSDs as being a bit more pricey than the traditional hard disk drive may be one of the compelling reasons why up to now it hasn't gained as much popularity as it should be getting with all its brilliant functions.

While the use of SSDs today have mostly been limited to industrial and military implications, enterprise are now looking closely at SSDs for implementing tiered storage and optimizing their storage architectures.

To quote from the Solid State Disks Buyers Guide published by storagesearch.com, "In fact the SSD is replacing servers and software licenses. SSDs can be used either to speed up the response time of existing applications as an alternative to buying more servers, or to reduce the number of servers and software licenses deployed. The economics can be compellingly in favor of an SSD deployment". The industry is also expecting more breakthroughs as higher memory capacities and faster performance are now being produced for a wider array of choices fit for any mission-critical application.

Analysts foresee a rapidly closing gap between HDD and flash SSD pricing (see related article "Are Flash Solid-State Disks Ready for the Enterprise"(5) ). This vision is also bolstered by a recent announcement(6) of electronic giant Samsung that they will invest heavily in improving their flash and DRAM production lines and flash SSD equipped laptops. Only time will tell if we will witness widespread commercial adoption of SSDs.(end)

This article has been reprinted from www.e-disk.com

________

(1)Read article at http://www.storagesearch.com/view40.html
(2)Source: http://www.sparcproductdirectory.com/curtisart.html
(3)Source: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/solid_state_disk.html
(4)Source: http://www.cmu.edu/corporate/news/2004/0604_critter.html
(5)Source: http://www.bitmicro.com/press_resources_flash_ssd_enterprise.php
(6)Source: http://www.techworld.com/storage/news/index.cfm?NewsID=3967&email

Joanne De Peralta is Marketing Communications Specialist for BiTMICRO Networks. You may contact her at jdeperalta@bitmicro.com

Pc Microphones

Writen by Eric Morris

Personal computer (PC) microphones are one of the computer accessories, which enable video conferencing, Internet chat, etc. They are plug-in-components and can be easily attached to computers. PC microphones make use of sound cards, which amplifies the signals from microphone. PC microphones are reasonably priced and ranges from $10 to $60. These microphones are connected to the computers using cords with various lengths and one has to purchase considering the length of the wire keeping in mind the purpose. Powered mics are used in PCs as they generate strong signals.

Unidirectional mics or omni directional mics may be used in PCs. Unidirectional mics pick up sound waves from a single direction and omni directional mics pick up sound waves from varied directions. The features to be noted before going in for a purchase are accuracy of these sound cards, noise filter options, comfort of the headsets, the length of the cords, and the mountability of the mic on the monitor.

There are two types of PC microphones based on the way they are connected to the computers. They may be connected to sound cards or to Universal Serial Bus (USB). The quality of recording and audio output varies depending on the type of mic selected. When sound cards are used, the recording process is done within the computer itself. The quality of recording is not good in this method, because of the internal noise caused by the computers. When the mics are connected to PC's by USB, the recording is done externally and this serves as an advantage regarding the quality of the recording. The process of recording is free from the internal noise of computers and so high quality recording is made possible. Before purchasing and installing a particular type of mics, many things have to be taken into consideration. They must support any future technological improvements.

Microphones provides detailed information on Computer Microphones, Karaoke Microphones, Microphone Stands, Microphones and more. Microphones is affiliated with Discount Computer Accessories.

Whats That Noise Coming From My Computer

Writen by John Dow

That's usually how it starts. You hear an unfamiliar noise when you turn on your computer. Or, you may be working along and all of a sudden, your computer stops responding. Most people just ignore either one of these signs that something is amiss. They reboot or ignore the noise.

And therein lies the biggest problem. If the user immediately backs up all critical data when these events occur, replacing the component (there's only a few components with moving parts on a computer – the power supply fan and the hard drive are the two major suspects when odd noises occur) is just time consuming. But if the user fails to heed these signs, then the real fun starts. Recovering data from a damaged drive is not for the faint at heart. Now if the drive is just corrupted, then there several ways to recover the data with software utilities. But our discussion today is about physically damaged hard drives.

The first question I usually ask on a service call (I run a computer service company) is do you have current backups of all your data? When they say no (about 75% of the time), the first thing I do is either instruct them on how to backup or if I'm onsite I do it for them. Once there is a verified backup of data, the rest is easy.

A qualified technician has about a 98% chance of retrieving data from a hard drive if there is no physical damage. A normal user with some help (info, tools, or both) has about a 90% chance. But depending on the situation, it can be very frustrating and time consuming. However, if there is physical damage, forget it. Unless the data is worth $1000's, don't bother since that's what the bill could be to recover the data.

Soapbox on. Before I get into the troubleshooting aspects, let me impress upon you the importance of having current backups of all of your data. If you have current backups, no computer problem will cause you permanent damage. The best defense against computer failure of any kind is backing up your data on a frequent basis. The way I approach it is that if I've spent over an hour working on some project, I backup as soon as I finish. I'm lazy, I don't like to do anything twice, so I backup often. OK, I'll get off the Soapbox now.

Depending on what you do on your computer (and what you store there like photos, movies, financial data, etc.) backing up is the best way to protect yourself. There are so many easy ways to back up these days there is absolutely no excuse for not doing so often. USB memory sticks and drives, DVD and CD writers (although there has been a lot written lately about both of these media not being reliable for more than 2 years), even 1.44 disks can be used if you have the patience and individual files can fit.

My first choice is a USB drive since you can purchase a large drive for under $75 these days. Many come with one click software that makes backing up your data a snap. There are many ways to backup with incremental (to go back to a certain point in time) small backups daily and then a full backup weekly. But I digress since this article is about troubleshooting and not backing up data.

Back to the strange noise coming from your computer. Two items to check first, the power supply fan and the hard drive (there could be a third choice on the newer computers since most also have a fan on the processor chip). Both have bearings and spin at high speeds. You normally can determine if the noise is coming from one or the other. Replacing the power supply is not a big deal but can be laborious depending on your computer model and case design. If you're not handy with a screw driver and understand a little basic structure of positive and negative connections, take it to a local computer repair shop. It's not difficult but it is easy to make the wrong connection and you can fry your motherboard and everything attached if something goes wrong.

So, you've checked the power supply fan and the noise is coming from somewhere else. There are several items inside the hard drive that can cause noise but I won't bore you with the details. Just suffice to say once the noise starts it's time for a replacement. Mean time failure these days is 3-5 years on most units. But remember that is based on some daily use value, so it can happen at any time.

The easiest way to replace the hard drive is to buy the exact model, which nobody does since the price point constantly goes down. So instead of a 20 gig drive (that you never filled up), you go for the 120 gig replacement drive. Along with the drive is a CD that has the installation routine for most computers. You have to open the case (make sure the computer is not only off but the power cord is disconnected from the back of the computer) and remove the old drive, carefully replacing the connections in the same manner as the old drive on the new drive. There are only two, one power and one that connects the drive to the motherboard.

Once you have the drive hooked up and the case back together you're ready to use the installation CD from the drive manufacturer. If your computer bios is set to boot off the CD (which most are since many don't even have a floppy drive any more) you boot up once and get an error (we need to have power to open the CD unit) and open the CD and place the hard drive installation CD in and close it. Now you reboot and the CD will usually boot up with a menu that allows you to configure the machine and often will ask you for your OS (normally WinXP) CD to start the installation. And therein lies the first possible snafu. You don't have your WinXP installation CD since your computer came with WinXP on the hard drive.

Don't worry, it's a slow down but not an insurmountable problem. You now get to call or go to the website of your computer manufacturer and ask for a set of restore/install CDs. They normally will charge you 5-10 bucks for shipping but will gladly provide the CDs. Make sure you tell them your exact model of computer so you get all the correct video, sound card, and other drivers for your computer. This is very important!

Most computer manufacturers have this down to a science and the CDs have everything you need. You simply boot on the first CD and the restore/install process is fairly automated with you just answering a few questions. This entire process takes about 90 minutes and don't forget that you need to install any applications that you installed after you bought the computer.

One very important detail you need to address is to make sure you install Virus Protection software. Make sure you install this before you even connect to the Internet. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a computer hit within seconds of coming online, and if you don't have protection installed you get banged immediately. Also install any WinXP updates by going to the Microsoft website and clicking on Windows Update on the left side of the opening page. Let it do it's magic and install all critical updates.

Now you can copy back all of your data to your new hard drive and now you are back up and running. Now for all of you that are reading this article and have not backed up your data, go do it right now. You'll be very glad you did just in case disaster strikes.

John Dow owns http://www.powersolutionscd.com, a website that specializes in computer troubleshooting, security, and repair utilities. His Power Solutions CD has helped thousands of customers protect their computer and data, by providing a collection of utilities and how to articles to fix and repair ANY hard drive or computer problem. Click here to learn more: http://www.powersolutionscd.com.

Hdcp High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection Beginners Guide

Writen by Jeff Su

Background: High Definition digital video allows users to experience high resolution, near perfect video content. As more content is delivered digitally, the content creators are increasingly concerned with content piracy because digital content can be perfectly duplicated. Therefore anti-piracy safeguards such, as High Bandwidth Content Protection (HDCP) is necessary in order for original content creators to protect their assets. In this article we will touch on the key points of HDCP

What is HDCP: High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection, HDCP, is an encryption scheme developed to defend against uncontrolled copying of digital content over high bandwidth digital interconnects such as DVI and the HDMI. The FCC approved HDCP as a "Digital Output Protection Technology" on August 4th, 2004. A HDCP protected system consists of: 1) HDCP transmitter (DVD player for example), 2) the digital interface (DVI or HDMI), and 3) the HDCP receiver (your display monitor). In brief, the content is encrypted at the transmitter and the signal is passed to the HDCP receiver (display) via the DDC lines (in essence an I2C bus) where it is decrypted before viewing. HDCP requires that both the transmitter and the receiver comply with standards. If either one does not comply, the video will not be displayed properly. Incidentally, HDCP does not apply to analog interface such as component video although component video can be used to display high definition video.

Why should the consumer care about HDCP: It is highly recommended that consumers be aware of HDCP and purchase sets that are HDCP compliant. Here is why. It has been speculated that the two competing high definition DVD standards HD DVD, and BLUE RAY, due out in 2006 will only deliver full resolution on HDCP protected outputs such as HDMI or DVI. If true, then users must have a HDCP monitor in order to experience full resolution HD DVD technology. Therefore it is prudent for the consumer to select HDCP compliant displays so the display can be used with future applications.

What is involved during a HDCP session: HDCP is a complicated process but can be broken down to 3 key functions: Authentication, Encryption, and Renewability

Authentication: The first step before video is actually sent is for the HDCP transmitter to determine if the receiver is "authorized" to accept HDCP protected content. Stored in the PROM of each transmitter and receiver is an array of 40, 56-bit secret keys and a 40-bit entity called Key Selection Vector. Authentication requires that the transmitter and receiver pair exchange "secret keys" and key selection vectors. The keys are scrambled and never revealed. The math behind the encryption allows each half to calculate a resultant number, call it Rs, based on the key exchanges. The Rs value is then shared and compared. If the Rs value matches, the receiver is accepted as an authorized HDCP receiver and video transmission can start.

Encryption/Transmission: Once authentication is completed, transmission of the video content can commence. To prevent an unauthorized receiver from receiving the content, the video data must be encrypted prior to transmission. At the transmitter end, the video data bits are exclusive-ored with a shared calculated number lets call it Rt ( Rt is similar to how Rs was calculated) and sent to the receiver. At the receiver end the encrypted data is again exclusive-ored with Rt. Since the XOR function is invertible, XORing with the same Rt at the receiver end will reveal the true unscrambled video bits. Incidentally, a new Rt value is calculated about every 2 second to prevent corruption due to hacking.

Renewability: renewability futhur ensures that the private keys are not exposed to unauthorized users due to tampering.

Conclusion: HDTV technology is changing rapidly. Content providers need to protect against piracy by implementing HDCP. HDCP and digital connection standards such as HDMI will become the de facto standard for digital video connections. We have outlined the important features of HDCP, so the consumer can make intelligent purchasing decisions.

Jeff Su is product marketing manager at Octava Inc. http://www.octavainc.com. Jeff is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology (BSEE, MSEE) and has over 10 years of experience in CATV systems, RF, and microwave designs. He may be reached at info@octavainc.com

Ink Cartridges A Humble Beginning

Writen by Martin Smith

Computers and their accompanying printers were huge years ago. In the past toner reservoirs and toner cartridges were used instead of ink cartridges like those used now. It was difficult to fill a toner cartridge and it was very messy.

Toner cartridges were an improvement. Print wheels and ribbons were used in some printers. Computers are now more compact and the printers do more than just print in some cases. Printer cartridges now have self-contained reservoirs. Refilling some printer cartridges now is not as messy as adding toner was.

Printer cartridges are available in two types. Primarily Hewlett-Packard and Epson printers used the first type the Piezo Electric. An applied electric current is put to a small crystal causing it to expand approximately every five microseconds (20,000 per second).

The inkjet ink squirts out through the print heads very fast and very precisely because of this expansion. Because Piezo Electric has fewer print heads than bubble jet/thermal printers it can do more precise action and tends to last longer. Bubble jet cartridges heats the ink rapidly into a bubble and then squirts it through ink nozzles thousands of times per second.

Bubble jet printers are less noisy than the Piezo based printers. You can expect really high resolution color printing from it. Inkjet has ink squirted through the nozzles as they move over a variety of media, not mega pixel method. Various colored liquid ink is squirted at the paper to create an image. The page gets scanned by the print head horizontally by a motor assembly that rolls the paper vertically.

A strip of an image is printed and the paper moves toward the next step. It not only prints a strip across the page it also prints vertical rows of pixels in each pass for speed. There are a number of types of inkjet technology. Ink in small drops are squirted onto the paper through tiny nozzles in drop on demand (DOD).

It resembles turning a hose off and on 5,000 times a second. How much ink is dropped on the page and which nozzle fires and when is controlled by the driver software program. The ink may smudge after printing is one problem with inkjet technology. With the development of new ink compositions, this is progressing.

Ink is discharged onto the paper in the Thermal Technology of printing. This process has three stages. In stage one the squirt begins when the ink is heated to create a bubble. When the pressure is initiated the bubble breaks and

The resulting vacuum draws out the ink from the reservoir to replace what was ejected. Printers used to be costly because the print heads that would imprint the image on the paper was within the printer. Printers are cheap now but the expense comes when you need to buy cartridges.

You could almost conclude it would almost be worth it to buy a new printer instead of the cartridges because the price of the cartridges can be more than the cost of the most basic inkjet printers.

Though the current price of cartridges is expensive the complex technology they contain will end up being cheaper in the long run than it would be to continually replace printer heads.

Now print heads are contained within the cartridges themselves. It's exciting because if you use the correct cartridges for your printer you could have it for a very long time. Color cartridges work the same way as black cartridges by squirting the ink through tiny nozzles onto the paper in horizontal strips while they move across the page.

There are three individual reservoirs in color cartridges, one is filled with cyan, the other with magenta, and the other with yellow ink. The quality of the image can be influenced by a lot of things. The quality of the paper can affect the image you get. The image you get can be affected by both brightness and absorption of the ink.

Brightness indicates the vividness of the print image and absorption is how effectively the paper absorbs the ink. When using an inkjet printer, it is best to use paper specifically designed for its use. The best possible image can be possible with the use of the proper paper.

Things that can affect your printing project are display properties settings and/or printer settings. You may want to leave your documents alone to dry for awhile depending on the paper you use and your printer. Most printers have an ink saver setting that puts out less ink which will allow documents to dry faster. You should have knowledge of how your printer operates.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Discount ink cartridges which includes Cheap ink cartridge, if you have time drop by his site for some tips and information.

Replacing Your Computers Power Supply When And How

Writen by Michael Quarles

If you're in doubt about your computer's power supply, you may consider replacing it. There are two primary times when people consider taking this step.

The most common is if a major upgrade is being contemplated, particularly installing a newer, faster CPU. Let's say your computer has a mid-range processor, graphics card, CD burner, lots of RAM, and is depending on a 350 watt power supply. That step up to a faster CPU could be more than the power supply can handle. 450 watts would be in order, particularly if any future changes, like moving up to a high end graphics card, are a possibility.

Remember, today's fastest processors can take 100 watts all by themselves. Graphics cards are equally power hungry, with top end units gobbling up another 100 watts. You want more power available than your computer will use.

I've had people ask me "Won't too much power burn something up?" The answer is no, it doesn't work that way. If your computer requires only 370 watts from a 450 watt supply, then that is all it will use. The extra 80 watts will simply be there if you need it.

The other time people change their power supply is if it starts acting up. Often this comes with no warning. Either they push the button, and nothing happens, or worse, it dies right in the middle of some important task. To complicate matters, problems other than the power supply can have similar symptoms, things like wiring gone bad.

One failure, that can be catastrophic, is for the power supply's fan to quit. If the computer tended to run hot before, loss of that fan could push it over the edge. The CPU could be damaged.

If your fan stops, immediately save your data, and turn off the computer. If you've caught it soon enough, your machine will be saved. All you'll have to worry about is changing the power supply.

Never try to change the fan itself, or open up a power supply for any reason. Just replace the whole unit. There's a capacitor in there that can knock you into next week. They're nasty, viscious things that will hold a charge until something, or some idiot, discharges it. Don't be an idiot.

The first thing a beginner thinks when replacing a power supply is "How will I ever get all these wires hooked back up?" Just remember that all those four wire plugs are interchangable. You can swap the plug that goes to the hard drive with the one that goes to the CD/DVD, and it will work just as well. There's no danger of turning the plugs backwards, because they are keyed to fit only one way. The power plug to the motherboard is unlike any other, a big rectangular block with many wires leading to it, and can be mistaken for nothing else. (Older computers have two power plugs to the motherboard, marked P8 and P9. Just note the location of each on the board.)

Once the wires are unhooked from the drives and motherboard, take out the four screws that hold the power supply to the back of the case, and ease it out. Put the new supply in, tighten up the screws, and hook up the wires.

Michael Quarles is the author of Building a PC for Beginners. His website is http://www.monkeyseemonkeydobooks.com

Inkjet Dvd Printers

Writen by Damian Sofsian

Inkjet DVD printers provide brilliant, photo-quality color printing for your DVDs. With advancements in the world of printing in color fidelity, printing resolutions, disc alignment, and drying, inkjet printing on DVDs has become the preferred option for printing on DVDs. These DVD printers are economically priced so that anyone needing to print on DVDs can easily acquire one.

The main reason people use inkjet DVD printers would be, of course, to label discs to impart a more polished and professional look to the DVD. While using an inkjet DVD printer, the DVD has to be an inkjet-printable disc. Inkjet printing works by ejecting the colored ink from the print head onto the surface of the DVD. The difference between these DVDs and others is that they have an extra coating, called the Ink Absorption Layer. This layer helps in receiving the ink from the printer to allow it to stay in place long enough to dry properly. Some people may even have screen-printed images on DVDs, with inkjet printing or labeling done on the blank areas.

Images from inkjet DVD printers are of high resolution and are full colored. However, the disadvantage here is that the resulting images can get smudged by high humidity or with damp fingers. So these DVDs are not actually recommended for automotive or other harsh environments.

When storing these DVDs, it is important not to store or ship them in flexible plastic envelopes as the package materials may interact with the ink and make the image on the DVD stick to the sleeve of the envelope and spoil the image. So it is preferable to use jewel cases or other containers that do not contact the printed surface of the DVD.

Inkjet DVD printers work with a computer and most inkjet DVD printers are Windows and Mac compatible. The inkjet DVD printer has to be connected to the computer through a USB port, and upon connecting the two, you have to use the software provided to choose and create the appropriate image or photo for your DVD. Once the image is chosen, the printing process is started to get a personalized DVD.

DVD Printers provides detailed information on DVD Printers, CD DVD Printers, Inkjet DVD Printers, Thermal DVD Printers and more. DVD Printers is affiliated with DVD Burner Software.

Computer Hardware Preventive Maintenance Software

Writen by Jennifer Bailey

Computers often break down at the worst of all times. These problems can be averted, or at least minimized with preventive maintenance. Several methods of keeping computer hardware in good working order deal with the external components of the computer, such as the keyboard and monitor. For example, it is important to keep the processor away from excess heat and moisture. There are also computer hardware preventive maintenance software programs that can help with the upkeep of other internal aspects of a computer.

While it is rare to find a CMMS that works on all of a computer's hardware, many different programs can be utilized simultaneously. Some computers have periodic automatic updates available that can be downloaded and used to improve the computer's performance. Other software programs, known as disk defragmenters, manage hard drive space so that software programs take less time to access. Programs known as hardware diagnostic utilities can check the computer's hardware components and alert the user about any potential failures. Since some new hardware will not always work on all computers and could cause existing hardware to malfunction, it is important to have a CMMS program to ensure that the new hardware is compatible with existing hardware.

Antivirus programs are another important component of computer hardware preventive maintenance software. Computer viruses have become increasingly common in recent years and can render a good computer useless. While computer viruses mainly attack software programs, they can ruin hardware as well. Several manufacturers make reliable antivirus software. A couple of well-known companies are Norton and McAfee. As with much preventive maintenance software, these programs are usually available for a free trial period before the user must pay a subscription fee.

Computer hardware preventive maintenance software is necessary to keep computers in good working order. This software manages aspects of computer hardware that would be difficult and time-consuming for even the most computer savvy users.

Preventive Maintenance Software Info features detailed information on preventive maintenance software for health care and correctional institutions, computer hardware, and personal assets, as well as reviews of preventive maintenance software companies. Preventive Maintenance Software Info is the sister site of Fleet Maintenance Software Web.

How To Install An Agp Graphics Card

Writen by Gary Hendricks

In this article we look at how to install an AGP graphics card for your computer. Learning how to install computer components can be tricky if you've never done it before.

But I trust we'll show you that many tasks have a "plug an play" functionality to them. The same is true with the AGP graphics card. The term AGP stands for "Accelerated Graphics Port" and this is the specific slot on your computer where you will install your graphics card. You will simply slip the AGP graphics card into this slot and you will be good to go.

1. Power Down Your System

To install video card components correctly in your computer you will have to begin by powering your system down first. This is a matter of safety and precaution.

Always make sure your computer is completely shut down before you install video card components or any other internal part for that matter. After you shut down your computer you also need to cut off the juice to the power supply. If you've never done this before, take a look at the back of your computer. You will see a switch where the power supply is. Flip that switch into the off position. Finally, pull the AC power cord.

It may have never occurred to you that you would need to do all of this, but it's important that we show you how to install computer components the right way. Rule 1 is to make sure there is absolutely no power going into the system. Any latent surges will fry your system in a heartbeat and could injure you in the process.

2. Opening Up the Computer Case

Next we will have to open up the case. Since we are learning how to install an AGP graphics card, and that card goes inside your computer, we will have to remove the case.

Don't worry about this procedure though. Perhaps you have experience in knowing how to install computer components like external hard drives, but said you would never poke around inside your computer. Really, it's not that hard.

Before you can open your case however you need to find out what kind of case you have. That will determine how your particular case is to be opened. If you have something like a mini-tower, you can open this case by removing one of the side panels. Be sure to remove the side that's above the motherboard. Simply remove the screws in the back of the computer that hold the panel onto the chassis and then lift it off.

Some older style cases, however, require that you remove the whole back cover off and slide the chassis out. Check your particular model and see how it's designed.

3. Remove PC Slot Cover

Before you can install video card components like the AGP graphics card, you will need to remove the PC slot cover in the back of the computer.

Look at the back of your computer and you'll see what we mean. There are a series of several metal latches facing the slots where you can insert internal computer components. Most of these metal latches are secured by one or two screws. When it comes times to insert a component, like a modem, for example, you will need to first remove the metal latch in front of the slot before you insert the component.

With the AGP graphics card the process is the same. First locate the AGP graphics card slot. There is only one slot that will correctly match your card, so you're in luck. Then unscrew the metal latch in front of the AGP graphics card slot, slide the latch out, and set the screws in a safe place.

4. Installing the AGP Card into its Slot

Now comes the part you've been waiting for, knowing how to install an AGP graphics card into its slot. Again, there is only one card on the motherboard that matches your AGP card, so don't worry about putting it into the wrong slot.

If you're not sure, look at the bottom of the AGP card to match it up with possible slots on you. The AGP card slot stands out from all of the other slots on your motherboard, kind of in its own little corner.

When you're ready, align the AGP graphics card above its slot. Hold the card with your fingers from both ends and press it down into the slot until it seats firmly. Make sure that it's firmly pressed into the slot. If anyone part of the card is sticking out, push it back in. Then secure the card into the motherboard by screwing the retaining screw into the motherboard.

5. Plugging In the Monitor, Closing Up and Powering Up

With your card properly installed, it's time to plug in your monitor. That wasn't so bad, was it? Little by little, you're learning how to install computer components until you become a real pro! Find your monitor cable and plug it into the AGP card monitor connector.

If your card has more than one connector, this means that your card can support more than one monitor. Check your documentation to determine which is the appropriate connector for your monitor. Plug it in, and you'll be good to go!

Not it's time to close up and power up. Place the computer cover back onto your computer. Screw it back on using the screws that (hopefully) you remembered to set in a safe place earlier. Now it's time to power up.

Flip your power supply's power switch back on, and then plug the AC cord into wall outlet. Then, reboot your computer. To correctly install video card components, as with other components, you also need to install software drivers. Locate the CD that came with your card and insert into your computer when it reboots. Follow the instructions to install the appropriate software drivers.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you've passed another milestone in learning how to install computer components! We think you've begun to see that it's not all that difficult. The components and motherboard are meant to fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

On older systems you may find that your computer uses a PCI slot and card instead of the AGP card. Regardless, the general process is the same. Don't forget to consult the documentation that comes with your hardware whenever you feel stumped. Use a little common sense and follow basic safety precautions. Your new card will be up and running in no time.

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.