Hardware Articles & News
Should You Build Your Own PC?
Many people are intimidated by the inside of a computer case. At first glance all those wires and components look confusing and impossibly high-tech. The thought of actually putting all the parts together may seem impossible. Not to worry! Even though they are the product of advanced technology, the various components of PCs fit together with relatively simple connections. Putting together a PC is about as complicated as repairing a toaster. If you can use a screwdriver and ...
The Brilliance Of CD-R
Last weekend I was in Atlanta with my wife promoting her latest fitness book. It was a fantastic event. We made some really great connections and my wife sold a lot of books. People flocked in from all over the region with their accolades, questions, and concerns. My wife was there in person to answer them all. Although she loved the exposure, more people actually came out to support my wife than either of us had anticipated. As a result, during her first full session of ...
Music CD-R vs. Data CD-R: Is There A Difference?
You wouldn’t believe how many times I run across this question. Is there a difference between music CD-Rs and traditional data CD-Rs? I think what people really want to know is if I buy a data CDR can I still put audio on it and vice versa. Well, hopefully this article will shed some light on the confusion and give you some insight into which type of blank media best suits your needs. The simple answer to this question is yes. There are differences between music and data CD-Rs. ...
CD Duplication: Superb Quality At A Cheap Price... Don’t You Love It?
There has never been a more opportune moment to have your audio book, music project, training disc, or CD-R business card duplicated than this very moment. Why? Simply stated, because it’s cheap! The cost of blank CDs has dropped drastically over the past couple of years. Retail outlets such as Office Max and Staples run specials on blank CDs where you can purchase a 50 CD-R spindle for under $20. Froogle has similar deals on blank CDs with a 50 pack available for less than ...
CD And DVD Duplication 101
If you have been shopping for blank CDs and DVDs recently, you may have been a bit confused by all of the choices: CDR, CDRW, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW. Trying to decipher between all of the abbreviations and plus/minus signs can be a tad overwhelming. Making matters worse for those who aren’t hip to the latest technological marvels is the rate at which technology is changing. Just when you think you are beginning to grasp the concept of mp3s and burning CDs and DVDs, the ...
How To Upgrade Your PC
Before you upgrade your PC hardware it’s best to search all options and ask for advice. Only after this you can go and buy a new component. It’s also useful to check if you really need an upgrade.
How to Choose a New Hard Drive for Your Computer
If you are running out of space on your computer or find that programs load a little slow, or that big files take a long time to open, it may be time for a new hard drive.
Printer Cartridges Step Back in History
You are working and trying to print out important documents when you discover that you are out of ink. This would have been a big drawback in the past. Most printers years ago used daisy wheels or ribbons to print documents. The evolution of printer cartridges should be looked at.
Refurbished Laptops are the Real Deal!
Laptop computers have found usefulness as portable media devices. Even refurbished laptops can be used as DVD players, stereos, and recording devices. The mobility and portability of laptops make them very useful in these categories as does the increasing capabilities of the electronics. Many people are beginning to use their notebooks as portable DVD players. They can take these mobile devices on airplanes to pass the time as they travel. They can also use these ...
Adding USB 2.0
The process of adding USB 2.0 ports took no time and the backup system is mighty fast. If you add USB 2.0 ports with a PCI port card, then you'll still have your USB 1.1 ports, so whatever is plugged into those can stay.
ESR Meter The Capabilities To Check Beyond Electrolytic Capacitor
There is something good about esr meter because besides electrolytic capacitor it can be use to measure other type of capacitors such as the non polarity capacitor. From esr meter specification, it is usually mentioned only checking the electrolytic type. When i began to experiment with the Dick Smith ESR Meter i found that it have the capabilities to check other type of capacitors as well.
Adding Serial Ports to a Computer with Only USB Ports
So you bought a new computer but you don't have serial ports? It's surprisingly common these days - you find an awesome machine that does everything you want it to do, but then you get home and find out that amongst the lightning-fast processor and terabyte hard drive, you're missing something - a serial port. Most laptop manufacturers have killed RS-232 In an effort to enforce newer standards, such as USB and FireWire, many laptop ...
Ceramic Disc Capacitor How to Accurately Test It
The last article I mentioned about electrolytic capacitor breakdown when under load. In this article I will talk about the high voltage resin coated ceramic disc capacitor. In computer monitor, it is frequent used in the screen voltage (G2) line at the crt board. When it fails, it can cause erratic or intermittently raster bright and dim and sometimes no display.
USB Hubs and Ports Explained
The USB standard has become the universal means of connection peripheral devices and equipment to the computer. Computers have either two or four USB port connectors. Each of these can support a large number of connections but to be able to attach more than two or four devices requires a multi-connection hub. There are many different types of hubs and this article seeks to explain some of the important considerations in selecting the best choice of hub for your system.
DVD Media
DVD is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for storing data, including movies with high video and sound quality. DVDs resemble compact discs: their physical dimensions are the same—12cm or the mini 8cm—but they are encoded in a different format and at a much higher density. Unlike CDs, all DVDs must contain a file system. This file system is called UDF, and is an extension of the ISO 9660 Standard used for Data-CDs.
7 Steps to Cleaning the Laser Toner From Your Laser Printer
Cleaning a laser printer, fax, or copier of laser toner can be easy, provided you know what you're doing and use the right tools. This article will share with you some simple tips to help you clean your laser printers of laser toner like a pro.
Cheap Ink Cartridge
A cheap ink cartridge is sometimes the only way that people can afford to keep all of their printers ready for use. Internet email addresses are constantly loaded with a number of offers from various online merchants, but one such email that a consumer might not want to ignore is any one that offers a great deal on ink cartridges. Some of these deals can offer the consumer a substantial amount of savings on their ink cartridges for just about any printer. Buying a cheap ink cartridge is ...
Do You Have Dead Pixels?
Take a good look at your notebook computer screen. Do you find some tiny dark spots? You could have dead pixels. One of the most expensive parts of your notebook computer is the LCD screen.
Testing Capacitor How To Test A Capacitor When Breakdown Under Load
Have you ever come across power problem where once you switch on the power supply and the fuse blow? You have checked all the components in the power (primary) and secondary section and all the components seems to be ok! Where is the fault? A fuse blown are usually caused by a shorted bridge rectifier, defective posistor, power transistor or FET, shorted primary winding of switch mode power tranformer, shorted secondary diode and etc. But in this article i'm gone to show you another ...
Tips To Select Proper Motherboard
Selecting motherboard is really simple. As name suggests "Motherboard" acts as a protective mother of CPU, RAM and other add on cards since these components stand firmly on motherboard.
Printer Ink Cartridges The History
You are working at your computer and trying to print out important documents and all at once you find you are out of ink. Years ago that would have presented a big problem. Printers used ribbons or daisy wheels to print on paper. Let's take a look at the evolution of printer ink cartridges.
Selecting an Ink Jet printer–With Low Operating Cost
Printer technology has made tremendous advances in the past five years. Speeds are up and print quality is great. Meanwhile, printer costs have declined.
Give Your PC a Monitor Makeover
Whether you are crunching figures at a front office job or crouched over a blood and gore video game in some deep recess of your room, there is the right kind of screen available to suit your needs.
Dell Inspiron 600m Notebook Computer
After twelve years of owning desktop computers, I finally opted for a laptop so I would no longer be chained to my desk. After months of research and weighing various makes and models, I settled on the Dell Inspiron 600m Notebook Computer. This particular model has exceeded all of my expectations and at a price that is hundreds of dollars lower than many competing brands.
Bluetooth Can Be Cracked!
Nothing is completely safe today. Adobe has recently released a patch for a security hole in different graphical software, so why should Bluetooth be safe?
Flyback Transformer How to Locate the ABL Line
Whenever there is a complaint about monitor contrast problem I will check on the flyback transformer ABL (automatic blanking limiter) circuit. Sometimes a weak picture tube might caused contrast problem. If the picture tube is good, I will go straight to the contrast circuit. The question is how do we find where the contrast circuit located? Simple, if you have a datasheet for the video pre- amplifier ic, definitely you can find the contrast pin. For LM1203N video pre-amp ic the contrast ...
Road Warriors Rejoice A Review of Smart Disk's FireLite Portable 40 Gig Hard Drive
If you travel with a laptop, and back up your flash cards to your hard disk, you may be wondering…”What happens if my laptop crashes?”
Facing DVD Software Dilemma? It's Brainlessly Simple
1. Pocket DVD Wizard http://www.deprice.com/pocketdvdwizard.htm The Pocket DVD Wizard allows you to make backup copies of your personal DVDs, Mpeg, Avi and DivX® video and then play them on your Windows Mobile™ Pocket PC or Portable Media Center. Imagine the possibilities! You can now record your favourite TV program with your DVD recorder and transfer it to your Pocket PC, then watch it later in the office, or on the beach! 2. dvdSanta ...
Generation Laptop
In May 2005 U.S hardware history was made. This was the first time that laptops sold more than desktop computers in a single month. Indeed, Current Analysis, an innovative research firm headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, confirmed that laptop sales leapt to 53.3 per cent of the total PC retail market in May 2005. Were these figures just a blip on the the computer sales radar? Let your own eyes answer that question for you - Folks using laptops are everywhere! - People ...
Rear Projection TV Facts Understanding the Pros & Cons of Rear Projection in the Home Theater
Rear Projection Television - An Affordable Option A great deal of consumer appeal for Rear Projection TV systems arise out of the shear simplicity that this product offers as an immediate solution to getting a bigger TV. No mess, no fuss, if you have the space, either visit your local big screen retailer - or better still, check at your favorite online electronics superstore - to order your product and get it delivered in just a few days; unpack the product and there ...