Selasa, Maret 04, 2008
New Computer Filters Offer Simple, Inexpensive Dust Protection
A better computer filter solution is one that is relatively new on the market. It is essentially a breathable filter bag that covers all inlet and outlet ports of a computer unit but still allows the computer to be cooled properly. New dust bag style computer filters protect the entire unit from dust, dirt, and other airborne contaminants. They are designed in sizes to fit virtually any computer tower and can be installed in minutes. They work well for monitors and printers as well, both of which need clean filtered air to assure proper long-term operation.
Computer filters used on computer enclosures also do a poor job protecting your computer from dust and dirt in the long term. One reason is because most computer cabinets require you to open the cabinet to operate the computer, for instance to access the CDROM or floppy drive. These operational requirements allow dust to bypass the cabinet dust filter and traps dust within the cabinet which eventually will be pulled inside the PC and settle there. This is completely preventable with a dust bag filter.
It is very important to use computer filters with PCs used in industrial or workshop situations where dust and dirt can very rapidly reduce the reliability and lifespan of the computer. Critical computer components exposed to dust and dirt, particularly the mechanical components like the keyboard and CD-ROM, can cease to operate without warning, and many times cannot be repaired once damaged by these contaminants. Studies have shown that dust can fill an unprotected computer in a matter of days, causing it to overheat. And metal dust can cause circuits to short-out, introducing a new workshop hazard. Dust bag style computer filters can do a lot to minimize these issues.
A problem with traditional computer filters is that they are designed to capture dust without impacting the amount of air that can enter the computer for cooling. This requires them to be fairly porous with the filter designed to capture the larger dust particles and allowing smaller dust particles and other airborne particles to pass through. The small surface area of the standard filter means that the air-flow must be relatively high, and dust and dirt collecting in the filter material quickly begins to restrict air flow. This problem is ameliorated by the larger dust bag, where the huge surface area of the filter translates into lower air-flow speed and a larger area to spread the dust trying to enter the computer. The lower air-flow speed also ensures less dust makes it through the filter material, especially smaller dust particles and airborne mists. A small investment in a dust filter can offer a level of insurance that your computer equipment will operate when you need it to, and not wear out before its time. Dust bag style computer filters are especially effective, easy to install and inexpensive.
Computer Dust Solutions strives to provide the best computer filters and covers to protect your computer equipment in harsh, dusty conditions.
10 Computer Maintenance Tips
Below are some tips you should know when using your computer:
1. Never EVER switch off your computer without waiting for Windows to shut it down. This may cause permanent hard drive defects caused by the hard drive heads contacting the surface of the disc drive and cause a host of Windows problems.
The only time you can force a shutdown is if your hard drive "hangs" or refuses to respond. In this case, try pressing ALT+CTRL+DEL keys at the same time and wait for task manager to launch. The Task Manager window will have a tab you can press to enable you to shutdown normally. If Task Manager fails to launch, then you can safely switch off your computer and switch it on again after about 3 minutes. Perform emergency shutdown only when absolutely necessary.
1. Plug your computer into a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply). This will prevent power surges in cases of low and high voltage occurrences. A UPS will protect your computer from any type of power disaster.
2. Backup important files as soon as you can. Purchase a CD burner to store files (make at least 2 copies of the same files on CD). Don't wait until the next day if you can help it. A crash may occur any time.
3. Use Scandisk and Defragmenter at least once a month. Just like you need to have a check up once in a while to catch any disease that may be forming, your computer also needs to be checked up to keep it healthy and crash-free.
4. Do not unplug peripherals while they are powered up. Doing so may damage your motherboard.
5. Keep at least 100 MB of your C: free for Windows to use. Maxing out your drive may result in Windows dumping data to your hard drive, or your computer will run really, really slow.
6. Do not let a lot of programs load when starting up your computer. Uninstall or delete programs that start up as soon as you start up your computer.
7. Use an antivirus program. You really need one if you want your computer to keep running smoothly. Downloaded attachments from friends, installed programs downloaded from the net and a host of other ways could infect your computer. An antivirus program will make sure no "bad" stuff is allowed into the system.
8. Use a firewall if you have a high speed internet connection. A firewall will prevent your computer from getting "hijacked". You may not be aware of it, but your computer may have been hacked at least once. Hackers use search programs to seek out computers at random. Get a firewall program and use it.
9. Do not throw away installer software once you've installed the program. You will need to reformat your computer some time and all data on the drive will be erased and you will need to reinstall your software.
F Stewart is an IT Professional. His company, Ambient Technology Group, provides website development and IT services. For more information, visit http://www.AmbientTechnologyGroup.com
Know Your Keyboard Shortcuts
Being without a mouse can be frustrating. That's when knowing some basic keyboard shortcuts comes in handy.
If your mouse is not working, the first thing you need to check is to see if it is plugged in. If it is plugged in and it still doesn't work, reboot your computer. You will need to use your keyboard to turn off your computer.
This is the quickest and safest way to shutdown without using your mouse.
1. If you have any open programs use ALT-F4 to close them.
2. Use your arrow keys and the enter key to answer any pop up warnings.
3. Continue pressing ALT-F4 to close all open programs until the 'Turn off computer' display pops up.
4. Use your arrow keys and the enter key to select turn off or restart.
Another way to shutdown your computer is to use the Start menu.
If you are using Windows XP try this:
1. Press the Windows Logo key
2. Press the up arrow key once to select 'Turn off computer'
3. Press the enter key to continue.
4. Press the right arrow key once to select 'Turn off' or twice to select 'Restart'
5. Press the enter key to continue.
Using the Start menu also gives you access other programs you may want to use before shutting down your computer.
Now that your computer has been rebooted, your mouse should be working again.
If it is not, try connecting another mouse to your computer.
Here are some common keyboard shortcuts that you will want to keep taped to the back of your keyboard or laptop.
F1: Starts Windows Help
F5: Refresh your page in Explorer and Web browser windows
F10: Activates menu bar options
SHIFT+F10: this is the same as right-clicking on an object
ALT+F4: Closes the current windows
ALT+TAB: Switch to another running program
CTRL+ESC: Opens the START menu (use the ARROW keys to select an item)
Windows Logo: Opens the START menu (use the ARROW keys to select an item)
Windows Logo+C: Opens Control Panel
Windows Logo+E: Opens My Computer (aka: Windows Explorer)
Windows Logo+F: Find files or folders
Windows Logo+M: Minimize all open windows
Windows Logo+Break: System Properties dialog box
TAB: Move to the next control in the dialog box
SHIFT+TAB: Move to the previous control in the dialog box
So the next time your mouse goes south, just keep this list handy.
Long live the mouse!!
For more computer tips visit http://www.buildtheperfectpc.com
How To Watch Any TV Channel Online - Watch Live TV Right On Your PC
It's pretty impressive how much you can now find online. There are many benefits to watching TV on your computer compared to regular cable or satellite services.
With cable or satellite service there is always some restrictions on what channels you received. Usually there are extra fees you have to pay if you want certain specialty channels such as movie or sports packages.
It's a lot different online. The TV services don't have the same restrictions as the regular cable or satellite providers so they are able to offer far more channels than you can find elsewhere.
For watching TV online, there are two options that you have:
Option #1 - Live TV Online
You can find certain websites that claim to offer free TV - many people try this as their first choice. However, there's a lot of downsides to using this type of service.
As you can probably guess the selection of channels on these sites is very limited. You can only get the most basic channels - any specialty channels aren't available.
Another complaint about these websites is that the picture quality can be poor. Remember that since these websites are free there isn't any money being invested in new technology or bandwidth. Because of this the video streams can be choppy and sometimes unclear.
These websites can be frustrating so we rarely recommend them. The second option is a lot better and eliminates the problems you find with this one.
Option #2 - Live TV Online
There are online TV services that let you choose from literally thousands of TV channels. This includes all of the major networks, movie channels, specialty channels and even sports packages. You can also find thousands of international channels in all sorts of languages.
There's a fee for using these websites, but it isn't very expensive. You will be asked to pay a one-time membership fee which will give you full access to all the TV channels and services. There are no monthly or additional charges.
We included a link at the bottom of this article that you can use to try a free trial at a couple of the top-ranked online TV services. We should warn you though - it's easy to get addicted!
If you have a laptop, a great feature is that you can use this service no matter where you are. It works all over the world - you just need an internet connection and you can watch any channel you want.
The charge is about $50 for these services so you can see why many people go this route. That's less than many monthly cable or satellite services and in this case you are only charged once.
Watching TV right on your computer is a great way to always be able to catch your favorite show, movie or sports team. It's something that can be highly addicting once you start!
Click Here to find out how to start a free trial at the top-ranked online television service.
It's the easiest way to watch live TV online right from your laptop or home computer!
Quality Tribal Arm Tattoo - Locating Good Artwork Online
I have no doubts that a lot of you have scoured the web, trying to locate the quality tribal arm tattoo designs. Most people either come up empty, quit looking all together, or worst case scenario, they settle for some cookie-cutter design that they didn't; really want. Needles to say, this is something you do not want to do.
You need to remember that you do not have to settle for a Google search or artwork from some generic, random website that has a lot of tattoos. The problem with these kinds of places is that they have tattoos and artwork that is most likely over five years old and the content is plastered all over the internet already. Who knows how many other people might have that tribal arm tattoo inked on their skin already? That is not something you want, especially when it comes to choosing tribals. You want your tattoos to be of quality and you also want them to be original.
The good news is that there are simply ways around the generic tattoos and artwork on the internet...
It starts with using internet forums. I can't tell you how good forums are when you need information on any given subject, and yes, this included finding a quality website that has great tribal arm tattoo designs that have not been plastered all over the internet. Remember, people love to brag to one another when they find a hidden treasure, like a websites that has fresh, quality tattoos and artwork for them to choose from. There is into a better place on the web for people to spread the wealth to others who are looking for the same thing than by posting in a forum. They do the hard work of finding the good designs and you reap the benefits of their findings, which is bound to be filled with tribal arm tattoo knowledge.
Locating the quality tribal arm tattoo designs does not have to be hard anymore, and can even be fun, so go on and get the original artwork you have always wanted.
The First Look at the IE8 Beta 1 Graphical User Interface
And yes, I did integrate the Beta 1 reference as a way to indicate that, at this stage in the development of the browser, anything beyond reasonable expectations won't be met. At least not when it comes down to the graphical user interface. Traditionally, the UI details are among the last aspect of Microsoft software products that will be implemented before it is finalized. It is the case with Windows and Internet Explorer 8 makes no exception to this rule.
But at the same time, there are anodyne details that do offer a sneak peek at not only the changes but also at what may be coming. In the screenshots integrated with this article, you will be able to get a taste of the IE8 Beta 1 GUI, in comparison to IE7 and Firefox 2.0, courtesy of Long Zheng. And there is one thing that many users have stated when confronted with the first screenshots from Windows 7 Milestone 1 (M1) in comparison to Windows Vista. This is why I thought I would spare you the trouble and note it myself. Yes, Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 does look a lot like Internet Explorer 7.
But you have to keep in mind that this is Beta 1, and that the UI will undoubtedly evolve. However, there are a few minute aspects of the user interface that are changed. First off, you will notice that the domain name is now highlighted in respect to the rest of the link in the address bar. This is of course a move to counter phishing attempts. Secondly, there is now a continuity between the Links item and the rest of the toolbar. And of course, the search box in the upper right hand side corner now features an icon of the default search provider. Nothing much else, except that the up has gained a few pixels, but nothing to grab too much screen real estate.
source: news.softpedia.com
Office 2008 vs. iWork vs. NeoOffice vs. OpenOffice
I’m especially interested in features that make it easy for the average teacher to crank out documents, presentations, web content, and multimedia.
We can all use Word (or, at least, most teachers can) and PowerPoint is fairly straightforward as well. As we slowly migrated schoolwide to Office 2007, many teachers began using OpenOffice, both for a familiar look and feel to the Office 2000 they left behind and for compatibility with the majority of students who use the free suite.
On the Mac, we now have Office 2008 (which, at first glance, is a bit less intimidating to users of earlier versions of Office than Office 2007); NeoOffice (a port of OpenOffice fully integrated into OS X); OpenOffice itself, which runs in OS X’s X11 windowing environment; and Apple’s iWork suite. Choices, choices, choices! Click here for a gallery of their most interesting features and interface particulars. Read on for a teacher’s perspective on ease of use and productivity in each.
To test these suites, I completed a number of simple, day-to-day, teaching tasks in each.
* To evaluate Word and its moral equivalents, I created a worksheet to lead one of my classes through an activity in Geometer’s Sketchpad.
* For Excel and its ilk, I created a spreadsheet to track book numbers and generate a pie chart of book conditions
* For PowerPoint, et al, I shot a few video clips giving directions for an activity and created a presentation around the video.
It should be noted that the latest version of OpenOffice (2.3.1) is unavailable currently for OS X. OpenOffice for X11 (essentially a port of the *nix versions of the suite) is up to version 2.3. NeoOffice is at version 2.2.3 (2.2.2 was evaluated here). Functionally, this has little impact; Sun has also thrown considerable effort lately into improving support for the Mac platform.
source: education.zdnet.com/
