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hard drive into a computer system. The services generally charge a monthly fee
relative to the amount of storage space
To take the installation of a second hard drive required. At Xdrive, for example, 5GB of
to another level of security and reliability, the storage costs $9.95 per month, which can
hard drives may be installed in a RAID array. quickly add up to more than one would spend
RAID stands for a Redundant Array of on any of the other options discussed.
Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks, and can
be configured in several manners. A thorough Security is supposed to be very tight on these
discussion of RAID and all of its variations services, but no matter how secure it may
would be an article all by itself, but what may seem, it is still just a password keeping prying
be of interest to this discussion is what is eyes from your potentially sensitive
known as RAID 1. A RAID 1 array requires two documents.
hard drives of equal size to be installed on a
RAID controller, which will then mirror one The speed of your internet connection will
drive to the other in real time. Many also weigh heavily on the convenience of your
motherboards now come with RAID controllers backup, and no matter what type of connection
onboard, but the addition of a PCI slot you have; it can’t compete with local data
controller card, such as the Silicon Image transfer rates.
Sil0680, is an inexpensive purchase that will Final Words
add RAID to any system. With a RAID 1 array
in place, if one hard drive should ever fail, the Although not a comprehensive list of options
system won’t miss a best by continuing to run available for backing up your data, the five
on the remaining good drive, and alert the items listed provide some simple and relatively
user that one drive may need to be replaced. affordable means to ensure that your data is
not lost. Data loss is an extremely frustrating
5. Online Storage and potentially costly situation, but one that
can be avoided.
Online services, such as Xdrive, allow users to
upload their files to a server for safe keeping.
Although it may be convenient to have the
data available wherever an internet connection
is available, there are a few limitations.
3. Browser Tool Bars ups for free, spending money on one is hard
to justify. Along with a dedicated pop up
A growing trend is for websites to offer a blocker, another recommended tact for
downloadable toolbar for use with Internet eliminating pop-ups is eliminating spyware
Explorer. Many of these toolbars offer unique on your computer system. Some pop-up
features intended to enhance the user’s web programs use accompanying spyware to
browsing experience in different ways, but target pop ups specifically to you and your
they generally also include a pop up blocker. web surfing habits. An excellent, free program
Although there are toolbars available from for eliminating spyware of all type is Spybot
dozens of websites, Google, MSN, and Yahoo Search & Destroy.
are some of the more reputable names with
one available. The installation of these 5. Internet Access Software from
toolbars is quick and easy, and the most Select ISPs
difficult part may be reading the fine print in
the license agreements. Although these Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) now
toolbars may do an excellent job blocking pop incorporate a pop up blocker with the software
ups, they may also be retrieving data on your they provide to subscribers for accessing the
web surfing / search habits. If you feel a internet. Earthlink, Optimum Online, and AOL
toolbar may be the right solution for you, are just a few of the larger providers that add
stick with one from a trusted name, and just value to their packages by adding a pop up
be sure to read the fine print. blocker. Bundling this functionality with the
ISPs base software definitely makes things
4. Pop Up Blocker Software easy for the subscriber, as there may be no
need to find one elsewhere. In general, these
Stand alone pop up blockers are effective, but are not the most
blocking software is feature rich and may have limited options for
available from dozens, if customization by the end user. One draw back
not hundreds, of with ISP provided pop up blockers is that some
different sources. With only work with their service. So, if you ever
various interfaces, and switch to a new provider, you’ll need to be
prices ranging from free prepared to switch to a new pop up blocker
to $30 (and higher), as well.
choosing one can be a difficult task. Many of
the programs that are not available for free Final Words
do come with a free trial download, so you
can at least get a sense of whether the Pop ups are a fact of life on the internet, but
program is right for you before committing. that does not mean you need to put up with
Some of the options in this category include them. Among the five general solutions
STOPzilla, Secure IE, Zero Popup and Pop presented above, there are literally hundreds
Swatter, to name a few. The main drawback of options available for eliminating the clutter
to this type of pop up blocking solution is that of pop up ads, allowing you to enjoy only the
you now have another independent content you intended to see.
application running on your computer.
Although they are generally not resource
intensive, why run a program to do something
that can be handled by one that is already
running anyway? Additionally, with so many
reliable solutions available to eliminate pop
5 Reasons to update
Windows XP to Service Pack2
Tech Tip 3 - Jason Kohrs
Microsoft released Service Pack 2 (SP2) for the
Windows XP operating system back in August and no action is taken until the user manually
(2004), representing significant improvements addresses the warning. Unsafe file attachments
in many areas, especially system security. For are now also blocked in a similar manner via
those people that are still unsure whether Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, thus
they should update to it, the following five protecting not only web based content, but
reasons may help make the decision easier. also items received via e-mail.
2. Windows Firewall
Broadband Network Utility” will help them all of which have to be seen as welcome
monitor and maintain the network just as improvements. With a focus on protecting the
easily. Application of security settings is end user’s computer system and data, there
obviously a main component of these are enough good reasons to persuade a user
improvements, insuring that the user’s system to take the plunge and let Windows Update
is protected from this angle of attack as well. install SP2.
Final Words
5 Reasons to update
Windows XP to Service Pack2
Tech Tip 4 - Jason Kohrs
The power coming into a computer is the most
critical component, and it may be one of the the correct power supply means
most overlooked. It is just taken for granted not only finding one that will
that it will always be there and working provide enough power for all of
properly. A top of the line processor and ultra the components connected to
powerful video card do nothing if a system the system, but also one that is
does not receive the ample, stable power it the correct size physically, has
demands. Having quality components enough connections for typical
providing and regulating the power supplied drives and fans, and if necessary,
to a computer is critical, and this brief overview that also has special connections
looks at a few areas worth consideration. for things such as Serial ATA
drives and modern video cards.
Power Supplies
Choosing a power supply with
Computer power enough power shouldn’t be
supplies take the much of a problem, as having
high (110V or more power than you need is
220V) AC voltages never a bad thing. Just because a
from an electrical power supply is rated for 400W,
outlet and convert or perhaps 600W, does not imply
it to the various that it is drawing that at any given time. It
lower DC voltages just indicates the total power available to the
required for a various lines inside the computer. For those
system to operate. interested in getting a good idea of their
The typical voltages minimum power requirements, this Power
required inside a Wattage Calculator is a convenient reference.
computer are 3.3V, In addition to checking out the total wattage
5V, and 12V, where of a power supply, looking for strong amperage
the 3.3V and 5V ratings on the 3.3V, 5V, and 12V lines is also
lines are generally recommended, as power supplies with
used to power circuitry, and the 12V line identical total power ratings may distribute
provides power to run items such as hard the power to the various lines in different
drives, optical drives, and cooling fans. quantities.
Power supplies are sold in terms of their total Power supplies come in a few different
power output, in terms of wattage. Choosing physical sizes, but the most common are
designed to be this user friendly, there is still a specific voltage. A run time after a power
hope in the form of Power Strip Saver Cables. failure is also generally specified for a UPS
Basically just 7 inch long extension cords, these based on a full load being placed on the
items can come in very handy when trying to device.
connect multiple AC adaptors to a more
traditional surge protector. Selecting a UPS needs to be based on the
intended use… A smaller unit, such as the
Uninterruptible Power Supplies Fenton 600VA, would be adequate for
powering a typical desktop computer, monitor,
and smaller peripherals such as a printer and
lighting for what they rate as 15-23 minutes
at full load. If multiple systems need to be
powered, or perhaps there are plans for future
expansion that will add to the power demands,
a larger unit such as the Tripp Lite 1500VA
may be more appropriate. The first two units
are intended to be set in close proximity to
the devices to be powered, perhaps on the
floor behind a desk, but if you are seeking to
add a UPS to a server, there are also rackmount
solutions such as the Opti-UPS 1100VA.
Many people familiar with Uninterruptible
power supplies (UPS) know that they can keep No matter the application,
a computer up and running during a total sizing a UPS may seem over-
power failure, but don’t know what else they whelming. One manufactur-
do. Most UPSes will also provide protection er, APC, has created a handy UPS Selector Ap-
from voltage surges and sags (when the plication which will take some of the guess
voltage drops below normal), as well as work out of choosing the right UPS for any
protection from the possibility of a shift in the particular application.
electricity’s frequency.
Final Words
UPSes come in two varieties, standby and
continuous, although standby versions are far A computer system is only as strong as its
more common and less expensive. A standby weakest feature, and many times that
UPS allows the devices connected to it to run distinction falls on the power supply and
from the normal electrical connection until a related components. By choosing a quality
loss of power is detected, at which point it power supply, surge protector, and perhaps a
quickly (in a matter of milliseconds) switches UPS, one can make sure that they have
to the battery backup of the UPS. A continuous adequately strong and stable power to keep
UPS always has the devices connected to it their system running now, as well as down the
running off of battery power, while the road when upgrades may increase the demand
batteries are recharged by the normal on their system.
electrical connection.
Price
• Price Size
• Size
• Image Quality One reason that LCDs have gained in popular-
• Energy Consumption ity is because of their small foot print. The
• Personal Comfort overall size and weight of CRT monitors far
• Response Time exceeds that of LCD monitors. CRTs share the
same image processing technology with tube
televisions, and therefore share the same
bulky style of housing. For example, the Brightness is an area that LCD monitors may
manufacturer’s web page lists this ACER 19” have the edge over CRTs, but it varies widely
LCD monitor as having a depth of a mere 6.9” from unit to unit. The standard measure for
(including the base) and a weight of 12.1 brightness is referred to as “nits”, which have
pounds. As a point of reference, a 19” ACER units of cd/m2 (candelas per square meter),
CRT is significantly larger with a depth of where a higher number is better. Looking at
16.86” and a hefty weight of 46.31 pounds. the three 17” LCD monitors currently avail-
able from geeks.com as examples shows two
Desktop real estate is precious, and an LCD with brightness specifications of 400 cd/m2
will require only a small fraction of the depth and one with a brightness specification of 250
that a CRT would require. And if there isn’t cd/m2. As a comparison, the typical CRT
even enough room on your desk for a slim monitor may provide half the brightness of
LCD monitor, the low weight makes them an LCD, as confirmed at Viewsonic’s Monitor
perfectly adaptable to be hung on the wall, University.
or off of a radial arm mount, such as this one
from Office Innovations. Contrast is similar to brightness in the fact
that it varies widely from unit to unit, and is a
Image Quality specification where a higher number is
desired. The contrast is represented as a ratio,
Image quality is where higher numbers imply that bright colors
generally consid- can be displayed next to dark colors without
ered to be better them appearing washed out. Monitors with
on an LCD, as lower numbers in the ratio may also result in
each pixel is dark shades being displayed as just black, and
generated by a any detail in these areas may be lost. As a
specific set of point of reference, CRT monitors may have
transistors in the contrast ratios around 700:1, and using the
screen, which three 17” LCD monitors currently available
produces a crisp from geeks.com as examples shows two with
image. But some contrast ratios of 450:1 and one with a contrast
features that fall under the general heading ratio of 400:1. 400:1 and 450:1 are quite
of image quality might not favor an LCD, respectable values for LCD monitors, but CRTs
including viewing angle, brightness, and may still have the edge in this department.
contrast.
Energy Consumption
Early LCD monitors had a fairly narrow viewing
angle that made clearly seeing the screen LCD monitors definitely hold the edge over
from anywhere but directly in front of it diffi- CRT monitors when it comes to being energy
cult. This has improved greatly, but still efficient. The huge tube in a CRT monitor is
doesn’t quite rival the viewing angle of CRTs the source of most of its energy consumption,
which provide the same picture quality regard- and a comparably sized LCD may use just a
less of the angle. A monitor with a maximum fraction of the electricity. Taking a look at
vertical viewing angle of 120 degrees should this 19” Jetway LCD monitor shows that it
not be hard to find at this point, with many consumes 48 Watts during normal operation,
monitors now being able to provide an even which is less than your typical light bulb. In
greater angle. contrast, a 19” CRT such as this one from
Viewsonic may draw up to 160 Watts. There-
fore the fraction of electricity used in this case ghost effects where the previous image is still
is 3/10, and could translate to noticeable slightly visible with the new image.
savings on your electric bill.
LCD monitor response times have greatly
Personal Health and improved over the past few years, and many
Comfort LCDs are now fast enough to consider for
serious 3D gaming use, but specifications still
The main benefit that vary from unit to unit. A few years ago a
LCDs have when it typical response time on an LCD monitor may
comes to comfort is have been anywhere from 30 to 50 millisec-
the reduced strain on onds, and today these numbers can get down
your eyes. The reduced into the single digits, with anything 25 milli-
glare on the screen’s seconds or less being quite common (lower is
surface, and the elimination of a typical CRT’s definitely better). Using the three 17” LCD
“refresh”, can prevent your eyes from getting monitors currently available from geeks.com
tired from extended use. A CRT monitor as examples shows two with response times
redraws the image on the entire screen as it of 25ms and one with a response time of
refreshes, whereas an LCD monitor only 16ms.
changes the necessary pixels during a refresh.
Final Words
There may also be the unquantifiable effect
of reduced electromagnetic emissions on LCD In addition to some of the positives mentioned,
monitors. The exact impact of electromag- many LCD monitors now incorporate other
netic emissions may not be fully understood, features to make them more practical and
but in general less is considered to better, as even fun. LCD monitors can now be found
addressed in this article. And, your back may with integrated USB hubs, stereo speakers,
also appreciate an LCD when it comes time to and TV tuners (such as this 15” Sharp unit),
move, as the example above shows a 19” LCD and for the right price HDTV is even an
monitor weighs about ¼ as much as its CRT option.
counterpart.
LCD monitors will continue to replace CRTs as
Response Time they become less expensive and the many
benefits are realized by consumers, but CRTs
The transistors that create the image on a TFT won’t disappear all together as many situa-
LCD can be a bottleneck to its performance, tions require the performance that LCDs
especially in fast paced 3D games where speed currently can’t provide.
is critical. Related to the different approach
taken with screen refreshes, the amount of
time it takes the pixels to change in order to
display the new image is referred to as the
response time. If the response time is too
slow, one may experience blurred images or
provide more room for multiple drives and similar in appearance to this other one, but
other peripherals, and a smaller motherboard they have one difference that may prove to
may be better suited to a larger case in a be a huge factor. They both have four exposed
system such as this. 5.25” bays, but one has two exposed 3.5” bays
while the other only has one. If a user had a
2. Size floppy drive and the 9-in-1 card reader, they
would either have to choose to install only
Size may one, or use an adaptor and take up one of
go along their 5.25” bays.
with form
factor in Internal bays are generally reserved for hard
m a n y drives, and systems with multiple drives
respects, require the necessary space. So, if a user
but even while considering cases of the same decided he really wanted a yellow colored
form factor, there can be variations in size in case, but needed room for five hard drives, he
a few respects. Areas where size can vary are would be forced to choose this one (5 internal
in overall dimensions, the number of exposed drive bays) over this one (4 internal drive
5.25” and 3.5” bays, and the number of inter- bays).
nal bays.
3. Cooling
ATX cases obviously need to be large enough
to hold an ATX motherboard; some are just Cooling is a critical feature to consider when
large enough, while others seem cavernous in selecting a computer case. High end systems
comparison. If a case needs to fit under a low can generate a good deal of heat, and the
shelf, or between items of a certain width, it case needs to be adequately cooled to keep
is important to choose an appropriately sized the system running and stable.
case. Cases come in two basic configurations
when it comes to their size and shape, either
desktop or tower. Desktop cases are wider
than they are tall and are oriented so the
motherboard lays flat, while tower cases have
the motherboard standing upright, and come
in three basic heights. mini tower, mid tower, The basic configuration for case cooling
and full tower. Tower cases are more common involves having one intake fan on the lower
these days, and currently the only style in the portion of the front surface, and one exhaust
Computer Geeks case inventory. fan higher up on the rear surface. This allows
cooler air to be drawn in, passed over the
The number of exposed drive bays is generally various heat generating components, and
in direct proportion to the overall size of the exhausted out the back. There are many other
case. A higher number of exposed 5.25” bays cooling configurations available that may
may be desirable for those with more than provide improvements in terms of cooling
one DVD or CD drive, removable drive racks, performance and noise.
and fan controllers. Exposed 3.5” bays are
generally occupied by floppy drives, Zip drives, One way to decrease noise, and perhaps move
fan controllers, and things like this 9-in-1 Card more air, is for a case to use 120mm (4”) fans
Reader, and in most cases you may get one or instead of the usual 80mm (3”) fans, as larger
two of these bays, maximum. This case is very fans don’t need to spin as fast to push the
Another approach to better cooling is to It is not enough for a case to house a computer
throw more fans at the heat. This Matrix case system any more, it now needs to multi-task.
adds another fan to the side panel which will Having regularly used connections on the
draw cool air in right on top of the processor front or top of the case is one common conve-
and video card, two of the hotter items in a nience feature that many people look for.
system. Other cases will add an exhaust fan Cases such as this A-Top Z-Alien model let
to the top of the case, which pushes the heat users forget about the annoyance of reaching
out just like a chimney. around the back of their case to plug things
in, as USB, Firewire, headphone and micro-
No matter the approach, cooling is one area phone jacks are located on the top.
that needs close consideration when it comes
to cases intended for today’s high powered Other cases are available that take conve-
systems. nience to another level by including clocks,
digital thermometers that monitor specific
4. Installation Features components, and fan controllers to help
maintain a healthy balance between noise
and cooling performance.
6. Style
Installing a system into a case can be a time
consuming affair, which can become annoy- A few years ago cases only
ing to those who find themselves in a continu- came in one color and one
ous cycle of upgrading. Many cases now basic style. plain beige
include convenient features to make installa- boxes. If you’re nostalgic
tion much simpler, and far less time for the olden days of
consuming computer cases, Computer
Geeks still has one for sale
Some of these convenient installation features in this style, the KG-200.
include a removable motherboard tray, remov- But cases now come in styles
able drive cages, tool-less expansion card from mild to wild, and in a
mounts, tool-less side panels, and tool-less whole rainbow of colors.
drive rail systems. Being able to remove the Some have large windows
motherboard tray and drive cage makes it in the side panel to show
easier to work on those specific areas in the off the case’s insides, some
open, and having a tool-less system for mount- include special lighting effects, and some have
ing drives or cards means there is no need for appearances that might scare the kids. At this
screws or a screw driver. Definitely time point there seems to be few limits in case
design, but there are always classically styled and other power hungry peripherals that
cases in updated color schemes for those who might be installed.
want something modern looking, but nothing
too intense. Final Words
tech tips
brought to you by
geeks.com
Tech Tips Community Geeks.com
Computer Geeks is more than just a great source 1890 Ord Way, Oceanside, CA 92056
for computer gear and consumer electronics, we’re
1.760.726.7700
also a community of tech-enthusiasts excited about Read more about Computer Geeks
teaching and helping others learn. We’ve developed at our website: www.geeks.com
Tech Tips because we believe that by providing our
guests with tutorials, instructions, directions, and Buy your desktop computers, notebook
other learning tools they need to become educated computers, refurbished computers,
consumers, they’ll keep coming back. computer parts, and computer cases at
the Computer Geeks.
of hardware manufacturers, software firms, The +R/+RW and –R/-RW formats are similar,
content providers, and other users” with and the main difference DVD+R technology
notable members such as Hitachi, Samsung, has is the ability to record to multiple layers
and Toshiba. The DVD-R/-RW format is based (with its new DVD+R DL format), where DVD-
on CD-RW technology and uses a similar R can only record to one layer (not all +R drives
approach to burning discs. are capable of dual layer burning, but no -R
drives are). The Plextor PX-504U is an example
of an external DVD+R/+RW drive capable of
recording single layer discs in the +R/+RW
format, but also able to read discs recorded
by a DVD-R drive.
tech tips
brought to you by
geeks.com
Tech Tips Community Geeks.com
Computer Geeks is more than just a great source 1890 Ord Way, Oceanside, CA 92056
for computer gear and consumer electronics, we’re
1.760.726.7700
also a community of tech-enthusiasts excited about Read more about Computer Geeks
teaching and helping others learn. We’ve developed at our website: www.geeks.com
Tech Tips because we believe that by providing our
guests with tutorials, instructions, directions, and Buy your desktop computers, notebook
other learning tools they need to become educated computers, refurbished computers,
consumers, they’ll keep coming back. computer parts, and computer cases at
the Computer Geeks.
ATA vs SATA
The performance of computer systems has
been steadily increasing as faster processors,
Tech Tip 8 - Jason Kohrs
memory, and video cards are continuously Committee (the group responsible for the ATA
being developed. The one key component standard)) which supports data transfer rates
that is often neglected when looking at up to 133MB/sec. This is expected to be the
improving the performance of a computer last update for the parallel ATA standard.
system is the hard drive. Hard drive manufac-
turers have been constantly evolving the basic As long ago as 2000 it was seen that the paral-
hard drive used in modern computer systems lel ATA standard was maxing out its limita-
for the last 25 years, and the last few years tions as to what it could handle. With data
have seen some exciting developments from rates hitting the 133MB/sec mark on a parallel
faster spindle speeds, larger caches, better cable, you are inviting all sorts of problems
reliability, and increased data transmission because of signal timing, EMI (electromag-
speeds. netic interference) and other data integrity
issues; thus industry leaders got together and
came up with a new standard known as Serial
ATA (SATA). SATA has only been around a few
years, but is destined to become “the standard”
due to several benefits to be addressed in this
Tech Tip.
Performance
In addition to being
more convenient to
install and drawing
less power, SATA
drives have perfor-
mance benefits that
really set them apart Comparing ATA drives to SATA drives can be
from ATA drives. tricky given all of the variables, but in general
it is the case that SATA drives will still cost just
The most interesting performance feature of a bit more than a comparable ATA drive. The
SATA is the maximum bandwidth possible. As gap is closing rapidly though, and as SATA
we have noted, the evolution of ATA drives drives gain in popularity and availability a
has seen the data transfer rate reach its distinct shift in prices can be expected. Consid-
maximum at 133 MB/second, where the ering the benefits of SATA over ATA, the
current SATA standard provides data transfers potential difference of a few dollars can easily
of up to 150 MB/second. The overall perfor- be justified when considering an upgrade.
mance increase of SATA over ATA can currently
be expected to be up to 5% (according to Final Words
Seagate), but improvements in SATA technol-
ogy will surely improve on that. The current SATA standard provides signifi-
cant benefits over ATA in terms of conve-
The future of SATA holds great things for nience, power consumption and, most impor-
those wanting even more speed, as drives tantly, performance. The main thing ATA has
with 300 MB/second transfer rates (SATA II) going for it right now is history, as it has been
will be readily available in 2005, and by 2008 the standard for so long that it will not likely
speeds of up to 600 MB/second can be disappear any time soon. The future of SATA
expected. Those speeds are incredible, and will be even more interesting as speed
are hard to imagine at this point. increases will help hard drive development
keep pace with other key system
Another performance benefit found on SATA components.
drives is their built-in hot-swap capabilities.
SATA drives can be brought on and offline
without shutting down the computer system,
providing a serious benefit to those who can’t
afford downtime, or who want to move drives
in and out of operation quickly. The higher
number of wires in the power connection is tech tips
partially explained by this, as six of the fifteen brought to you by
wires are dedicated to allowing the hot-swap
feature.
geeks.com
5 Simple Steps
No one wants their computer to be loud, but
in order to keep components running at safe
to a Quieter PC
Tech Tip 9 - Jason Kohrs
temperatures, cooling fans can wind up
making the system sound like a blow dryer. In
a busy office environment some noise may go resides, a noise reduction can be achieved
unnoticed, but as computers find their way because the larger fan can move the same
into more rooms of the home, near silence is amount of air at a lower rotational speed. In
essential. A computer sitting in the living general, the slower a fan moves the less noise
room for use with a home theater system has it will make. The ball bearings on many fans
to be quiet so that it doesn’t interfere with are a source of vibration which in turn create
the enjoyment of music or movies, for example. noise. Selecting a fan with fluid or sleeve
Complete systems and high end components bearings will greatly reduce the noise created,
are available to combat computer noise, but which is generally a good thing, except for
this Tip will look at a few areas to quiet exist- one instance.
ing systems on a minimal budget.
Ball bearing fans
1. Cooling Fans can be counted
on to get even
The bulk of all noisier just
noise in a before failure,
computer system letting you know
is going to come when replace-
from the cooling ment is neces-
fans mounted sary. Fluid or
on the case and sleeve bearings
from any heat will just fail
generating without such a
components warning which could jeopardize other system
such as the components. One other caveat to sleeve-
processor. Cases generally employ 80mm fans bearing fans vs. ball-bearing fans is that
with ball bearings to keep cool air flowing. sleeve-bearing fans generally tend to fail
Two steps to reduce noise include increasing sooner than ball-bearing fans. A quality
the fan size and choosing a fan with fluid or processor cooler is essential to keep a high
sleeve bearings. If a 120mm fan can be powered system running cool, but it isn’t
installed where the 80mm fan presently always necessary to run the fan installed at
full speed. Some coolers, such as the Cooler pass the air without restriction. Along the
Master Aero 4, include a simple fan speed dial same lines, but applied to other areas of the
that can be mounted either in the back or the case, the X Blade ATX Window Case has a
front of the case for convenient adjustment. fairly open design on both the front grill and
For those bold enough to run plumbing inside the side panel for 80mm fans to draw in cool
a computer, water cooling kits such as the air. Experimenting with the size, speed and
Cooler Master Aquagate can take cooling placement of case fans can lead to a setup
performance and quiet operation to a whole with adequate cooling and low noise produc-
new level. Many cooling fans will actually list tion that might not be expected. It is possible
the decibel level of the noise that they gener- for some cases to be cooled well with a single
ate. The lower the number, the better. In 120mm exhaust fan while leaving the other
practical terms, below 20 decibels (db) would various fan locations empty. The noise will
be super quiet; 20 to 30 decibels, somewhat obviously be less with fewer fans running and
quiet; 30 to 40 decibels, somewhat noisy; and if the temperatures are acceptable there is no
over 40 decibels, just plain noisy. need to use all of the fans just because they
are there.
2. Cases
3. Fan Controllers
The design of a case is
a key factor in the Fan controllers
system’s cooling are available in
performance and n u m e r o u s
noise generation. A configurations,
case with ample venti- but they all serve
lation is required to the same function… to allow a fan to run at
keep the components something other than full speed. Just reduc-
cool, and a few things ing a fan’s speed by 5-10% can have a notice-
can be done to achieve able impact on noise, but zero impact on
this without adding cooling performance. Some fan controllers
to the noise level. “Of most interest is the operate automatically, using a thermal sensor
availability of multiple fan mounting locations to vary the speed of the fan in direct propor-
in a case, as well as the open area provided tion to the temperature sensed. This type is
for the fans to move air.” (not sure why there convenient as it requires no user interaction
are quotation marks around this sentence.) but eliminates any possibility of custom
Taking a look at the back of this Gladiator control. Manual speed controllers put all of
ATX Window Case shows that the user has the the power in the user’s hands, generally with
flexibility to mount an 80mm fan, or opt for a dial that adjusts the fan’s speed by varying
the previously described benefits of a 120mm the resistance on the line powering it. The
fan. But, the perforations provided for the air Cooler Master Cool Drive 4 is primarily a hard
to pass through are somewhat restrictive, drive cooler, but it also serves the function of
which could add to the noise level as the wind a four channel manual fan speed controller.
whistles through the small openings. This is From one digital control panel, up to four
nothing that someone handy with a Dremel temperatures can be monitored, and the
couldn’t remedy, but for those who don’t corresponding fans can be monitored and
want to cut up their case, compare the Z-Alien controlled to maintain a healthy balance
ATX Window Case to the Gladiator. There is between noise and temperature.
much more open area for a 120mm fan to
Capabilities
Browsing the Computer Geeks website shows The HP JetDirect BT1300 Bluetooth printer
a variety of products that take advantage of adapter makes sharing a printer extremely
Bluetooth’s capabilities, from laptops and convenient by eliminating the need for any
PDAs, to headphones and input devices, and wires or special configurations on a typical
even wireless printer adapters. network. Printing to
any compatible HP
Laptops, such as the Toshiba printer from a PC,
Tecra 9000, include an onboard PDA or mobile phone
Bluetooth adapter to allow the can now be done
system to connect to any easily from anywhere
Bluetooth device right out of in the office.
the box. For laptop or desktop
systems that do not have an Final Words
adapter built in, there are USB
Bluetooth adapters, such as the Belkin At this point the popularity of Bluetooth
F8T001. might not be as large as some proponents
would have hoped, but many devices are
Bluetooth enabled PDAs, such as the HP iPAQ available for those interested. The cost and
hx4700 , allow for convenient wireless synchro- competition from other standards have
nization and data transfer. hindered the widespread acceptance, but
Bluetooth does offer a viable solution to many
Headphones can take advantage of Bluetooth devices that might not have wireless connec-
for two purposes… audio playback and mobile tivity without it.
phone communications. Using something like
the Logitech Mobile Headset with a Bluetooth
enabled mobile phone allows anyone to go
hands free, as well as wire free.
Basics of RAID
A couple of the recent
Tech Tip 11 - Jason Kohrs
Tech Tips have made tions that provide different approaches to
mention of RAID, but redundancy, but some RAID configurations
the level of detail are not redundant at all. Fault tolerance refers
required in those tips to a system’s ability to continue operating
didn’t shed much light when presented with a hardware (or software)
on what RAID actually is. failure, as should be experienced when a hard
The number of e-mail drive fails in one of the redundant configura-
responses and comments tions of RAID.
in the Readers Digress
section was convincing The Hardware
enough that an intro-
duction to the basics of The basic hardware required to run RAID
RAID would be an appro- includes a set of matched hard drives and a
priate Tech Tip, so here RAID controller.
it is.
RAID can be run on any type of hard drive,
Introduction including SCSI, SATA, and ATA. The number of
hard drives required is dependent on the
The word RAID sounds like it might describe particular RAID configuration chosen, as
something Marines conduct in Fallujah, or a described later. I mention the need for
can of what all roaches fear, but it is simply an matched hard drives, and although this is not
acronym that stands for Redundant Array of absolutely neces-
Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks. Depend- sary, it is recom-
ing on who you talk to, the letter “I” can stand mended. Most
for either independent or inexpensive, but in arrays will only be
my opinion independent is more appropriate, able to use the
and far less subjective. capacity of the
smallest drive, so if
RAID generally allows data to be written to a 250GB Hitachi
multiple hard disk drives so that a failure of drive is added to a
any one drive in the array does not result in RAID configura-
the loss of any data, as well as increasing the tion with an 80GB
system’s fault tolerance. I say RAID generally Hitachi drive, that
does this, as there are several RAID configura- extra 170GB would
probably go to waste the only time that this Another piece of hardware that is not
doesn’t apply is in a RAID configuration called required, but may prove useful in a RAID array
JBOD “Just a Bunch Of Disks”; which really is a hot swappable drive bay. It allows a failed
“isn’t a RAID configuration” but just a conve- hard drive to be removed from a live system
nient thing that a RAID controller can do – see by simply unlocking the bay and sliding the
“Basic RAID Configurations” below for more drive cage out of the case. A new drive can
information. In addition to matching capaci- then be slid in, locked into place, and the
ties, it is highly recommended that drives system won’t skip a beat. This is typically seen
match in terms of speed and transfer rate as on SCSI RAID arrays, but some IDE RAID cards
the performance of the array would be will also allow this such as this product
restricted by the weakest drive used. One manufactured by Promise Technology.
more area that should be considered while
matching is the type of hard drive. RAID The Software
controllers are generally for either SCSI, SATA,
or ATA exclusively, although some systems RAID can be run on any
allow RAID arrays to be operated across modern operating
controllers of different formats. system provided that
the appropriate drivers
The RAID control- are available from the
ler is where the RAID controller’s
data cables from manufacturer. A
the hard drives are computer with the
connected, and operating system and
conducts all of the all of the software
processing of the already installed on one
data, like the drive can be easily be cloned to another single
typical drive connections found on a mother- drive by using software like Norton Ghost. But
board. RAID controllers are available as add it is not as easy when going to RAID, as a user
on cards, such as this Silicon Image PCI ATA who wants to have their existing system with
RAID controller, or integrated into mother- a single bootable hard drive upgraded to
boards, such as the SATA RAID controller RAID must start from the beginning. This
found on the Asus K8V SE Deluxe. Mother- implies that the operating system and all
boards that software needs to be re-installed from scratch,
include RAID and all key data must be backed up to be
controllers can restored on the new RAID array.
be operated
without the use If a RAID array is desired in a system for use as
of RAID, but the storage, but not as the location for the operat-
integration is a ing system, things get much easier. The exist-
nice feature to ing hard drive can remain intact, and the
have if RAID is a necessary configuration can be made to add
consideration. the RAID array without starting from scratch.
Even for systems
without onboard RAID, the relatively low cost Basic RAID Configurations
of add on cards makes this part of the upgrade
relatively pain free. There are about a dozen different types of
RAID that I know of, and I will describe five of
the more typical configurations, and usually the sum of individual drives. Using those same
offered on RAID controller cards. two 160GB Seagate drives from above in RAID
1 would result in a total capacity of 160GB.
and three respectively, with the correspond- boost, just additional connections for adding
ing parity chunk being written to drive two. more drives to a system. A smart thing that
Chunks five and six would be written to drives JBOD does is that it can treat the odd sized
two and three, with the corresponding parity drives as if they are a single volume (thus a
chunk being written to drive one. Chunks 10GB drive and a 30GB would be seen as a
seven and eight take us back to the beginning single 40GB drive), so it is good to use if you
with the data being written to drives one and have a bunch of odd sized drives sitting around
two, and the parity chunk being written to – but otherwise it is better to go with a RAID
drive three. It might not sound like it, but due 0, 1 or 0+1 configuration to get the perfor-
to the parity information being written to the mance boost, redundancy or both.
drive not containing that specific bits of infor-
mation, there is full redundancy. The capacity Final Words
of a RAID 5 array is equal to the sum of the
capacities of all the drives used, minus one Implementing RAID may sound daunting to
drive. So, using three of the 160GB Seagate those unfamiliar with the concept, but with
drives, the total capacity is 320GB when some of the more basic configurations it is not
configured in RAID 5. much more involved than setting up a
computer to use a standard drive controller.
But, the benefits of RAID over a single drive
system far outweigh the extra consideration
required during installation. Losing data once
is another non-redundant configuration, due to hard drive failure may be all that is
which does not really offer a true RAID array. required to convince anyone that RAID is right
JBOD stands for Just a Bunch Of Disks (or for them, but why wait until that happens.
Drives), and that is basically all that it is. RAID
controllers that support JBOD allow users to
ignore the RAID functions available and simply
attach drives as they would to a standard drive
controller. No redundancy, no performance
Flash memory is available in so many formats that it can be difficult to know what will
work with any particular device. Devices such as MP3 players, PDAs, mobile phones,
digital cameras, and personal computers can take advantage of flash memory to bolster
their storage capacity, but selecting the right format may be easier said than done.
To try to address all of the common formats in one Tech Tip might be quite a read, so
we're doing a two part series on Flash Memory. Part I of the Flash memory series will
focus on two similar, very popular and generally interchangeable formats: MMC and SD.
The Basics
Before getting into the details, some background on each card may be appropriate. The
letters ‘MMC' stand for MultiMedia Card, which is a format that was developed jointly
by SanDisk and Siemens in 1997. The letters ‘SD' stand for Secure Digital, and this
format is an improvement on the original MMC design, and was developed jointly by
SanDisk, Matsushita Electronics (better known as Panasonic) and Toshiba.
Both formats are quite durable and the solid state (no moving parts) components are
protected by a rigid plastic shell. The devices are generally unaffected by extreme
temperatures, and should withstand a drop of 10 feet without experiencing any damage
from shock.
Physical Features
Both MMC and SD flash memory units measure approximatly 24mm x 32mm x 2.1mm,
about the size of a typical postage stamp, and weigh a mere 2 grams. This miniature
footprint may make them about the easiest way to misplace your data, but also allows the
devices that accept them to be smaller. Personal electronics are shrinking as they get
more powerful, and the necessary accessories need to keep pace. Although they share the
same basic form factor, MMC and SD cards can be distinguished by two physical
features, a sliding tab and the number of connections.
When looking at an MMC or SD card so that the label is facing you, and the electrical
connections are facing away from you, there will be a notch in the upper right corner of
the card. From this point of reference there will be a small sliding tab on the left edge of
an SD card, not found on an MMC card. Compare this 512MB MMC card with this
512MB SD card and you can see the difference if you look closely at the enlarged
images. This tab slides into two positions, locked and unlocked. It allows the user to
manually write protect the data on the card, which means with the tab in the locked
position data can be read from the card, but nothing can be written to or erased from the
card.
The other physical difference is on the backside of the card. An MMC card features
seven electrical connections (small rectangular pads for data transfer and receiving
power), whereas an SD card has nine.
• While there may be rare exceptions, for all practical purposes, SD & MMC cards
may be used interchangeably on current devices, especially if they indicate
"SD/MMC" compatibility.
Transfer Rate
SD and MMC cards are capable of similar data transfer rates, with a slight edge going to
the SD cards. SD cards are now available with write speeds rated at 60x (9 MB/s) and
read speeds rated at 66x (10 MB/s), while MMC transfer rates seem to peak at 9 MB/s in
either direction. Not much of a difference and both are quite fast, but end user results
will vary and may not reach these speeds in real world use, regardless of format chosen.
SD and MMC cards should reference a speed as part of the technical specification, and it
is an important thing to consider when shopping around. Lower speed cards are still
commercially available, and can have an impact on the performance of digital cameras or
other devices where speed may be critical. Each ‘x' in the speed rating represents 0.15
MB/s, so if 45x compared to 66x doesn't sound like a big deal to you, maybe putting it in
terms of 6.75 MB/s compared to 10 MB/s will. Instead of actual speed ratings, some
manufacturers will use words like “High Speed” or “Ultra” when referring to the faster
cards.
Note: Check the actual write speed specs of your device before purchasing "Ultra" or
"High Speed' chips. You could be putting a Hemi engine in a AMC Gremlin. Don't spend
the extra money if the camera does not support it.
Capacity
SD cards are readily available in sizes up to 1 GB, 2 GB models are starting to show up,
and the SD Card Association states that models with up to 4 GB and 8 GB of storage
capacity are also on the way. In contrast, MMC cards have a maximum capacity of
512MB, making the SD technology much more appealing.
Security
As mentioned in the physical features section above, SD cards offer the benefit of write
protection. By ‘locking' the card, a user can be assured that the data is secure until they
take the necessary step to un protect it. Fears of accidentally losing or changing data can
be eliminated by using an SD card over an MMC card, thus improving the security of the
data.
Another feature supported by SD, but not MMC, involves copyright protection. The
SanDisk web site refers to this feature as "cryptographic security for protection of
copyrighted data", and other locations reference it as DRM, or Digital Rights
Management. Basically, licensed content can be written to an SD card and it can not be
executed except from that specific card.
Applications
In general, SD and MMC cards are interchangeable and either can be used in a
compatible device. An SD card may generally cost more than an MMC card with the
same capacity, but as seen in this Tech Tip, it does offer more for the money.
Many card readers are available for personal computers that promote the ability to read
and write to a variety of common flash media formats. A 15-in-1 reader/writer, such as
this one, can be made quite compact thanks in part to the fact that two of the 15, MMC
and SD, can be read from the same slot on the device.
MP3 players generally come with a base amount of memory to store music files, but
having an expansion slot allows users to increase the capacity, and play time, by adding
flash memory of their choice. The Pogo RipFlash MP3 Player is such a device, providing
256MB onboard as well as an SD/MMC slot for easy expandability.
Mobile phones and PDAs can also take advantage of increased storage space thanks to
flash memory slots. The Handspring Treo 600 is a combination phone/PDA that offers
an SD/MMC slot for such convenience.
And of course, digital cameras use flash memory as their ‘film', where larger and faster
cards are always a welcome upgrade. The 6.1 MegaPixel Kodak DX7630 could fill up
the same SD/MMC card much faster than the 3.2 MegaPixel Umax AstraPix 640, but one
of the great things about these cards is that the user can choose the size, as well as the
quantity to have on hand, in order to suit their particular needs and budget.
One word of warning – be sure to check your device for the capacity of the card that it
can handle. If your camera can handle only up to a 512 MB card, then using a 1 GB card
in the camera will be pointless (depending on the device, some will not even be able to
read the card, whereas others will only use up to the capacity that it is rated for. Either
way, you want to make sure that you match the card properly to the device). So as
always, check your product's manual to be sure that you buy memory that it can support.
Final Words
MMC and SD are two of the more commonly used formats of flash memory, but as
mentioned, there are several others. Keep an eye out for next week's Tech Tip: Part II of
the Flash Memory Series will address Compact Flash, Smart Media, Memory Stick, and
xD formats.
Flash Memory, Part II
In the first part of the series on flash memory, an overview was provided for two fairly common
formats; MultiMedia Card and Secure Digital. In this installment, we will wrap things up with an
overview of four other common formats: CompactFlash, SmartMedia, xD, and Memory Stick (yes,
there are actually even MORE, but these six constitute the ones used most in the Flash Memory
universe).
It would be convenient for consumers if manufacturers could all agree on one format of flash memory,
but don’t hold your breath for that to happen! With flash memory being used in various devices such
as MP3 players, PDAs, mobile phones and digital cameras, one can count on having as many
choices in devices as in the memory required for them.
This Tech Tip will cover some of the basics of each format mentioned, providing information on the
history and technology of each.
CompactFlash
CompactFlash technology was developed by SanDisk in1994, making it one of the oldest flash
memory formats currently in use.
Every CompactFlash card is 43mm wide and 36mm long, but depending on the type of card, they can
have two different thicknesses. Type 1 CompactFlash cards are 3.3mm thick, Type 2 CompactFlash
cards are 5.5mm thick, and these dimensions make the cards fairly large as compared to other flash
memory. The connections for these cards are found at one end and feature two rows of 25 sockets
that supply either 3.3V or 5V to the card (they can operate on either). This 1 GB SanDisk model
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SD-CF1GB-N&cat=RAM) is an example of a typical Type II
CompactFlash card.
The larger size of the CompactFlash cards may seem like a disadvantage, but it is necessary for one
of the main advantages. It is the only format of flash memory where the controller is actually onboard,
making it more universally compatible and capable of increased performance by unloading the
processing burden from slower devices that it may interface with.
The thickness of the cards can also be considered a bonus for two other reasons. There is plenty of
space inside for large capacity high density memory modules, and the longevity of the device may be
increased since they are more rugged than many other form factors.
Microdrives are a separate type of compact storage device first developed by IBM, but they share the
same interface and general dimensions as a Type 2 CompactFlash card (Microdrives actually have
teeny-tiny spinning discs in them – they are not solid state flash memory like CompactFlash).
Computer Geeks sells a 2.2 GB Microdrive by MagicStor
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=GS1022C-N)
SmartMedia
SmartMedia was first developed by Toshiba, and the technical name for it is actually Solid-State
Floppy-Disk Card (or SSFDC for short). Just as CompactFlash has a group backing it, Smart Media
is promoted by the SSFDC Forum (http://www.ssfdc.or.jp/english/).
All SmartMedia is 37 mm wide by 45 mm long by about 0.25 mm thick, with a notch found in one
corner, and exposed “golden” contacts on the back side. At less than 1mm thick, SmartMedia is
easily the thinnest of the flash memory formats. The maximum capacity one can expect to find for
SmartMedia is a mere 128 MB, making it a less than appealing solution for modern mass storage.
SmartMedia’s popularity has been on the decline for years as more powerful technologies have
emerged to replace it. Computer Geeks stocks 128 MB
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SM128) and 64MB
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SM64) SmartMedia cards as well as a couple of adapters
that let you use a SmartMedia card in a CompactFlash
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SMTOCF) or PCMCIA (notebook)
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SMTOPCMCIA) slot.
The extremely low profile is in part achieved by the lack of an onboard controller, and by the fact that
SmartMedia is basically just memory modules embedded in a plastic card. The controlling is
conducted by the device using the memory, which is how all flash memory but CompactFlash operate
anyway.
Early SmartMedia cards operated on 5V, but the current standard uses 3.3V. Older 5V cards can not
be used in 3.3V SmartMedia devices, so it is important to know the difference between them. Holding
a SmartMedia card so the exposed electrical contacts are facing you and positioned at the top of the
card, if the notch is on the left it operates on 5V, if the notch is on the right it operates on 3.3V. This
notch also prevents one type of card from being fully inserted into a device that is not designed to
accept it.
xD
The xD (eXtreme Digital) format was launched by Fujifilm and Olympus in 2002, and is promoted by
the group at the official xD-Picture Card website (http://www.xd-picture.com/). With a complete name
of xD-Picture Card, this format was intended solely for use with digital cameras, although it did find
applications elsewhere. Fujifilm and Olympus were two of the biggest supporters of SmartMedia, and
the launch of xD was a pretty good sign that the future of SmartMedia was limited.
Each xD card measures a mere 20mm by 25mm by 1.7mm, making them smaller in overall size than
even SD and MMC cards. The maximum capacity of xD cards is expected to be 8 GB, but typical
cards can be expected up to 1 GB in size. The read speeds of xD cards is up to 5 MB/s, while write
speeds can be up to 3 MB/s, making them fast, but not the fastest. xD cards also operate on 3.3V,
and are promoted not only for their minimal size, but for their low power consumption.
Memory Stick
Memory Stick flash memory was first launched back in 1998, and although it has the support of many
manufacturers, it seems to be most prominently used in Sony brand devices, including digital audio
devices, cameras and even televisions. Memory Stick is promoted by the group at the official Memory
Stick website (http://www.memorystick.com/), which has a good deal of information about the media
and applications for it.
Memory Stick flash memory looks a bit like a stick of gum, but slightly smaller, measuring about 50
mm by 21.5 mm by 2.8 mm. Current models can be expected with capacities of up to 2 GB, and
Memory Sticks with capacities of 4 GB to 8 GB may be available soon. According to the Memory
Stick website, maximum (theoretical) data transfer rates of up to 160 Mbps can be expected, although
real world results will most definitely be lower. Expect a memory Stick to actually provide read
speeds of up to 2.45 MB/s, and write speeds of up to 1.5 MB/s.
Memory Sticks come in four flavors (so to speak) the original Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and
Duo versions of each. Memory Stick PRO offers faster speeds and larger capacities over the original
Memory Stick. The Duo modules are smaller and actually use an adapter to fit into Memory Stick
slots. Note that not all devices that take Memory Sticks can use Memory Stick PRO modules – be
sure to check your manual.
Final Words
Say you have devices that require you to have some or all of these different types of flash memory…
Interfacing with all of them could be inconvenient if not for devices such as this 15-in-1 flash memory
card reader that Computer Geeks sells (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=USB20-18-IN-1). A
compact device (1/2” x 4” x 2-1/4”) such as this is all that is necessary to read and write to any of the
cards covered in these two Tech Tips and then some.
Flash memory can be a bit confusing for such a small, seemingly simple device. Six of the more
common formats have been covered in this series of Tech Tips, and hopefully the background
information and basics of each technology can help users make purchasing decisions with more
confidence.
Motherboard Basics
A recent Tech Tip covered the basics of selecting a computer case (http://geeks.com/pix/techtips-122304.htm)
and made mention of the various sizes that correspond to motherboards of different form factors. A few people
wrote in expressing interest in understanding more about the basics of motherboards, and that’s exactly what
this Tech Tip intends to address.
A motherboard, also known as a main board, is the primary circuit board inside of a computer, and is where the
central processing unit (CPU), memory, expansion slots, drives, and other peripheral devices are connected.
The circuitry on a motherboard facilitates the communication between all of the devices in the computer,
making them as critical to a system’s performance as items such as the CPU or memory.
The core circuitry of a motherboard is referred to as its chipset, and generally the manufacturer of the
motherboard is not the manufacturer of the chipset. Intel does produce motherboards with their own chipsets,
but buying a motherboard brand such as Gigabyte, Biostar, and ASUS means getting a board with either a
VIA, Nvidia, SIS, or Intel brand chipset.
1. Form Factor
The different basic shapes and sizes of motherboards are categorized as form factors. There are several
standard form factors available, but some of the more common ones found in desktop computers include:
(http://www.formfactors.org/developer/specs/atx2_2.pdf), ATX
(http://www.formfactors.org/developer/specs/matxspe1.2.pdf), Micro ATX (mATX)
(http://www.formfactors.org/developer/specs/FlexATXaddn1_0.pdf) FlexATX
(http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/spearhead/mini-itx/) and Mini-ITX
ATX and mATX are by far the most popular motherboard sizes for desktop computers, and as seen in the list
above, are also some of the largest. More real estate on a motherboard allows for greater expansion
possibilities and extra features, which make the use of these boards more flexible. A Mini-ITX board may
feature just one slot for memory and one slot for an expansion card, while a typical ATX board may feature 4
memory slots and six slots for expansion cards.
Each form factor has its own niche that it fits into, from workstations and gaming systems for larger boards to
media centers and in-car computers for smaller boards. There is definitely overlap between the potential
applications of each form factor, and other features and capabilities will also influence the targeted use.
2. CPU Socket
The major processor manufacturers, AMD and Intel, are constantly waging a battle to offer the fastest, most
powerful processors available. Getting more speed and performance out of a relatively small chip generally
requires a change to the physical dimensions as each new generation of processor is released. Therefore,
motherboards need to evolve at the same pace in order to accept the new CPUs.
Back in the day, AMD and Intel processors shared a common CPU socket, but those days were short lived.
AMD and Intel have since been traveling down their own, relatively parallel, paths of performance and speed
increases, while using different designs. Selecting a motherboard for a modern AMD processor eliminates the
use of any Intel processor, and vice versa.
AMD’s current offering for desktop processors includes the Athlon 64, which is available in Socket 939
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=MBB#Socket939Motherboards) and Socket 754
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=MBB#Socket754Motherboards) formats. The number in the names
represents the number of pins present on the backside of the CPU that connect to the motherboard’s socket.
The Socket 939 Athlon 64 therefore has a staggering array of nine hundred and thirty nine tiny pins to match
up with the motherboard’s socket. The Chaintech VNF4 Ultra (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=VNF4-
ULTRA-N&cat=MBB) is an example of a Socket 939 motherboard based on Nvidia’s NForce4 Ultra chipset
technology. In addition to these two sockets, many AMD processors, including Athlon XPs, Semprons, and
Durons, share the Socket A format (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=MBB#SocketAMotherboards),
also known as Socket 462 thanks to it having 462 pins for connecting to a motherboard.
Intel’s latest offering for their Pentium 4 and Celeron processors, LGA 775
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=MBB#Socket775Motherboards), doesn’t have pins at all and
basically swaps the pins to the motherboard for the socket. Perhaps this design move puts the burden of bent
pin warranty claims on someone else, but it is fairly unique. The Biostar P4M80-M7
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=P4M80-M7&cat=MBB) is an example of an LGA 775 motherboard
based on the VIA P4M800 chipset. Other Intel processors still on the market utilize the Socket 478 format
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=MBB#Socket478P4Motherboards) for Pentium 4 and Celeron
processors.
Although most motherboards support just one CPU socket, some applications benefit from having more than
one processor to tackle the tasks at hand. Servers and high end workstations are two examples where a dual
processor system, such as could be run on the Tyan Thunder i7500
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=S2720GN-2-XEON18&cat=MBB) motherboard, might make light
work of more advanced applications.
3. Components
‘Components’ is a fairly vague term to describe this section, but the items to be covered are fairly diverse.
Computer systems all use memory, storage devices, and power supplies, but among the many differences
motherboards have is the type and quantity of connections for these components.
Hard drive technology is changing too, as mentioned in the Tech Tip comparing SATA to ATA hard drives
(http://geeks.com/pix/techtips-010605.htm). Most motherboards over the past few years have offered two ATA
connections, which could support up to 4 drives. With SATA becoming more popular, some boards now offer a
mix of ATA and SATA connections, while others have abandoned ATA all together, and instead offer multiple
SATA connections which only support one drive each. In addition to type and quantity, motherboards can also
offer choices in hard drive capabilities by integrating RAID (http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips-012705.htm)
controllers onboard, as found on the ASUS K8V SE Deluxe (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=K8VSE-
DELUXE&cat=MBB).
As systems become more advanced, they many times impose special power requirements to keep them
running smoothly. Most motherboards feature the typical 20 pin ATX power connector, while some server
boards may have a 24 pin connection in its place. Motherboards for AMD Athlon 64 and Pentium 4 processors
will have a second power connection located in close proximity to the CPU socket for providing the extra power
that today’s high end processors demand. This special 4 pin connection isn’t found on every AMD Socket A
motherboard, but it will most definitely be located on an AMD Socket 939 motherboard. Power supplies have
been including this special connection for years, but for those upgrading an old system with a new
motherboard, the power supply may be just one more item that has to be upgraded as well.
4. Extra Features
Many motherboards now include features onboard that were once only available as expansion cards to be
purchased separately. A typical motherboard will now include stereo sound capabilities, a 10/100 LAN
connection, and a few USB 2.0 ports on the back panel connection. Depending on the budget and needs of
the end user, many motherboards may also include other convenient features such as integrated Firewire
ports, VGA connections, and onboard RAID controllers.
Although many of these items may be added later with expansion cards, if you know you want them upfront, a
bit of installation hassle and expense can be eliminated by finding a board with just about everything you want
included. That said, there aren’t many choices of onboard components, so it’s a case of take it or leave it. For
example, you may want stereo sound included, but find most motherboards offer 5 channel, where you would
prefer 8 channel. In that case, it may be a good thing that motherboards include expansion slots to add the
sound card of your choice.
5. Expansion Slots
A motherboard typically provides at least one slot for the installation of a graphics card
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=VCD) and a few slots for expanding the capabilities of the system in
other areas.
Graphics cards are available in PCI, AGP, and now PCI Express formats, and matching a motherboard to the
appropriate card is a key step. Most motherboards released over the past few years include an AGP slot, and
the new wave of motherboards are now starting to feature PCI Express slots for graphics card installation.
PCI slots are found on most motherboards, but are much slower than AGP and PCI Express slots, so they are
not the optimal choice for graphics. ATX motherboards may typically feature four to five PCI slots, and
although they could be used for secondary display graphics cards, more common applications include sound
cards, network cards, RAID controllers, TV tuners, modems, and USB/Firewire controllers. Considering that
many of these items are now included onboard, having multiple PCI slots isn’t quite as important as it used to
be.
6. Style
With enthusiasts adding windows and special lighting effects to just about every feature of a computer, why
should the motherboard be left out of the action? Long gone are the days of the stereotypical green PCB with
white connectors, and now most boards feature a vibrantly colored PCB and a rainbow of colors on expansion
slots, memory slots, drive connectors, and so on.
For example, if someone was undecided on a mATX board for their Socket 754 AMD Athlon 64, style might be
the deciding factor. The Chaintech MK8M800 (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=MK8M800&cat=MBB)
and the Biostar K8VGA-M-N (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=K8VGA-M-N&cat=MBB) are similar
boards featuring the VIA K8M800 chipset and prices under $70. The golden PCB with black and white
features of the Chaintech board may appeal to some, while the red, white, blue, and yellow of the Biostar may
sway others.
In general, a particular model is only available in one color scheme, and many manufacturers use the same
theme across their entire current line up. As an example, the Biostar board for AMD Athlon 64 processors
above features the same basic style as this Biostar board for the new Pentium LGA 775 processors
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=P4M80-M7&cat=MBB). In addition to coloring, some manufacturers
will include LED lighting on chipset cooling fans, or accessorize motherboards with matching cables to
complete the unique looks of the board.
Some people may scoff at colors being included in the list of key features on motherboards, but there will be
some that shop for style first, and then performance.
Final Words
There are many factors to address in selecting a motherboard, and this Tech Tip really just scratched the
surface of the basic choices that may need to be considered. Much more technical decisions may need to be
made by the advanced user, but covering the six basic areas discussed above is a good start for users of any
level.
Expansion Cards Part 1: PCI
The expansion slots available on motherboards allow for a variety of upgrades in a computer system, but
matching the appropriate card to an available slot needs to be addressed before making any purchasing
decisions. The most common types of expansion cards for modern computer systems can be broken down
into three formats: PCI, AGP, and PCI Express. Each of these formats will be addressed separately in this
three part series of Tech Tips, starting with PCI.
The letters “PCI” stand for Peripheral Component Interconnect, and is the term used to describe a bus that
connects components directly to the system’s memory and to the system’s processor through the “frontside
bus.” When discussing communications on a motherboard, the term “bus” has nothing to do with the big
yellow thing that takes the kids to school. There may be several buses in a computer, and like the PCI bus,
they are all responsible for managing the communication “traffic” from different devices to the processor.
The frontside bus is a high speed connection that manages the processor’s communication with items such as
hard drives, memory, and PCI devices, while not burdening the processor with all of the management
responsibilities.
First developed by Intel in the early 1990s, PCI was spawned from even earlier (and slower) bus architectures
such as ISA (Industry Standard Architechture) and VL-Bus (VESA Local), which were common back in the
1980s and 1990s.
The original specifications for the PCI Bus had a speed of 33 MHz, with a 32-bit bus width, and a maximum
bandwidth of 132 MB per second. There have been a few revisions to the PCI standard which have
significantly increased these specifications, taking it to 66 MHz, 64-bit, and 512 MB per second, respectively.
The 32-bit and 64-bit versions have different physical features, and most motherboards only offer 32-bit
connections. The original power specification had PCI devices operating on 5V DC, and with the revisions
came the capability for devices to continue using 5V, as well as now being able to operate on 3.3V DC.
A simple explanation of 32-bit and 64-bit can be had by continuing the analogy of buses and traffic. Think of
each bit as a lane of traffic on the communication path. Think of a 32-bit bus as having 32 lanes of traffic, and
a 64-bit bus having 64 lanes of traffic. Just as a greater number of cars can travel simultaneously on a road
with more lanes, more data can be transferred on a bus with a larger bit count.
Motherboards can support multiple slots sharing one PCI Bus, and although not particularly common, can
include more than one PCI bus. Depending on the form factor size of the motherboard, and other features that
may be taking up space on the board, one can expect to have one to six PCI slots on a typical motherboard.
For example, the mATX format Chaintech MK8M800 VIA K8M800 Socket 754 Motherboard
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=MK8M800&cat=MBB) features just two 32-bit PCI slots, while the
ATX format AOpen AX4GE Max Intel 845GE Socket 478 (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=AX4GE-
MAX&cat=MBB) features six 32-bit PCI slots.
A 32-bit PCI card features 124 pins for mating with a slot on a system’s motherboard, and will fit into either a
32-bit or 64-bit slot (although data transfer will be 32-bit in either type of slot).
32-Bit PCI Card
A 64-bit PCI card features 184 pins for mating with the appropriate slot on a system’s motherboard, but can
generally fit into a 32-bit slot as well, as long as features on the motherboard do not interfere. When installed
in a 32-bit slot, data transfer on a 64-bit card will be limited to 32-bit.
Subsequent installments in this series of Tech Tips will look at AGP and PCI Express, each of which has its
own unique physical features. Although the different format PCI cards may be interchangeable, PCI, AGP, and
PCI Express cards do not work (or fit) in any other type of slot.
Most PCI cards will be of the 32-bit variety, and the selection of items available is fairly extensive. Graphics
cards, sound cards, network cards, RAID controllers, TV tuners, modems, and USB/Firewire controllers are all
common items that may be added to a system through the use of a PCI card.
Many of the items listed in the previous paragraph can be found integrated on modern motherboards, but these
onboard devices offer no upgradeability. PCI devices provide plug and play installation, allowing a user to
install (or remove) a device with ease. For example, an inexpensive 2-channel sound card
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=AU8810&cat=SND) may be good enough for someone initially, but
down the road they may decide that something like the 7.1 channel Sound Blaster Audigy 2
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SB0350-1&cat=SND) offers the sound quality they really want.
Upgrading is a matter of powering down the system, swapping the cards, rebooting, and installing the new
software/drivers (OK, perhaps a bit over simplified). The good thing about PCI cards is that, even if you do
have a board with built-in feature (such as built-in sound mentioned above), your motherboard’s BIOS will
usually lets you disable that feature if you did want to add an upgraded card (such as the Audigy sound card
mentioned in the example above), or the card can complement the feature already built-in (such as an IDE
RAID card).
The one area that drove the development of AGP is the performance of PCI based graphics cards. The
demands of fast-paced video games, and other graphically intensive applications, require a great deal of
bandwidth, which just wasn’t available on the PCI Bus. Considering that all of the devices on the PCI Bus
share the bandwidth available, an even faster, dedicated bus was required to handle just the graphics data.
PCI graphics cards (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=VCD#StandardPCI) are still available though,
and make for an easy way to add a second display to a system currently operating on an AGP or PCI Express
graphics card.
Final Words
The PCI slot has been around for a while, and seems to have a place in at least the near future of computer
architecture. AGP and PCI Express offer performance benefits that the PCI standard cannot match, but for
many applications, the performance offered by PCI is more than adequate. Be sure to check out the next Tech
Tips in this series for the basics of AGP.
Expansion Cards Part 2: AGP
The first in this series of Tech Tips on expansion cards took a look at the PCI slot, and the variety of devices
that may find their home in one. Graphics cards are one of the many items that may be used in a PCI slot, but
the demands of fast-paced video games require more speed and greater bandwidth than the PCI Bus can
provide. Thus, the AGP slot was born, providing a dedicated interface to transfer graphics data only.
The letters ‘AGP’ stand for Accelerated Graphics Port, and it is the term used to describe a dedicated, point-to-
point interface that connects a video card directly to the system’s memory and processor.
AGP was first introduced by Intel in 1996, and is based off of their previous work in developing the PCI bus.
Despite being based on PCI technology, the AGP and PCI slots on a motherboard are not interchangeable, so
an AGP card can not be installed into a PCI slot, and vice versa.
The initial release of AGP saw a sizeable performance boost over PCI, and the few revisions to the standard
helped increase this even more as years went by. Other than having a dedicated path to the system’s memory
and processor, several other design features help AGP outperform PCI when it comes to graphics
performance. Three of the other advancements: pipelining, side band addressing and graphics address
remapping table are described below.
Data transfer is improved through ‘pipelining’, a term used to describe the ability of an AGP graphics card to
receive, and act upon, multiple instructions simultaneously. PCI data transfers require each piece of
necessary information to be received separately before acting on any of it.
Something called ‘side band addressing’ also provides AGP with a performance boost. Basically, additional
lines of data are included with each packet to instruct the system as to where this data is to be used. PCI data
transfers do not have this addressing information, and the system must look at the data itself in order to
determine its destination. This is an obvious time saver, as well as a resource saver since the processor
doesn’t have to analyze all data just to determine the address.
AGP allows the operating system to store texture maps (http://webopedia.com/term/t/texture.html) in the
system’s memory which allows for more space, and perhaps faster access, rather than being limited to the use
of graphics card memory only. Graphics art address remapping table, also known as GART, is a term used to
describe a process that maps physical memory as virtual memory for the storage of texture maps. Basically,
GART takes the system memory it is allowed to use to store texture maps and re-addresses it so that the
system thinks these maps are now actually being stored in the frame buffer, or virtual memory. This might not
sound like anything special, but this re-addressing requires that the texture map be written to memory only
once and it is locked into place right where the AGP card can find it quickly.
AGP can be broken down into different groups based on revisions to the specification (AGP 1.0, AGP 2.0, and
AGP 3.0), as well as by the general speeds (1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x). There is overlap between the various
categories, with AGP 1.0 supporting 1x and 2x, AGP 2.0 supporting 1x,, 2x, and 4x, and AGP 3.0 supporting
4x and 8x. For a complete break down of all the combinations available, please visit this page
(http://www.interfacebus.com/Design_Connector_AGP.html).
Before taking a look at the specifications of AGP, let’s have a refresher as to what was available on PCI prior
to the birth of AGP. The standard PCI bus has a width of 32-bit, operates at 33 MHz, provides a maximum
bandwidth of 132 MB/s (which has to be shared by all devices connected), and operates on 3.3V (or 5V on the
original standard).
The first version released was AGP 1.0 with a speed of 1x, which offered the following specifications: 32-bit
bus width, operating at 66 MHz, providing a maximum bandwidth of 266 MB/s, and utilizing 3.3V. So, it can be
seen that right out of the gate, AGP offered double the bandwidth of PCI.
Each speed increase over 1x provided double the bandwidth as well as double the clock speed through the
use of special signaling. So, AGP 2x offers a maximum bandwidth of 533 MB/s at a speed of 133 MHz, AGP
4x offers a maximum bandwidth of 1066 MB/s at a speed of 266 MHz, and AGP 8x offers 2.1 GB/s at a speed
of 533 MHz.
Given the timeline of the evolution of these cards, AGP 8x cards dominate today’s marketplace. Finding some
cards that are backwards compatible is possible, but the tricky part may be ensuring that the slot on the
motherboard will accept them. Comparing the connector on this 128MB Apollo GeForce FX6600 GT card
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=AGP6600GT-128MB&cat=VCD), to the connector on this 64MB
Hercules 3D Prophet Ultra II card (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=AGP-3DPIIU-64MB-
TV&cat=VCD), and to the connector on this 256MB Chaintech GeForce FX5200 card
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SA5200-N&cat=VCD) shows that the first one is obviously different
than the second two. The Apollo card is 8x only, the Hercules card is 4x/2x compatible, and the Chaintech
card is 8x/4x, which results in different notches in the connector.
AGP 1.0 only features a 3.3V connection, the release of AGP 2.0 saw the availability of both a 3.3V and 1.5V
connector, and AGP 3.0 uses the same 1.5V, but only requires 0.8V for signaling. In order to protect cards of
different voltages/formats, special keyed connectors were designed so that only the correct card could be
installed on any motherboard. A universal connector was eventually released for AGP 1.0/2.0 which allowed
cards of either voltage to be installed. For a schematic of the various connectors, please visit this page
(http://www.motherboards.org/imageview.html?i=/images/articles/tech-planations/920_p5_1.jpg). Although
AGP 3.0 can share in the use of a universal connection, many motherboards now only support 4x/8x cards
based on the AGP 3.0 standard.
Another specification for AGP was released between 2.0 and 3.0, and was referred to as AGP Pro. AGP Pro
was intended to be the new standard to meet the demands of high powered graphics workstations, but it never
really garnered widespread acceptance. Speeds of 1x, 2x, and 4x were supported with AGP Pro, and it
utilized either a 3.3V, 5V, or a universal connector, similar to AGP 2.0. But, the AGP Pro connector was not
the same size as the ‘standard’ AGP connector (see schematic at link above), meaning there were now three
more possible connections to consider. An AGP Pro connection is longer than a standard AGP connection,
and depending on the connector type, it could accept AGP 1.0 and 2.0 cards.
Modern motherboards supporting AGP will specify what type of card is compatible with the board, so the guess
work is eliminated when trying to match one with the other. For example, this Socket 754 Chaintech
motherboard (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=MK8M800&cat=MBB) specifies that it has one AGP
4x/8x slot and this Biostar LGA 775 motherboard (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=P4M80-
M7&cat=MBB) specifies that it has one 8x AGP slot.
Final Words
The AGP slot provided a much-needed boost to graphics cards as compared to the PCI slot, but game
developers still managed to push the capabilities of this more powerful format to the edge. Something even
faster was needed, and the next Tech Tip will take a look at that something in “PCI Express.” PCI Express is
not only destined to be the successor to AGP 8x, but due to its flexibility, perhaps to PCI as well.
Expansion Cards Part 3: PCI Express
In the first two installments of this series of Tech Tips, we took a look at PCI and AGP, undoubtedly the most
common expansion slots in a computer today. With a few key improvements over both of these, PCI Express
is destined to replace both and offer a whole new level of computer performance.
As with AGP and PCI, the development of PCI Express can be attributed to Intel. This time, however, they
partnered with some other heavy hitters in the industry, such as Microsoft, IBM, and Dell. Although it is now
known as PCI Express, that was not their initial choice for its name. If it wasn’t for PCI-SIG
(http://www.pcisig.com/home), the committee that oversees the PCI standard, we might be referring to this new
format at 3GIO (Third Generation Input / Output).
PCI Express development finds its roots in the PCI and AGP standards, but the physical connections are not
interchangeable, and we will see that this is not the only difference. In the PCI standard, data from the various
devices travels over a shared bus to the system. In the AGP standard, a dedicated, point-to-point interface
transmits the data from the graphics card to the system. The PCI Express approach to data transfer involves a
collection of two-way, serial connections that carries data in packets, similar to the way a network connection
operates.
The data from a PCI Express device will no longer have to travel over a single bus, or a single dedicated
connection, but can use a combination of these two-way serial connections to optimize throughput. The terms
“lane” and “link” don’t sound like anything overly technical, but take on special meaning with PCI Express. A
link is the physical connection between PCI Express devices, which can consist of multiple lanes that transmit
and receive data independently. Links can be composed of 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, or 32 lanes, and the
configuration allows flexibility in assigning just as many lanes as needed to any particular device. There are
obvious benefits to this approach, and a few of the more significant include the following points…
Each lane of PCI Express communication is dedicated between two points, so there is no sharing of
bandwidth. PCI’s main bottleneck was that all the devices were sharing the equivalent of one lane, and all of
the available bandwidth also had to be shared.
Multiple lanes can be assigned to devices whose performance would benefit from the extra speed and
bandwidth. A PCI Express graphics card (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=VCD#PCIExpress(PCIe))
might be assigned 16 lanes (also referred to as x16), while a network adaptor might be assigned just 1 lane.
Each lane you make available to a device increases the potential for performance, as the data is sequenced
up/down each available lane to optimize throughput. This process of sending the next byte of data down the
next available lane is referred to as data striping, and obviously more lanes are better for instances where a
good deal of data needs to be transmitted quickly.
Speaking of graphics cards, another benefit is that multiple high performance graphics cards can be installed
on one motherboard. The flexibility of PCI Express allows for two x16 PCI Express slots to be included for dual
graphics cards, something that in the past required one AGP slot and one PCI slot. And due to the
performance limitations, the AGP and PCI combination could not really be considered high performance. In
addition to two x16 slots allowing for dual display operation, when incorporating specific graphics cards on a
motherboard supporting nVidia’s SLi technology (http://www.nvidia.com/page/nforce4_sli.html), the resources
of the two separate cards can be bridged together for even greater performance on one display. An example
of such a motherboard can be seen in DFI’s LAN Party UT nF4 SLi-D
(http://www.dfi.com.tw/Product/xx_product_spec_details_r_us.jsp?PRODUCT_ID=3469&CATEGORY_TYPE=
LP&SITE=US).
Just as motherboards supported both AGP and PCI as a means of allowing dual displays, some motherboards
offer both an AGP slot and a PCI Express slot. Not only does this allow the user the ability to run dual
displays, it provides the added benefit of allowing an upgrade to be completed in stages. If a new PCI Express
capable motherboard was just purchased, perhaps in addition to a new processor, the budget conscience user
may not want to spring for a new graphics card right away. By making an AGP slot available on boards such
as the ECS 915P-A (http://www.ecsusa.com/products/915p-a.html), there is no reason to retire a perfectly
good AGP card just because one bought a new motherboard supporting PCI Express.
PCI Express graphics cards are quite similar to AGP cards, except for the connector configuration. The
physical size and layout are comparable, and even the prices are not that different. The current selection of
graphics cards at Geeks.com (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=VCD) doesn’t allow you to compare
apples to apples in any one card, but one may find many of the same AGP cards available in PCI Express
format for roughly the same price (or for even less money). For the time being, the markets seem to be
running in parallel, but in time a shift will occur in favor of PCI Express dominating the market.
Minimizing the cost involved in motherboard fabrication could be another benefit. Let’s look at the example of
a network adaptor requiring just 1 lane to operate. If this was a PCI based network adaptor, traces for the
standard 32-bit bus would need to reach this device, instead of the four traces required for 1 PCI Express lane.
Motherboard design will obviously weigh heavily on this benefit ever being realized, and it is possible that
higher-end boards might actually require more traces.
Before taking a look at the ultimate benefit of PCI Express, the performance, let’s have a refresher on the
capabilities of PCI and AGP. The standard PCI bus has a width of 32-bit, operates at 33 MHz, and provides a
maximum bandwidth of 132 MB/s (which has to be shared by all devices connected). AGP 8x has a 32-bit bus
width, operates at 533 MHz, and provides a maximum (dedicated) bandwidth of 2.1 GB/s.
Each PCI Express lane is capable of 250 MB/s in each direction, and as advances in the necessary silicon
technologies are realized, that number can be expected to quadruple. Presently, a 164-pin x16 slot can be
expected to provide around 4GB/s of usable bandwidth in either direction, which is almost double the 2.1GB/s
bandwidth that AGP 8x could offer! Definitely an impressive increase, and as the technology is refined, it will
be very interesting to see the performance scale up.
In the previous paragraph, I mentioned that the x16 slot features 164 pins. Each of the different lane
configurations is accompanied by a different physical connector, and a sampling of an x16, x8, x4, and x1 can
be seen in the graphic on this page (http://www.amdboard.com/pci-express.html). For a real world example,
the Chaintech VNF4 Ultra Athlon 64 Socket 939 motherboard (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=VNF4-
ULTRA-N&cat=MBB) shows an actual installation of one x16 slot and two x1 slots.
Graphics cards are obviously going to benefit the most from the power and performance available with PCI
Express, but as mentioned, other devices will also be able to take advantage of this new standard. The
example of a network adaptor is just one that not only can use PCI Express, but will also see performance
benefits. A Gigabit Ethernet adaptor will be more likely to actually achieve its rated speed thanks to the main
bottleneck being removed in the form of the slower, narrower PCI Bus. Other bandwidth intensive devices,
such as RAID controllers, can also be expected to jump off of the slower PCI Bus and find a smoother ride on
PCI Express. Although PCI devices requiring less bandwidth may not see any performance benefits from
going to PCI Express, as the standard achieves greater mainstream acceptance, the cost implications may find
these devices shifting over anyway, just as happened with the transition from ISA to PCI.
Final Words
The higher speeds and flexibility available from PCI Express have it destined to not only be the successor to
AGP 8x, but to PCI as well. The immediate performance increase over the older technologies is quite
impressive, and given time the benefits will be even greater. Only time will tell how long this transition will take,
but somewhere in the not-too-distant future we will be talking about motherboards that only support PCI
Express, and AGP and PCI will go the way of the lowly ISA slot.
Wireless Networking, Part 1: Capabilities and Hardware
These days it isn’t uncommon for a home to have multiple personal computers, and as such, it just makes sense for
them to be able to share files, as well as to share one Internet connection. Wired networking is an option, but it is one
that may require the installation and management of a great deal of wiring in order to get even a modestly sized home
set up. With wireless networking equipment becoming extremely affordable and easy to install, it may be worth
considering by those looking to build a home network, as well as by those looking to expand on an existing wired
network.
The first installment in this two-part series of Tech Tips will provide an introduction to the basic capabilities and
hardware involved in wireless networking. Once that foundation has been established, we’ll take a look at a few setup
and security related considerations that should be addressed once the physical installation is complete.
Capabilities
The basic standard that covers wireless networking is the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE)
802.11, which is close kin to the wired Ethernet standard, 802.3. Many people will recognize 802.11 more readily
when accompanied by one of three suffixes (a, b, or g), used to specify the exact protocol of wireless networking.
The 802.11a protocol first hit the scene in 2001, and despite a small surge in recent popularity, it is definitely the least
common of the three at this time. The signals are transmitted on a 5 GHz radio frequency, while “b” and “g” travel on
2.4 GHz. The higher frequency means that the signal can travel less distance in free space and has a harder time
penetrating walls, thus making the practical application of an 802.11a network a bit limited. The maximum transfer
rate, however, is roughly 54 Mbps, so it makes up for its limited range with respectable speed.
As mentioned, 802.11b and 802.11g networks operate on a 2.4 GHz radio band, which gives a much greater range as
compared to 802.11a. One downside to being on the 2.4 GHz band is that many devices share it, and interference is
bound to be an issue. Cordless phones and Bluetooth devices are two of many items that operate at this frequency.
The range of these two protocols is about 300 feet in free air, and the difference between the two comes down to
speed. 802.11b came first, released back in 1999, and offers speeds up to 11 Mbps. 802.11g first appeared in 2002
and it is a backwards compatible improvement over 802.11b and offers speeds up to 54 Mbps.
On top of these protocols, some manufacturers have improved upon the 802.11g standard and can provide speeds of
up to 108 Mbps. This doesn’t involve a separate protocol, but just a bit of tweaking in areas like better data
compression, more efficient data packet bursting, and by using two radio channels simultaneously. Typically, stock
802.11g equipment is not capable of these speeds, and those interested need to shop for matched components that
specify 108 Mbps support. I say “matched components” as this is not a standard protocol and the various
manufacturers may take different approaches to achieving these speeds. In order to ensure the best results when
trying to achieve these elevated speeds, components from the same manufacturer should be used together. For
instance, only Netgear brand network adaptors rated for 108 Mbps data transfer should be used with something like
the Netgear WG624 wireless router (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=WGT624NAR).
Considering your typical broadband Internet connection is going to offer data transfer rates of 10 Mbps or less, it can
be seen that even 802.11b would be more than adequate if you just want to surf the web. Sharing files on your LAN
(Local Area Network) is where the faster protocols will really make a difference, and comparing the prices of 802.11b
and 802.11g components may show that there is little to no difference in selecting a “g” capable device over a
comparable “b” capable device.
Hardware
Access Point – Wireless Access Point (WAP) is the central device that manages the transmission of wireless signals
on a network. A base access point may be capable of handling up to 10 connections, and more robust APs may be
able to manage up to 255 connections simultaneously. The D-Link DWL-1000AP+
(http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=37) is an example of a wireless access point capable of 802.11b transmissions.
Router – In somewhat technical terms, a router is a network device that forwards data packets. It is generally the
connection between at least two networks, such as two LANs, or a LAN and ISP’s (Internet Service Provider’s)
network. For our purposes, and for the sake of simplicity, a wireless router is basically an access point with the added
feature of having a port for sharing a broadband Internet connection. The D-Link AirPlus G
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=DI524-R&cat=NET) is an 802.11g capable router that provides access for
numerous wireless connections and four hard-wired connections to one WAN (Wide Area Network Internet)
connection. A typical router for home use will generally cost less than an access point, and via settings within the
firmware, can be used as just an access point anyway. Wired or wireless, all the computers using the router can
share files over the network, as well as sharing a broadband internet connection. Communication between wireless
computers (or a wireless computer and a wired computer) will max out at 54 Mbps, while communication between
wired computers will take full advantage of the 100 Mbps provided via the 802.3 protocol.
Network Adaptor – A network adaptor is required for every computer that you would like to be connected to the
wireless network. Many laptops, such as this Sony Centrino 1.5 GHz
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=PCGZ1RA-R&cat=NBB) now include a wireless adaptor built in, so no extra
hardware is needed. For those with systems that don’t have wireless capabilities built in, adding them is fairly simple,
and can be done using a variety of connections. Desktop computers can go wireless by adding a PCI slot network
adaptor such as the 802.11g capable D-Link DWL-G510 (http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=308). Notebook users
can easily add wireless connectivity by using a PCMCIA adaptor, such as this 802.11g capable device
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=PBW006-N&cat=NET). And for truly convenient plug-n-play connectivity to
wireless networks, USB adaptors such as this 802.11g capable dongle
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=80211GWUD&cat=NET) are available.
Antenna/Extender – These items are not essential, but given the specifics of a wireless environment, they may be
helpful. Devices such as the Hawking Hi-Gain Antenna (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=HAI6SIP-
N&cat=NET) or the Super Cantenna (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SCB10&cat=NET) serve the purpose
of increasing the wireless signal strength, and therefore extend the range of a given wireless network. Not only can a
large area of open space be covered, but the signal quality may be improved in structures with walls and floors that
obstruct the signal transmission.
Final Words
In this Tech Tip, we took a look at the basics of wireless networking as it relates to capabilities and hardware. In the
second part of this two-part series, we will look at some of the basic setup and security considerations that should be
addressed. The physical installation of a wireless network may be exponentially easier than a wired network, but the
more difficult part is setting up the software and security to make sure everything stays up and running without
incident.
Wireless Networking, Part 2: Setup and Security
The first installment in this two-part series of Tech Tips provided an introduction to the basic capabilities and hardware
involved in wireless networking. In the final installment of this two-part series, we will look at some of the basic setup
and security considerations that should be addressed. The physical installation of a wireless network may be easier
than a wired network, but the more difficult part is setting up the software and security to make sure everything stays
up and running without incident.
Although this Tech Tip is by no means an exhaustive resource on configuring a wireless network, it will provide
information and pointers that can be applied to most typical installations. Many of these tips are general enough that
they may provide some good advice for those utilizing wired networks as well.
For the sake of this article, we will assume that the hardware has been successfully installed physically, and that the
user is now prepared to set up and secure the system through software. Wireless devices, especially routers / access
points, generally include a web-based configuration utility that allows the user to customize the hardware to meet their
needs. The hardware will most likely work with minimal configuration, but to make it work so that the integrity of the
network is protected may take a few more steps.
In addition to the configuration interface provided with the wireless networking hardware, Microsoft has integrated a
“Wireless Network Setup Wizard” with the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 that will lead a user of any expertise
through the installation of their network. In addition, the “Microsoft Broadband Network Utility” will help them monitor
and maintain the network just as easily once it is set up.
Routers, whether wired or wireless, require a password for configuring the various settings, and all of them ship with
extremely simple default passwords. The first step taken in setting up the router should be to change the default
password to something more difficult to guess. Longer passwords that use a combination of letters and numbers are
preferable as they make hacking attempts that much more difficult.
Most routers ship with a default IP (Internet Protocol) address, something like 192.168.1.1, which is utilized by the
user for accessing the configuration utility interface, as well as by the network itself for negotiating the LAN and WAN
connections. The configuration utility of most routers will include a page that will allow for the default IP address to be
manually changed by the user. Although changing the default IP address doesn’t provide a great amount of security
since it can easily be discovered anyway, it may deter intrusion by local users that may be casually scanning the
network.
In the first part of this series of Tech Tips, I mentioned that almost all routers intended for home use can also double
as wireless access points, and this is generally accomplished by clicking a check box within the control panel
software. If a wireless router is being added to a network with an existing router and broadband connection, the new
device needs to be set to access point mode. Otherwise, there could be a conflict as the network may not know
where to expect the internet connection, since it will now have two routers that both want to serve as the gateway. If
the wireless router is replacing an existing router, or is the only one on the network, this should not be an issue as
these devices generally ship configured to operate as a router by default.
The SSID, or Service Set Identifier, is basically the name assigned to a particular wireless network. The user can
choose just about any name they want, as long as it is less than 32 characters long, and they just need to be sure that
all computers on the network are configured to use the same name. Two steps related to the SSID can be taken to
help improve the security of the network:
First, change the default SSID to a unique name that includes a combination of letters and numbers that doesn’t
reveal anything personal about you or your network. Second, disable the broadcast of the SSID once all of your
computers are successfully connected, even if your router / access point recommends broadcasting it. I have used a
few wireless routers, and all of them have a check box in the control panel for enabling/disabling the broadcast of the
SSID, and they have all recommended leaving broadcasting enabled. Broadcasting the SSID allows new computers
to easily find your network, and then all they have to do is access it given the proper credentials. Broadcasting your
SSID puts it out there for anyone within range to see, and it just allows would-be hackers to get one step closer to
compromising your security. In a home environment, there are probably few computers that need to access the
network, and if more are ever added, you can temporarily enable the broadcast to get them set up.
DHCP Server
The DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Server is a feature of most routers that makes adding new
computers extremely simple. Whenever a new computer connects to the network, the router will assign an IP address
to it, instead of the user having to assign an IP address to each manually while sitting at that particular computer. This
makes configuring a network very easy, but it also leaves the network vulnerable, as any new computer detected will
be welcomed to the neighborhood and assigned an IP address automatically. Two different approaches can be taken
to improve security, as related to the DHCP server:
One method, and the best as far as security is concerned, is to disable the DHCP server. This will require that all
computers that are authorized to connect to the network be configured manually, but it will prevent unauthorized
computers from obtaining an IP address. The second method, which doesn’t provide bulletproof security, is better
than doing nothing. In general, a DHCP server can support up to 250 computers, and by default leaves a range of
addresses readily available for that many to connect. If disabling the DHCP server doesn’t seem convenient for a
user, they can limit the DHCP server to only provide as many IP addresses as they know they need. If you know there
will never be more than five computers connected, limit the range of available IP addresses to a total of five within the
configuration utility.
All wireless components support some sort of encryption, which simply scrambles the information being sent across
the network so that it can not easily be read by anyone else connected to the network. There are different types and
levels of encryption, and a brief overview is provided for them below:
WEP, or Wireless Equivalency Protocol, was the first format of encryption available on wireless networks. WEP
allows the network administrator to assign an encryption string to be shared by all computers authorized to access the
wireless network. The encryption through WEP is either 64bit, 128bit, or 256bit, where the higher number represents
greater encryption, and the strings can be generated by the administrator as a series of letters and numbers.
WPA, or “Wi-Fi Protected Access,” is an improvement over WEP that starts off with a similar master encryption string
and then mathematically derives encryption keys to keep the security dynamic. WPA continually changes the
encryption keys used for each packet of data, and due to the extra processing required to support this protocol the
overall throughput of the connection may suffer slightly. Despite the potential for decreased speed, WPA is
considered to be far more robust than WEP, and should be implemented where possible. In some instances, WEP
encryption has actually been defeated, making WPA all that more appealing.
Although most components support both of these encryption formats, and users can select the type they wish to use
from within the control software, not all do. All devices on the network must be set to operate at the same level of
encryption, which may mean that some devices will force others to be less secure than they are capable of. For
example, a wireless network setup around this router (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=DI-824VUP&cat=NET)
could support either WEP or WPA encryption. When two computers are added to this network using one of these
network adaptors (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=WN-4054P&cat=NET) in one case, and one of these
network adaptors (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=PBW006-N&cat=NET) in the other case, things change.
Note that the second adaptor does not support WPA; therefore the whole network must now be configured to use
WEP to accommodate it.
Router Position
As discussed in the first part of this Tech Tip, wireless devices can have a range of up to a few hundred feet in free
space. When installed inside a home, this range may decrease greatly due to walls, floors and other obstructions, but
the signal may still be strong enough to carry beyond the confines of the dwelling. A simple step that may help reduce
the strength and reach of the network signal outside the house is to position the router / access point as close to the
center of the house as possible. The potential for someone to detect the network from outside the home when
positioned like this is now much less than if the router was placed near a window, for example.
Final Words
There are definitely additional issues that could be considered when setting up a wireless network, but covering these
basics will make a wireless network much more secure than it was straight out of the box. Many people are confident
that no one would be interested in their home network and feel security is just one more headache of technical
mumbo-jumbo that they would rather not deal with. Whether a hacker wants access to personal files on the network
or to simply gain unauthorized access to the Internet, a few simple steps are worth the peace of mind to know you are
as secure as possible.
Choosing a Portable MP3 Player: Part 1
MP3 players are everywhere! It seems that the number of makes and models in this
market is growing daily, with features and capabilities intended to appeal to just about
anyone shopping for one of these devices.
MP3 players have been around much longer than the Apple iPod
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=MP3#iPodMP3Players), but there is no arguing
that this one device opened the market to a much larger customer base. In addition to
Apple’s own success, the iPod paved the way for dozens of other manufacturers to offer
their own twist on this technology.
This series of Tech Tips will attempt to simplify things by taking a look at eight basic
features of a typical MP3 player that may be important to a potential buyer, including:
storage technologies, capacities, file formats, displays, batteries, extra capabilities,
computer interfaces, and size. Part 1 of this series will handle the first four topics, and
the second set of four topics will be covered in Part 2.
Storage Technologies
In general, portable MP3 players will utilize one of two formats to store the files on the
device, either flash memory or a hard drive. Flash memory similar to that used in digital
cameras is also found embedded in many lower capacity MP3 players. Due to the basic
capacity limitation of flash memory, hard drive based units are required by those who
need to store thousands of files on one device (or fewer files of higher quality).
It may be feasible to find flash memory based players with capacities that range from
128MB to 1GB (or maybe a bit higher), and the MSI MegaStick 511
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=5511-290&cat=MP3) is an example of a 1GB
flash memory based device. Hard drive-based units can provide much more space, and
your typical Apple iPod
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?Cat=MP3#iPodMP3Players) and Creative Zen
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?Cat=MP3#ZENMP3Players) will use a hard drive
in order to achieve their capacities of up to 40GB.
One of the key advantages of flash memory-based players is that they are "solid state", an
old electronics term which used to mean "contains no tubes", but now basically means
that a device contains no moving parts. No moving parts means fewer hardware
breakdowns, longer battery life (playing time), and it means that the devices can be
bounced around with no skips or damage to the device. If you're looking for a durable
MP3 player to go jogging with or take to the gym, you probably want a flash-based
player.
There are other formats that may be used for portable MP3 players, and the Classic
CM343R (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CM343R&cat=MP3) is an example
of a device that plays MP3s from recordable CD media.
Capacities
The capacity of these players was already touched on in the previous section, but there is
more to consider. Determining the capacity desired can have an impact on price and
physical size, but the main thing to consider is how many files need to be stored on it.
Several variables determine the quantity of music any given player may hold, namely file
type and compression encoding bit rate. MP3 files, for example, may be encoded at bit
rates ranging from low quality (64kbps) to high, up to 320kbps. Lower bit rates use less
disk (or memory) storage space, but offer sound quality comparable only to a telephone
call or AM radio. Higher bit rates, up to and exceeding that of CD quality sound, may be
used, but of course take more space. As with all things, there is a trade-off between
quantity and quality – think of it terms of the number of hours of TV you can record to a
VHS tape in SP, EP, and SLP modes.
For the sake of discussion, we will use a decent bit rate of 128 kbps, which will turn 5
minute long songs into files of approximately 5 MB in size. Some simple math shows
that a 128 MB device, such as this Egoman unit
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=MD230F-N&cat=MP3), will only hold about
25 such songs, while a 40GB iPod can hold about 8000. A device intended to be used
only for jogging may do just fine with 128 MB of storage, while a device used in the car,
at the office, and elsewhere may benefit greatly from more storage space… unless you
like listening to the same handful of songs over and over again.
Some players offer a base of onboard memory, plus the flexibility of adding more
memory through the use of an expansion slot. These slots will accept flash memory,
usually SD (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#SecureDigitalMemoryCard)
or MMC (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#MultiMediaCardMemory), and
it can be a cost effective way to add 512 MB to a 128 MB device, such as this one from
Ultra Products
(http://www.ultraproducts.com/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=48).
File Formats
Calling these devices MP3 players may be a bit unfair, as most will actually read a few
different file formats. MP3 is definitely the most popular, but other common formats
include WMA (Window’s Media Audio) and WAV (Microsoft’s Waveform Audio).
Less common formats are also supported by some devices, such as AIFF (Audio
Interchange File Format) and AAC (Advanced Audio Coding). In addition to MP3,the
iPod supports these two formats and a few others that most other players do not support,
which makes sharing these files with any other device just about impossible without
conversion software.
Software is available for creating MP3 files from audio CDs, as well as for converting
digital audio files from one format to another. Titles are available for purchase from
many companies, including the likes of Nero (http://www.nero.com/) and Roxio
(http://www.roxio.com/), and other titles can be found as downloads, either free or as free
trials.
Displays
Most MP3 players include some sort of display to help the user interact with the device.
The size of the display will have an impact on the overall size of the unit, but larger
displays can obviously contain more information, and may be easier on the eyes.
Basic information regarding the status of the device and its files are generally shown on
the display, and settings for things such as the volume and equalizer can be manipulated
with ease.
The LCD display on the iPod is one of its great features, due to its large size (2”
diagonally), and its LED backlighting for comfortable viewing in any lighting condition.
The iPod is a larger device, however, and it can afford to have a larger display to convey
information on menus, song artists/titles, volume, date/time, equalizer, battery status, and
so on.
Smaller devices obviously have smaller displays, but they still need to convey some basic
information. Using small fonts and symbols, allows devices like this one from
Perception Digital (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=PD099-256FM&cat=MP3)
to display a good deal of information at any one time. What is lost is the ability to view
menus and playlists, as seen on the iPod, and you may need better vision to see the
smaller characters.
Displays are a convenience item though, and some players have eliminated the display in
the name of simplicity (and hopefully savings). The iPod Shuffle
(http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/) doesn’t include a display at all, and their slogan
“enjoy uncertainty” expresses the fact that you’ll just have to go with the flow as your
interaction with the device is quite limited.
Final Words
For such small devices, there are many variables to consider when shopping for an MP3
player. The first part in this series covered four key items, and in the second part we will
cover four more, including; battery, extra capabilities, computer interface, and size.
Choosing a Portable MP3 Player: Part 2
This series of Tech Tips is geared towards simplifying MP3 players for the casual consumer by addressing eight
key topics. In the first part of this series, we looked at storage technologies, capacities, file formats, and
displays, and in this part, we will wrap things up by looking at batteries, extra capabilities, computer interfaces
and size.
Batteries
Battery type and expected life are key features when considering any type of portable electronics device, and
MP3 players are no different. Many devices now come with rechargeable batteries included, and the more
convenient arrangements allow for the batteries to charge while still in the unit, eliminating the hassle of having
to remove them to be placed in a stand-alone charger. Even more convenient are devices that recharge via
USB, so all you need to connect is one cable that serves both to transfer files, as well as to transfer power from
the computer to the device.
Many devices do not come with rechargeable batteries, but it is always an option to consider since most support
a standard format, such as AA or AAA. A charger and a set of batteries
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=V-1000) can be picked up relatively inexpensively, and over the
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course of the devices life the savings will add up when compared to the number of disposable batteries that
would be used.
Speaking of the number of disposable batteries that will be used, the life expectancy on one charge (or one set
of batteries) is of great interest, but generally harder to gauge from the manufacturer’s information. Many
devices do not publish a life expectancy, and those that do may need to be taken with a grain of salt. The
conditions may vary from the manufacturer’s test to the real world, so it is always a good idea to find an
independent review of the device to see how it fared.
Some devices with a single AAA battery may run for up to 30 hours on one charge, while a device using two AA
batteries may only make it to 10 hours.
The iPod includes a rechargeable battery that provides a good amount of run time on each charge, but unlike the
ones discussed so far, it is not readily available as an aftermarket replacement. If the battery dies, the unit
needs to be shipped back to Apple for replacement, which proved to be quite unpopular with owners of previous
generations of the device, as it seemed to be one of the device’s few flaws. That issue has been addressed, but
the battery in the new generation iPod is still proprietary, and can not be replaced by the end user.
Extra Capabilities
Many MP3 players offer greater value and convenience to users by doing much more than just playing MP3s.
Some devices, such as the MSI MegaPlayer 515 (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=5515-
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handy features found on some devices that some people may find useful. Some will double as portable storage
for any file type, some include basic e-mail clients, while devices with expansion slots can be used as a card
reader when attached to a computer.
Some devices are more appropriately called portable media centers, as they offer far more than just digital audio
playback. Although a device such as the Creative Zen Portable Media Center
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=70PF095000000-DT&cat=MP3) does play MP3 files, it also can play
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videos and show still pictures on its 3.8” color screen. Sony’s new PSP
(http://www.us.playstation.com/psp.aspx) is an exciting new portable device that takes things even farther by
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adding video games to the list (while still offering digital audio playback).
Computer Interfaces
The means for getting the files from the computer onto the MP3 player deserves consideration in respect to the
protocol used, as well as the connection provided. Most devices utilize USB for file transfers, but Firewire is also
an option, and this 40GB Apple iPod (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=PE436A-NB&cat=MP3) actually
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When selecting a device that utilizes USB, be sure to note whether it supports USB 2.0, or the much slower USB
1.1 standard, as units are still available using this older format. If you anticipate rotating your files regularly, or
have a large capacity player to fill, the speed of a USB 1.1 device may frustrate you. USB 2.0 offers transfer
rates up to 40 times faster than USB 1.1 (480 Mb/s versus 12 Mb/s), so keep that in mind when preparing to
move a few thousand files!
In addition to the protocol used, the physical connection may be worth paying attention to. Many devices, such
as this Perception Digital player (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=PD099-256FM&cat=MP3), offer a
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mini connection on the body for connecting a somewhat special USB cable for data transfer. If you want to add
files to the device, you need to carry the cable with you, or take a chance that this type of cable would be
available at any computer you may wish to connect to. Other devices, such as this Z-Cyber Zling player
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=8MMC-ZLGU2-512&cat=MP3), feature a standard USB male
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connector right on the body of the device. With this design, the player can either be plugged directly into an
available USB port, or if the size/shape of the device prevents this, a more typical USB cable is all that is
needed.
Size
The size of an MP3 player will be in large part determined by the combination of other features included with the
device. Hard drive-based players are generally going to be larger than flash memory-based players due to the
physical size of the drive. The type and quantity of batteries, the size of the display, and the type of computer
interface provided may all impact the size of the device as well.
MP3 players are generally quite small, and for the most part are only as large as they are for two simple
reasons: so the users don't lose them, and due to other technologies involved. For example, some MP3 players
that utilize two AAA batteries for power are barely wider and slightly longer than the batteries themselves,
providing just a little
thickness upfront for the flash memory, circuitry, and display. If a smaller, reliable power source was available,
who knows how small these devices could be.
Someone seeking a miniature device with a modest amount of storage for use while jogging may be able to find
something about the size and weight of a pack of gum. And although an iPod can in no way be considered a
large object, in the world of MP3 players it is bigger than most, and is geared towards a different application.
Final Words
MP3 players come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and capabilities, all of which need to be addressed while
considering what may be the most important feature… Price. Given the great number of devices on the market
today, there just may be a device out there to fit everyone’s needs, and hopefully this Tech Tip will serve as a
guide to what a user’s basic needs may be.
Building Your Digital Music Collection
basic features of portable MP3 players worth considering before laying down some
serious money on one of these devices. Once you have a nice new MP3 player
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=MP3) with plenty of space for music, you need
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to fill it up! There are several ways to go about building your digital music collection, and
we’ll take a look at a few ways to do so.
The first thing to address may be the term “MP3 player.” Many of these devices play
MP3 files, in addition to a variety of other formats. Many of the files available for
download are actually in a format other than MP3, but the term has been applied to
cover this whole class of devices, whether it is 100% accurate or not.
There are numerous software titles available that make creating MP3 files from CDs (or
other sources) a simple process. Most involve minimal input from the user once they
have configured their preferences, and will take the audio and convert it into the digital
format of their choice. During the “ripping” process, most applications will query an
online database, such as Gracenote (www.cddb.com), and take care of the file naming
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and ID tagging needed to make storing, sorting, and accessing the files a snap with most
players.
one program that any Windows user already has that is more than ready for basic WMA
and MP3 file creation. Just drop in your CD and click “Rip”. Many other titles may have
come bundled with hardware included with your system. For example, many optical
drives ship with a copy of Ahead’s Nero (http://ww2.nero.com/us/index.html) or a suite of
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CD burning they were intended for, but also have decent MP3 creation modules, as well.
There are a multitude of free, or at least free-to-try, MP3 encoding software titles, and a
trip to your favorite search engine may provide a list longer than you care to investigate.
Some names worth checking out include EZ CD-DA (Digital Audio) Extractor
(http://www.poikosoft.com/), EZ MP3 Creator (http://www.linasoft.com/ezmp3c.html), and
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Virtuosa (http://www.virtuosa.com/index.php).
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The great thing about digital audio files acquired this way is that they are yours to use on
whatever device you choose. The same can not be said about files obtained from either
of the next two methods to be discussed. The files obtained from legitimate download
services are protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management), which restricts the use of
the downloaded files to a limited number of computers and compatible portable devices,
as well as protecting the songs from redistribution by the end user. The files are yours
to use, but not as freely as you may want, and perhaps for only as long as you maintain
your account with the download service.
There are two main types of legitimate online sources of digital music… those that
charge you for each download, and those that require you to subscribe to a service on a
monthly basis. They offer the same types of files, but take different approaches to suit
your budget and music needs.
individual file downloads, thanks in no small part to the incredible popularity of the iPod
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=IPD) MP3 player. What some may not know is
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that iTunes is not just for iPod owners, or Macintosh computer owners for that matter,
but any PC compatible system can access the 99 cent downloads for use on their
computer or compatible portable player.
Many other outlets offer digital music files for download, and even some mainstream
brick-and-mortar stores have found their way onto the scene. Just as they have done
with retail sales, Wal-Mart
(http://www.walmart.com/music_downloads/introToServices.do) has managed to
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Subscribe to a Service
sharing, but they are back with a legitimate approach to music downloads. Although
they do offer a program where you can download individual songs for 99 cents each,
they offer monthly subscriptions for $14.95. This monthly fee allows for unlimited
downloads, and could be the ticket for someone looking to keep their play list fresh on a
regular basis. One caveat to this otherwise good solution is that the number of MP3
players supported is currently very limited. Also, once your subscription lapses, so does
the ability to “access” your music. Basically, you are renting the songs.
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Other subscription-based services are available, such as the one from eMusic
(http://www.emusic.com/) that charges a monthly fee, but restricts the number of
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Choosing between a service that charges for every download or one that charges a flat
monthly fee will most likely be determined by the volume of downloads one intends. If
you only want a handful of songs every few months, it may be worth it to pay per song.
But, if you intend to amass the ultimate collection of music ever known to man,
subscribing to a service on a monthly basis is obviously more practical.
Go Underground
Whether through first-hand experience, or from the massive media attention, most
people are well aware of other file sharing resources available on the Internet that can
be used for acquiring MP3 files. Although the files are free, and users may feel they are
operating anonymously, it may not be a safe means of acquiring media.
There are the obvious legal implications, as the RIAA has prosecuted file sharers for
copyright violation (http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3497246), but
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there are other issues, as well. The integrity of the files being downloaded is not
guaranteed, and people may wait patiently for a song to download only to find it is of
poor quality, incomplete, or even worse… carrying a virus or trojan.
So, there are other pools of digital music, but swim at your own risk!
Final Words
Filling your new MP3 player doesn’t have to cost anything except the time it takes to
encode the songs from your favorite CDs. But, paying for a download service is a sure
way to have the songs you want as they become available and at a fairly reasonable
price. These aren’t your only options for acquiring digital music, but when taking other
routes, proceed with caution.
Seven Things to Consider When Choosing a PDA
In the early days, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were not much more than glorified
calculators with the ability to store contact information and brief notes. Now, the line
between personal computer and personal digital assistant is blurred thanks to the
advanced capabilities of these useful little devices.
There are plenty of makes and models to choose from in the PDA market, and finding the
right model to suit an individual’s needs can be a dizzying challenge. This Tech Tip will
take a look at seven basic things to consider when choosing a PDA in an attempt to help
simplify the process.
Software
Palm OS is the modern version of the operating system that was found on some of the
first PDAs, Palm Pilots. No longer just a dull, greyscale environment, the Palm OS is a
sharp looking operating system with many software titles available (either included, as
downloads, or for purchase separately) to do just about anything you would want to do on
a PDA.
Microsoft Pocket PC is themed after the familiar Windows operating system, and this
similarity gives the millions of Windows users a comfortable environment to work with
when transitioning to a PDA. The basic commands are the same, and of all the software
titles available for a PDA running Pocket PC, many of them are reduced “pocket”
versions of what might be found on a computer such as Microsoft’s Word and Excel.
Multimedia applications are a strong point of the Pocket PC environment, with many
titles developed to make these devices more enjoyable and versatile.
Applications are available for either operating system to do just about the same thing,
although specific titles available for one may not be available for the other.
Speed
The speed of the processors in PDAs is picking up, and some older desktop computers
are being left in the dust by these little devices. Presently, the bulk of the devices on the
market are running at clock speeds of 300 MHz or higher, sometimes much higher. The
HP Ipaq HX4700 (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=FA282A_ABA-
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DT&cat=PDA) sports a 624 MHz Intel processor, which is also currently the processor
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In general, faster processors can be found in the Pocket PC devices, but that does not
mean that Palm OS devices are slow. Many experts would argue that the Palm OS runs
more efficiently, and may be able to get by on less system memory, which helps keep the
speed comparison competitive.
The applications for PDAs have been optimized to run well with less processing power,
less system memory, and to occupy a minimal amount of disk space, so either type of
PDA should be able to handle typical tasks well. Speed may be the main concern on a
desktop PC, but the focus is a bit different on handheld devices, where other features are
definitely more important.
Connectivity
Being able to connect a PDA to a computer or other device may be essential for utilizing
all of the features to their full potential. Most now make connectivity to a PC via USB
the base form of transferring data to the device, but there are a few wireless protocols that
may be available on a PDA to make it even more convenient.
Infrared is a short range protocol that can allow for a PDA to exchange data with another
PDA, as well as with a compatible laptop or desktop computer. Many PDAs feature an
infrared port, but not all computers do. The communications on this protocol are
relatively slow, but may be useful for transferring basic data or synchronizing with a PC.
Bluetooth is a protocol that operates on the 2.4 GHz radio band that provides greater
range than infrared, but the speeds still aren’t that great. Bluetooth can be used for
transferring data from computers, but it can also allow other devices to connect to a PDA.
For example, a Bluetooth-enabled PDA linked to a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone may be
able to access the Internet using the phone as a sort of wireless modem.
WiFi, just as on your typical computer, is the high speed wireless protocol (802.11x) that
also operates on the 2.4 GHz radio band. WiFi will not only allow compatible devices to
exchange files, but the high speed will make streaming media and web surfing convenient
at home, or at the numerous wireless “hot spots” popping up in public/commercial
settings.
It isn’t enough for PDAs to keep track of serious business items like appointments and
contact information any more. They need to be able to multi-task, and most are now able
to help their owners work and play. Many of these features may be considered nice
extras by some, but others may insist on their availability when choosing a PDA.
Many PDAs can now surf the Internet, stream movies, or play video games thanks to the
higher resolution color screens. Most now include a stereo sound processor for listening
to MP3s or other audio sources, as well as being able to double as a digital voice
recorder.
Other PDAs take the fun features to a whole new level. Some PDAs now double as
mobile phones. Or is it that mobile phones that are doubling as PDAs? Many mobile
phones have built-in cameras now. PDAs like the PalmOne Zire 72
(http://www.palmone.com/us/products/handhelds/zire72/index_gps.epl) include a digital
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camera for capturing stills and video clips at decent resolutions. Taking another look at
the Zire 72 shows off another feature that has become popular in PDAs… GPS (Global
Positioning System) receivers that will help plot and track routes during travel.
Many PDAs also offer a wide array of extra add-on accessories to add ease of use and
maybe a touch of flash to your PDA
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=PDA#PDAAccessories). For example, most
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manufacturers offer such things as spare batteries, extra styluses, and upgraded leather
cases. Other cool items may be a foldable keyboard that can be plugged into the PDA for
easier typing (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=967208-0403-CS&cat=PDA),
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automobile charger so that you can charge your PDA while driving
(http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=1979
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in different countries
(http://www.palmone.com/us/products/accessories/chargerscablescradles/3172WW.html)
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Like cellphones, some PDAs even come with removable covers so that you can totally
customize how your PDA looks
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=P10723U&cat=PDA).
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Expandability
PDAs generally come with a base amount of memory on board for storing data and
applications, but they can be filled up quite quickly. Most of these devices now include
slots that will accept some sort of flash memory to increase their capacity (Click here for
Tech Tips on Flash Memory): Part I - (http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips-020305.htm)
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(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#SecureDigitalMemoryCard), MMC
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(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#MultiMediaCardMemory), or Memory
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Stick (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#MemoryStickFlashCards).
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Flash memory is fairly cheap these days, but selecting a PDA based on a format that one
already uses could be a good idea. An SD card, for example, could be shared between a
PC, digital camera, MP3 player, and a PDA to move various multimedia and application
files between the devices.
RZ1715-R&cat=PDA) offers an SD/MMC slot for expandability, while the Dell Axim
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convenience of multiple flash memory slots, providing support for Compact Flash, SD,
and MMC.
In addition to choosing the proper format of flash memory for your PDA, it may also be
necessary to consider the capacity of the card chosen. Although you may be able to
purchase a 2GB flash memory card, for example, that does not mean every PDA will be
able to access it. Check the PDA manufacturer’s specifications, especially on older
models, to confirm that there is no maximum card size that it will accept.
In addition to allowing additional storage space, expansion slots can be used for other
devices, as well. GPS receivers are popular accessories for PDAs, and can be found with
different interfaces to match the slots available on a PDA. Leadtek is one manufacturer
offering both Compact Flash (http://www.leadtek.com/gps/gps_9534_1.html) and Secure
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innovation, from companies such as SanDisk, are combination memory and WiFi cards
(http://www.sandisk.com/retail/sd.asp?nav=mobile). However, be sure to check
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compatibility with your current PDA as some PDAs have problems “using” the extra
features.
Size
The overall size may vary from model to model, but in general the length and width of a
PDA will be in the range of a 3” x 5” index card. These values may vary slightly, and a
difference of a few fractions of an inch may be important to a user with specific space
constraints. For example, comparing the measurements of a Toshiba 830w
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=PD830C-00002-CA&cat=PDA) (5.31” by
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0.61”), shows that the width and thickness are nearly identical. But, the difference of
more than ¾” in height may be a big deal when trying to fit into a briefcase pocket, or
even a shirt pocket.
The weight may be directly related to size, and is perhaps another relevant area worth
considering. The weight of a typical PDA may be just a few ounces (several hundred
grams), so you obviously aren’t going to strain yourself toting it. The difference between
one model and another may be due to the variety and quantity of extra features included,
and in general, an individual’s requirements for functionality may influence the overall
weight.
Another key aspect when referencing size as it applies to PDAs is the screen size. Large
screens, with higher resolutions, will allow the user to operate more comfortably. Using
the same two PDAs referenced in this section, we see that the Toshiba 830w sports a 4.0”
(480x640 resolution) screen while the Compaq Ipaq 3950 has a 3.8” (240x320 resolution)
screen. So, the overall size of the Toshiba is a bit larger but it makes good use of the
space by including a larger display capable of twice the resolution of the Compaq.
Battery Life
Most PDAs are now provided with an integrated rechargeable battery which recharges
while connected to a base station or power adaptor. The most common type of
rechargeable battery may be Lithium Ion (Li-Ion), and a general gauge of a battery’s
capacity is provided in terms of mAh (milliAmp hours). Although real-world
performance will vary among devices and how they are used, a battery with a higher
mAh value will be able to hold a greater charge and last longer between charges.
The general use of the device will obviously play a role in how long the batteries will
last, and is a difficult number to provide with any certainty. Manufacturers may provide
a figure on the normal life between charges, but this is most likely based on occasional
use, where it is idling for a majority of the time. This figure may indicate battery life of
up to several days on one charge, but under more intensive operation, the battery life
could be cut significantly. Watching a movie, listening to audio files, or playing games
may drop the life on one charge from a few days down to a few hours. Use of wireless
networking and display backlighting are two other things that can seriously impact
battery life on any PDA, regardless of the type or quality of batteries included.
Your best bet for information on battery life is to seek out independent reviews or owner
comments on a PDA of interest.
Final Words
With all of the options available, PDAs are far more versatile than they ever used to be.
Finding a device with the flexibility to be useful for both business and pleasure doesn’t
have to be a daunting task if a few key considerations are identified early in the process.
A good balance of performance, size, and capabilities should be easily achieved, while
still respecting a reasonable budget.
Computer Mice
Every computer user can hopefully identify their mouse and the importance it
plays in the daily operation of their computer. Mice are nothing new and for the
most part are nothing overly complex, but the average user may not be familiar
with all of the options and technologies that may go into these little devices. This
Tech Tip will take a look at some of the features of mice that people may take for
granted, or may otherwise be unaware of.
Tracking Technologies
Mechanical mice - Mechanical mice were the first ones used on computers, and
can still be found for sale (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=GN-
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feature a hard ball on the underside that rolls as the mouse is moved, and rollers
inside the mouse allow the physical motion to be translated to the pointer on the
screen. Some “ball mice” are a bit more advanced and replace the internal
rollers with optical sensors, but the same principle applies.
Mechanical mice require occasional maintenance to keep the ball and rollers free
of lint and other debris, and with numerous moving parts there is always a
potential for problems. The use of a mouse pad is recommended for these mice
as they not only provide a clean surface to work on, but also provide the needed
resistance for the ball to roll smoothly.
The precision of mechanical mice is not particularly good, and although they may
be fine for typical desktop work, they were never quite up to the task of detailed
graphics work or serious game playing.
Optical mice - Optical mice replace the whole ball/roller assembly of mechanical
mice with a beam of a light and an optical sensor. The beam of light shines
down on the surface below the mouse and the sensor uses the light to track the
movement. The images included with the listing for this optical mouse
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=HTM-39GWT&cat=MOU) provide a
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glimpse at the bottom of the mouse, where the light and sensor can be seen.
Optical mice have several advantages over mechanical mice. There are no
moving parts to break or otherwise cause problems. The need for maintenance
is greatly reduced as the bottoms have no openings or rollers to collect lint.
Although mice generally aren’t heavy, the elimination of the ball and roller
mechanism allows an optical mouse to be much lighter than a comparable
mechanical mouse. The precision of optical mice is also much greater than
mechanical mice, and the resolution can go from the low hundreds to the high
hundreds (as measured in dpi, dots per inch).
Another advantage is that the need for a mouse pad may be eliminated with an
optical mouse, as they do best while tracking on any smooth, flat surface. A
clean desktop is generally good enough, but those looking to take the precision
of optical mice to the highest level may opt for a performance “mousing surface”.
There are several precision mousing surface manufacturers, such as XRay Pads
(http://www.xraypad.com/) and FUNC Industries (http://www.func.net/), that
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design pads to appeal to game players and others who demand the best
performance.
Laser mice - Laser technology is the latest and greatest in computer mice
tracking, and takes the advantages of optical to a new level. Most of the
attributes of a laser mouse have been described in the optical mouse section,
except for one. Instead of a fairly wide beam of light, it uses an extremely narrow
beam of laser light.
the mouse for you if you are looking for extreme precision. According to
Logitech, the laser technology used in the MX1000 provides up to “20x more
sensitivity to surface detail—or tracking power—than optical.”
Serial – Serial mice are fairly difficult to come by these days, as are the ports
they need in order to operate. This technology is quite old and slow, and the
popularity and convenience of USB has all but eliminated the need for this
interface on your typical PC. But, there were mice that sported the 9-pin
connection needed to connect to a serial port, and many PS2 mice used to
include an adaptor for Serial ports.
PS2 - PS2 mice were the standard for a long time, as all motherboards provided
two PS2 ports for connecting a keyboard and a mouse. USB technology has
become so widely used that the slower and less convenient PS2 ports are on the
verge of extinction with the Serial port. That said, not many mice are still sold
that only support a PS2 connection, but there are still some available as with this
unit from Genica (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=GN-115&cat=MOU).
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USB – Most mice can now connect via USB, and include an adaptor to be used
on a PS2 port, as well. It seems that just about any mouse now uses USB to
connect, whether it is a wired mouse, or any variety of wireless mice that we are
about to look at.
Wireless Connection Technologies
Radio Frequency – The most common type of wireless mouse uses radio
frequencies to communicate motion to a receiver that is connected to the PC.
This generic wireless mouse (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=RF-
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itself is powered by AAA batteries which are not included. As you move up the
price scale of RF (Radio Frequency) wireless mice, the packages will generally
include an integrated rechargeable battery, as does the Logitech MX1000
discussed previously. Other features of higher end RF wireless mice include
extended range, greater precision, and a receiver that doubles as a battery
charger.
011905.htm) discussed the basics of this wireless technology, and how it was a
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the included mouse pad in order to function, but there are no batteries in the
mouse, and no cords on the mouse to get in the way. It works by using electro
magnetic induction between the pad (which is plugged into a USB port) and the
wireless, non-powered mouse. You never have to worry about replacing /
charging batteries, and the weight of the mouse is greatly reduced since the
power features are no longer necessary.
Features
Buttons – Most mice (except for a Macintoch’s) include at least two buttons. The
use of these is fairly well understood, but other buttons may be featured on a
mouse to further simplify common tasks. The Logitech MX 510 mouse
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=931162-0403-DT&cat=MOU) features
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Scroll wheels – Many mice now include a scroll wheel between the two main
buttons which serves to allow up/down scrolling of documents and web pages.
The scroll wheel may also serves as a third button on some mice, and clicking
the scroll wheel will activate commands in many applications. More advanced
scroll wheels are found on some mice that allow for left to right scrolling, which
may be useful on a wide spreadsheet or large image.
Extra features – Many mice provide more than the basic functionality we have
come to expect. Some provide a reduced foot print in order to make them more
portable for use with a notebook computer
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=931150-0403-DT&cat=MOU). Some
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are designed for multi-tasking and provide an integrated flash memory card
reader (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=KMOUSE-SDMSMMC-
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Final Words
On the surface, computer mice are fairly simple devices that may not receive the
attention they deserve by end users. Selecting a high quality, ergonomically
designed mouse can do wonders for productivity and comfort, and the options
available should allow anyone to find the right mouse for their personal
preferences.
Digital Camera Basics… The Vocabulary
Shopping for a digital camera can be a difficult task considering the sheer number of
choices out there. The number of manufacturers, models, and price ranges that need to be
sorted out make the process difficult enough, but throw in all the buzz-words that need to
be understood, and even a short list of cameras can become difficult to analyze.
This Tech Tip will take a look at a few key words that may come up when researching a
digital camera, and will hopefully reduce the headaches associated with the process.
Pixels
Digital images are composed of thousands or millions of tiny squares called picture
elements, or pixels for short. Each square has its own color assigned to it, and the
compilation of all of these little colored squares allows for images to appear smooth when
viewed at original size. If an image is magnified several times, the appearance of the
pixels can become more obvious, and at high magnifications each colored pixel can be
distinguished individually.
Megapixels
Basically, the term megapixel means one million pixels, and it is used to describe the
maximum number of pixels found in an image produced by a digital camera. It is
generally the criteria used to classify cameras, and checking the Geeks.com selection
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=CAM) shows that their cameras are all sorted
into ranges of megapixels (MP).
Many people assume that because cameras are marketed so heavily by their megapixel
specification, that this is the single most important criteria when choosing a camera.
More megapixels do not necessarily equal better images, they mean larger images (both
in physical size and in file size).
The megapixel count is achieved by multiplying the number of pixels in one horizontal
line by the number of pixels in one vertical line. So, if a camera can produce images at a
maximum resolution of 1600 by 1200 pixels, it is a 1.92 megapixel (1,920,000 pixel)
camera.
It is not fair to assume that the images from the 5.0 MP Kodax CX7525
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CX7525-R&cat=CAM) are automatically
better than those from the 4.0 MP Kodak CX7430
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CX7430-R&cat=CAM) strictly based on their
megapixel count. All it means is that the maximum image size of the CX7525 is 2560 x
1920 and the maximum image size of the LS743 is 2408 x 1758. Many other features in
the cameras can impact the quality of the images they produce, and may be far more
important for the typical user to consider than the maximum overall size of each image.
Larger image size may do nothing for a user who only wants to view images on his
computer screen, or for use on the web, but the higher megapixel images are important
for those looking to make prints of their images. Generally, higher pixel counts in an
image translate to the ability to create larger prints.
Digital cameras use a small sensor to capture the image before transferring it to flash
memory for storage. Equivalent to a negative in a film camera, these sensors come in a
variety of sizes, with most being between 20 and 40 millimeters squared. There are two
types of sensors that may be found in cameras: CCD (Charged Couple Device) and
CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). CMOS sensors are usually found
in cheaper cameras and offer lower image quality than a CCD sensor that would probably
be found in a more expensive camera.
There is an exception to the rule that CCD is better than CMOS, and that is with the
Digital SLR-type (Single Lens Reflex) cameras. They use a much larger sensor (greater
than 300 millimeters squared) and can provide excellent image quality, but the quality
does come with a much higher price tag.
Most digital cameras offer some sort of zoom, but it is important to identify which type is
being provided. Optical zoom functions just as on a film camera, where the lens
physically moves to produce the magnification. Digital zoom uses circuitry to enlarge a
portion of the standard sized image and crops the content outside of the zoomed area.
The quality of images produced using digital zoom suffer due to the nature of the process,
and optical zoom is a far more desirable feature.
The price of a camera with optical zoom may be a good deal more than one with digital
zoom, but the quality of the images cannot be compared. The Kodak CX7330
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CX7330-R&cat=CAM) and the Kodak
CX7300 (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CX7300-R&cat=CAM) are
comparable cameras in many regards, but the CX7300 features only digital zoom, while
the CX7330 features both optical and digital zoom for about $30 more.
Previous Tech Tips took a look at the variety of flash memory available (Part One
http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips-020305.htm and Part Two
http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips-021005.htm), and these items are what becomes the
film in a digital camera.
The two important things to consider when choosing flash memory for a digital camera is
that the right format is chosen, and that a quality module is chosen that can record
quickly and be ready for the next picture as soon as possible. A photographer looking to
snap a rapid series of high resolution images on their Kodak DX7440
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=DX7440-R&cat=CAM) has many options in
SD (secure digital) memory to choose from but, they would be far better off with
something like the SanDisk Ultra II SD card
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SDSDH-512-901&cat=RAM) capable of a
sustained write speed of 9 MB/s, than with a generic SD card
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SDMC256&cat=RAM) capable of a burst
speed rated at only 2.5MB/s.
Aliasing
Even if you think you know the basic definition of this term, it may seem confusing in the
context of digital cameras. Aliasing refers to the appearance of jagged edges generally
seen on diagonal or curved surfaces in images. This effect is caused by the fact that all
pixels are square, and that even non-square shapes in an image need to be created with
square components.
The solution to aliasing is not surprisingly called “anti-aliasing.” Through software, the
edges generally affected by aliasing are blended and the jagged appearance can be made
much smoother. Video game enthusiasts may be familiar with anti-aliasing and the
impact the varying levels of it can have on the overall performance of game play.
Although the technology is similar, the personal importance of having the best digital
images possible makes applying anti-aliasing just about a no-brainer.
Aspect Ratio
Aspect ratio describes the shape of a digital image, or any image for that matter, where
the first number represents the width of the image and the second number represents the
height. People may be familiar with the term as applied to televisions (as 16:9 wide
screen televisions are now all the rage to replace traditional 4:3 units), and the concept is
the same here.
Standard film cameras generally use an aspect ratio of 3:2, but most digital cameras have
adopted a 4:3 aspect ratio so that images better fit on a standard computer monitor.
Monitors with typical resolutions of 800x600, 1024x768, or 1280x960, for example, all
have an aspect ratio of 4:3, so it only makes sense to produce images that will fit well on
these screens. Although images can be manipulated to print on any size paper, special
photo-quality paper (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=C6944A) is available to
allow for high-quality prints to be made at the correct aspect ratio.
Connectivity
The pictures taken by a digital camera have to be extracted by some means in order to
get them onto a computer, or perhaps directly onto a printer. In general, cameras provide
a cable to connect to a computer either via serial, USB, USB 2.0, or Firewire.
Serial ports are just about extinct at this point due to their slow connection speeds and
lack of plug-and-play support, but some older or lower-end models may still offer serial
connectivity.
USB may be the most common form of connectivity, and if speed is important to you,
look specifically for USB 2.0 support, as it is up to 40 times faster.
Some specialized cameras may take advantage of the high speed Firewire protocol for
connecting to a computer. Just about all modern computers come with at least a pair of
USB ports, but not all computers include Firewire. Firewire capabilities can be added to
any computer with an available PCI slot by using an expansion card such as this one
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=UW-1394PCI-A01-N&cat=CCD).
Some cameras don’t require any cables at all, as they can transmit the images to a PC
wirelessly. The Concord EyeQ
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=EYEQ&cat=CAM) is such a camera that
utilizes Bluetooth technology in lieu of wires.
Even with all the modes of transmitting images listed so far, one other method may serve
as a universal replacement for all of them. Many people find flash memory card readers
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?Cat=CAM#CameraMemoryCardReaders) to be a
quick and convenient alternative to using the camera’s native means of connecting. You
simply remove the memory from the slot on the camera and pop it into the appropriate
slot on the reader, and then the computer system can access the card like a local disk
drive.
Final Words
Every high-tech field has its own set of specific buzz words, and digital photography is
no different. Although by no means an exhaustive resource of digital photography
terminology, this Tech Tip provides insight to a few key terms worth knowing in order to
make shopping for a digital camera just a bit easier.
Digital Camera Accessories:
Digital cameras are great devices that have made photography simple and enjoyable to countless
people. They make taking and sharing photos easier and more economical than film could ever
do, but a digital camera may not be optimized as is straight from the retail packaging. It needs to
be accessorized, and this Tech Tip will take a look at five accessories worth considering for use
with any digital camera.
Flash Memory
Most cameras are sold with either a removable flash memory card included, or an onboard
memory chip, for storing the images the camera takes. The problem is that the included memory
may not be the best for many practical uses, and will need to be upgraded by the end user
immediately. The memory provided with many cameras generally is of too low a capacity, and
the performance of the modules may not be the best either.
A camera taking images at the high resolutions possible today is going to chew up space on a
flash card quickly, and the typical 16MB or 32MB card provided by the manufacturer just isn’t
going to cut it. I recently purchased a high-quality 3.2 Megapixel (MP) camera that came with a
16MB Compact Flash (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#CompactFlashMemory)
card. I was somewhat surprised to see that I would only be able take 9 pictures at maximum
resolution before the card was full, and wondered why the manufacturer bothered to include a
memory card at all. The first step to making the camera more usable was to upgrade to a 512MB
Compact Flash card that upped the total storage to 299 images while at the highest resolution.
Taking a look around shows that this practice is common, and that even cameras at 5MP and
above may include just a 32MB card. When purchasing a camera, this is something to pay close
attention to, and if the camera seems to be a good fit otherwise, be prepared to buy a larger
memory card at the same time.
The other issue with flash memory is that they are not all able to read and write at the same
speed. While a slower memory card may be more than adequate to keep up with playing any
collection of digital audio files, when it comes to taking a steady stream of high resolution images,
you need media that can keep up. SanDisk’s Ultra II series of SD cards
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SDSDH-512-901&cat=RAM) provides much higher
read/write speeds than your typical SD cards
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#SmartMediaMemory), which are more than likely
the type you will find included with a camera. Having a high-speed memory card may be the
difference between capturing a string of high resolution action shots, and sitting in frustration as
the light blinks on your camera indicating that it is still writing the previous image.
These details and many others were covered in two previous Tech Tips dedicated to flash
memory. If you missed them, please make sure to check out both Part 1
(http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips-020305.htm) and Part 2 (http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips-
021005.htm) of that series.
Card Readers
A card reader (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=CAM#CameraMemoryCardReaders)
may be just the accessory to consider for use with the new, high capacity flash memory card you
picked up with your digital camera. These device can either be installed internally
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=5069-6126&cat=CAM) or externally
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=HE-660A&cat=CAM) to your computer, and provide a
convenient way to get the files off of all the common flash memory formats used in cameras,
digital audio players, and PDAs. Internal ones are great for use with systems that you know will
always need these features, but external readers are just as handy, and can be taken with you for
use on any desktop or notebook computer with an open USB port.
Not only do these devices provide a convenient interface for accessing the various types of flash
memory you may use in a camera, they may be able to do so quicker than using the standard
cable provided with a camera. Most card readers take advantage of the high-speed transfers
afforded by USB 2.0, and even if your camera supports USB 2.0, the camera’s User Interface
may slow you down. The card reader will treat any flash memory inserted into it as a disk drive
and allow you to browse the contents and copy what you want onto your hard drive quickly.
Some cameras use a proprietary software interface that may slow things down or otherwise be
inconvenient, but if you can use Windows Explorer (or the equivalent in other operating systems)
you can get your photos from a card reader with ease.
Rechargeable Batteries
Many cameras come with rechargeable batteries included, which can make life much easier (and
less expensive). Cameras can drain batteries quickly thanks to the larger, color LCD screens that
they now need to power, as well as the flash and the other usual functions.
If a camera does come with rechargeable batteries, it may be worth investigating whether or not it
uses a proprietary format, or one of the more common battery types (like AA or AAA). Proprietary
batteries may have their advantages, but in general a camera that accepts a commonly available
battery may be the most convenient for two reasons:
First, if the rechargeable batteries should happen to run out of charge and you have neither the
time nor facilities to recharge them, you can easily pop in common disposable batteries just to
keep the camera up and running. This may prove to be particularly helpful while traveling when
there is either no outlet for recharging, or you only have access to a foreign power source which
requires an adaptor you don’t happen to have.
Secondly, another benefit of using a standard battery type comes when the batteries eventually
die all together. Rechargeable batteries can only be charged so many times, and as they age
their performance may begin to fade before they die all together. Replacing batteries of a
standard format is easy and relatively inexpensive, while sourcing a replacement proprietary
battery may be much more difficult and much more expensive.
Rechargeable batteries
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?Cat=CON#BatteriesandBatteryChargers) are generally sold
based on their capacity, measured in units of mAh (milliAmp hours). Although real-world
performance will vary among cameras and how they are used, a battery with a higher mAh value
will generally be able to hold a greater charge and last longer between charges than a lower-
rated battery.
The previously mentioned 3.2 MP camera I own came with four rechargeable AA batteries rated
at 1600 mAh. Although they last for a respectable amount of time between charges, replacing
them with something like this four pack of 2300 mAh AA batteries
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=NIMH-2300MAH&cat=CON) may provide a noticeable
boost.
Carrying Case
Protecting your cameras should be of some importance considering their cost and somewhat
delicate nature. Although most cameras are sold with some sort of case, many aren’t much more
than a form-fitting piece of vinyl, perhaps with a bit of felt backing if you’re lucky. There are
numerous camera cases out there that can provide more substantial protection for a digital
camera, and configurations are available to allow for many of the accessories to be carried in the
same case.
A case doesn’t need to be expensive to be effective, and even a basic unit, like this one from
Lowepro (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=Z5-PUR&cat=CAM), can provide additional
padding, storage space for extra batteries and memory cards, and perhaps a strap or belt loop for
carrying it. The important thing is to find a well-constructed case that fits your particular camera
well, and offers ample padding to protect it from all the bumps and thumps it may incur while in
transit. And if nothing on the market seems to fit your needs, you may get inspiration from this
guide (http://www.rojakpot.com/default.aspx?location=3&var1=213&var2=0) to build your own
camera case.
Tripod
Not all tripods are huge contraptions you would expect professional photographers to carry
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=VPD-TRIPOD&cat=CAM), as there are miniature
tripods (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=BLK-TR-1&cat=CAM) that may be just as useful
and easier to carry as well. The typical digital camera user may not think they have use for a
tripod, but they can come in quite handy for a couple of reasons:
First, depending on shutter speed, an image may become blurred due to even the slightest
movement. If you don’t have a steady hand, a tripod may be just the thing to ensure that your
important shots are crystal clear. Close-up shots in particular may benefit from the steady
support provided by a tripod, and anyone who operates their camera in “macro” (extremely close
up) mode on a regular basis may be pleased with the outcome once a tripod has been added to
their cache of accessories.
Second, tripods can also prove quite handy for travelers. If there is no one around to take a
picture of you posing with a historic landmark or lounging on the beach, a tripod and a camera
with a timer is all you need. The UltraPod (http://www.pedcopods.com/) is one of the miniature
varieties of tripods that folds up to make it convenient for travel, offers the typical features of a
tripod, and as the image on their homepage indicates, it has one other interesting feature: an
integrated Velcro® strap allows the tripod and camera to be strapped to any narrow diameter
object for even more self-supported photo opportunities. As a long-time owner of an UltraPod I,
there have been numerous street signs, fence posts, saplings, etc., that have helped me get a
picture I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to take without such a device.
Final Words
Digital cameras are great devices that make taking and sharing photographs faster, and, let’s
face it, cheaper than ever before. Although they may be great on their own, a few key
accessories can make them even more convenient, practical, and enjoyable to use. There are
other digital camera accessories
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=CAM#CameraAccessories) that may be right for your
specific needs, but the five discussed in this Tech Tip are universally worth considering by users
from novice to expert.
CPU Socket Basics, Part 1 – Intel:
Socket 478
For all of these form factors, the number following “socket” refers to
the number of CPU pins or connectors. Socket 478 is a format
specifically designed for Intel’s Celeron
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=CPU#Socket478CPUs(Cel
eron)), Pentium 4
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=CPU#Socket478CPUs(Pen
tium4)), and mobile Celeron/Pentium
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=MP42000478-
N&cat=CPU) processors.
The Pentium class of processors, like many others from AMD and Intel, also apply names to the
“cores” present on the processor. The core is the processing portion of the CPU, generally found
at the center of the silicon wafer. As the architecture within cores of the same type of processor
change, new names are given to signify the different levels of performance that users may
experience. The Northwood, Gallatin, and Prescott cores can be found on Pentium 4 processors
of the same speed, and a main difference between the three is that the first two are fabricated on a
0.13 micron (one one-millionth of a meter) process and the Prescott is fabricated on a 0.09 micron
process. A lower number implies a more tightly-packed core that generally requires less power to
perform the same operations.
Socket 478 was Intel’s flagship format for several years, and continues to be a popular choice
among Pentium 4 motherboards. Socket 478 motherboards were first compatible with SDRAM
memory (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#168-pinDIMMMemory), then
RAMBUS memory (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#184-pinRIMMMemory),
and as it became more popular DDR memory
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#184-pinDDRDIMMMemory) became the format
of choice. But, Intel’s decision to embrace DDR2 (among other developments) has resulted in a
totally new CPU socket for Pentium 4 processors… Socket T.
Socket T actually doesn’t mount to a socket like the rest of processors on this list, as the pins
usually found on the processor have been moved to the motherboard, and the processor now
receives the 755 pins on its underside. Socket T processors
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=CPU#Socket775CPUs) are
basically the next generation of Celerons and Pentium 4s found on
the Socket 478 format, continuing many of the same attributes, such
as Hyper-Threading, on the Pentium 4 series.
The architecture changes allow for greater efficiency, and this format of CPUs is the first to take
advantage of the new DDR2 memory (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#240-
pinDDR2DIMMMemory) format. Although DDR2 has been slow to catch on, as manufacturers
refine its performance the benefits should make its use quite appealing.
As Intel transitioned to the LGA (Land Grid Array) 775 format, they also transitioned to a three
digit naming convention, similar to the PR (Performance Rating) grades that AMD had used for
years. Instead of simply marketing a 3.0 GHz Pentium 4 Prescott core as such, they now refer to
it as the Pentium 4 530. A 2.8 GHz Prescott is now called a 520, and a 3.8 GHz Prescott is called
a 570.
Socket 603/604
These CPUs may not be as common as the others, but are worthy of inclusion on this list anyway.
Socket 603 and Socket 604 are the home to Intel’s modern Xeon processors, which are more
likely to be found in a high-end server than in a desktop computer.
The Xeon can come with frontside buses ranging from 400 MHz
(100 MHz x 4) to 800 MHz (200 MHz x 4), and provide top speeds
that now reach 3.6 GHz. Socket 603 is for older, slower Xeons
capable of a 400 MHz frontside bus, and Socket 604 adds the one
pin simply to identify the faster bus speeds. Socket 603 processors
will fit and function in a Socket 604 motherboard, but the opposite
will not work.
Xeons are powerful processors all on their own, but the architecture
of the CPU and supporting motherboards allows for serious systems
to be configured with dual processors
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=X6DVL-EG-O-DT&cat=MBB), or perhaps even four
processors (http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/Xeon/GC-HE/P4QH6.cfm), to
really make light work of even the most intensive application.
Final Words
From the data presented so far, there are more than enough variables to ponder from just Intel’s
stable of processors. We are only halfway there, as the next part in this series of Tech Tips will
turn its attention to the modern processors available from AMD.
CPU Socket Basics, Part 2 – AMD:
This two-part series of Tech Tips started with a look at a few details of each of Intel’s
modern processors (See CPU Socket Basics, Part 1: http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips-
19MAY05.htm), and how they are all similar and different from one to another. In the
second and final part of this series, we will take a look at the CPU sockets supporting
modern AMD processors.
Socket A
Socket A was the staple format in AMD’s line-up for years, carrying the brand through
the Athlon, Thunderbird, Duron, Athlon XP, Athlon MP, and Sempron classes of
processors. The number of pins found on the bottom of a Socket A CPU totals 462, and
this is one of the few formats that is not named for the number of pins found on the
processor.
Socket A processors came with frontside bus speeds from 200 MHz (100 MHz x 2) up to
400 MHz (200 MHz x 2). Socket A processors ranged in top speeds from under 1 GHz
to just over 2 GHz, but the identification of a Socket A processor’s true speed is difficult
due to AMD’s use of PR (Performance Rating) grades instead of true processor speed as
a sales tool.
Just like Intel, AMD cores in this series also have names to distinguish different levels of
performance within the same class of processor. For example, Duron cores carry names
such as Morgan and Applebred, while Athlon XP processor cores have names such as
Palomino, Thoroughbred, and Barton (listed in order from weakest to strongest).
The long-lived success of Socket A is winding down, as the last date for orders to be
placed for production has just passed (http://theinquirer.net/?article=21377). As we say
goodbye to Socket A, AMD intends to focus more attention on similar processors for
Socket 754, as well as the higher-end Socket 939/940 formats.
Socket 754
Socket 939/940
Socket 939 and 940 support the current top-of-the-line offerings from AMD and, as the
names imply, they are separated by one pin. Like their Socket 754 cousins, this format of
AMD processors utilizes DDR memory and provides a frontside bus of 400 MHz (200
MHz x 2).
Where many AMD processors used a 4 digit PR grade for marketing, the FX series of
Athlon 64 processors uses a two digit code (i.e., FX-51, FX-55) and the Opteron uses a
three digit code (i.e., Opteron 244, Opteron 252). All of these designations can sure
make things confusing, and given the varied nomenclature that AMD alone currently
uses, it can be tricky figuring out how fast a CPU really is.
Final Words
As CPU technology advances, the sockets that correspond to them are forced to change
as well. The new physical sizes, internal architecture, and thermal properties require that
the ‘packaging’ evolve. A negative side effect of this development is that motherboards
wind up with limited “upgrade paths” when it comes to adding a faster processor.
Although this can occasionally be remedied with socket adaptors
(http://www.powerleap.com/PowerLeapAdapters.html), as AMD and Intel continue down
their parallel paths of development, this situation can be expected to continue. With that
said, it looks like AMD’s next CPU socket isn’t that far off:
(http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20050430084624.html).
Gaming Gear Checklist:
Most Tech Tips have focused on the business side of computer hardware, but all work and no
play…
In this Tech Tip, we will look at some important considerations to make when selecting hardware
for use in a computer that may need to work hard, but will need to play even harder. Today’s
fast-paced video games demand a lot of computing power and ‘good’ systems even a few years
old just won’t cut it. Buying the video game is the easy part, but
making sure you have a system that can handle it is where things
may get more complicated.
System Components
The core system components obviously play a major role in game play. As is the case with
computer performance in general, faster and bigger are what you want in processors, memory,
and hard drives to enhance the gaming experience. According to the Far Cry specifications, a
processor with a speed greater than 2 GHz and 512MB or more of memory are recommended.
These system specifications may not be cutting edge, but
they may be greater than those of many personal
computers. Far Cry is just one example of many modern
games requiring similar resources, and the average system
just might not be up to the task.
Video
Video is no doubt the most important aspect to enjoying a video game. There may be many
components behind the scene making sure that a crisp, clear image is provided for smooth game
play, but all we care about is what is shown on the screen.
The first thing to consider here is the graphics card. Taking a look back at the recommended
specifications for Far Cry, it can be seen that you’ll want a fast
graphics processor backed by 128MB (or more) of video memory.
Systems using onboard video, or a PCI based video card, may do fine
in desktop applications, but game play may be less than enjoyable. It
used to be that 128MB of memory was a big deal, but now it is a fairly
common base offering. High-end cards with 256MB or 512MB are
readily available, even though some may argue that 128MB on a card
with a fast processor may be enough.
PCI Express video cards are the latest and greatest, and for those with motherboards that
support PCIe, the extra bandwidth coupled with a high-end graphics processor will provide the
best performance. Systems supporting SLI (http://www.slizone.com/content/slizone/index.html)
can take things to the extreme by harnessing the processing power of a pair of matching PCIe
graphics cards for use on one display.
Let’s not forget the monitor. All the graphics processing power in the world is worthless without
somewhere to see it. CRT monitors still dominate in terms of popularity for game players, but
LCDs are making great strides.
The main issue to consider with LCDs is response time, which is a figure that should be provided
in the list of specifications. Presented in terms of
milliseconds (“ms”), lower values are preferable as it
indicates how quickly the image is updated. In fast-paced
games, “ghosting” may occur on slower monitors due to the
action being faster than the monitor can keep up with.
Comparing this 17” TFT LCD from SVA
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=VR-17B-
R&cat=MON) to this one from Princeton
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SEN-714-
R&cat=MON), shows that among other things, an extra $25
provides a response time of 16ms on the Princeton versus
25ms on the SVA. The criteria for acceptability may be
subjective and relative to the game being played, the person
playing it, and other system settings, but some may argue that LCDs with a response time of
16ms or less are best suited for game play. As the technology advances, LCD monitors with
response times in the single digits are starting to show up, such as the 19” Viewsonic VX924
(http://www.viewsonic.com/products/desktopdisplays/lcddisplays/xseries/vx924/) with a response
time of 4ms.
Audio
Once you have the sound card, you need a decent set of
speakers to realistically duplicate the sounds of things like gun
fire, explosions, and foot steps, as well as to indicate where
the sounds are coming from. A set of surround sound
speakers are necessary for distinguishing where approaching
enemies are when out of your field of view, or to determine
where distant gun shots are coming from. Two stereo
speakers may work well enough for quietly listening to music,
but they aren’t going to cut it for game play. A 5.1 channel, six
piece set (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=SPK#6-
PieceSpeaker/SubwooferSet) providing two front speakers,
two rear speakers, a center channel, and a subwoofer are
required for a realistic gaming experience.
Input Devices
The interface between the player and the computer is obviously an important one. Items such as
keyboards, mice, and game controllers are all critical to ensure that a player can’t blame poor
performance on anything but a lack of skill.
Some may say a keyboard is a keyboard, and that it can’t possibly matter, but it does. Having a
comfortable keyboard is the top priority, and other features may make things even more
enjoyable during game play. A keyboard such as this one
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SIL-USBPS2-2160-WB&cat=MOU) may be desirable
for two reasons. One, the backlit keys allow for easy viewing in dimly lit rooms. Lowering the
lights makes the monitor appear brighter and perhaps have better contrast. Two, the multi-
function keys may allow for combination commands to be programmed into one button. For
those who want to get really serious with a keyboard for gaming, look into the Zboard
(http://www.zboard.com/us/index.html), considered to be the “ultimate gaming keyboard.”
Most computer games utilize the mouse as the main control for direction and weapon
selection/use, so a good mouse is obviously quite important. Being able to have smooth, precise
movement is critical to getting around quickly and making sure the shot hits the mark. An old
roller ball mouse jammed full of dust probably won’t help, and an optical or laser mouse is the
way to go. Logitech has mice that provide the precision needed, as well as ergonomically
designed bodies that should remain comfortable through hours of intense game play. The
MX510 (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=931162-0403-DT&cat=MOU) is a wired optical
mouse and the MX1000 (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=931175-0403-DT&cat=MOU)
is a wireless laser mouse that takes performance and comfort to the extreme.
While talking about precision and smooth movement, we can’t neglect the mouse pad.
Performance “mousing surfaces” such as the X-Ray Pad (http://www.xraypad.com/) and the
Maxill G-Pad (http://www.maxtill.com/eng/index.php) provide uniform surfaces in various sizes to
suit any user’s needs.
Having a computer configured to be the ultimate gaming system with all the latest and greatest
hardware could easily cost several thousand dollars. Guess what? Within a few months, all of
those cutting edge components will be old news, and a whole new batch of products will be
available with even greater performance. But, if you are like most consumers, you have a budget
and picking components that provide decent performance is possible without mortgaging the
house.
Case Modding
The term “modding” may not even be a real word (I know MS Word’s spell checker is upset with
my use of it), but it is appropriate for loosely describing the broad field of modifying a computer
system to give it a personalized style. This tip will proceed by looking at some of the basic items,
tools, and accessories used in modding.
Tools
The old school case modders may be more likely to find their
gear at hardware, automotive, and electronics stores than they
would at a computer store. They might take a plain case like
this (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=ATX-
208P&cat=CAS) and turn it into something even more unique
than this one
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CP8869-
3&cat=CAS), with just a bit of creativity and a steady hand.
For those who take pride in doing the job themselves, there
are certain tools that should be included in the typical
modder’s toolbox. The Dremel (http://www.dremel.com/) has
to be considered a must-have. This high-speed rotary tool can
be used for cutting, drilling, shaping, grinding, polishing, and more on anything from wood to
plastic to hard steel. A Dremel can help take the most mundane case and open up new vent
holes for fans, cut out a window in the side panel, or create intricate decorative cut outs
(http://www.bigbruin.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=27461#27461).
A hole punch may not be as popular now that Dremels are so widely
available, but they are excellent tools for punching perfect circles into
thin sheet metal. For those who have access to one, these make
easy work out of adding a fan hole to any case with less than ideal air
flow.
A nibbler is another tool that may have lost some appeal with the
popularity of the Dremel, but it is another manual tool that can be
handy for cutting thin metal or plastic. Somewhat like a heavy duty
pair of shears, the nibbler gets its name due to the fact that it takes
small bites out of the surface in question, and allows the user to
slowly cut the desired pattern.
A soldering iron will come in handy for those who want their electrical
modifications to be a little more robust (and tidy) than wire nuts or
electrical tape alone will allow. Adding a custom lighting scheme
including LEDs, switches, and other items requires running some
wires, and most likely joining them in a neat and secure manner.
Custom cases are a lot like hot rods, except for computer geeks. Some may have the super-
charged (overclocked) engine and some serious performance hardware, but what will first grab
someone’s attention is a sharp appearance. Paint is key to a finely finished, modded computer,
just as it is to a hot rod. You can transform a case into something with classic style, into a tribute
to your favorite game, or into something whimsical
(http://images.gruntville.com/casegallery/Dracos-Mods/final1) with just a bit of paint.
The things serious case modders can create with their tools and creativity wind up looking less
like computer cases and more like art or props from a movie. Things like the
Matrix Regenerator
(http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/index.php?module=photoalbum&PHPW
S_Album_op=view&PHPWS_Album_id=3&MMN_position=55:55) or Rebirth
(http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/index.php?module=photoalbum&PHPW
S_Album_op=view&PHPWS_Album_id=4&MMN_position=49:49) projects
may be beyond the skills (and patience) of most, but they are awesome to
see.
Lighting
For those who want their LEDs pre-configured, at this point I think just
about every component may be available with LEDs in them. LEDs
are like magnets to computer geeks because they can’t help but be
drawn to them. Some common items that feature LEDs include cooling fans
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=D80SM-BLUE-LED&cat=FAN), fan controllers
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=4CH-FANCTRL-SIL&cat=CAS), power supplies
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=APGM480W&cat=CAS), mice
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=RED-3DOPT-
N&cat=MOU), and other random odds and ends
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=LCH-C-B-
N&cat=CAS).
Want one more type of lighting that can be used to mod a case? Good. EL, or Electro
Luminescent lighting, can be found in a variety of products, and it is distinguished by its even
glow, long life, and low power consumption. Products such as keyboards
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SIL-USBPS2-2160-WB&cat=MOU) and case badges
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=EL-B02-FLAME&cpc=SCH&srm=0) are just two
products that take advantage of the cool lighting effect provided by this high tech, thin material.
UV (Ultra Violet) is a term that people may usually associate with harmful sun rays, but to a
modded case, it is the special effect for when the lights go down. UV reactive computer
components, like those old Led Zeppelin posters in college, give off that freaky neon glow when
subjected to a black light. Fans
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CCF120UVVL&cat=CAS), various cables
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=ULT31600&cat=CBL), and other items are available to
be used in conjunction with black light case lighting.
Pre-Modded Cases
Final Words
Modding is all about individuality and having fun with what used to be a boring object. There is
no right or wrong way to do it, and the possibilities are only limited by a person’s creativity (and
perhaps creative skills).
Whether taking the approach of purchasing pre-modded items or starting from scratch with your
power tools in hand, sources of inspiration can be found online at places such as the Gruntville
Case Mod Gallery (http://www.gruntville.com/gallery_front.php), The Best Case Scenario
(http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/index.php?module=photoalbum&PHPWS_AlbumManager_
op=list), or Mini-ITX.com (http://www.mini-itx.com/projects.asp) for the small form factor
enthusiasts. If you prefer your information in print rather than online, there are such much
modding guides, like “Going Mod: 9 Cool Case Mod Projects“
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=GOING-MOD&cat=CAS).
Tech Tip 31 - Gaming Graphics Glossary
1. Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) – AGP is one type of interface for graphics cards
whose days may be numbered, but presently is the most common type out there due
to its years as the number one format. According to a previous Tech Tip
(http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips-030305.htm), AGP is “a dedicated, point-to-point
interface that connects a video card directly to the system’s memory and processor.”
Developed by Intel in 1996, AGP graphics cards
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=VCD#AGP-256MB) were the leaders for
gaming graphics until the release of PCI Express.
3. Anisotropic Filtering – The definition of the word anisotropic from m-w.com states
“exhibiting properties with different values when measured in different directions.”
This is a common filtering technique applied to video games that helps improve the
perspective of the image shown. Like anti-aliasing, various levels are available, and
the higher the level of anisotropic filtering, the lower the overall performance of the
game. Reviews may also focus on the effect of various levels of this filtering when
presenting the frame rates achieved on a certain graphics card.
4. Application Programming Interface (API) – A set of standard instruction that allow for
video game programmers to work more efficiently by not having to recreate routine
operations that may be common across many games. Some examples of APIs
include Direct3D and OpenGL.
5. Artifact – An artifact is any unintentional and undesirable element found in the image
of a video game. Artifacts may include a flickering effect, pixels colored incorrectly,
image ghosting (where a previous image is still visible in later screens), blurring, or
gaps in the processing of images. Artifacts may be caused by overclocking the
system (especially the graphics processor), unstable or incorrect drivers, component
overheating, and other hardware or software errors.
7. Direct3D – Direct3D is an API owned and developed by Microsoft for the creation of
3D games.
9. Digital Video Interface (DVI) – DVI is an interface that allows for the transfer of a
digital video signal from a computer to a display, which increases the image quality
and performance over a comparable analog system. The white connection seen on
the left-hand side of this graphics card’s
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=PCX-5300TM-128MTV&cat=VCD) back
plate is a DVI connection. DVI is not only being used in computers, but as an
interface for televisions to display high quality images from HDTV, DVD, and other
digital sources. There are three levels to of DVI connectors: DVI-A (DVI Analog) -
this is an analog ONLY DVI connector (you don't get the benefits of the digital signal
- fortunately, you really don't see these anymore); DVI-D (DVI Digital) - this is a DVI
connector that ONLY puts out a digital signal; DVI-I (DVI Digital OR Analog) - this is
the most common connector. It can output a Digital signal or an Analog signal.
When using a DVI connector with an analog monitor (either a DVI-A or DVI-I
connector), you will usually need an DVI to VGA Adapter
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?InvtId=DVI-M-HD15F), sometimes this is
provided by the video card manufacturer, but often times it is not. When most card
manufacturers ads refer to their cards having a "DVI connecter," they most often
mean a DVI-I connector.
10. Frame Rate – The speed at which still images are generated on the screen in order
to create the effect of full motion is referred to as the frame rate, which is measured
in terms of frames per second (fps). While humans can generally only see 30 frames
per second, many gaming benchmarks indicate that cards can provide performance
far exceeding this value, and some may consider something around 60 fps the
current minimum for acceptable performance. Adjusting many of the setting
described in this Tech Tip will have an impact on the frame rate, and finding a
balance of good performance and appearance in today’s games may take some
work on anything but the best graphics cards.
11. GDDR – GDDR is a type of DDR (double data rate) memory produced specifically for
graphics applications. Most modern graphics cards use GDDR memory to handle
the demands of graphics processing, as the specialized clock speeds, bandwidth,
and power requirements are more appropriate than the generally less expensive
‘standard’ DDR format.
12. Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) – The GPU is the processor found on a graphics
card, and is the main chip for handling the work required to create the image
produced on a display.
14. PCI Express (PCIe) – PCI Express is the latest interface for connecting a graphics
card to a computer system, and it is the successor to AGP in terms of gaming
graphics performance. A recent Tech Tip (http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips-
031005.htm) focused on PCIe and detailed the significant performance increases
and flexible configurations available with PCI Express graphics cards
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=VCD#PCIExpress(PCIe)).
16. Resolution – The number of pixels displayed on the screen is referred to as the
resolution, and the value is represented by the number of horizontal pixels times (x)
the number of vertical pixels. Raising the resolution from 800x600 to 1600x1200, for
example, will provide enhanced image quality but generally at the expense of lower
frame rates.
17. Texture Mapping – Texture mapping uses bitmap images stored in memory to
provide the surface appearance of an object rendered in 3D. The texture is wrapped
around the frame of an object, and provides a fairly simple approach for providing a
complex shape. The simplicity may save processing power and provide a
reasonable representation of the desired texture, but it can also lead to a chunky
appearance during motion.
18. Vertical Sync (VSync) – Vertical Synchronization is an option found in many games
that allows the frame rate of the game to be matched to the refresh rate of the
monitor. Generally, allowing VSync provides the greatest stability, but turning it off
can allow for much higher frame rates. The downside of the greater speed is the
potential for artifacts to develop.
19. Video Graphics Array (VGA) – VGA was originally a graphics standard developed by
IBM that allowed for 640x480 resolution with 16 colors. This standard has obviously
been advanced to provide the greater resolutions and colors we enjoy today, but all
computers support at least VGA mode. The term VGA is now mainly used to
describe the 15-pin analog connection found on many graphics cards for connecting
a monitor. The blue connection seen on the right-hand side of this graphics card’s
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SE6200-N&cat=VCD) back plate is a VGA
connection.
20. Video In / Video Out (VIVO) – VIVO capable graphics cards can not only send a
video signal out to a monitor, but they can also receive a video signal for use by the
computer system. VIVO capable graphics cards, such as this one
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=RX60X128V&cpc=SCH&srm=0), or the
famous All-In-Wonder cards offered by ATI
(http://mirror.ati.com/products/radeonx800/aiwx800xt/index.html) include a
dedicated connection for sending/receiving a video signal, and generally include a
separate chip for processing the incoming video signal, as well as special software
for utilizing the signal. VIVO really has no bearing on game play, but many graphics
cards well-suited for game play may include this multimedia connection.
Final Words
Twenty terms related to graphics, and more specifically gaming graphics, were covered
in this Tech Tip, but it is by no means an exhaustive resource. There are too many
specialized terms and technologies related to graphics to cover in a single Tech Tip, and
the number continues to grow as the technology advances. The terms covered are
some of the more common ones that may be encountered, and should provide a good
reference for trying to understand graphics card (or video game) features and
specifications.
Five Things to Consider When Buying a Laptop Computer
Ergonomics
Purchasing a separate mouse may be the best bet, as it allows you to place your arm in
a more familiar (and comfortable) position, as well as providing something that may fit
your hand much better. Notebook mice (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=LM-
811-O&cat=MOU&cpc=USB) are available in a wired or wireless version, and generally
feature a slightly smaller footprint than your typical mouse.
Connectivity
Wireless networking is almost a must-have feature on laptops now. The cord has been
severed to every other shackle confining you to your desk; don’t let network connectivity
hold you back. Wireless networking adapters are available as upgrades via either
PCMCIA cards (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=DWL-650PLUS&cat=NBB) or
USB adapters
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=RU5AWGB2U&cat=NET&cpc=USB), but
many now offer it onboard, hidden inside the system’s housing. Integrated wireless is
the best option if available, as it requires fewer accessories to carry and to configure,
and leaves those expansion ports open for other uses.
USB 2.0 may be the most common peripheral connection, and many laptops may still
come with just one port. That’s fine if you don’t mind carrying around a USB hub
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=USB-MH20-GRY&cpc=SCH&srm=0), but the
more you have to carry, the less mobile you are. A good example of the importance of
USB is that many people decide they want to use a separate mouse for ergonomic
reasons, and generally it will connect via USB. On a laptop with just one port, you now
have to juggle the use of the mouse with connecting anything else, like a digital camera,
MP3 player, or an external hard drive.
Firewire may not be as popular as USB, and as such, it doesn’t show up at all on many
computer systems, regardless of whether they are desktops or laptops. Having this
connection may not be necessary for everyone, but for those who want it, keep in mind
that its inclusion on any particular laptop is not a given.
The operating system on most laptops will allow for the hardware
to be configured to utilize the battery as efficiently as possible. It
is just up to the user to navigate their way to these tabs and set
things like the display to turn off, hard drives to power down, or even the processor to
slow down when it isn’t needed to run full speed. Not all processors can provide this
speed throttling, but finding a system with a Mobile Pentium/Celeron
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=28885RU-N&cat=NBB) or Centrino
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=28885RU-N&cat=NBB) processor may be
your best bet to ensure this capability.
Another way to ensure extended life away from a power outlet is to just add a second
battery. Although you can obviously carry a charged spare in your bag, some laptops
allow for two batteries to be installed at once, with one generally replacing the optical
disk drive.
Size / Weight
The overall size of a laptop is generally governed by the size of the display included.
You may have seen the commercial where Yao Ming (7’5” basketball player) and Verne
Troyer (Mini-Me) compare their laptops with 12 inch and 17 inch monitors. It is an
excellent demonstration of the range of sizes available in laptop computers, and how the
various sizes may be appropriate for different users. Those seeking a replacement for
their desktop computer may insist on a 17” display, while those seeking to minimize size
and weight in the name of portability may be willing to select a laptop with a smaller
display.
Future Proof
Basically, purchase as much laptop as you can afford, so that a year or two down the
road you may be less likely to need a replacement.
Final Words
Picking a laptop computer will probably be more involved than reviewing five simple
steps, but you have to start somewhere! Each of these steps will hopefully guide other
decisions and make the process less frustrating, while also leading to the selection of
the best laptop possible.
5 Ways to Block Spam…
Spam is one of those things that nobody wants, but probably has
plenty of. If there happens to be anyone out there unfamiliar with
spam, we are not talking about the luncheon meat, but the unsolicited,
junk e-mail that clogs our inboxes. And in case you are curious,
according to some sources, the junk mail version of spam earned its
name from a Monty Python skit regarding the luncheon meat of the
same name. Care to sing along?
One of the best strategies for avoiding spam is to protect your personal e-mail address. Your best defense is
for the spammers to not even know you exist, but this is a difficult task to accomplish.
Many spam mailing lists are created by harvesting e-mail addresses from websites where your information may
be displayed. Newsgroups, bulletin boards, and chat rooms are just a few examples of places where spammers
may run scripts to collect anything that resembles an e-mail address. Many sites, such as bulletin boards, have
safeguards to protect their members, but it does nothing if these members post their personal information in one
of their posts, their signature, or somewhere else that puts the information in plain sight. In addition, signing up
with unknown sources for online contests, mailing lists, and similar occasions where you need to provide an
address as part of the registration process may also expose your address to spammers.
Using your best judgment is your best defense. If you want to keep your mailbox clean, keep your address
private, only giving it out to trusted parties.
Protecting your e-mail address is easier said than done, and if you find that it is impossible to keep your
personal e-mail address completely private, a separate account may be the solution. Referred to by some as a
“throw-away” account, this e-mail account doesn’t have to cost you anything, as suitable e-mail accounts are
available for free from places such as Hotmail and Yahoo.
This throw-away account is the best choice when you are unsure that your privacy will be protected. Use it
when registering with newsgroups, bulletin boards, sweepstakes, or in any other situation where you’re not quite
sure your privacy will be protected. You have to use your better judgment, as signing up for something from a
trustworthy source, like the Computer Geeks mailing list, is much different than many things we’ll just leave to
our imaginations.
Since you are not expecting any important mail at this account, if it becomes over run with spam, you do just as
the name suggests and throw it away for a new one.
Most people use either Outlook or Outlook Express as their e-mail client, but
all of these people may not be familiar with creating message rules in the
“Tools” drop down menu. Rules allow you to manually filter the delivery of
e-mail, and can be created to analyze the sender’s name, subject line, and
message body before processing. For example, a rule can be created so
that any message with a particularly offensive word in the subject line is automatically moved to the Deleted
Items folder, or even better, just deleted from the server before download.
Another option provided by Outlook and Outlook Express allows the user to add senders to their “Blocked
Senders” list. No rule needs to be created, and in a few clicks, a sender of unsolicited e-mail can be added to
your personal blocked senders list. Whenever mail arrives from this sender in the future, it will skip the inbox
and go straight to the Deleted Items folder.
Windows XP with Service Pack 2 provides even greater security in a variety of areas, including Outlook and
Outlook Express. Many spam e-mails have images in the body that are coded to identify receipt of the e-mail.
If the individually coded image has been viewed, the spammer knows that you have seen the e-mail, thus
confirming your address as valid. With SP2, images are blocked to prevent your computer from being identified,
thus keeping the spammer from confirming they have a valid address to continue mailing.
The price tag on this type of software may involve a one time
fee of $30 or more, and some come with annual subscriptions
costing up to $40. If the free software doesn’t cut it for your tastes, these pay versions generally include a free
trial so that you can be sure the program is right for you before you spend any money. The logic and data
behind the spam filtering is constantly evolving, so these packages need to be kept updated, much like a virus
scanning application, and this is where subscription-based offerings come into play.
Most major internet service providers (ISP) now offer a spam filter as part of the
package offered to its subscribers. AOL and Earthlink are just two of the big names
out there that include a spam filter in with other attractive features like virus
protection and pop up blockers. These ISP provide filters which effectively manage
spam at the server before delivery, but they are generally not overly customizable on the end user level, and
they obviously only protect e-mail accounts provided by the ISP.
Protection similar to what an internet service provider offers can be implemented by just about anyone with their
own domain name, and access to their server. Domain names and web hosting have become so cheap that it
is not all that uncommon for people to have their own website, or at least a domain name for e-mail. SPAM
Assassin is a no-cost, server based spam fighting solution that can be installed on a server, and has become a
common feature included on many web hosting packages.
These solutions use various rules and logic to analyze messages, much like the third party software does, but it
all happens at the server level. This keeps the message from having to be downloaded to be processed, thus
saving time and precious bandwidth.
Final Words
Spam is a nuisance that impacts people on several levels. Even if the content is not inappropriate or offensive,
it is a waste of time and money. Although some spam solutions claim to eliminate 100% of all unsolicited e-
mail, my experience tells me that this just isn’t realistic. That said, protecting your e-mail address and
implementing the appropriate spam filtering solution should nearly eliminate spam from your life.
Windows Hot Keys:
Most people think they know the ins and outs of using their favorite software (and maybe they
do), but there are hundreds of little shortcuts that can be used to make common tasks even
easier. This Tech Tip is going to follow a different format than the norm and will list a few dozen
of these hot keys that can be used to make working in Microsoft Windows even easier.
The shortcuts covered are broken up into groups based on the main key involved in activating
them. So, let’s take a look at what we can do with the ALT, CTRL, SHIFT, and Windows Keys, as
well as a few combo moves…
Final Words
Windows hot keys are all intended to provide some sort of convenient alternative to common
tasks, and whether specific combinations do so is up to the individual to decide. Some are
simple time-saving motions, while others are complex maneuvers in finger gymnastics. There are
dozens of other common Windows shortcuts (and even more related to specific software titles),
and memorizing just a few of the more basic ones may be worth the time-savings they can afford
you.
Tech Tip 35 - Laptop Accessories
The basic design of laptops makes them the obvious choice for those who need their computing
to be mobile. All of the key components (and then some) of a desktop computer can easily be
configured into a minimal housing that goes with you just about anywhere.
That said, there are some things you may want to add to your laptop computer in order to make it
more comfortable to use, more convenient, and to extend its life while enduring the strains of
daily use.
This Tech Tip will take a look at five items that any laptop owner may want to take a look at in
order to enhance their experience.
Carrying Case
Laptop computers are made to be portable, but for the most part, they are not designed as
indestructibly as they may need to be in order to survive the bumps and bruises of traveling.
Most laptops include a carrying case of some sort, but many don’t seem adequate enough to
protect the valuable contents, and many others don’t have the capacity to hold much more than
the basic essentials. Finding a carrying case that will not only protect a laptop, but that will also
hold all of the necessary accessories, and perhaps your other items (camera, digital audio device,
etc), may be worth while.
It seems that on every flight I take I see at least one person come down the plane’s aisle with a
laptop case slung over their shoulder… allowing it to bounce off every seat they pass! How long
can that last?
Mouse
Laptop computers all come with some sort of pointing device built in. Generally, you either get a
touch pad located just below the keyboard, or a tracking pointer (a small knob) located in the
middle of the keyboard. These may suit your needs just fine for occasional use, but for extended
use they may not be the best ergonomic solutions. Adding a mouse to a laptop is simple and can
greatly increase the comfort level, productivity and enjoyment.
You can obviously use a standard (USB or PS/2) mouse with a laptop, but space constraints may
make a smaller device more appropriate. Miniature mice are available in wired
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=BLU-USBMINIMOUSE&cat=MOU) and wireless
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=931171-0403-DT&cat=MOU) versions, and the
reduced size may be appreciated given the generally limited space available in a carrying bag.
The reduced size may pose a concern to those with large hands, or those who have gotten used
to a larger mouse, but there should be a mouse out there to suit anyone’s taste.
Card Reader
Card readers
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?Cat=CAM#CameraMemory
CardReaders) have become fairly common devices, and prove to
be extremely handy whether the computer is a desktop or a
laptop. With the rising popularity of digital cameras, digital
audio/video devices, personal digital assistants, and the handful
of other items that use flash memory, having a central location to
access these memory cards is a good idea.
Cooling
Cool electronics are happy electronics, and a laptop is no different. Today’s computer chips can
run extremely hot, and given the minimal space a laptop takes up, there isn’t room for optimal
cooling solutions. The heat created by the processor, hard drive, graphics processor, and so on
are all going to radiate through the computer’s housing, as well as being blown out the exhaust
vent. Keeping these components as cool as possible can not only extend their lives, but the user
will be comfortable as well.
A notebook cooler, such as this one (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SIL-NB-
03&cat=NBB), connects via USB to power fans that cool the bottom of the laptop. This will not
only keep the internal components of the laptop cool, but can also keep the user more
comfortable by reducing the temperature felt by their hands, and perhaps lap.
Another comfort feature experience with some laptop coolers is the inclusion of a slight slope that
allows the keyboard to be angled towards the user in a more ergonomic position. Some of these
coolers may also feature additional USB plugs for connecting other devices, making them even
more convenient, and a bit like the item to be discussed in the next section.
Docking Station
If you have a laptop computer that does a bit of traveling, but still does most of its work in one
location, a docking station
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=NBB#NotebookDockingStations) may be worth a look.
What these devices do is allow for the various connections to the computer to be made to the
docking station, and then just one connection is made between the laptop and the station
whenever you want to use it in that location.
So, you could leave anything like a mouse, keyboard, second monitor, power cord, network
cable, and speaker wires connected to the docking station, and simply connect the computer
when it is time to work. For those who regularly use their laptop in a desktop setting, this makes
setup much easier than connecting all of these individual devices each time.
Final Words
Laptops are great devices that make conducting business away from the office simple and
effective. Adding a few key accessories to a laptop can help take things to the next level in terms
of convenience and comfort, as well as insuring that your precious laptop is ready for just about
anything your travels may throw its way.
Tech Tip 36 - SCSI Basics
This Tech Tip will take a look at a few basic features of SCSI, mostly as related to hard drives,
and how ATA and SATA drives may compare.
The Basics
The SCSI standard was first introduced in 1986 (the same year the ATA standard was released),
and significant advancements have been made to it over the years in areas such as speed, bus
width, bus speed, and the number of devices that can be connected.
An adaptor card, also called a “host adaptor,” is required for connecting SCSI drives to the
motherboard, but this serves more like a gateway for data transfer, rather than a processing
center. The SCSI controller allows system resources to remain freed up during heavy data
processing because it is the individual drive controllers doing the bulk of the work. In addition,
individual SCSI drives can communicate directly, requiring almost no CPU power, while ATA or
SATA drives must all rely on the system to provide the processing for such communications. This
becomes more important when considering that a single SCSI adaptor can support up to 15
drives (or other devices), which could overwhelm one controller if it had to manage the
communications for all of them.
While discussing the means by which the various drives connect to a system, let’s look at the
physical connections. “Headers” (pin connection blocks) can be found onboard modern desktop
motherboards to support the 40-pin ATA connector and/or the 7-pin SATA connector. Due to
SCSI’s more specialized nature, only high-end motherboards may have built in adaptors, and
depending on the age and type, the header may have 25, 50, 68, or 80 pins. Stand-alone SCSI
adaptors are available for PCI or PCI-X slots (http://www.geeks.com/pix/techtips-022405.htm),
and can be selected to match the drives on hand.
The cables
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?Cat=
HDD#SCSICables) required to connect
SCSI drives are also different, not just
because of the number of pins used to
connect them, but because you can have
so many drives on one “channel.” Cables
can be chained together to add more drives
to a SCSI channel, and in order to let the
channel know where the end of the chain
is, a device called a terminator must be
installed at the end of the line. This cable
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=U
L20674&cat=HDD) features 3 connectors for Ultra160 SCSI drives and includes a removable
terminator.
In order for all of the devices on a SCSI bus to be identified by the system, there is a set of
jumpers or switches found on each drive. Each drive on the bus must have its jumpers
configured so that it has a unique value, or SCSI ID, which would translate to a number between
0 and 15 on a system capable of 16 devices.
Performance
Regardless of drive type, real-world performance never equals theoretical maximum values, but
higher specifications imply higher potential real-world performance. Even with the latest SATA
standard doubling its speed, it is easy to see that the more established Ultra320 SCSI standard
has a sizeable edge in transfer rates (320 MBps > 300 MBps, ), in addition to the other factors
that make SCSI so robust. By 2008, SATA throughput rates are expected to reach 600 MBps,
but time will tell.
Another speed comparison can be made between the drives in terms of how fast the disk pletters
spin. ATA and SATA drives generally spin at a maximum of 7200 RPM (some SATA drives now
go up to 10,000 RPM), while it is standard for a SCSI drive to operate at 10,000 or 15,000 RPM.
Higher rotational speeds aid in lowering times to access data, as well as when reading and
writing.
Price
In addition to the base price of the drive costing a good deal more, other factors such as a
controller card, cables, and a terminator (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SCATOSCSI-
TERM&cpc=SCH&srm=0) can add even more to the setup. Most ATA or SATA-based systems
come with the controller built in, and for the most part the cables are also included or available for
next to nothing (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=MBBPLUS&cpc=SCH&srm=0).
A controller built in to every drive contributes to the cost, but there is more to it than that.
Reliability
SCSI drives are expected to always be on, used in environments where 24/7 operation and
uptime are not only necessary, but critical. The typical ATA or SATA drive is intended to be on
for only about 8 hours per day. Your wallet might not agree, but the typical hard drive found in a
personal computer is pretty cheap, and it is designed to be so.
Final Words
SCSI may not be an economical solution for a desktop computer, but it doesn’t pretend to be.
The high price tag comes with equally high performance and reliability, and in critical server and
workstation applications, the added expense may easily be justified and recovered in a short
period of time.
Tech Tip 37 - Memory Basics
All computers require memory to operate, but understanding the different types and how much
you should have can be an issue. This Tech Tip will take a look at some of the common forms of
modern computer memory and the different features they bring to the table.
The Basics
Those with Linux-based computers may experience successful installations with less memory
than a typical Windows operating system, but Penguin power requires a certain amount of
memory too. As little as 16MB of memory can successfully power a Linux system with a
command line interface, and 64MB may be recommended for adding one of the common
graphical interfaces. Some of the various distributions will recommend even more memory, such
as Xandros (http://www.xandros.com/) recommending 128MB, Linspire (http://www.linspire.com)
recommending 256MB (128MB minimum), and the CentOS (http://www.centos.org) forum
mentions 256MB.
SDRAM
SDRAM, or Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory, is a few generations old at this
point, but may still be found in a good number of computers. This type of memory is/was
available in approved speeds of 66 MHz, 100 MHz, and 133 MHz, and was sold based on these
speeds ratings, ie. PC66, PC100, and PC133. SDRAM for desktop computers
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#168-pinDIMMMemory) features 168 pins for
electrical/data transfer on a module measuring roughly 5 ¼” long. SDRAM for notebook
computers (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#144-pinNotebookMemory) features
144 pins for electrical/data transfer on a module measuring roughly 2 5/8” long. SDRAM could be
found in early Intel Pentium and AMD K6/Athlon systems.
SDRAM was a big improvement over previous generations of computer memory, as the memory
and processor were now ‘synchronized’ and data was available as needed. Later generations of
system memory (DDR and DDR-2) are built off of the foundation laid by SDRAM, while obviously
adding more speed and greater performance.
RIMM
RIMM (Rambus Inline Memory Module), also known as Rambus or RDRAM, was a format
launched by Rambus (http://www.rambus.com) as a successor to SDRAM. Desktop RIMM
modules (http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM#184-pinRIMMMemory) feature 184 pins
for electrical/data transfer on a module measuring roughly 5 1/4” long. The rating for RIMM
memory is based on the maximum theoretical bandwidth (in MHz) and included speed ratings of
800 MHz, 1066 MHz, 1200 MHz, 1333 MHz, and 1600 MHz.
Early Intel Pentium 4 processors adopted the technology, but that was about the extent of
RIMM’s desktop popularity. Some server applications and home electronics devices (such as the
PlayStation II) also utilize RIMM memory, but DDR memory was launched at about the same time
and eventually stole the show.
DDR
DDR, or Double Data Rate SDRAM, was the follow up to SDRAM which is still in use today. All
present AMD-based systems utilize DDR memory, and some Intel-based systems still use it
(despite most being transitioned to DDR-2).
The ‘Double’ part of DDR comes from its ability to transfer twice the data of an SDRAM module
operating at the same speed. This is accomplished by the fact that DDR technology can send
data on both the rise and the fall of a clock pulse, while SDRAM only sends data on the rise.
DDR is marketed much like RIMM, as it uses its maximum theoretical bandwidth (again in MHz)
to describe the various speeds available. Standard speeds of DDR include PC1600, PC2100,
PC2700, and PC3200. The bandwidth can be tied directly to a memory clock speed, with the
following correlation: PC1600 – 100 MHz, PC2100 – 133 MHz, PC2700 – 166 MHz, and PC3200
– 200 MHz. Many times, these speeds are referenced by a DDR rate instead of these straight
clock speeds, so PC3200 would actually be called 400 MHz DDR, for example.
Seen in other memory types, but perhaps most prominent in DDR, are specifications for modules
operating at speeds other than the official ones listed above. Memory standards are governed by
a group called JEDEC (http://www.jedec.org), but manufacturers can design products outside of
these specifications for computing enthusiasts. This non-standard DDR may be capable of much
higher speeds, and products carrying ratings such as PC4000 or PC4400 are readily available.
DDR-2
DDR-2, or Dual Data Rate Two SDRAM, is the second generation of DDR memory and is just
now reaching a price and performance level to make it more viable for mainstream computer
systems. DDR-2 provides almost double the (theoretical) data transfer as DDR, but it still sends
data on the rise and fall of the clock pulse. The improvements are achieved through an increased
number of memory buffers, lower electrical consumption, improved physical design, and an
improved prefetch. The problem with most present DDR-2 is that these improvements are wiped
out by a higher latency within the memory, and the actual improvements over DDR at the same
speed may only be 5% or so.
DDR-2 uses a similar naming structure to DDR, in that the maximum theoretical bandwidth is the
typical method of describing a module. Instead of just a “PC” prefix, we now have a “PC2” to
describe modules such as PC2-3200, PC2-4200, and PC2-5300. PC2-3200 has a DDR-2 speed
of 400 MHz (4x100 MHz), PC2-4200 has a DDR-2 speed of 533 MHz (4x133 MHz), and PC2-
5300 has a DDR-2 speed of 667 MHz (4x166 MHz). As with DDR (and others), overclocking
memory is available in DDR-2, such as Corsair’s (http://www.corsair.com/) DDR-2 PC2-8000,
which operates at 1000 MHz!
Final Words
Memory is an essential component in any computer system, and as with most things, bigger and
faster are always a good thing. But, if your budget doesn’t allow for a few GBs of the highest
performance modules out there, having the appropriate amount of good quality memory can
make a tremendous impact on system performance, reliability, and user happiness.
Addendum:
The use of canned air products comes with a responsibility to use these products as directed and
limit their access to children and teenagers. We feel that the safety of our children and young
people is of the utmost importance in our society. Thanks to all of our Tech Tip readers who
wrote and asked us to point out the potential dangers of canned air and similar products.
Many people don’t think of their computer when doing a bit of cleaning around the home, but
perhaps they should. We’re talking about an effort far less unpleasant than doing windows or
cleaning the bathroom, and the use of a can of compressed air can take care of a bulk of the
work for you.
Cleaning your system on a somewhat regular basis can easily help extend the life of components,
increase system stability, and reduce noise. This Tech Tip will take a look at a few areas to focus
on, and all you really need to do is open your case and pull the trigger!
Case Fans
In addition to gunking up the fans, dust can also cover the fan grills
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=FGM-80-BLU&cat=368), or other types of guards,
intended to protect fingers from the spinning blades. Keeping these clear will allow the maximum
airflow for efficiently cooling the components, as well as cutting down on noise created by the air
trying to flow past a restricted opening.
Some case manufacturers now include removable filters in front of their case fans in order to
make maintenance easier. These filters can then be removed and blown clean, while the fans
and case internals remain relatively dust free. For those without such a thoughtful feature
included in their case, fan filters (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=FFM-80-
BLK&cat=368) are available in standard sizes to be added to just about any fan.
Heat Sinks
As with case fans, a dirty heat sink fan will suffer a drop in
cooling efficiency, create more noise, and perhaps have its
life shortened. The heat sink body, generally constructed
of aluminum or copper, is the means by which the heat from the chip is transferred to the air. A
layer of dust will act as a blanket and insulate the heat sink, thus preventing it from freely
exchanging heat with the air.
Keyboard
Keyboards
(http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=553) seem
to suffer most when it comes to accumulating the debris of
every day usage. Not only do they gather dust and hair
like most of the other components discussed, but they
seem to be magnets for crumbs of food, cigarette ashes,
and just about anything else that can slip down between
the cracks. Eventually a keyboard may look too gross to
actually want to use, and you may even find that the key
action is less responsive or even blocked by items under
the keys.
Mice
Optical mice
(http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=565) may be
more immune from dust than the old roller ball mice
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=GN-
115&cat=561), but both styles are still prone to diminished performance caused by dust. Roller
ball mice require fairly frequent cleanings in the socket around the ball, as it can sweep just about
anything you roll over up into its mechanism. Optical (and laser) mice have a smooth bottom
surface that may not have anywhere for dust to gather, but there are still places for it to settle
elsewhere.
The buttons on either type of mice are generally not sealed, and junk can get into the small
cracks around the edges, potentially interfering with the click action of the device. In addition, the
area around scroll wheels can easily become gunked up with dust and debris, which a blast of
canned air can alleviate.
Power Supply
Power supplies
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=39) are much
like heat sinks with respect to keeping them clean. The
housing of a power supply features a fan (or two) used to
cool aluminum heats inks found inside, and the same
issues that impacted the performance of a chip’s heat
sink and fan will be found in a power supply.
The components of a power supply run hot due to the resistance in the process of converting the
120V AC power to the various DC voltages needed inside the computer. Power supplies with
better efficiencies are now available which reduce the heat generated, but keeping the fans and
heatsinks free of dust will help keep them doing so for a much longer time.
Laptops
Laptop computers
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=35) can benefit
equally from a cleansing blast of air. For example, the
integrated keyboard and pointing device can get the same
crud behind them as a desktop version and inverting the
laptop and giving a blast can set this debris free.
Final Words
A can of air won’t take care of all of your computer maintenance needs, but one can really make
keeping key components functioning at their best a breeze. Available at most consumer
electronics and office supply stores, the (low) price of a can of air is well worth it to help maintain
the large investment you have in your computer.
Tech Tip 39 – DVD Writing: 6 Tips for that Perfect Burn
Article by: Miguel Fernandez
For many, DVD writing (or “burning,” as it is commonly called) can end up being
an expensive trial and error process, especially when burning video for playback
on set-top DVD players. This Tech Tip is intended to eliminate the need to
spend that hard earned money in order to achieve that “perfect burn.” Please
note, as with many things computer-related, many people hold strong opinions of
certain subjects, and this is definitely one of them. This tip simply enumerates
what we have found to work for many people. While this Tech Tip deals largely
with DVD video playback compatibility, we at Geeks.com (http://www.geeks.com)
encourage you to use your DVD burner responsibly and to observe all copyright
laws for the area in which you live.
Not all standalone players support both DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW formats.
Check your player’s manual to see exactly what formats it supports before you
spend money on media. Generally, older players have more readability issues
then newer players. Videohelp.com (http://www.videohelp.com/) is an excellent
website for finding such information as your player’s model number, what media
to use, what formats your player can use. You will also find many great guides
and excellent software. One word of caution: no matter the player, for video you
want to generally avoid using a re-writable (DVD-RW/DVD+RW) media. This
type of media is best suited for data (although many standalone players do
support this kind of media, some people have still encountered video playback
issues).
Tip #6 – Advanced tip: When all else fails, burn your DVD in Nero using
UDF 1.02
This is a tip some have found to help with many playback issues. If the video
DVD you burned does not play, or you get a "Disc Error", try burning the disc
using UDF (Universal Disc Format) (http://www.videohelp.com/glossary?U) 1.02.
If you have a somewhat older standalone DVD player, there may be a chance
that it cannot properly support the newer versions of UDF (burning software,
such as Nero usually uses the newer version of UDF when burning DVD video).
This “last resort” tip has helped many with seemingly insurmountable DVD video
playability issues.
Final Words
Following these tips, and taking the initiative to do some research on the subject,
will ensure that you’ll be quite satisfied with both your DVD writer as well as
anything you create with it. While we have found that some people may be quick
to blame the DVD drive or the DVD media as the source of a problem, this may
not necessarily always be the case as we’ve seen with tips 5 and 6. It is our hope
that these Tech Tips will help you make that “perfect burn.”
Tech Tip 40 - Dual Display Desktop
The ability to run multiple monitors off of one computer is nothing new, but such
configurations are seeing a surge in popularity. The falling prices of LCD
monitors, coupled with the desire to comfortably have as much on screen as
possible, are leading this surge. It might be an even more popular upgrade if
people were aware of the ease of installation and the relatively reasonable costs
associated with it. To that end, this Tech Tip will take a look at some of the basic
requirements and features associated with setting up a dual display desktop on a
personal computer.
Software
The typical home user may appreciate the extra space in order to spread out
documents for easy reviewing without having to tab back and forth. On a more
recreational level, perhaps they will utilize one monitor for their web browser,
while the second one is used to display e-mail, instant messaging, MP3
playback, DVD video, and so on.
Hardware
For those with an existing system that could benefit from dual displays, replacing
the existing graphics adaptor with a dual-head card is an option, but it is not the
only one. Another graphics adaptor can be added to the system, and the existing
card can be kept. This is nice for financial reasons, or if the performance of the
existing card doesn’t warrant replacement.
The key thing to consider with this approach is to select a secondary graphics
adaptor that uses a slot available on your motherboard, and that offers a display
connection to match your monitor. Newer systems may feature more than one
PCIe x16 slots which can make this happen, but you can also add a PCI card to
any system currently running PCIe, AGP, or PCI graphics. The cards used in a
dual display setup do not need to match, and it is acceptable to run a high end
primary card with a bargain basement secondary card, or any combination of
cards in between.
Trying to set up dual displays on systems with integrated video can result with
mixed results. Expansion slots are generally available for graphics cards on
systems with the video adaptor built into the motherboard, but using these slots
on many systems like this instantly disables the onboard video. Those desiring
dual displays on such systems need to investigate whether onboard graphics
adaptor can be part of the setup, or if two new connections need to be installed
via either method described previously. But, some integrated video solutions will
support dual displays, and may do so without additional hardware. For example,
if the manufacturer includes the necessary connections, systems that utilize the
Intel Extreme2 integrated graphics processor can run dual displays as is.
There are also specialty cards, such as the ones made by Matrox
(http://www.matrox.com/mga/corp/enterprise/products/highend.cfm) that can
allow up to four monitors per card, and multiple cards per system! Though not
made for the gamer, these cards are great for stock traders, banks and
enterprise server situations.
Benefits
Financially, two smaller monitors should be much easier to justify than one larger
monitor. Two 17” LCD monitors
(http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=538), or even two 19” LCD monitors
(http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=540), generally cost much less than
just one 20” LCD monitor (http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=532).
Looking at the Geeks.com inventory, it can be seen that two typical 17” models
will cost about $400, while one 20” model will cost closer to $800!
The price difference between two new smaller monitors and one new larger
monitor is remarkable, but many people might already have something like a
decent quality 17” monitor on hand. The value of a dual display desktop gets
even better if you only need to buy one of the monitors. Many people retire
perfectly good monitors just because they want to upgrade to a larger screen.
Simply adding another, similar monitor to the setup can be much more
economical and provide even greater desktop real estate.
Desktop real estate is what this effort is all about. People want larger displays for
generally three reasons: (1) to make the image larger and easier on their eyes,
(2) to be able to fit more content on to the screen, and (3) just for bragging rights
as bigger is better! Dual displays may be a good way to take care of numbers
one and two, and it will help satisfy number three by scoring significant coolness
points worth bragging about.
As a point of reference in the desktop real estate department, let’s take a look at
the maximum resolution you can run with either a single 20” monitor or two 17”
monitors. A 20” Sony LCD monitor
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SDM-S204_B-DT&cat=MON) supports
a maximum resolution of 1600x1200. Any one of the 17” or 19” LCD monitors at
the links above will provide a maximum resolution of 1280x1024. Place two of
these monitors side-by-side in a dual desktop setup and you have an effective
resolution of 2560x1024. If your physical desktop makes it more convenient to
configure your Windows desktop so that one monitor is above the other, instead
of side-by-side, you could then have an effective resolution of 1280x2048. As
you can see, the total area in the dual display configuration is far greater than
that found on just one 20” monitor.
The display specifications are worth considering when adding a different type of
monitor in order to create a dual desktop arrangement. Factors such as contrast,
brightness, resolution, refresh rate, and dot pitch are just some of the variables
that can make one monitor look different than others. In general, it is not a big
deal for displays to look different when they are in different locations, but when
you have them side-by-side on your desk it may be more of an issue. If the
image quality isn’t similar, shifting your eyes back and forth between the two
monitors can become a strain as your eyes try to adjust to each. Many quality
LCD displays have specifications that overlap and should be comfortable on the
eyes, but a nice crisp LCD next to a slightly worn CRT is a different story.
Final Words
Dual display configurations are not difficult to setup and offer an economical
alternative to upgrading to a larger monitor. The convenience of such a monitor
arrangement can be reaped in both business and personal applications, and
once you experience working or playing on two displays, you may wonder why
you didn’t do it sooner.
Tech Tip 41 – Voice Over Internet Protocol - VoIP 101
The acronym VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and
the basic concept of the term can be fairly well understood by just looking at the words
that make up the acronym. For a more complete definition, VoIP can be described as a
means of converting analog audio signals (your voice) into digital data that can be
transferred over the Internet.
Getting Setup
Taking a look at the basic definition again, we can see that we only need to be able to
capture the audio and transmit it digitally in order to have VoIP. This can be done
without subscribing to a service and without a specialized telephone or other equipment.
Basic VoIP can be accomplished by an internet connected PC with a soundcard sporting a
microphone and speakers. Keeping that in mind, let’s look at the three basic ways people
implement VoIP.
The first way to implement VoIP is the PC to PC version of
VoIP as described in the previous paragraph. With a fairly
typical computer connected to broadband internet, and some
kind of software for managing the communications, anyone
can be up and running with a basic version of VoIP that may
be totally free. Such software is available as a free
download, and Skype (http://www.skype.com/) is one of the
more popular applications in use. Skype allows members to
make free PC to PC calls regardless of distance and, for an
extra fee, they can send/receive calls from standard
telephones. As mentioned, you only need a PC with a soundcard
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=SND), a microphone
(http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=785) and a decent set of speakers
(http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=SPK), but there are also specialized USB VoIP
telephones (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SE-P1K&cpc=SCH&srm=0) that
make it even more convenient. Using a USB VoIP phone not only makes the
communication seem a bit more traditional, but it also frees up the soundcard for typical
audio applications (MP3s, games, etc), while the phones circuitry handles all audio
processing for phone calls.
Data Transmissions
Your standard phone line uses the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network – also
sometimes called POTS (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/POTS.html) (for Plain
Old Telephone Service)) for connecting the parties involved in a phone call. Although
this system is reliable, it is not very efficient, and considering it has been operating under
the same basic principles since the invention of the telephone, it might be surprising to
realize we have such an antiquated system. A call made on
this system is referred to as “circuit switched”
(http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/circuit_switching.html)
, since the two parties are constantly connected throughout the
duration of the call like a circuit.
A VoIP call doesn’t use the PSTN, and it does not keep the
two parties connected throughout the conversation. A VoIP
conversation is referred to as “packet switched”
(http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/packet_switching.html),
as the data is transmitted in packets (or smaller chunks) and
the connection is made only as these chunks of data need to be
transmitted.
VoIP Protocols
Just as with most other means of communicating data over the Internet, there are a few
VOIP protocols that have been developed by various groups and companies. Some of the
current protocols include SIP, IAX, H.323, MEGACO
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaco), and MGCP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGCP).
Let’s look at some details of the first three, as they may be the ones you are most likely to
encounter.
SIP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Session_Initiation_Protocol), or Session Initiation
Protocol, is the most commonly used VoIP protocol and was developed by the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF (http://www.ietf.org/)). One issue with SIP is that it is
not particularly NAT (Network Address Translation) friendly. NAT is what allows a
local area network to manage one set of IP addresses for internal communications, and a
second set of IP addresses for external communications.
Benefits
One of the main benefits of VoIP is the flexibility. You can take your phone, and your
same phone number, with you anywhere in the world where a broadband internet
connection is available. This can be extremely useful for business travelers who cannot
count on their mobile phone to work internationally, and appreciate the presence of a
dedicated phone number to use for staying in contact with associates/clients. This
flexibility is made easier through the use of a PC-based or IP-based telephone, but even a
typical ATA can be packed up and stored in a brief case.
Another key benefit is the price. Taking a look at the offerings from services like
Vonage (http://www.vonage.com/) or Packet8 (http://www.packet8.net/) shows that the
traditional phone company may not be able to compete. In addition to offering local and
long distance for lower rates, they also bundle in all the extra calling features that people
have grown to rely on (such as caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling, etc).
VoIP also allows some more advanced features not available with your typical land line.
Many services offer the ability to check voice mail via the web, or to even have voice
messages sent to you as an attachment in an e-mail. The service’s web interface may also
allow for a detailed calling log to be reviewed, for customized messages that can be
applied to certain callers, and for special call forwarding settings to be applied.
Final Words
VoIP is nothing new, but as the technology advances, the popularity is surging. The
efficiency, calling features, and competitive pricing have it poised to overtake the
antiquated PSTN system as the way we make phone calls. This Tech Tip covered some
of the basic ideas and features of VoIP, and hopefully offers a better understanding of the
technology and features of Voice over Internet Protocol.
Tech Tip 42 - Computer Interconnections (Intro and Electrical Safety)
Article by Roy Davis
Naturally, I did some research by poking around on the Web for electrical safety
as related to personal computers. I was shocked (sorry, couldn’t help it) by the
lack of practical information about handling electricity in and around your
computer, given that all computers run on electricity. Your laptop runs on
electricity and there are special considerations there too, but there are things to
be careful of even when running off the battery.
I inherited a piece of equipment when I bought this house and it had apparently
been pinched at one time. The safety ground wire was broken off and shorted
against the hot wire inside the cord. There are safety circuits, which I’ll explain
later, that tripped, but the previous homeowner got the equipment working by
disabling the safeties. The point is, people do things to electrical equipment that
result in hazards, and I could have been killed by touching the cabinet with the
power on if I had not replaced the cord before plugging the equipment back in.
Your computer has exactly the same type of three-wire cord and a metal cabinet.
The house wiring in the room where your computer is probably doesn’t have all
those safeties so it’s ripe for an electrical shock if the cord is not in good shape.
Enough of the horror stories, let’s get down to the technical details.
Under normal conditions, no current should flow in the green safety ground. The
green wire is in fact connected to the white wire at the electrical ground back at
the power box. So why is the safety ground so important? If the wiring in your
house is done correctly, and you have a computer where you drop a screw that
shorts the hot side of the power line to the case, the electricity would take the
path of least resistance and travel back through the safety ground wire instead of
through your body. The safety ground can handle the current so it should kick out
the breaker and shut down the circuit, keeping the electrical short from turning
into an electrical fire.
Now you know why it’s so important to have your power cords in good shape, but
what should you look for? First, you can’t do a good job of inspecting a power
cord under your desk. Take the cord to a place with good light and look at it
closely along every inch. Especially near the plugs, bend the cord back and forth
and look for cracks in the insulation. No cracks are acceptable. If the cord
appears pinched, stretched or cracked, throw it in the trash and get a new one. A
new computer cord can be had for a very few dollars at your local computer store
or electronics supply. When I see them on sale, I pick up a few spares to have
around so I don’t hesitate to toss a defective one.
I mentioned some safeties built into your house. The first line of defense is the
circuit breaker. Every circuit in your house must have breakers as they are
required by code. Circuit breakers sense when too much current is being drawn
and shut off the power. The only purpose of circuit breakers is to keep the wiring
from going up in smoke with a short circuit. They don’t protect you from shocks.
Keep the above in mind while using a laptop computer if it is plugged into the
wall. If you are going to sit out on the concrete patio, by the pool or anywhere
that is damp or has concrete, abandon the power supply and run off the battery.
Sitting in a pair of shorts on an aluminum chair or even just with bare feet on the
concrete and a computer in your lap connected to the power lines is an invitation
for trouble. The battery is going to die of old age if you keep your power supply
plugged in all the time, so exercise the battery while you enjoy the sun.
Final Words
Normally, USB power is limited to 100 milliamps, or one tenth of an Amp when you plug
a device in. That’s enough to power most gadgets, but if you have a power-hungry unit
it can negotiate a boost up to 500 milliamps from most computer USB ports. Now, if
you are using a hub, the computer isn’t going to want to supply the boosted power to
many devices. To overcome this obstacle, you can buy hubs that have their own power
brick. The unpowered hubs are fine to tote along with your
laptop computer to hook up low-powered devices, but for
your desktop machine, you should get a hub with its own
power supply.
Cell phones and MP3 players are now coming with USB
cables for charging their batteries. They don’t need a
power brick of their own; they just steal power from your
computer. On a trip, this is great because you can charge
your portable devices from your laptop and carry only the
charger for your computer.
My main home computer has three pairs of USB ports on the back and one on the front.
I know that some are USB 2.0 and the other USB 1.1 So how do you tell if you
computer is equipped with USB 1.1 or 2.0 ports? Often you have both, so check all of
them to be sure where you can plug in your low speed devices, like a mouse, or a high-
speed device like a new flash memory stick.
First, to make sure you aren’t reading any external USB hubs you have, unplug them
from your computer and reboot. Start at the Control Panel and select the System
applet. Pick the Hardware
tab and then the Device
Manager button. Expand the
Universal Serial Bus
controllers item at or near
the bottom of the list. Scan
through the list and look for
USB 2.0 and/or Enhanced.
The term Enhanced means
that it is USB 2.0 even if it
doesn’t explicitly say 2.0.
If you do happen to have
both USB 2.0 and 1.1 ports
on your computer, and they
are not labeled, you might be in for some trial-and-error to get your high-speed devices
stuffed in the right hole. It doesn’t hurt to have a low-speed device plugged into a high-
speed port, but the other way around will only run at the lower speed. When you do
plug a USB 2.0 device into a USB 1.1 port, you should get a message balloon on the
taskbar that warns you of the mismatch (assuming you are using Windows XP).
USB ports are usually in pairs on the back of
your computer. Say you have one USB 2.0 pair
and one USB 1.1 pair. If you remove all your
USB devices and boot up your computer, then
plug in your high-speed devices until you get
them in the USB 2.0 ports, then you can plug your slow-speed USB 1.1 devices in the
other pair of ports. If you have more devices of one type than you have ports on your
computer, buy a USB hub to split out your ports. Hubs are cheap and give you lots of
expansion capability. Make sure if you have USB 2.0 devices that you get a USB 2.0
compliant hub!
If you are really a hardcore geek, you can read lots more about USB at
http://www.beyondlogic.org/usbnutshell/usb-in-a-nutshell.pdf.
Final Words –
USB has taken the computer industry by storm. Every laptop and desktop computer
sports several USB ports and you almost can’t buy a peripheral these days that doesn’t
have a USB cable attached. It’s so popular because people have struggled for years
with many different and incompatible computer interfaces. You can start packing away
those 25 to 9-pin serial port adapters and put away those fat parallel printer port cables
that have been replaced by USB. Your joystick for games, mouse for drawing and
trackball for text editing can all plug into a single hub and from there into a single USB
port on your computer. With hot plugging convenience, you can jack in all sorts of new
toys and enjoy the benefits of USB interconnectivity.
Tech Tip 44 - Computer Interconnections (Wired for Sound)
Article by Roy Davis
Early PC sounds were limited to beeps and boops, which made for some pretty boring
games, and if you wanted to listen to music, you had a separate cassette deck to play
your tapes. Now even laptop computers can play CD music in stereo, games come in
surround sound and we do our music recording, organizing and playback on our
computers. Here are some tips on how to connect all those pieces of a computer audio
system together to get clear and satisfying sound.
2. Powered Speakers
Powered speakers are driven by an analog signal from one of the 3.5 mm jacks on your
sound card. You could plug it into the Speaker/Headphone jack, but the quality would
stink. This is where the Line Out jack comes into play. The line level signal bypasses
the speaker amplifier on the sound card to give you a cleaner signal. The Line In jack
b ypasses the microphone amplifier for higher quality recording, but well have to get into
that in a future Tech-Tips.
3. Subwoofer
4. External USB
Since computers were not originally designed to be part of a hi-fi sound system, its no
wonder that we run into many problems like distortion, noise, and hum when we go for top
quality audio. Here are some tips for cleaning up those problems so you can have a
sweet-sounding music or gaming system.
6. Distortion
Audio signals are prone to all
sorts of distortion that can be
introduced by everything from a
dirty plug to a faulty audio
C ODEC
(Compression/Decompression
algorithm). Since we are talking
about computer interconnects
here, well limit our distortion
discussion to only two causes:
One type I mentioned is dirty or loose plugs. Make sure your computer audio signals are
protected by tight, clean connections. Corroded contacts can do all sorts of nasty things
to sound. Clean your plugs with a dry rag, or maybe a tiny bit of contact cleaner that you
can buy at Radio Shack. If this doesnt result in nice shiny connectors, replace your
cables. They are too cheap to have them degrade your sound.
The second type of distortion involves overload, basically turning the sound up so loud
that the circuit cannot amplify it properly so the peaks of the signal are clipped off (hence
the name “clipping distortion” or “peaking”). This creates all sorts of harmonic distortion. If
you are recording rock guitar, harmonic distortion is part of your sound. For playing back
music on your computer, it sounds horrible. Ill go into how overload distortion interacts
with how you have your computer sound system connected up in the next section on
noise.
7. Noise
Heres a concrete example that you can demonstrate yourself and maybe even improve
your computer sound. Suppose you have a set of powered speakers that are fed an
analog signal from your sound card. Play some music, say, a CD in the CD drive. Go to
the full audio mixer control panel, usually double clicking on the speaker icon at the lower
right of your screen.
Push the mixer slider for the CD Player all the way to the bottom. Push the Master control
all the way to the top and turn the volume control on your powered speakers all the way
up. You are probably listening to a lot of hiss noise with no music right now because you
have maximum gain going in your powered speaker and your sound card. Move the CD
Player slider up very carefully and you will find that you get maximum volume very
quickly, but all that hiss is still there.
Now, reverse the process and start with the powered speaker turned all the way down
and the mixer controls all the way up. Turn up the powered speaker only to a comfortable
level. Back down the mixer controls only as needed to get rid of overload distortion. You
can quickly find a setting that gives all the volume you want, low distortion and minimum
hiss. This is the ideal gain distribution between the elements of your sound system.
8. Hum
Getting rid of hum in your computer sound system can really be frustrating. Hum is
caused by our power lines that run at 60 Hertz (which we used to call 60 cycles per
second) and it can leak in from any where. Sixty Hz is a pretty low frequency that many
speaker systems dont reproduce very well, but often the harmonics (multiples) of the
power line frequency (120 Hz, 180 Hz, 240 Hz and so on) are what we hear, and they
can be really annoying.
The first step to get rid of hum is the optimum gain distribution as described above.
Hum gets louder with more amplification, so get the gain down. The next step is to get rid
of the source of the hum if you can.
One source of hum can be the use of an unshielded cable between the Line Out of the
sound card and the input of the powered speaker system. You can get cables with
3.5 mm plugs that are designed to hook up speakers and these cables generally have no
shield to protect the signal from hum induced by nearby power cords. Make sure all the
cables between your sound card and your speaker system have a shield. Your best bet
is to use the cables that came with the speaker system in the positions where the
instruction tell you to use them. Dont swap cables around. The unshielded speaker
cable will work fine between the amplifier and a speaker, but not on the input of the
speaker amplifier.
Another culprit can be the power supply in your powered speakers. Leave the volume
control where you usually listen when you like it loud and unplug the power supply. Now
unplug the sound signal cable (the 3.5 mm plug), and make sure the plug isnt touching
anything. Its not dangerous, but it will pick up hum if it is in contact with something. Plug
the power supply back in. If you still have hum, its coming from the power supply in the
powered speaker, so you might think about getting it repaired or upgraded.
Still another cause of hum is a ground loop. When you have the power cords of two
pieces of equipment plugged into separate receptacles, there could be a long path
between the two receptacles. Also, the position of the audio cables relative to the power
cords can have your sound system humming. One way to avoid ground loops between
equipment is to connect the power cords of the two pieces of equipment with a Y-Cable
that ensures they are plugged into the same branch circuit. If the Y-Cable still has your
computer humming a few bars, try repositioning the audio cables. Try to keep the audio
cables, including speaker wires, bundled together with a cable organizer kit. Keep some
separation between the audio cables and the power cords, but sometimes too much
separation contributes to a ground loop. It really ends up being a trial-and-error solution.
Final Words
Even if you live with an MP3 player on your hip, chances are you recorded that music on
your PC. Making PC sound systems sound good can involve a little wiring or a bunch.
Of course, having the right equipment in the first place is imperative. Understanding the
causes of sound system woes can go a long way toward fixing them. Change one thing
at a time and use the trouble shooting tips above to make sure you are getting the best
sound possible out of your gear.
Tech Tip 45 - Computer Interconnections IV (Picture Perfect)
Article by Roy Davis
As a major geek, I probably spend more time looking at the back of a computer
than I do the front of a television. Even so, having the “gadget freak” side of a
geek in me too, I just had to buy the family one of those new flat panel TVs.
If you think the back of your computer has a confusing assortment of connectors
on it, look at the dark side of a recent model television and be prepared to be
confused. This article will sort out this confusion, and in the process, we’ll note
that more and more of the connections on computers are showing up on TV’s
and vice versa.
This piece addresses only the actual video connections. Then there is HDTV in
so many formats it will make you blind. We’ll have to save discussion on formats
for another Tech Tip.
Just as our computers are hooked up to everything under the sun, televisions are
expected to interface to lots of electronic goodies – including our computers! As
we progress from the over-the-air analog TV that was designed pre-World War II,
to the latest digital video medium of HDTV, the interface for these signals (and
their connectors) have to change to keep up.
Here’s a list of the video connections you will find on a (Typical High-End TV).
• F Connector
• Composite
• S-Video
• Component
• D-Sub (VGA)
• DVI
• HDMI
If you are building a full-on home theater, you might use a (Video Projector) that
adds more controls, such as an RS-232 connector, infrared remote control and
even a jack to control curtains over your projection screen for normal or wide-
screen modes!
F Connector
Let’s start with the most basic: the F connector is the most rudimentary type of
interface used on televisions. It’s threaded, with a single contact in the middle,
and the cable that connects to it is usually very stiff. This is the signal that comes
from the antenna or the cable TV company, usually from a similar connector
mounted on the wall. The video rides on
a radio signal on one of the television
channels.
Those F connectors are a bear to screw in when you have to reach around
behind a TV. First, you want to get that center conductor of the plug lined up and
poked into the hole in the jack. Then, you need to carefully align the plug and
push it against the jack as you turn the rotating part of the plug. Don’t twist the
cable, just the little nut on the plug. The trick to smooth threading of the plug onto
the jack is to have it lined exactly up with no sideways pressure.
Computers have been seen with F connectors on them too. Check out this (TV
Tuner Card) that can turn your PC into a television or even FM radio.
Composite
If you must use a composite interface, don’t use any old audio cable with RCA
plugs on it, especially if you have to make a long run. Get a decent video cable to
keep the quality of the signal up.
S-Video
If you are doing a DVD to TV hookup and component, S-Video and composite
interfaces are available – use the component! It will show a noticeable
improvement. For HDTV, it’s the entry level interface.
D-Sub (VGA)
The standard VESA (Video
Electronics Standards Association)
computer video interface is really a
component analog interface like
component video, except instead of
having three separate plugs, it uses
a single D-sub connector with 15
pins just like your computer. Many
newer TVs include the D-sub input
so they can be used as a computer
display. How about hanging a (32 inch TV) over your desk that can double as a
huge computer monitor? Play DVDs on your com puter while eating lunch and
relax!
Even though the (Cheapest Computer Video Card) has a D-sub video interface
don’t think it’s low-end performance. Good computer monitors have requirements
beyond even HDTV and the D-Sub interface can deliver for computer type
displays.
DVI
To make things interesting, there are three types of DVI interconnects: one that
does digital-only called DVI-D; one that does analog-only that is referred to as
DVI-A; and the other that can do either digital or analog video called DVI-I with
the “I” standing for “integrated.”
There are six different types of DVI pin-outs. The most common have 24 pins in 3
rows. The digital version has a blank area on one side with a flat key. The combo
type has the 24 pins plus it has four more pins arranged in a square with a flat
blade ground contact in the middle. DVI-A and DVI-D cannot be crossed over,
but either can plug into a DVI-I equipped gear.
HDMI
By the way, if you must plug in a video connector on the back of a PC or other
equipment and you can’t see the back of the device, get out a small hand mirror
and a flashlight. It’s much easier and you won’t bend as many pins when you can
see what you are doing.
Adapters
Final Words
Both computers and televisions are becoming more versatile than ever and the
distinction between the two is blurred forever. Use your computer as an
entertainment system for a bedroom or dorm room. Run video games on your
computer hooked up to the video projector in the family room. To pull these
stunts, you just need to understand these tips on video interconnects and which
are best for what and how you can mix and match your video equipment.
Tech Tip 46 - Disaster! (Geeks to the Rescue)
Article by Roy Davis
The news of late has been full of natural and manmade disasters, including the
hurricanes on the Gulf Coast and an anniversary of the 9/11 horrors. In every disaster, it
seems the highest priority is communication. To be sure, evacuation, food, water, shelter
and medical care are critical needs, but none of it can be delivered without
communication between the government and the responding agencies. You might not be
the hero that runs into a burning building to save a child, but as a knowledgeable and
prepared geek you can still have a big impact. We’ll talk about some of the issues you
might face and how you could use your geek skills to improve the situation.
When hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans the power was lost, cellular and wired
telephones went out, and government radio repeaters were silent. The mayor and the
emergency operations center had only one communications link to the outside world –
the Internet. That’s right - the officials had only one Internet connection and fortunately
there was a geek present who rounded up some routers and cables and hooked up a
makeshift local area network with a bridge to the Internet. That’s how messages got to
and from the people in charge for several days.
Why did the Internet survive in the face of disaster when every other major form of
communication was disabled? The answer is that the Internet is not a particular medium
of communications with a single point, like a telephone central switching office or
trunking radio controller, that can fail and bring the whole network down. The Internet
makes use of almost any communications medium available.
You can be connected to the Internet via a cable, through a dialup telephone line, DSL
or cable TV modem, wirelessly by WiFi, Cellular, satellite, EVDO, or even ham radio.
The most significant point here is that your Internet address doesn’t change, no matter
how you are hooked up. When telephone networks go down, your phone number is
useless. When a particular government radio channel is out, the workers can’t find you.
But if they send a message to your Internet e-mail account, you can pick it up a dozen
different ways.
3. Hard-Wired Internet
Since most commercial and even some home Internet connections are largely run on
modern below-ground fiber optic trunks, they are not as vulnerable to damage by wind,
water or even fire. In the hotel where the New Orleans officials set up shop, there was
one functioning direct-cabled Internet connection still working. The technical person in
the group scared up a (Network Switch) to split the single Internet connection out so the
officials could jack in their (Laptop Computer)s and start communicating via e-mail.
Having a (Cabling Kit) on hand complete with lots of CAT 5e cable, RJ-45 connectors
and the necessary wire stripping and crimping tool would allow you to quickly wire up
any command post.
4. Telephone Dialup
5. WiFi
WiFi, or 802.11 wireless networking is very good magic in an emergency. You don’t
need to run a cable to a laptop computer if you set up an (802.11g Wireless Router).
This small box splits out an Internet connection, be it hardwired, cable or DSL modem,
or whatever, and provides a short-range radio connection to computers within a few
hundred feet. Position the router in a clear spot so the radio signals have a chance to
radiate toward the computers to be served. If the router has an external antenna or two,
keep the antennas approximately vertical.
Computers can be moved around and new machines added to the network almost
instantly. Many laptop computers come with WiFi built in, but for a computer that doesn’t
have it, you can use a (USB WiFi Network Adapter). If it is running Windows XP then just
plugging it in should install the device and you can select the wireless network from the
popup menu. This USB adapter comes with a USB cable extension so you can position
the adapter away from your computer to better receive the radio signals from the router.
Line-of-sight to the router is best, but at least get the adapter with its built-in antenna
away from objects like metal desks or file cabinets.
6. WiFi Antennas
WiFi equipment is designed for short ranges and the signals don’t penetrate walls or
floors very well. You can extend the range of your wireless network by using an
(802.11G Range Expander) strategically positioned between the router and the
computers to which you are trying to connect. Putting the range expander in a window,
doorway or stairwell can spread the WiFi signals beyond a wall or floor that would
normally stop them.
If you have a need in an emergency situation to go beyond the nominal range of WiFi,
you can add a (Range Extender Antenna) to the computer, the router or both. Keep in
mind that nothing is free and a directional extender antenna can go a longer distance,
but only cover a narrow angle. First, try putting an antenna on the computer end of the
link and point it at the router. The omnidirectional antenna on the router can then
continue to serve other computers closer to it in any direction. If you have to extend the
range by using a directional antenna on both ends of the link, then use a separate router
to serve the close-by computers.
Licensed radio amateurs (not to be confused with unlicensed Citizen Band radio) have a
long tradition of providing communications assistance during disasters. In fact, the
(Amateur Radio Relay League) got started relaying messages copied by hand from radio
operator to radio operator. The concept was very much like the Internet where
messages could pass through the network of stations by many different paths making it
much more robust than commercial communications systems.
Radio amateurs (also known as “hams|) have recognized the value of the Internet and
have developed a method of relaying Internet packets over their radios called WinLink
2000. A radio operator outside the disaster area can act as a gateway station to connect
to the rest of the Internet. Small portable stations can be brought into the disaster area to
provide a link even if all other forms of Internet connection are gone. You can help out by
earning an amateur radio license and joining a local emergency radio organization like
the ARES (http://www.ares.org/) or RACES (http://www.races.net/). Check the (ARRL
Web site) to see how you can extend your geek skills even further.
In the emergency command post or even a shelter set up in a school gym, you will have
a cluster of folks helping out, and they need power for their laptops and all the geek
gadgets that it takes to hook them up. Don’t take power and the availability of outlets for
granted. Use a (Power Strip with Surge Protection) to split out the end of an extension
cord. You need the surge protection because there may be lightning storms and wind
that can short power lines causing spikes on the line.
In the worst case, you might be running your equipment off a portable generator. For an
evacuation shelter, you would want a (Medium Duty UPS) while a command post should
have a bigger backup with a (Heavy Duty UPS). Generators have to be shut down for
refueling and the Uninterruptable Power Supply will keep your computer and network
equipment running for several minutes while the generator is down. Also, the output of
most portable generators is very “dirty” and the surge protection built into the UPS will
protect your valuable equipment.
It’s not only government officials and rescue agencies who are resorting to the Internet in
times of disaster. Newspapers in the path of hurricane Rita announced that they were
limiting or suspending publication of their hardcopy newspapers, but that readers could
continue to get news via their web sites. The Galveston County Daily News wanted to
protect their employees by keeping delivery personnel off the streets. The Port Arthur
News cancelled publication and abandon their offices, but updated their web site news.
Again, this is an example of the independence of the Internet from physical plant and
particular locations. If you are waiting out the storm, you might want to have a (PDA with
Bluetooth) to connect to the Internet via your cell phone to keep up on the news and
weather reports.
Final Words
A little preparation can put you in a position to help yourself, your family and your
community in the case of a disaster. Stock up on canned food, water, and flashlight
batteries, but don’t forget the capabilities of the Internet at providing communications in
time of need. As an experienced geek, you can get it together when the crunch comes.
Speaking of getting it together, having a (Transport Case) handy with a list of the
equipment and accessories you need can make packing quick when you can’t afford to
forget anything, and when there are no local stores left open for last minute pickup.
Tech Tip 47 - TV Tuners
Article by: Jason Kohrs
There are many products available that make your computer seem less like a
business tool and more like a home media center. Given this, the one
component that may lack the popularity you might expect is the TV tuner card.
There are sound cards capable of 8-channel surround sound stereo, high-
powered speaker systems, and graphics cards displaying on high definition
monitors/televisions.
Watching Programs
In addition to on-screen controls that can be manipulated with the mouse and
keyboard, many TV tuners include a wireless remote control that could easily
pass as the remote for a standard TV. This tuner
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SBT-TVFM&cat=VCD) from
Geeks.com features such a remote control, and by enlarging the image on that
page, you can see that it includes buttons for the basic operation of the TV.
Changing channels, adjusting volume, and recording a program are just as easy
on your PC as they are with your TV and VCR.
The things you are used to doing on a modern TV can be done here: assigning
text tags to channels (i.e., making channel 36 show “ESPN” when selected),
adding or deleting channels from the lineup, and so on.
Recording Programs
The interface for recording on most TV tuners is about as intuitive as that for
watching programs. Taking the general functionality of a typical VCR or DVD
player, onscreen and remote control based controls make easy work of recording
any program.
The quality of the recording can be varied with most tuners to allow users to store
the files with their preferred balance of audio/video quality, file size, and file
format. It may be a process of trial-and-error to find which settings work best
with your computer hardware and personal preferences, but the options are
generally there. Shows can be recorded in rather basic modes that won’t take up
too much disk space, in high quality modes that will require better computer
hardware and more disk space, as well as many stages in between. It is best to
seek out reviews, such as this one
(http://www.bigbruin.com/reviews/leadtektv2000/index4.php), that show what
formats and qualities can be expected with specific tuners, as there are many
variables that might need to be considered.
Having the ability to capture from other sources is quite convenient as it can
allow for old home movies or VHS tapes to be backed up to your hard drive.
These files can then be watched on your computer, or with the appropriate
authoring software, they can be burned to a CD or DVD for use in any DVD drive
or standalone player. Tapes will eventually wear out, but being able to archive
such recordings to disk can help preserve them forever.
Computer Interfaces
Some tuners are/were available as USB 1.1 devices, and the performance of this
interface can hinder the quality of recordings and even playback. When selecting
a USB-based tuner, it is important to make sure that it is specifically USB 2.0 so
that you don’t wind up with choppy audio/video. The AverMedia UtraTV 300
(http://www.aver.com/products/tvtuner_UltraTV_USB_300.shtml) is an example
of a USB 2.0 based tuner for Windows systems, and the Elgato Systems EyeTV
200 (http://www.elgato.com/index.php?file=products_eyetv200) is an example of
a Firewire- based tuner for Macs.
TV Technologies
Just as a special HDTV is required to take advantage of the better picture quality,
a special TV tuner would also be required to take advantage of HDTV on your
PC. There are several HDTV tuners available, and the ATI HDTV Wonder
(http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvwonder/index.html) is a PCI-based device that
can tune in over-the-air HD broadcasts, as well as standard NTSC broadcasts
from cable or an antenna. Note that it only handles HD broadcasts through an
antenna, as most other forms of HDTV require a proprietary tuner from your
cable or satellite TV provider.
Because computer monitors are capable of resolutions much higher than even
HDTV signals, just about any monitor will work. The resolution may need to be
adjusted though, as for example, 720 lines of resolution in HDTV would require
the monitor to be capable of at least a native resolution of 1024x768. You just
need the second number of the display’s resolution (the vertical component) to
be equal to, or greater than, the HD signal you want to display.
In addition to the devices mentioned so far, there is a similar type of product that
can allow TV to be shown o n a computer monitor. These devices eliminate the
need for a computer, as well as the ability to
capture video or record programs, but allow the
user to turn any computer monitor into a
television. The NextVision N6 from ViewSonic
(http://www.viewsonic.com/products/accessories/
tvvideoprocessors/nextvisionn6/) is an example
of one of these devices that combines a cable box that outputs a signal
compatible with a computer monitor, with a few other special inputs for use with
other components like console game systems, DVD players, and VCRs.
Final Words
TV tuners add a whole new dimension to any PC, and don’t have to cost much to
do so. With the ability to watch TV full screen or in a small window, as well a
recording programs much like commercially available personal video recorders,
they can be quite a convenient accessory to have.
Tech Tip 48 - HTPC Pointers, Part I
HTPCs don’t have to be much different than your typical computer, but a few key
areas do need to be addressed. Just as with a typical desktop computer, there
are limitations to what certain configurations can achieve, but customizing the
hardware and software can enhance the experience to the point where it may
threaten the existence of some of your more traditional home electronics
components.
This two-part series of Tech Tips will cover a few pointers related to getting
started with your own HTPC. There are obvious considerations that will be
different from person to person (such as budget and existing home theater
components), but in general, there are a few things that should be addressed by
any prospective HTPC builder. In this part of the series, we will take a look at the
two biggest things to consider: video and audio.
Video
If this is a “theater,” you had better be able to see something! Most graphics
cards come configured to display on monitors using either a 15-pin VGA cable, or
using the newer DVI cable. Although many new televisions, specifically HDTVs,
have a DVI connection that may accept the signal from your computer, other
models may require an alternative connection.
Most graphics cards with “TV-out” connections are capable of sending signals
out over a variety of different interfaces, so choosing the right card can provide
greater compatibility as your system is upgraded. The typical connections
include VGA, DVI, composite, S-video, and component, and if you look around,
you can find cards that support all of these
interfaces.
HDTVs are without a doubt the way televisions are headed, so people should
consider having their HTPC be prepared for this, whether they have the
necessary TV yet, or not. Sending an HDTV signal from your computer to an
HDTV ready television requires not only the right connections (generally DVI,
component, and now HDMI), but a card capable of producing HDTV resolutions.
HDTV, especially widescreen HDTV, has a different resolution than your typical
monitor, so trying to reproduce your standard desktop resolution on an HDTV
may not look so hot. For example, distortion will occur if you try to use your
standard 1024x768 or 1280x1024 (4:3) monitor resolution on a 720p HDTV
which is looking for a signal at 1280x720 (16:9). Cards that support true HDTV
output will be sure to advertise it, and are worth investigating for an HTPC to be
coupled with an HDTV.
Getting a video signal out of your HTPC is mandatory, but getting a video signal
back into the HTPC may be just as important to some. TV tuners and capture
cards (http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=863) are gaining in popularity
in all sorts of computers, and seem especially at home in an HTPC setup. An
HTPC with decent processing speed and ample hard disk space can easily store
hours of recordings from sources such as VHS, DVD, and perhaps most
importantly, television.
Audio
Some sound cards offer digital audio connections that allow for the signal to be
sent to the component receiver without being converted to/from analog before
playback. This eight channel sound card
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=L-8768-8C&cat=SND) provides SPDIF
(Sony/Phillips Digital InterFace) connections to handle such tasks. You will
obviously need a receiver that can accept SPDIF, and the sound quality will be
greatly improved as compared to the 1/8” jack adapter method.
If you don’t have a component audio system to tie into, or if you just want to use
speakers intended for use with a computer
(http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=790), you could set up a dedicated
system using the 1/8” stereo jacks as you would at your desk. The quality of
computer speakers has improved greatly over the years, and the sound from
some of these mini-systems can rival that of many bookshelf component
systems.
Combining a surround sound capable sound card with a set of 5.1 channel
speakers, such as the Logitech X-530’s
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=970114-0403-DT&cat=SPK), is a cost
effective way to get a decent sounding system that won’t break the bank. The
choices in surround sound computer speakers have grown greatly in recent
years with a variety of styles, arrangements, and
power levels to suit just about any taste. For
example, if the 70 Watt output of the X-530’s isn’t
enough, you could ramp things up to something
like the Logitech Z-5500’s
(http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/deta
ils/US/EN,CRID=2177,CONTENTID=9486)
sporting 500 Watts in a fairly compact 5.1
channel system.
Video and audio are by far the most important things (in my opinion) to address
when setting up an HTPC, but there is more to consider. In the second and final
part of this series, we will look at other areas that can set an HTPC apart from
your typical desktop computer and really enhance the experience.
Tech Tip 49: HTPC Pointers, Part II
Article by: Jason Kohrs
In the first of a two-part series of Tech Tips on getting started with a Home
Theater PC or HTPC, we looked at the two most basic features to be considered:
audio and video. With those areas addressed, there are still plenty of aspects
worth considering that can help your computer become better integrated into
your home theater for a truly enjoyable experience. Some of these aspects
include component speed, cooling, noise, style, and the user interface.
Component Speed
As with any other computer, the speed of the components can be a concern for
an HTPC. It all depends on exactly what functions the user has intended for their
particular unit.
If they are only interested in audio/video playback and functions like viewing
photos and web browsing, even the most basic of computers may suffice. A
system solely for DiVX / DVD video and MP3 audio playback would work fine on
just about any system, perhaps even an old 400 MHz system from the late
nineties (if you have such a machine around at this point). The only additional
items that would be necessary are a compatible AGP/PCI graphics card with TV-
out and a sound card. Sure, the performance might be up to par for today’s
applications, but it doesn’t take much to handle the basics. Multi-tasking on such
a system might result in jittery video or lagging audio, so don’t ask an HTPC built
around past generations of technology to do too much at once.
Upgrading a system from these meager starting points only improves the
capabilities of an HTPC, and may not cost all that much either. Considering the
minimum required for handling the basics, you may even be able to retire your
old desktop PC to the living room and still be satisfied with the performance.
Cutting edge is not necessary, at least not always.
If you want to play video games, the requirements
change and you will obviously need a processor,
memory, and video card that match the minimum
requirements published by the game manufacturer.
Some of the required hardware, or suggested
minimal hardware for reasonable performance, for
games today is enough to have the casual game
player thinking twice about such an investment.
This, of course, requires a case that can handle larger fans, such as this one
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=KG-318-RED&cat=CAS), that has
mounts for exhaust fans at 80mm, 92mm, and 120mm in size. Choosing a case
will be discussed more in the section on style, but this is another area that can
impact cooling. Any case could pass in an HTPC environment, but choosing one
optimized for efficient cooling is a good idea. If an HTPC is to be mounted in a
component rack, it will need to dissipate its own heat while in a space filled with
other heat generating components.
Adding a fan speed controller
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CW-
BK&cpc=SCH&srm=0) is another approach to
taming the roar of any size fan. The controller
shown at the link provided controls up to 7 fans,
so you could easily connect all of your case fans,
processor cooling fan, and whatever else may be
actively cooled. By using the integrated thermal
probes and LCD thermometer, you can then monitor the temperatures of your
critical components and regulate the fan speed for a perfect balance between
safe operating temperature and low noise output.
Style
As I mentioned previously, just about any
computer case will do when it comes to
the basics of an HTPC, but style may be
an important facet of your build. Many
manufacturers now offer computer cases
that mimic the design of traditional rack
components, making your HTPC blend in
with the rest of your home theater gear.
Thermaltake
(http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/tenor/tenormenu.htm), Ahanix
(http://www.ahanix.com/), and Silverstone
(http://www.silverstonetek.com/product-case.htm) are just a few of the brands
focusing at least a part of their product lines toward HTPC enthusiasts.
In general, an HTPC style case will have a horizontal configuration so that it will
fit in your component rack. It will offer a stylized front face to mimic typical A/V
components, the stock cooling solutions will be optimized for low noise output,
and many times the chassis material will be aluminum to aid in the dissipation of
heat. All of these special features are not cheap, as a good quality HTPC-
specific case may cost several times what your typical mid-tower case would.
For those with a creative side, modifying a more
basic case may be more rewarding and a great
deal less expensive. Perhaps a bit of cutting to
optimize airflow, a coat of (silver or black) paint,
and a few accessories should do the trick. Many of
the options found in an off-the-shelf HTPC case
can be purchased separately, so you could add things like a vacuum fluorescent
display (http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/medialab/medialabmenu.htm),
stylized optical drive bezels
(http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=
product&p_serial=AFP-U01&other_title=+AFP-U01+Alloy%20Front%20Bezel),
and just about any other finishing touch required to turn your basic desktop case
into an attractive HTPC case.
User Interface
All that is really important regarding the
user interface is that you can see well
enough to access the applications you
want to run. If you have the screen size /
resolution to do so, even your typical
Windows desktop will be adequate for
interacting with your HTPC. The
Windows desktop may work fine, but it
has more than you need on it for basic
HTPC applications, and it generally looks
more like a work environment than a play
environment, so there are ways to
address that.
There are Windows and Linux based
shells to make the HTPC interface more
user friendly, and these generally involve
the use of large icons and text that
provide access to only the most common
application: MP3 player, DVD player, web browser, image browser, and so on.
These shells add functionality to your typical desktop operating system that can
make them much easier to navigate in an HTPC setting, regardless of the TV
size/quality being used. For a free and easy to use HTPC shell for use with
Windows XP, check out Media Portal
(http://mediaportal.sourceforge.net/).
If you don’t want to install a shell on top of
an existing operating system, or need to
buy a new license of an OS for your
HTPC anyway, Microsoft recognized the
emergence of this segment of the market,
and has something for you (of course
they do). Microsoft’s Windows XP Media
Center Edition
(http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/me
diacenter/default.mspx) may be the most
familiar name when it comes to HTPC
specific interfaces, and it combines an easy to use ‘shell’ with many other back-
end features that make it custom tailored to a
multimedia existence.
There is another aspect to the user interface that is
also a bit different with an HTPC. Your typical
mouse and keyboard will obviously still function
with a computer in your living room, but do you
really want to be constrained to within three feet of it? A wireless setup is ideal,
as it allows the computer to be located with the rest of the electronics, while you
can be comfortably seated on the couch across the room and still have full
control.
There are numerous wireless mice
(http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=562) and keyboards
(http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=554) on the market, but for basic
interaction, perhaps a combination unit would be the best bet. There are some
wireless keyboards with a small joystick-style pointing device that lets one
convenient device handle both tasks. These may
be great for basic system navigation and
launching of applications, but considering video
games once again implies better hardware. You
can still go wireless for serious game play, but the
precision of the components is more critical in a
high-paced game, and a high-end wireless mouse
like the Logitech MX1000
(http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=931175
-0403-DT&cat=MOU), for example, may be worth the extra money.
Another way to interact with your HTPC takes on a feel more familiar to
components found in the living room: a remote control. The Ahanix iMon
(http://www.bigbruin.com/reviews/imon/) is one example of an infrared remote
control, much like you would use on your TV or
DVD player, but fully capable of controlling your
computer. It allows for control of mouse functions,
typical multimedia controls (play, stop, volume,
etc.), as well as programmable buttons for
launching your favorite applications. We have
previously discussed the ATI HDTV Wonder
(http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvwonder/index.htm
l) for its video capturing abilities, but the included
remote is also a nice feature as it handles enough
desktop features that it may minimize the need for a mouse or keyboard, as well.
Final Words
You would think that chemical film photography is dead with all the digital
cameras flying off the dealer’s shelves these days. I certainly haven’t taken as
many snapshots on film as I used to,
but there are certain situations where
clicking off some exposures on film
can’t be beat. Maybe it’s when you are
on vacation and it’s raining, or you are
going to the beach. You don’t want to
get your expensive camera wet, (salt
water is especially damaging to
electronics), so grab a cheap
disposable camera to catch those
precious moments.
If you want to shoot chemical film so you can make prints that win prizes at the
photography show, but want to post copies on your Web site, then you have to
convert those analog images to digital. Probably the hardest part of the
conversion process is deciding which way to do it. You have several choices
including commercial processing, flatbed or handheld scanner, or full-on film
scanner.
It might be tempting to just whip out your digital camera and take a picture of a
photo print to get that digital image file, but you may be disappointed with the
results. It’s hard to get the focus just right, and you really need a copy stand to
hold the camera at just the right spot so the image doesn’t come out with a
keystone effect. You have to be right over the center of the print to get it square.
Of course, the color is going to be shifted by the ambient light during the copy
process, and the tonal range is going to be degraded way below what the film
can capture and the print can reproduce.
6. Commercial Processing
The chicken way out is to have the film processing house scan your film at the
same time that you have it developed. If you have well exposed images that you
only need low-resolution files for a Web page, then you can get by with this. I
tried the commercial processor route once on my underwater photos and was
very disappointed with the results, then went out and spent the money on a film
scanner. We’ll get to that one later.
7. Handheld Scanner
At one time, handheld scanners were all the rage for the
low end of the photo scanning market. You would grip the
handles of this gadget, pull it across the snapshot and
hope the picture didn’t slip. Getting the scan even by a
constant slow speed was a skill most people couldn’t
master. Flatbed scanners have dropped in price to the
point where there is no point in fooling with a handheld
scanner unless you were happy with low quality and
need a portable device to throw in your laptop computer
bag.
8. Flatbed Scanner
The entry level way to scan your photos is to use a flatbed scanner that is also
useful for scanning pages out of books, magazines, or any sort of document.
Some flatbed scanners can handle only photographic prints, while the high-end
Canon CanoScan 8400F can pull a decent image out of a slide. The trick is the
3200 dpi sensor.
For every inch of image width, the scanner has 3200 individual sensors for each
of the three colors. That’s true optical resolution of 3200 dots per inch. You will
see cheaper scanners with very high output resolution, but it is often interpolated
resolution. They take a lower
resolution sensor and calculate
the average between two
adjacent pixels to invent a new
pixel in between. This sort of
works once, but you will see
bottom-end scanners where
they have interpolated between
the interpolations to produce an
artificially high resolution
specification. It’s better to pay a
bit more for a higher priced
scanner that has true 3200 dots
per inch resolution.
A cheaper alternative is the HP Scanjet 4070 with a photo door. This unique
feature holds a stack of snapshots for quick scanning without fooling around with
trying to position the prints just right and manually setting the limits of the scan.
Photographic prints can be of excellent quality for viewing, but still lose detail and
tonal range over the original film. Of course, a badly processed print from the
corner drug store one-hour lab is going to yield a poor quality digital scan. Make
sure you use a quality processing lab for both your film and prints if you want
decent digital images.
9. Film Scanner
If you are serious about turning chemical film images into digital scan files, then
you are going to want a dedicated film scanner. These units are specialized for
extracting the maximum quality image from film, and high-end models even have
batch processing features that save you a ton of time. The other major
advantage of film scanners is going directly from a film negative to a digital
positive image.
One film scanner that would make you happy is the Prime Film PF1800AFL. It
can convert slides or strips of uncut film negatives up to 40 exposures long. With
a USB interface, this unit is a snap to hook up to most computers.
The Mediamax Workscan 3600 Pro film scanner has higher resolution (3600 dpi
optical) and the same batch scanning capability. It handles both slide and
negative film too. This unit uses a firewire interface so you probably need a IEEE
1394 firewire adapter for your desktop computer or a PCMCIA firewire adapter
for your laptop. The file size of uncompressed photo image is 102 megabytes so
you can probably use some extra storage capability like a 300 gigabyte hard
drive.
The clear advantage of film scanners is that they excel at capturing the tonal
range of normal print film and converting the images into a digital file. Slide film
has wider tonal range than digital image sensors and negative film (normal print
film) has a huge range of tonal scale. For optimal results, you need to adjust the
digital capture levels before the scan to compress the tonal range down so the
shadow details are still there without blowing out the highlights.
Final Words
Digital photography is now the mainstream way of taking pictures for most of us
geeks, though more film cameras are still sold around the world. It helps that film
cameras can be incredibly cheap (as in disposable), and still take pretty decent
photos. On occasions like trips to the beach, many of us prefer to tote a film
camera instead of the nifty digital. Since film still dominates in the high-quality
image department, being able to convert from film to digital is an important
function to master. Using a good quality dedicated slide and film scanner capable
of producing image files of super high resolution and a tonal scale that can’t be
captured any other way is the key to capturing and preserving those special
prints and negatives.
Tech Tip 51 - Computer Cooling Tips, Part I
Article by Roy Davis
Heat. We all love the heat during the summer, lounging out by the pool or basking in the
sunlight on the beach. But heat can be deadly, especially to your costly computer
components.
This week we are going to talk about the basics of cooling your computer system and its
components.
The first line of defense in this war against heat is a heat sink. It’s just a big chunk of
metal that dissipates heat from your CPU and spreads it out across its surface. The idea
is to spread the heat to a larger surface area and let the air pick up the heat and whisk it
away.
The surface area of a heat sink is created by many fins. The traditional heat sink is made
of aluminum and has many parallel fins. Aluminum can be easily extruded with straight
parallel fins. The problem with this design is that air can only move through the fins in
one direction, creating a problem for air flow within a computer case.
Newer heat sink designs are becoming far more intricate. Engineers are finding creative
and aesthetically pleasing designs to help dissipate heat more efficiently.
3. The Secrets to Making Heat Sinks Work
The majority of CPU coolers use a simple aluminum heat sink because it is inexpensive
and a good conductor of heat. It is imperative that the heat sink be seated properly on
the CPU. Any resistance to thermal transfer could allow the CPU to overheat.
Whether you decide to use a heat sink with a copper heat spreader or not, you will need
to use thermal grease. [http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=TG-ST700&cat=CPU].
Because of its thermal conductivity and low resistance, thermal grease is essential to
proper CPU cooling.
Thermal grease needs to be applied between the CPU and the heat sink, (or copper
heat spreader), in a very thin and even film. When applying the thermal grease, be
careful not to apply too much. Clamp the heat sink down to the motherboard and then
remove the heat sink. Check to see if any thermal grease has squeezed off the CPU
and wipe off any excess.
We all know they are there, collecting quietly in the most inconspicuous
places. Those dust bunnies just seem to collect everywhere!
Unfortunately, they will collect on your fan blades and heat sink. If left
unattended, they can build up and clog the fan motor resulting in poor motor
operation and increased heat on your CPU.
Regrettably, we cannot spray a cleaning agent and wipe away the dust. We all know that
liquids and electronics don’t mix! But how do we clean the dust out and maintain an
efficient cooling system? Get a hold of a mini vacuum cleaner
[http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=KBC-1B&cpc=SCH&srm=0] and simply suck
those deadly dust bunnies away!
I recommend you clean your system out regularly. While cleaning your CPU and heat
sink, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to clean the fan blades on your power supply too.
7. Cool Casing
Most cases will have a fan mount option for a 3-inch fan at the bottom of the front panel
of the case. This is a great place to add proper air circulation within your case and will
help to cool your hard drives also.
Final Words
Our computers have cost us our hard-earned dollars. We save up to buy the very best
and we expect reliable performance. But, just like a car, a computer requires proper
maintenance. Keep them cool and clean and they’ll last you a lifetime. Ignore them and
you they will start costing you more in the long run. Be cool and keep it cool!
Tech Tip 52 – Computer Cooling Tips, Part 2
Article by Roy Davis
Last week we went over the basics of cooling your computer and covered the
essentials of keeping your system running cool. This week, we will go over some
key features to look for to keep your components running cool.
The first PC hit the market with a clock speed of about 1 Megahertz. That means
that the signal that controls the electronic switches allowed them to change state
at up to 1 million times per second. Now, we are seeing microprocessors with
clock rates at 2,000, 3,000 and even 4,000 times faster. A chip with a 3.2 GHz
rating runs at 3.2 billion cycles per second. That generates a lot of heat!
Many computer fans spin on sleeve bearings. Sleeve bearing fans are the
cheapest to manufacture because it is just a steel shaft turning against a block of
brass or other soft metal lubricated with oil. Sleeve bearings can work well in
many applications, but the slightest wear can allow the fan blades to wobble,
making them inefficient for your precious CPU.
High-quality fans turn on ball bearings. Hardened steel balls allow the shaft to
turn freely without wobble and without excessive wear. The free turning gives the
fan the ability to move more air from the same electrical input. Because they
don’t wobble, CPU coolers or case fans equipped with ball bearings tend to be
quieter too.
What’s some French guy with a funny name got to do with cooling off your CPU?
A lot of people thought the thermoelectric cooler invented by a watch maker in
1834 would be the most hi-tech way to pull the heat out of a hot microprocessor
chip. Over a hundred years ago, they were freezing drops of water with Peltier
Junctions merely by passing a current through the device. Sounds like the ideal
cooling gadget, right?
Lots of high priced CPU coolers were sold on this premise. The problem is that
the Peltier Junction cooler just removes heat from one side of the device to the
other. That means you can have a cold face to put on your CPU package (good),
but the other face has the heat from the CPU as well as the heat generated by
the current to run the Peltier device (very bad). You would need a massive heat
sink to cool the cooler!
A heat pipe is literally a piece of pipe with the ends sealed off. Inside there is a
fluid that evaporates when heated. The evaporation quickly cools the end of the
heat pipe where the heat is applied. The vapor then condenses on the cooler end
of the heat pipe causing that end to warm up. A wick moves the condensed liquid
back to the hot end where it starts the cycle all over. CPU coolers
[http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CF450B0&cat=FAN] based on heat
pipes can move more heat to a wider area than any solid metal CPU cooler. The
heat sink can be shaped to better take advantage of the cooling air from the fan.
Overall, a CPU cooler outfitted with heat pipes can be smaller, lighter and more
efficient than standard types.
Those round towers outside atomic power plants are a symbol of the nuclear
age. They seem sinister with their strange narrow waist and the white plume
billowing out the top. But what most people don’t realize is that those huge
cooling towers are just a way to convert hot water into cool water to remove heat
from the reactors. The white cloud over it is really
just water vapor from the cooling process.
Final Words
Our PCs have come a long way from a simple plastic microprocessor plugged
into a socket to a sophisticated ceramic or metal clad CPU hiding under of pile of
exotic cooling gadgets. The processor on your video card probably has more
computing capability and more memory than your last computer. It will need its
share of cooling capacity, so don’t buy the cheapest CPU cooler on the shelf and
hope for the best. A good CPU cooler and an extra case fan can be the ticket to
a long and uneventful life for your computer. If you are pushing the limits of
computing performance, then you will need the highest performance coolers.
Tech Tip 53-Tips to Stop Phishing for Spyware and Spam
By Stewart S. Miller
Spam is the most virulent form of abuse that any Internet user must
endure. The problem is so common that most people find they are
forced to change their e-mail
address just to avoid getting junk e-
mail. Unfortunately, changing your
e-mail is worse than changing your
phone number because nobody
knows how to contact you.
Microsoft Outlook 2003 and Eudora 6 are two of the major programs
that have the ability to filter incoming e-mail as messages are
received. If a message is believed to be spam, the message is filtered
to the spam folder for later review.
The microprocessor,
or CPU, as some
people call it, is the
brains of our personal
computer. I’m getting
into this history lesson
not because I’m a
history buff (though
computers do have a
wonderfully interesting
past), but to go
through the development step-by-step to explain how they work.
Well, not everything about how they work, but enough to understand the
importance of the latest features and what they do for you. It’s going to take more
than one article to dig into the inner secrets of microprocessors. I hope it’s an
interesting read for you and helps you recognize computer buzzwords when
you’re making your next computer purchase.
In the ‘40s, mathematicians John Von Neumann, J. Presper Eckert and John
Mauchly came up with the concept of the stored instruction digital computer.
Before then, computers were programmed by rewiring their circuits to perform a
certain calculation over and over. By having a memory and storing a set of
instructions that can be performed over and over, as well as logic to vary the path
of instruction, execution programmable computers were possible.
The component of the computer that fetches the instructions and data from the
memory and carries out the instructions in the form of data manipulation and
numerical calculations is called the CPU. It’s central because all the memory and
the input/output devices must connect to the CPU, so it’s only natural to keep the
cables short to put the CPU in the middle. It does all the instruction execution
and number calculations so it’s called the Processing Unit.
The CPU has a program counter that points to the next instruction to be
executed. It goes through a cycle where it retrieves, from memory, the
instructions in the program counter. It then retrieves the required data from
memory, performs the calculation indicated by the instruction and stores the
result. The program counter is incremented to point to the next instruction and
the cycle starts all over.
3. The First Microprocessor
The expensive and time-consuming work of designing a custom wired chip was
replaced by the flexible 4004 microprocessor and the instructions stored in a
separate ROM (Read Only Memory) chip. A new calculator with entirely new
features can be created simply by programming a new
ROM chip. The company that started this revolution
was Intel Corporation. The concept of a general
purpose CPU chip grew up to be the microprocessor
that is the heart of your powerful PC.
8. Cache Grows Up
The idea of cache RAM has grown along with the size and complexity of
microprocessor chips. A high-end Pentium 4
[http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=BX8054
7PG3000F-DT&cat=CPU] has 2 Megabytes of
cache RAM built into the chip. That’s more than
twice the entire memory address space of the
original 8088 chip used in the first PC and clones.
Putting the cache right on the microprocessor itself
removes the slowdown of the wires between
chips. You know you are going fast when the
speed of light for a few inches makes a difference!
9. Cache Splits Up
Beware that the sheer size of cache RAM or the number of layers are not good
indications of cache performance. Different microprocessor architectures
between Intel and AMD make it especially hard to compare their cache
specifications. Just like Intel’s super high clock rates don’t translate into
proportionately more performance, doubling of cache size certainly doesn’t
double the performance of a microprocessor. Benchmark tests are not perfect,
but are a better indicator of microprocessor speed than clock rate or cache size
specifications.
Final Words
I hope you enjoyed this first installment of the history of microprocessors. It’s nice
to know the humble beginnings and compare them to how far we have come in
the computing capability of a CPU. Understanding the basics of how a
microprocessor works gives you a leg-up on grooking the more advanced
features of today’s Mega-microprocessors.
In the last installment we talked about the very early days of microprocessor
history and how it grew out of a programmable calculator into the first personal
computers. The history is just the foundation for understanding the features that
make our current day microprocessors so powerful and helps to illustrate what is
really important in your next computer purchase.
There have been many players in the microprocessor story, but the two
companies that have had the most impact are also the two that dominate the
market; Intel and AMD. Along the way, other big companies like IBM and
Motorola made major contributions but have fallen by the wayside in the
marketplace for personal computers.
How does the microprocessor keep track of all that memory? To answer that, we
need to talk about some of the components of a microprocessor. Last week, I
mentioned the program counter. The program counter is a register. Your
microprocessor is full of these registers; little chucks of hardware that are like a
sticky note you would use to remind you of something. Registers are like this for
the microprocessor, easily and quickly referenced by many of the instructions the
computer executes.
Early on, the struggle with handling large memory address space while
maintaining microprocessor speed took two paths. Motorola took the simple
approach by making the memory space “flat” so that it is addressed as one big
continuous memory string. The instruction set was “symmetric”, meaning for
every read operation there was a corresponding write.
Intel took a more convoluted route. They broke the memory up into “segments”.
Simple and fast addressing modes were used within the segment. The program
instructions and data usually lived in different segments. When a program had to
jump to another segment or retrieve data from a different segment, the segment
registers had to be modified, which could take several steps. The idea was that
the slow crossing of segment boundaries was more than made up for by the
simple and fast operation within a segment.
In the first IBM PC, the segments were 64 Kilobytes, which was pretty limiting
then. Intel was quick to respond to this when they released the 286
microprocessor in 1982 by expanding the segments to 1 megabyte. The Intel 386
microprocessor took the segment size to 4 Gigabytes in 1985 and segment size
hasn’t been an issue since. This Intel segmented design became more popular
than the un-segmented Motorola flat memory.
4. Memory Protection
The one feature Intel offered that made it the microprocessor of choice was
memory protection. When we had a simple operating system and ran one
program at a time, memory protection wasn’t an issue. Now that we are running
multi-threaded OSs and have a dozen applications in memory simultaneously,
there was a need for a more sophisticated memory addressing method than the
simple flat model.
In the flat model, when a program runs away it can mess up the code or data
from other programs. This was difficult to debug because there was no indication
of which application caused the problem. With the Intel segmented architecture,
a program cannot delve into the memory space allotted to another application. If
it tries, a memory fault message is generated and only that program crashes.
You usually can recover from this situation without having to reboot and you
know exactly which program was the culprit.
5. Multitasking
The 386 could stop a program in its tracks and suspend it while other programs
ran. Then the OS would switch back to the first program as if nothing had ever
stopped it. This is called preemptive multitasking and is an important concept to
remember for later. Finally there was a window of opportunity for the Microsoft
Windows operating system!
6. Multi Data
The microprocessor was just now catching up to the features of the mainframe
and minicomputers that came before it. In 1997, Intel introduced their MMX
feature with the Pentium II microprocessor This is a trade name for Single
Instruction, Multiple Data (SIMD) capability.
Playing video games on a personal computer was all the rage and even
engineers wanted faster graphics performance for rendering 3D models. The
Pentium class microprocessors could handle data in 64-bit chunks, which was
great for heavy-duty scientific calculations, but graphics number crunching only
needs 8-bit numbers and it needs it fast!
8. Contrary to KISS
In most cases, KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) works. Simple is better than
complicated, except in the case of microprocessors. One group of companies
tried to keep to the KISS principle and designed Reduced Instruction Set
Computer (RISC) microprocessors. They believed that by keeping the
instructions very simple they could make the microprocessor perform faster that it
would make up for having to use more of the simple instructions.
Intel went the CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) route where they have
many many instructions and lots of those could do some pretty complicated
things. What the RISC guys didn’t count on was that Intel and AMD could
fabricate their own microprocessors with the complexity of more than 100-million
transistors and get that complex machine running at gigahertz rates.
Scientists and engineers had favored the expensive RISC workstations for their
believed superior speed performance over the PC. When it became obvious that
RISC was a dead end, scientific and engineering software migrated to the PC
with those inexpensive yet powerful CISC microprocessors.
Final Words
That was some pretty dense technical stuff! I hope you caught the gist of it
because we’ll be using a lot of these terms in the next installment. All this talk
about processing data in parallel is leading up to something. We’ll get around to
talking about hyper-threading and how even within a single microprocessor there
are a lot of things going on in parallel.
It will lead to other features like superscalar processing where more than one
instruction can be executed during a single clock cycle. All this to make your
programs run faster!
Tech Tip 56 - Keeping Windows Clean
By Stewart S. Miller
Protection Settings
You can take steps to protect yourself
from future attacks. Set your Internet
and local intranet security zone
settings to “high” so your computer will
prompt you before running ActiveX
controls and active scripting in these
zones. Setting your browser security to “high” applies the highest level of
protection from unsafe content that comes across your network. If this setting
causes some of your sites not to load properly, you can add those sites
individually to your list of trusted sites. However, you should only do so if you are
sure that the site is safe to use and is hosted from a company or entity you trust.
As a final note, there is a free program that I highly recommend you download
called the “Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer” (MBSA) tool
(http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/mbsahome.mspx) that verifies
when a security update has been applied to your system. It lets you scan your
system for missing security updates as well as common security
misconfigurations.
Firewalls
Once upon a time, a firewall was your best answer to protecting your computer
from hackers looking to exploit vulnerabilities in Windows. Unfortunately, this isn’t
always the case now. Nowadays, most users are attacked by just browsing the
Web. Hackers host Web sites that contain code to exploit vulnerabilities in your
operating system such as infect you with a virus, spyware, or even take complete
control of your computer. Hackers can alternatively compromise a Web site for
the purpose of misdirecting you to click on malicious content. Hackers can’t
“force” you to visit a specific site, but they can trick you into clicking on a link that
invites malicious content into your machine.
Windows XP SP2 has an integrated firewall, previously known as the Internet
Connection Firewall (ICF) that defends you against hackers who are trying to
access your computer from the Internet without your permission. When a hacker
attempts to connect to your computer via an “unsolicited request,” the Windows
firewall blocks that request. Windows will actually ask your permission if you wish
to “unblock” and allow connects to programs you actually want to run such as
instant messaging and multiplayer network games. When you unblock those
connections, the Windows firewall creates an exception so that the firewall won’t
ask any more when your program needs to receive information to function. You
don’t have to use the Windows firewall. You can install and run any firewall you
wish.
Zone Alarm is an excellent firewall that is very popular. Zone Alarm offers both
paid and free versions (http://www.zonealarm.com/) that can protect your
computer as much or as little as you desire. An even more comprehensive
program is Norton Internet Security 2005
(http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/nis_pe/) that touts its ability to hide your PC
on the Internet so hackers can’t find it. The Mac also has an integrated firewall,
just like Windows. However, Norton also makes a comprehensive security
solution for this platform as well in the form of Norton Internet Security 3.0
(http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/nis_mac/). The best part of Norton Internet
Security 2005 for the PC is its integrated “Intrusion Detection System” that
automatically blocks suspicious traffic. Not only does this product block
suspicious incoming connections, but it lets you configure your “outbound”
Internet connections too. This is advantageous, because if you do get infected
with spyware, Norton will alert you that a program on your system is attempting
to connect to the Internet and asks you if you really want this program to connect.
By giving you the opportunity to block these connections, you can effectively
thwart malicious spyware from doing its evil.
Intrusion Detection
Apple’s Macintosh has its own version of this type of Intrusion Detection with a
program called, “Little Snitch” (http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/) that
effectively asks your permission any time a program wants to connect to the
Internet. Although the Mac seldom becomes infected with spyware, it is a handy
utility to have so that you know exactly what your computer is doing on the
Internet.
Frozen Images
Now that your computer has been through its trial by fire(wall), the best answer is
to simply put your computer on ICE! If you have resigned yourself to the fact that,
no matter what you do, your computer is going to get infected, then use a
program called “Deep Freeze” (http://www.faronics.com/html/deepfreeze.asp).
This software for both Mac and PC lets you configure your computer with all the
programs you need and then “freeze” your configuration. If a hacker infects your
computer with a virus or spyware, Deep Freeze makes the damage simply
disappear. All of your settings, files and programs are completely restored to their
original configurations every time you restart your computer. This makes it
possible for you to avoid problems caused by software conflicts, registry and
operating system corruption, lost network and Internet connections, as well as a
host of problems caused by simply connecting to virus-ridden network sites. The
only catch is that you have to store your personal documents on a separate drive
that does not “revert” each time you restart your machine. You have to imagine
this program literally resets your computer to a frozen state that you specify.
However, if you create a word document, it would be lost if it were on that drive.
So, remember to keep a separate drive with your personal files and you’ll have a
computer that won’t ever become infected or go down. Now, all you have to
worry about are mechanical failures.
Conclusion
Finding ways to prevent hackers from accessing Windows is difficult because
your operating system is always in a constant state of flux. Every time you turn
on your computer, browse the web, or get a Microsoft update, your operating
system changes. If you want to prevent all changes from taking place on your
computer, freeze the computer—but then you can’t make any changes to your
operating system at all.
There are good and bad points to both approaches—but in a world where having
a functional computer is a necessity—this Tech Tip will keep your system
running.
Tech Tip 57 - Protecting Your Identity
By: Stewart S. Miller
Identity Theft
No matter what you do online, there is always a risk that someone could glean
enough private information about you to usurp your identity. Your financial credit
affects nearly every facet of your life, so in order to maintain control over your
information, the following tech tips are in order. There are several types of
information that are appealing to thieves:
Compromised Accounts
When any of account is compromised, close it
immediately. E-mails can “phish” for information
about you. If an e-mail sounds like it is from Pay-
Pal or your bank telling you there is a security
concern, and you should click the embedded link to
go the site to correct it, DON’T! These links are
often tailored to take you to look-alike Web sites
designed to trick you into entering your personal
information directly into the malicious hacker’s computer. What you should do
instead is open your Web browser and manually type in the link to the Web site
you wish to visit to check on your account (don’t ever cut and paste a link). This
is the only way you can be reasonably certain you won’t be misdirected to
someone waiting to prey on your information. Sometimes it isn’t even your fault.
The security at some companies that have your personal information is lax and
vulnerable to a malicious hacker attack.
Online Passwords
The biggest Achilles’ heels are online
passwords. To protect yourself, always use
combinations of upper and lowercase
characters (including symbols and numbers)
so that hackers who concentrate on
commonly used words in the dictionary
won’t guess it easily. Use longer words with more characters and combine two
words together with a symbol. You may even want to use words from two
different languages so that automated password guessing tools won’t work.
Computers aren’t the only way thieves can get your personal information.
Telemarketers are often hardworking people, but there are those who are
persistent for the wrong purposes. If someone calls you and hassles you to give
them your personal information, don’t! Even if they sound legit, you never know
to whom you are talking to over the phone.
VoIP communications are hard to track. Think about the great expanse of the
Internet where traffic can go literally anywhere. Vonage and ATT phone adapter
boxes are portable and can be installed virtually anywhere in the world. You can
take your box, plug it into the Internet halfway across the world and still receive
calls on your local phone number.
Anonymity
If that’s not enough, there are a number of
services on the net that make your Internet
traffic go through a special service that
removes all tracing information, making you
invisible or anonymous to the world. When
such services are used, it becomes almost
impossible to wiretap a call. The only way
around this problem is to work with the VoIP
providers directly by placing tracing
information embedded within the VoIP call
itself. In this way, if traffic is routed through an
anonymous server, there is still a way to find
out who the call is coming from/going to and
trace the people on each end of the call. Privacy advocates, however, are
infuriated by the federal government’s initiatives to have the ability to tap our
VoIP calls at will. They see this as a direct attack on our privacy. VoIP providers
are nonetheless working with the FBI and FCC to facilitate the approval of
wiretapping requirements so that the Internet does not become a haven for
secret communications between terrorists and spies.
Conclusion
Everything you do online can be tracked whether it is making a purchase through
a website or calling someone using your internet phone adapter—you must be
very careful not to give out personal information that could potentially be used
against you.
We live in a wired world, and finding anonymity amongst the digital media is
difficult if not impossible. Keep records, burn information on CDs that are not
readily accessible over your home network or local computer. If you are detail-
oriented about your personal information, you can save yourself many
headaches later on.
Tech Tip 58 - The Evolution of the Laptop
“Take One Tablet PC and IM me in the morning…”
By Stewart S. Miller
One Note
Microsoft OneNote is a great application—
especially for college and business users.
This application interfaces directly with the
pen capabilities of your TabletPC and allows
you to take notes on the screen in your own
handwriting. The program even has the
capability to translate your handwriting into
print—but like any optical recognition
program—certain words are difficult to
interpret.
Dexterity
There are simple dexterity issues that only a pen can offer when dealing with
graphic applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. While a mouse
allows you to control the screen, it offers limited precision. A mouse is like trying
to thread a needle with a sledgehammer. A pen, however, allows you to control
the movement (right on the screen) to introduce key movements and illustrations
that are essential to your projects.
Screen Rotation
One of the most advantageous features of the TabletPC is to have “instant
screen rotation.” You can literally rotate the screen so that you can input in
portrait mode vs. the standard landscape mode. This means the computer
evolves from being on your lap to becoming a tool you can hold in a business
environment. You can use portrait mode for taking notes, just like you would
when writing on a pad of paper. Landscape mode is best when viewing
presentations, graphics, or charts.
Is it worth it?
So, the real question—is the few hundred dollars extra for the Tablet
PC really worth it? After dealing with computers for several years, I
have to say yes! There isn’t really any other alternative device that
allows you to write directly on your computer screen. While graphic
tablets and high precision mice offer better control—they will never
equal the control you would get with a pen writing right where you need it.
Tech Tip 59 - Building Your Own External Hard Drive
By Stewart S. Miller
If you are like me, there is never enough storage to keep your all of your data
intact. Many manufacturers offer external hard drives, but you pay a premium to
buy them. If you want to save some money and get more storage space—
consider building your own device. By doing this, you can custom make your
own device and it’s easier than you might think.
1) USB
2) Firewire
3) SCSI
The USB devices come in two flavors. USB 1.0 and 2.0 devices. The latter
support greater transfer speeds of data between the device and your computer—
but don’t waste your money unless your computer can support a USB 2.0 device.
Only the newer computers over the past three years have been built with the
capabilities of supporting higher speed USB devices. Another caveat you have
to consider is that most USB hubs DON’T support USB 2.0 speeds even if they
are connected to a computer than can support it. What you need to do is check
the computer and the hub to make certain that the vendors have listed that they
both support USB 2.0 devices. There is a noticeable increase in speed, so it is
most definitely worth your time.
SCSI devices are somewhat obsolete in most systems. I used to run my
Macintosh and PC using a SCSI adapter card because that was a reliable
method. Today, you don’t see Macintosh computers with SCSI as a standard
feature any more. Adaptec and SIIG are two common manufacturers who build
PCI adapter cards for the PC and PCMCIA adapters for your laptop to permit
SCSI communications. While this technology has its merits, it is not as common
today as either the USB or Firewire equivalents.
Like SCSI, several manufacturers build PCI and PCMCIA adapters that enable
high speed data transfer through Firewire. Many hard drive enclosures support
both USB and Firewire—giving you the option to connect any standard hard drive
to your computer.
1) IDE Cable
2) Power Adapter
It is really as simple as popping the drive right into the enclosure, plugging in the
power cables, and connecting it to your PC.
Considerations
Remember that your new drive is still
unformatted. Formatting your drive so that it's
usable, however, is easy enough. When you first
connect your new drive to your PC or Macintosh,
the computer will recognize the device as new
hard drive and ask you to format it. Assuming
you are going to be connecting this drive to one
or more PCs running the Windows XP Operating
System, "NTFS" is the clear choice for the file
system you should select for formatting. If you
plan to move your new drive between PC and
Macintosh systems, "FAT32" might make a better
choice for a cross-platform device.
Automated Backups
There are a number of automated software backup tools that you can install to
backup all of your data to these devices. If you are very worried about your
drive, (especially if it is nearing its end of life), you can boot to a special program
CD that will allow you to backup your entire C Drive to this unit. If something
ever happens that causes your primary drive to fail, all you have to do is take the
hard drive out of your external enclosure and install it in your PC.
Glossary
Universal Serial Bus (USB), an external bus standard that supports data
transfer rates of 12 Mbps. A single USB port can be used to connect up to 127
peripheral devices, such as mice, modems, and keyboards. USB also supports
Plug-and-Play installation and hot plugging.
Firewire, a very fast external bus standard that supports data transfer rates of up
to 400Mbps (in 1394a) and 800Mbps (in 1394b). Products supporting the 1394
standard go under different names, depending on the company. Apple, which
originally developed the technology, uses the trademarked name FireWire. Other
companies use other names, such as i.link and Lynx, to describe their 1394
products. A single 1394 port can be used to connect up 63 external devices. In
addition to its high speed, 1394 also supports isochronous data -- delivering data
at a guaranteed rate. This makes it ideal for devices that need to transfer high
levels of data in real-time, such as video devices. Similarly to USB, 1394
supports both Plug-and-Play and hot plugging, and also provides power to
peripheral devices.
Maybe I’m showing my long history in California, but when I hear the word
pipeline I think of a long wave breaking over its front forming a long pipe. The
ultimate hotdogging trick is to surf inside the pipeline. Well, microprocessors
grew up in California too. Both Intel and AMD are located in Silicon Valley, and in
their products “doin’ the pipeline” is gnarly too.
The first thing to dig into is how your computer gets instructions and data out of
the memory and puts data back. First, the CPU fetches an instruction. That
instruction might require a chunk of data, or even two. That means a single
instruction might take two or three read cycles to get the instruction and data into
the microprocessor.
As mentioned, the microprocessor outputs the address on the address bus, and
then reads the instruction. If the instruction calls for data, one or more read
cycles take place. All the while, the microprocessor is sitting there waiting for the
instruction and data to show up.
After the microprocessor gets all the pieces of the instruction and data, it goes to
work. Some instructions may take a few steps, so the memory ends up waiting
while the CPU works-lots of stop and go and “hurry up and wait.” Seems like a
good way to slow things down, right?
2. Complicated Wiring
The main memory in your computer is made up of RAM (Random Access
Memory) chips. The microprocessor outputs the address of the data on an
address bus. This is a series of wires on the circuit board with one wire for each
of the bits in the address. Even low-end microprocessors have 32 or more
address lines, so you can see that buses are complex affairs. Then, there is the
data bus with about the same number of wires. That’s 64 copper traces on the
circuit board (the wires) between the CPU and the memory. Add to that a handful
of control signals to be complete. A 64 bit microprocessor would have twice this
number, about a hundred bus lines. It takes time to get all these bus lines
moving. This is the biggest bottleneck to speeding up a computer. Everything has
to work around the relatively slow speed of the instruction and data buses.
3. Systemic Process
4. Indigestion
The systemic process works very well for early mainframe computers because
they had very simple instructions that were, well, regular. The instructions were
the same size and so was the data so each stage in the systemic process took
the same about of time and the whole thing worked like a well-oiled assembly
line.
Microprocessors started out as very simple devices without all this systemic
process stuff, but then their instructions grew up very haphazardly. Some
instructions were much longer than others and the long instruction could take
multiple memory read cycles to fetch. Then, the size and number of the data
varied. That made the evenly-paced systemic process break down.
It wasn’t until 1989 when Intel brought out the 486 that PCs had a better way to
deal with the memory bus bottleneck. The 486 had a pipeline. Can’t you just hear
the surf guitars? Sorry-back to the microprocessors.
The concept was simple: take the systemic process and break it up into very
small pieces so each step has to do only very simple tasks. By making more
steps in the pipeline, the tasks are extremely simple and even complex
instructions can be broken down and executed as quickly as simple ones.
7. Branch Prediction
Most program branches are part of a loop, a section of code that repeats itself
until a condition is met and then the program continues outside the loop. If a
programmer takes the time to put in a loop, chances are it’s going to continue in
the loop for several iterations. So, if the pipeline predicts that the program flow
will continue in the loop, it can fetch the next instruction in the loop.
If the branch prediction turns out to be wrong, the pipeline has to be flushed and
part of the production line held up until the right instruction works its way down
the pipeline. Unlike the real world, these predictions are right the majority of the
time, and thus a performance increase is realized.
8. Super Scalar
If you have a pipeline with ten steps, then you can have ten instructions in the
pipeline at once. If each step takes one clock cycle to complete, then you have a
scalar CPU. If you double the clock speed, you get twice as many instructions
executed.
This CPU usually has more than 31 instructions in the pipeline because some of
them are taking parallel paths. That means more than one instruction per clock
cycle is executed. That’s superscalar. Doubling the clock speed gets you more
than twice the number of instructions executed. (This is not to be confused with
actual “parallel processing,” which is the combining of two or more CPOS to
execute a program).
9. Multithreading
Taking the concept of multitasking and turning it inside out, what if we work on
different parts of the same program at the same time? It’s sort of like making a
baby with nine women in one month. Well, on a computer it can be done!
What if we put in another pipeline? Doing things in parallel speeds things up,
right? What’s really happening is the instructions are getting interleaved in the
pipeline. The advantage is that while one pipeline is waiting for a memory fetch
or something that holds up execution, the other pipeline can take advantage of
the time.
The problem is sorting out the bits of the program that can be run in parallel. It
can be done, and as microprocessors get more complex, they can keep track of
various threads of the program and put the results back together at a merge
point. While complicated, it can and is done all the time in Pentium-class
microprocessors.
10. Hyperthreading
By allowing two threads to intermix at each step, they can take advantage of
slack hardware and get more done by using the facilities of the CPU more
efficiently. The trick is to keep track of which thread is which through the pipeline
even though the two are mixed.
Final Words
So, there you have it. Your program is sliced and diced and even stirred up as it
makes its way through your microprocessor. Techniques like breaking the code
up into threads that can be run separately then put back together works well to
speed things up. The challenge is for the logic of the microprocessor to keep
track of which is which at all times and even to sort out instructions that get out of
order as they wind through your CPU.
1. History Lesson
1. Blogs Today
Blogs have evolved way beyond personal journals. There are many uses for
continually-updated Web pages. News and current events are obvious examples.
But, it doesn’t stop there. Political advocates from left to right have taken to blogs
big-time. In fact, politically-motivated blogs have become a major source of news
as every word of a politician from any extreme is analyzed and turned back
against them.
2. Exploring Blogs
3. Keeping up Automatically
So, every half hour the reader gets all the updates. The reader does not
download all the blog entries when it updates, it only picks up the title and a
sentence or two of description of the new article. I can quickly scan the titles for
something of interest, and if the title stops my eyes, I can read the description
before clicking on the item. The reader then opens a Web browser window with
the blog entry in it. When I close the browser window, I’m back at the list of titles
and descriptions, ready to find the next exciting nugget of information.
Often, the blog entry is really a teaser to draw readers in. Once the readers are
viewing the blog entry, they are presented with links to other areas of the Web
site. This is a good way to build traffic on your Web site with frequent updates to
events as they unfold.
After installation, you are presented with some default news feeds. Chances are
you will want to weed out that list and add some blogs and news feeds of your
own choosing. This is called “subscribing,” and BlogExpress couldn’t make it
easier. Go to the Web page of the blog you want to subscribe to and find the
button or link for RSS or XML . Click and drag the button
to the BlogExpress file tree in the position where you want it to show up. Click the
“Check” button and you have subscribed. Click the “Synchronize All” icon and all
the RSS feeds will be checked for new content.
To review the feeds, click on the branch of the tree on the left window that
attracts your attention. The right window will fill with the headlines and
descriptions. If there is nothing in the right window, it means there have been no
updates to that blog, so pick another one. Comb through the headlines until you
find one you’ve just got to read and double click the headline.
Clicking the headline will open up a browser window to the blog. This browser is
part of BlogExpress, but it acts like a separate program. It’s not Internet Explorer,
though it looks very similar. Browse the page and possibly any links if that tickles
your fancy. One fault I found is that the Go Back arrow (the one on the left) stays
green even if you are on the originating page. In other words, you are already
backed up as far as you can go. To get back to the main BlogExpress window,
close the browser window or otherwise get it out of the way.
The RSS file is pretty straightforward, with some meta tags to clue the blog
reader in to the title, the description and the link for the full article. It’s only text so
it’s much simpler than the HTML codes you see in a regular Web page.
Final Words
So, there you have the lowdown on blogs and news feeds. Now, there is no
excuse to be missing an important event or sale any more. Install your blog
reader and let it run in the background while it gathers the headlines and article
descriptions so you can peruse them any time you want. No need for you to have
to go to all your favorite Web sites to keep informed.
Next week, we’ll talk about how you can set up a blog of your own and entertain
the world with your thoughts. It’s easier than you think.
Last time we talked about how to read a Web log, better known as a “blog.” It’s basically
a Web site that gets updated frequently, usually at least weekly, if not daily or more
often. You can even be notified of the updates automatically so you don’t have to visit
the site to see if there is anything new. There are personal blogs, news blogs, opinion
blogs and even the latest deal blogs. If you haven’t heard, Geeks.com is putting up a
blog so you’ll never miss a limited time bargain again.
A blog can satisfy your desire to get your word out without spending hours building a
Web site and with no software except your Web browser on your computer. In fact, you
can run a blog with no computer at all, but I’ll get into that in a future installment.
Of course, some Web hosting services offer blog hosting for a fee. That seems to be a
bit of overkill, since blogs are mostly text-based and don’t put that much traffic load on
host systems.
If your ISP doesn’t offer blog hosting , you can use one of the free blog hosts. There are
several free services, so shop around for one that suits your needs. While there are a
number to choose from, I decided to use Blogger.com for my blog. They are one of the
big ones and they are free. They have lots of blogs on their site so before you jump in
yourself, you might want to look around to see what others have done with their blogs.
LiveJournal is also extremely popular.
OK, let’s use Blogger.com as an example. Enter the URL www.blogger.com into the
address bar of your browser. You could jump right into starting your own blog, but take a
look at other blogs to get a sense of what a blog looks like in their system.
I also recommend taking their tour by clicking the “Take a Quick Tour” button. That takes
you through a few pages where they explain some of the features they offer, kind of like
reading the outside of a box before buying. It’s a lot easier to use the features if you
know what they are!
For security purposes, you have to read a word with squiggly letters and type the letters
into a box. This keeps automated bots from creating blogs and using up the resources
these people have kindly made available.
Blogging started out as a simple, text-only thing, usually with a typewriter-like font on a
white background. No frills at all. Since most of us are used to staring at a colorful
screen with fancy fonts and graphic renderings for borders, why not let your blog do the
same? Many blog hosts offer templates to help give your blog some eye appeal.
A template is sort of a blank form for you to fill out, but in this case it includes colors and
positioning of the text on the screen. The easy way is to select one of the templates
offered up as part of the blog creation. You can preview the templates that you see in
thumbnail format. Just click on one you like to expand it.
You can change the template later if you wish. If there is a template that you like except
for one or two features, go for it and go back and change those features later. That will
take some HTML coding, but it isn’t that hard. I’ll have to wait for a future installment to
get into that.
Don’t worry about trying to crop the photo close around your face. Do that with your
photo editing software. While you are at it, knock down the resolution to something like
200 by 300. That’s plenty for a headshot on a blog page. In fact, make sure the photo fits
in the blog host’s size restriction. I have to stay below 50 Kilobytes at my blog host site.
Each blog host is different, but usually you can upload the photo from your computer or
point the blog host to a copy of it on the Web and the blog host will steal it for your blog.
Of course, there are those who don’t want their own face and will snatch someone else’s
from their Web site; whatever floats your boat.
8. Group Blogs
I think we are going to jump on the blog bandwagon and set up an extended family blog.
That way we can each interject comments and questions almost like a discussion
around the dinner table. The idea of a group blog works for almost any group, including
teams of people working on a common project separated by distance or even different
shifts at work.
Final Words
Go ahead and start a blog! It’s only going to take you a few minutes to get it going. You
can add to it bit by bit as you have the time. Make sure you send the URL to your family
and friends so they can take a peek. When you have something especially interesting to
say or announce, you can send out an e-mail with the URL again so they can keep up
with your exciting life.
Blogging can be a lot of fun and a valuable communications resource. Simple text
blogging is easy to do, but there’s a lot more available if you want. In future installments,
I’ll get into blogging from your cell phone so you don’t even need a computer to update
your blog! After that, we can delve into tweaking HTML code to really make your blog
special with links to your favorite Web sites and a flashy graphics layout.
Tech Tip 63 - Spice Up Your Blog With Simple Formatting
Article by Roy Davis
Besides, there is no excuse for spelling errors as most editors, including the ones used
to post to blogs, have a spell check feature. If you just take the time to use it, you can
catch the mistyped word that you know perfectly well how to spell, as well as the words
that you missed in the fifth grade spelling bee.
After you are finished typing a post, go back and proofread it. I do a lot of writing and I’m
pretty good at it, but I’m still amazed at the errors I find when I reread what I’ve typed,
such as missing or duplicated words, grammatical and spelling errors. At least the
spelling errors are can be addressed right away.
If you have finished a post using the Compose window, just click on the icon with the
check mark. It checks your spelling and allows you to correct it. It works much like the
spelling checker in Word or any similar word processing software you may use.
If you have already posted a piece and want to go back and clean it up, most blog sites
will allow you to edit your old posts. Just click on the Edit button and you are back at the
Compose window where you can run the spell checker. While you are at it, you can add
any of the text improvements we are going to talk about next.
3. Fancy Fonts
Pick a sans serif font like Arial for a clean and modern look. Sans serif means the letters
don’t have those little bars at the ends of the lines. For a traditional style use a font such
as Times New Roman font. That looks more like text in a book. To give the effect of
dashing off a note on a typewriter, use a font with a fixed-width like Courier font.
Even though the number of fonts in a blog limits you, there are other effects that can
stress a point or attract attention. Select a word or phrase that you want to stand out and
click on the icon with the big “B” for Bold. That will fatten up the lines in the letters and
make the text stand out on the page. For extra impact, you can even increase the font
size for just that word, though that trick changes the line spacing and can look a bit
sloppy.
When quoting foreign words or titles of books or just because you like it, use italics. The
letters will lean over and look special. Use the “I” icon for this type of effect.
Then, there is underlining to attract attention of a phrase. The “U” icon makes a line
under the words, just like when the teacher was grading your papers.
If you get totally carried away, you can apply bold, underline and italics all at the same
time. Your readers might think you are crazed if you do that, but hey-it’s your blog!
5. Make it Colorful
Also, keep in mind that colored text needs a little help. I like to use the bold effect to
fatten up the letters that I color to make sure the color punches through the background.
You are trying to emphasize that phrase anyway, so bold and color work well together.
6. E-Mail Posting
There are different methods for getting your words on your blog page. It's not hard to
post to your blog via e-mail. Suppose I'm at my Mom's house where only a dial-up
Internet connection is available and it's really slow going through all the Web pages to
make a post via the Web interface. Mom has her e-mail client going so it's a snap to zip
out an e-mail message that ends up on my blog.
In order to post to my blog via the Web, I had to first set up e-mail posting via the Web
access. My blog site has a Dash Board that controls all the settings. One of the settings
is the e-mail access. I filled in the blanks, which created a special e-mail address for my
blog posts. I have to keep that special address secret so others can't mess with my blog.
Now, I'm at the fringe of the Internet hanging by an e-mail-only thread. I just type in the
special address. The Subject line becomes the title for the post. Then, I just type in the
post itself.
You can use plain text for your post if you want to keep it simple. Or, you can turn on the
HTML feature of your e-mail client, if it has one, and add formatting like bold, fancy fonts
and colored text. Make sure you have the settings of your blog Dash Board set to accept
HTML messages.
7. Going Wireless
First, the length of the blog post is severely limited when using
SMS, or Short Message Service (also known as “texting”). I can
usually squeeze three or four short sentences in a single
message. Of course, you can send multiple messages all in a row
and then go back on the Web interface and edit those posts
together into one big entry.
So, when you are standing at the end of the pier watching the
sunset and just have to write something for people to read, you can whip out your cell
phone, tap out a brief message, and post it on your blog. You can instantly update your
blog to follow your every move or mood.
Final Words
We’ve covered some basic instructions for all these blog features. Available features
vary from blog site to blog site, though there are more similarities than differences. By
giving you some general ideas about how to spice up your blog, you can try to do it
yourself and learn by trial and error. But, if you are like me and want to get it right the
first time, read the Tutorial, the Help section and the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
available on your blog site. That’s how I found out about many of the features I didn’t
know blogs had.
For the final installment in this series on blogs, I want to delve into HTML coding. That
way you can modify the template that formats your blog page. You can make your page
unlike any other in the visual appeal department – for better or worse. That will be a bit
more technical, but after all, we are Geeks!
Tech Tip 64 - Customize Your Blog With Some Easy HTML
Article by Roy Davis
Check out my personal blog that I just started for examples from this series:
http://www.roysgeekplace.blogspot.com
1. Under Construction
Since the purpose of this exercise in blogging is to learn all the nuts and bolts, I'm going
to mess with all the details of the template and see what comes of it.
The first thing I did was dump the olive green background in favor of medium slate blue.
I used to have a bedroom with the walls painted that color and I find it very relaxing. Let's
see what else I can customize.
To be fair, I usually whitewash right over the HTML coding on my Web page too. I get
away with that by using a Web page authoring program like Microsoft FrontPage. You
can edit the page using Word-like tools to set the text attributes. FrontPage then
generates the HTML code to make your Web page look the same as what you designed.
The drawbacks are that FrontPage is not free and you are tied to a single computer for
adding to your Web site unless you pop for more copies of FrontPage.
These colors are described by the individual brightness of the three primary colors. The
value can vary from 0 (off) to 255 (full on). The simplest way to describe white is 255,
255, and 255 for full red, green and blue.
It’s more common to see the brightness numbers expressed as hexadecimal numbers.
Hex is base 16 so the counting goes:
0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F
0 in hex is also 0 in our normal decimal numbering system. 255 in decimal translates to
FF in hex. So, white in hex is FFFFFF. This is called Hex 6 notation. Often, you don’t
need such precise control over color so shorthand called Hex 3 is used. The lower order
digit of each color brightness number is thrown away. White then becomes FFF, which is
really slightly off-white, but it’s close enough.
If all this is too complicated to visualize, check out this Web page that has many
examples of colors and various ways to express them:
http://www.webreference.com/html/reference/color/propcolor.html
I like to keep this Web page open while I’m fiddling with my template so I can instantly
visualize the color palate I’m poking in.
It’s pretty scary looking stuff when you first see it, but the beauty of working with an
existing template is that you don’t have to know very much at all to make some
impressive changes in the way your blog looks.
I wanted to change the text color from black to a dark blue. The original line of code was:
color: #000;
That’s expressed in the Hex 3 format. Actually a single zero would do also, but it’s easier
to visualize when each color is represented. I changed the text color to a rich dark blue
by putting in some blue while leaving the red and green at zero.
color: #008;
When you are just learning, it’s nice to be able to experiment with new HTML
commands. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell what happened and you want to remove the new
code you just wrote. Or, you may just want to remove an existing command to see what
it doesn’t do.
Instead of deleting the unwanted code, you can just comment it out. HTML, as well as
most programming languages, allows you to surround sections of text with special
characters and what is inside the special marks is ignored. The purpose is to allow
comments to be inserted in the code so you can remember why it is the way it is.
You can use this comment capability to turn things off. In HTML, the open comment
characters are the forward slash and star. To close a comment, use the star and then
the forward slash. Here’ an example:
Another trick I use all the time is to make a copy of an existing line of code and comment
it out. I then fiddle with the copy of the line like this:
/* text-align: left; */
text-align: center;
The original code called for the text to be aligned at the left margin. I wanted to try
putting it in the center of the column so I made a copy and commented out the original. I
guessed that the code word would be center, and I was right. If I am sure I want to
keep the change, I can just delete the original line. If I want to revert to the old format, I
can delete the new line, remove the comment characters, save, and I’m right back where
I started.
Pick a feature you want to change and look through their long list of template
modifications that they have detailed out for you. Start with simple things like changing
the color of the background. You’ll be amazed how one line of code can make such a big
difference in the appearance of your blog page.
Go after the obvious things like the font and color of the title. Insert a custom graphic to
truly make the page your own. Don’t get too wild and remember that dark text on a light
background is easier to read – newspapers are still black text on white for a reason.
Final Words
I hope this piques your interest in learning more about how Web and blog pages are put
together and that you put that learning to work making your blog different from the next
guy’s. I don’t live in a house that looks like the neighbor’s, so why should my blog?
Be colorful. I am totally turned off by blogs that have tiny white text on an all black
background. I run across way too many of them and usually just go right on to the next
one. Black is just boring unless you have some other color graphic that just has to be set
off with a dark background.
Take it one step at a time and make copies of the original code so you can always back
up to remove an “oops.” Also, remember that if you totally screw it up, you can apply a
new stock template and be all the way back to where you began: no harm, no foul.
Tech Tip 65 - Geek Gadgets for Your Sweetie
Article by Roy Davis
Let’s put aside hard-core blogging with HTML and talk of the intricacies
of Pentiums and Athlons to talk about something more fun. Gadgets!
All geeks like gadgets. Even Bill Gates has a multimillion-dollar house
full of gadgets that he and his wife love to show off when they
entertain.
With Valentine’s Day coming soon, we don’t have to spend that kind of
money to show someone we care. And we don’t have to stick to
gadgets only a geek would love. There are plenty of goodies that a
geek could give to someone who doesn’t even like computers. It
doesn’t matter if it’s Valentine’s Day or the anniversary of your first
kiss, a personal gift is something special.
Well, Geeks.com is right there with the latest gadget, the My Photo
Digital Photo Frame Key Chain
<http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=DIGITAL-
PHOTOFRAME&cat=CON> and it’s not going to break the bank. This
gadget has a full one inch screen, like going from an old TV to a wide-
screen when compared to a locket. Also, the locket carried one or
maybe two tiny photos. The Digital Photo Frame shows up to 26 digital
photographs.
Final Words
Think about what the people you love enjoy and how the gift of a
geeky gadget can fit into their lifestyle. Many geeky gadgets can be
customized to make them truly personal, and some Geek gifts can
even be shared so you too can enjoy the benefits of your high-tech
shopping.
Tech Tip 66 - Take the PCI Express for Great Video
Article by Roy Davis
Most of the hardware that makes your computer a computer is actually on a single
Motherboard <http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=BOXD955XBKLKR-
DT&cat=MBB>. It has the CPU (Central Processing Unit) in the form of a single chip
microprocessor such as an Athlon 64
<http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=ADA3500DAA4BW-N&cat=CPU>, and the
main memory that we usually call RAM
<http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=KVR333D4R25_1G-DT&cat=RAM> for
Random Access Memory. These two items handle most of the actual computing
functions and have a very high-speed bus between them.
But, raw computing isn’t much fun, especially when it comes to video games and
simulations. You need some eye-dazzling color graphics to show off what your computer
can do. The circuits that generate those graphics are usually on a plug-in gadget called
a graphics adapter or Video Card <http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?InvtId=VX700-
512P&cat=VCD&cpc=DSP>. The video card connects to the motherboard through a
connector with lots of pins. It takes all those pins to carry the I/O bus with many data bits
and address lines.
Generally, the CPU puts an address on the address part of the I/O bus to point at a
particular I/O address location. These addresses are a lot like memory addresses except
that instead of a RAM device, it’s an input or output device that is being fingered. Then,
the CPU either sends data down the data bus part of the I/O bus or requests that the I/O
device drive data back from that direction. Data goes out and data comes in – that’s why
it’s called an Input/Output bus.
At the end of the nineties, the AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port, also called Advanced
Graphics Port) special purpose video bus came about. It’s a 32 bit bus like its
predecessor. The PCI bus was still used as the basic control interface to the video card,
but the AGP handled most of the data transfers for 3-D video processing.
Since the AGP was dedicated to video processing, they took liberties to change it often
and it was difficult keeping up with which video card worked with which motherboard.
The first version of AGP is known as AGP 1X. It doubled the PCI clock rate and moved
266 Megabytes per second with 3.3 Volt digital signals.
AGP proceeded through AGP 2X, 4X, and even 8X. The data rate stepped up to 533
MB/sec, then 1066 MB/sec and finally 2133 Megabytes per second. As the speed went
up, the digital signals when from 3.3 Volts, to 1.5 Volts to 0.8 Volts. There was even a 64
bit version called AGP 64.
As I mentioned, when AGP came along, it did not do away with the PCI connection to
the video card. AGP was used for high-bandwidth data movement while the PCI bus
pulled the strings to control the video card. The need for speed was not the only reason
for PCI Express, though it did immediately double what AGP 8X could do performance-
wise. Computer users want full-screen, full-motion video with 3-D rendering, and PCI
Express has the bandwidth to pull it off.
One of the drawbacks to AGP is that it is a unidirectional bus. Data can flow in both
directions. Unfortunately, it can only attain the 8X speed in one direction. In the other
direction, it’s more like 1X. PCI Express simplifies things by using two separate buses,
one for upstream and one for downstream data transfers. Not only does this eliminate
the time wasted while switching direction, data can be flowing in both directions at the
same time. That means data can be moving at 16X or about 4 Gigabytes per second in
both directions. That’s a whole heap of data bouncing around!
All of the PC data busses before PCI Express used a standard parallel data bit design.
The ISA bus had 16 bits of data and 16 bits of address. That meant there were 16 wires
carrying data and 16 more wires handling the address bits. When the I/O bus grew to 32
bits, the number of wires and the associated pins on the connectors doubled.
One of the problems with all these wires carrying high-speed data is something called
skew. When the address is put on the address bus, you have to wait for all 32 bits to be
at the right logic state before going on to the next step. When the data is put on the data
bus, you have the same problem. Even minor variations in the length of the copper
traces (the wires) on the circuit board can introduce skew and the clock rate has to be
reduced to get the device to operate reliably.
PCI Express replaced the parallel bus with a series of serial buses. Instead of 32 data
bits all clocked at the rate of the slowest bit, it has up to 32 lanes clocked at the highest
rate each line can handle. Think of it like a relay race of four competing teams and four
legs in the race. In the parallel AGP model at the end of each leg, all of the runners
would have to wait for the slowest one to arrive before taking off on the second leg. At
each hand-off of the baton, all teams have to wait for the slowest runner to make it there.
With PCI Express, the signals are sent each at their own clock rate. When a runner
hands off the baton, the next runner on his team can immediately go. The individual
runners are not any faster, but by removing the coordination time at each handoff point,
the overall process is sped up.
To abandon the legacy of PCI and AGP must require some huge advantages, and PCI
Express has them. It’s too bad that they named it PCI Express because that sounds like
an evolutionary change, but PCI Express throws out the whole concept of the I/O bus
and replaces it with something very revolutionary. As I mentioned, the switch from a
parallel bus to lanes, which are really a bundle of serial buses, made the timing and
routing of signals much easier for the hardware designer. Another advantage is that the
I/O bus is scalable from one lane (1X) for simple and slower devices like a USB
controller all the way to 32X for the power-hungry speed demons, such as a high
performance video card. The simple devices only need a few wires run to them, saving
circuit board space and many pins on the IC packages.
Final Words
If you are thinking about a new gaming machine or an upgrade to your old faithful box,
check out the offerings of PCI Express motherboards and video cards before spending
money on older AGP models. You have to choose between sticking with the older
technology, or making the leap to the new way of doing things.
Yes, many of the new PCI Express motherboards have PCI slots to accommodate older
adapter cards, but not for video. You pretty much have to match both the motherboard
and video card to have PCI Express performance. That means there are bargains in
high-end AGP motherboards and video cards as existing stocks are flushed out in favor
of PCI Express. On the other hand, the PCI Express-based machine will carry you
farther into the future.
Tech Tip 67 - High Resolution Audio
Article by Roy Davis
When it comes to your computer monitor, the term high-resolution is easy to understand.
1,600 by 1,200 pixels on the screen have a lot finer detail than the old 640 by 480. 24-bit
color has millions of shades, where primitive color PC displays had only a total of 16
colors.
Audio, be it for music, music videos or movies, can benefit from high-resolution also.
Digital audio has higher or lower resolution too, though the difference is a little harder to
explain. We’ll go though it here and soon you’ll be the expert on high-resolution audio in
your crowd.
The old analog audio recording industry was full of different formats with all different
sizes of discs and recording speeds of 33 1/3, 45 and 78 RPM. We had tons of gadgets
to clean our records and rid our sound of the clicks and pops that dust causes. Getting
an LP out of the cover, on to the turntable, and the tone arm lowered onto the disc
without scratching it was a high art.
Audiotape came in reel-to-reel, 8-track and audiocassette, again with different recording
speeds and an alphabet soup of noise reduction schemes like Dolby-A, B, C, S and HX
Pro. Dust that flaked off the tape would gum up the transport mechanism and the tape
would jam, usually destroying the sound quality for that piece of tape.
Unfortunately, music signals in an analog form are subject to all sorts of degradation.
Electrical circuits introduce noise and hum. The recording medium itself will roll off the
high frequencies or introduce variation in the pitch. Magnetic tape is especially bad at
distorting the signal and adding noise, which is why Mr. Dolby got very rich with his noise
reduction tricks. Digital audio avoids all this, but of course there are other issues to deal
with.
Phillps brought Sony on board and they put together the digital audio standard that is still
the most-used audio format for commercial music sales. They called it the Compact
Disc, which we all shorten to CD. Since straight PCM is used, they picked the format to
squeeze as much music as possible on the disc while maintaining adequate fidelity.
3. Sampling Theory
In order to understand digital audio specifications, we’ll have to define digital sampling
theory. The most basic thing we need to get under our belt is the concept of converting
analog music signals into digital. That’s called sampling. The electrical signal that
represents music is a nice smooth wave that follows the sound pressure waves that
come from a singer, or an instrument, or the combination of both.
4. Breaking Up Is So Hard to Do
How fast is that rate? A researcher named Nyquist figured out that if the sampling rate
were at least twice as high as the highest frequency signal to be digitized, then the
sampled digital signal would accurately represent the analog signal. Since the highest
frequency most human ears can hear is 20 Kilohertz,
the designers of the Compact Disc decided to use a
sampling rate of 44.1 Kilohertz.
Compact Discs have just barely enough sampling rate to capture the entire audio
spectrum. The other issue is the number of bits of resolution to represent the amplitude
of the signal. If you only listen to AM radio where the music is loud all the time, you
would happy with very few bits in your audio
samples. But, if you want to listen to exciting
music that is loud sometimes and very soft
when it needs to be, then you want more
detailed samples, which means more bits.
The PCM audio encoding that the Compact Disc designers copied could achieve a 35
dB dynamic range with only eight bits of resolution. But, they played tricks with the bit
values to stretch the dynamic range at the expense of fidelity. Since 35 dB was
obviously not enough, and digital circuits like to come in multiples of 8, the designers
picked the next increment up, that being 16 bits. With 16 bits of equal step size, they had
96 dB of dynamic range, which at the time was much better than any other recording
medium, including the professional analog tape decks in recording studios.
In 1982 when the CD was introduced, we were used to the hiss of magnetic tape and the
clicks and pops of LP gramophone records. The CD was such a huge improvement that
we assumed that it was perfect. Many young people today have never even heard an LP
played, so CD digital music is their frame of reference. It’s far better than what we used
to have, but it is still not even close to perfect.
7. Higher Expectations
Why would we want a higher sampling frequency than 44.1 Kilohertz and more than 16
bits of dynamic range? Because we are crazy about absolutely perfect sound! More and
more we listen through earphones or 100 Watt car stereo systems where the noise floor
of 16 bit audio is bothersome and the harshness of the sharp cutoff filters for the 44.1
Kilohertz sampling irks us.
The dynamic range is pretty easy to understand, with the background noise level very
low and the loud peaks very high. But, the sampling rate/cutoff filter thing takes a little
more explanation. We are trying to record the audio spectrum from 20 Hertz to 20
Kilohertz with a sampling rate of only 44.1 Kilohertz. That means during recording,
signals above 20 Kilohertz have to be sharply attenuated or they end up causing digital
artifacts down in the audible portion of the frequency band. In fact, many commercial
CDs roll off most sounds above 15 Kilohertz to avoid the distortions of the cutoff filters.
On playback, you have a similar situation with filtering at the band edge. There are filters
that can do the sharp cutoff, but a side effect of the sharp filters is phase shifts where
different audible frequencies are delayed more than others. The effect is harshness to
the sound that is hard to pinpoint, or even to measure with simple instruments, though
sophisticated lab equipment can show the presence of phase shifts.
While Compact Discs offered audio quality better than anything previously available,
because of technological limitations, there was only so much data (music) you could fit
on a single disc, limiting developers to two-channel, stereo audio.
With the advent and rapid consumer adoption of DVD, all of that changed. Because of
the huge increase in the amount of data that can be squeezed onto a single disc (up to
8.5 Gigabytes now on one Double Layer DVD, compared to ~700 Megabytes on a CD),
there’s room for not only lots of high-resolution video and high-fidelity audio, there’s
room for several more discrete audio channels, as well – as many as six or more.
A typical “5.1” home theater surround sound configuration includes two stereo channels
(front sides), a center channel, two rear side channels, and a dedicated LFE (Low
Frequency Encoding, or subwoofer) channel (the “.1”).
Because of this, some artists are beginning to consider mere CD quality, stereo
recordings as “giveaway-quality” audio, and are releasing new music on DVDs encoded
with audiophile-preferred “dts” (Digital Theater System) digital 5.1 surround sound.
The solution to problems with phase shifts and distortion is simple: more bits of
resolution to produce more dynamic range and a higher sampling rate to avoid the sharp
filters required by a low sampling rate. The Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS
PCI Sound Card is a perfect example of high-end, high-resolution audio equipment for
your computer. It has state-of-the-art 24-bit data paths for a dynamic range of 109 dB,
13 dB better than the 96 dB of CD audio. Since dB is a logarithmic scale, 13 dB
translates into a noise floor 20 times lower.
The sampling rate has been cranked to 192 Kilohertz, which allows for a very simple and
non-distorting cutoff filter. For those with younger ears that can hear past 20 Kilohertz,
this higher sampling rate expands the frequency response. Even for older people with
more limited high frequency hearing, the improvement is evident in a smooth phase
response down to lower frequencies and fewer digital artifacts (think of an artifact as the
digital version of a speck of dust on a record).
You don’t have to break the bank to have a big step up in audio quality. Even an
inexpensive internal sound card like the Creative Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit PCI Sound
Card has specs way beyond Compact Disc capability. You get the 24-bit data path for
the lower noise floor and more headroom for recording. The sampling rate goes up to 96
Kilohertz, which is still a step up from the CD class.
The 96 dB dynamic range of 16-bit CD quality is fine if the program material has been
carefully recorded and processed to fit. If you are doing your own recording, the
additional dynamic range of 24 bits really comes in handy by allowing more headroom.
You don’t want to have music peaks clip, so backing down a bit on the volume allows
more space at the top. With the lower noise floor, the low volume is not a problem. Even
this bargain basement sound card has the guts to give you this level of performance.
Final Words
Compact Disc digital audio broke through the barrier to high quality sound. Now that the
restrictions of analog recording media are behind us, we expect more sonic depth to our
music and sound tracks.
We can have the loud peaks and the quiet passages without intruding noise or hiss with
24 bit dynamic range. Boosting the sampling rate for both recording and playback opens
up the distortion-free frequency range to the full spectrum of hearing. It doesn’t matter if
you are building a killer PC-based sound system for the home theater, or just outfitting
your home office machine to record your old LPs on the side, there is a sound card with
advanced performance for you.
Tech Tip 68 - Step Up to Double layer DVD
Article by Roy Davis
In Tech-Tip Number 7, Mr. J. Kohrs explained the alphabet soup of DVD formats.
Double layer DVD writers and the blank discs for them were just hitting the market then
so he didn’t have much to say about the latest and largest-capacity optical disc system.
Since then, DL drives and media have popped up all over at decent prices so it’s time to
dig a little deeper.
That last sentence is a bit of a pun on the whole double layer thing because it works by
burying your data a little deeper into the disc. We’ll discuss why double layer is so
exciting, and when you can economize by using the less expensive single layer discs.
Speaking of tracks and dimensions, they pack almost 8 miles of data in that single track.
The double layer DVD disc has about 15 miles of storage track. That means the track
has to be wound pretty tight with a pitch of only 0.74 micrometers (millionths of a meter)
between them. That takes some pretty precise tracking!
This describes how commercially-pressed audio CDs, CD-ROMs and DVD movies work.
They are read-only devices with the simplest construction and are the easiest to explain.
A recordable disc, however, also needs to allow the drive to write data onto the disc.
In order for a recordable DVD-R or DVD+R disc to work, there must be a way for a laser
to create a non-reflective area on the disc. These discs have an extra layer that is a dye
that can be changed by shining a strong laser beam on it. On a blank recordable disc,
the entire surface of the disc is reflective. The laser can shine through the dye and
reflect off the metal layer. When the drive writes data to the disc, the laser heats up the
dye layer and changes its transparency, which is the equivalent of a non-reflective
bump.
Now we know how a single layer DVD works, both the prerecorded type and the ones
you can burn at home. Just how the heck do they put two layers of data on one side of
the disc? It would be real easy to say magic at this point, but the real explanation is
pretty simple.
Think about how when you walk up to a window with a screen and look out that you see
the scene outside and don’t even see the screen. It’s close to your face so it’s out of
focus and you don’t even notice it is there. If you back up a little and force your eyes to
focus on the screen, it pops right out and you can see it and the scene outside is all a
blur.
Double layer DVDs pull a similar trick. There is only one reflective layer, but there are
two layers of dye where the actual data is stored. The lens in the pickup focuses the
beam on the top layer to read the first bunch of data, and then the lens focuses the
beam on the bottom layer and sees right through the top layer. Because the top layer is
out of focus, the data stored there just disappears and the bottom layer is read instead.
All that the build up and detailed explanation to find out it’s a simple trick of optics that
even your own eyeballs can do!
When recordable DVD media first hit the market, it hadn’t grown up yet and capacity
wasn’t too much bigger than CD-R. As DVD-R and DVD+R came of age, the capacity of
a single-sided disc settled on 4.7 Gigabytes. That was enough room for a two-hour
medium resolution compressed movie. It’s also a
handy size for normal backups of your hard drive
or all the digital photos from your vacation even if
you shot them all at the high quality mode.
6. What Do I Need?
Naturally, older DVD drives don’t have the mechanism to switch focus between the two
levels of a double layer disc. The pickup has to be physically moved to change the focus
point from top to bottom, so you need a drive with this built in. The LG 16x Double Layer
DVD±RW/DVD-RAM IDE Drive is typical and attractively priced. Computer drives that
can read double layer usually also write double layer and that’s the case here. Be aware
that double layer DVDs have to be written at the 4X speed as opposed to the 16X for
single layer discs.
CD-R media are really inexpensive these days, with recordable DVDs being a little more
expensive. But, are they? A single layer DVD-R or DVD+R can hold as much as seven
CD-Rs. That means that if a DVD is less than seven times more expensive, it is actually
cheaper than a CD-R for those large data storage tasks. They are also a lot more
convenient than shuffling a stack of CD-Rs in and out of your drive.
If you just want to test the waters without springing for a tall spindle of blank double layer
DVDs, try the Verbatim Double Layer Solution Kit (DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW,
which gives you a sampling of three different blank optical disc types. If your storage
needs are less than about 4 Gigabytes, then stick with the single layer discs.
While double layer DVD seems like a huge amount of storage, the requirements of super
high definition video and huge hard drive backup push the optical drive manufacturers to
even larger capacity discs. HD DVD is a refined version of the DVD we use now. It uses
the same trick of double layers to almost double the capacity up to 30 Gigabytes per
side; backing up a full image of a 160 Gigabyte hard drive takes a half dozen discs.
Blu-Ray answers this with the promise of up to 200 Gigabyte discs eventually becoming
available. They pack the data in even tighter than HD DVD and can stack up several
layers to increase storage.
Final Words
The same goes for your computer backups. Put your whole photo collection on one 8.5
Gigabyte double layer disc. Don’t worry about running out of space on a single disc.
Though the double layer discs may be more expensive, they hold twice as much and
take up less storage space than a pair of single layer discs or a dozen or more CD-Rs.
Tech Tip 69 - Ergonomics of Computer Pointing Devices
Article by Roy Davis
Being the dedicated geek that I am, I spend a lot of time with my face in the computer
screen. Much of that time, I am driving a cursor around the screen using a pointing
device of some kind. In this installment, I want to talk about the long-term physical
effects of computer pointing, in other words, the ergonomics of riding a mouse.
We will look closely at how to use a computer-pointing device for maximum comfort and
minimum wear-and-tear on your arm and shoulder. This is not something to ignore
unless you want to be too crippled in your geek old age. Don’t laugh, it really happens,
as I will personally relate.
1. Keyboard Injury
3. Mousing Around
At the time, I was doing a lot of engineering work and that involved a lot of drawings
done on my computer. Drawings tend to need a lot of mouse work to get the lines in just
the right spot. It doesn’t make a difference if you are designing a computer chip,
updating the company organization chart, or laying out the plays for your Pop Warner
football team, drawing on the computer comes into everyone’s life.
When the drawing on my computer was zoomed, it filled the screen and I could see the
whole drawing where the lines had to be placed with extreme care to get them to line up.
With a complex drawing, it was almost impossible to get exact alignment in the full-page
view mode.
It helped to zoom in to expand the parts where I was working. The line placement was
easier not only because I could see it better blown up like that, but also because the
mouse movement was not as critical to get the line where it belonged. Of course, I
ended up going back and forth between the full-page view and the expanded view to
figure out where I was and where to place the lines. That made for a lot of extra mousing
around.
4. Snap-to-Grid
When the Snap-to-Grid feature is turned on, a series of tiny dots in rows and columns
are overlaid on the screen. This is the grid. When you place the end of a line, it will snap
from the place you put it to the closest grid point. This makes laying out your drawing
much easier, faster and neater. Use the widest grid spacing that allows placement of the
lines where you need them. Wide grid spacing means you can be pretty sloppy with the
placement and still get nice even alignment. You can accomplish your work so you don’t
have to tighten up your grip on the mouse. You can relax and use more fluid movements
that take the stress off your arm.
Even after using all my tricks, my elbow kept getting more and more painful. I couldn’t
sleep at night and I ended up working left-handed on the computer. That wasn’t a
solution because I could see that soon I would have two elbows that were crippled.
I noticed that after using the mouse extensively, my elbow hurt more than ever. I took a
week off of the computer and my arm didn’t hurt as much. When I went back to work, the
pain came right back the first day.
Finally, I realized that as I held the mouse, I twisted my arm to an unnatural position. To
make accurate mouse movements, I had to tense up my arm and shoulder muscles.
This combination was the source of the pain. Unfortunately, to use a mouse I had to
make these movements that are so painful. It became clear to me that I had to find an
alternative to the mouse.
This exposed ball concept is great. You can manipulate the ball with just the tips of your
fingers while keeping your forearm in a natural position. You do not have to twist your
arm as you have to do for a mouse or even an old style trackball. I use my forefinger to
steer the cursor with the ball with occasional help from my middle finger if I’m scooting
across the screen quickly. My thumb presses the left mouse button while my middle or
ring finger can operate the right button. You can switch around if you feel comfortable in
other configurations. It takes a little getting used to, but I find the Marble Mouse much
more responsive than a standard mouse.
If you are lucky enough to be left-handed, you probably despise all these computer
pointing devices that are shaped for right hands. The Logitech Trackball Marble Mouse
is exactly symmetrical so it is neither right nor left handed. The ball is exposed on both
sides and the buttons are exactly the same.
If you go into the Control Panel and to the mouse applet, you can switch the left and
right mouse buttons. By doing so, left-handed people can have exactly the same
comfortable pointing experience as right-handed people.
9. Pen Tablets
This issue of computer pointing device ergonomics cannot be taken lightly. A senior
member of the staff at work abused himself so badly that even with a brace on his hand,
he could not use the mouse or the keyboard. We had to hire a typist for him while he
suffered a long recovery.
I consulted with the typist who has a strong IT background and discovered that he came
to the same conclusion that I have. Get rid of the mouse and invest in a modern
trackball. Following his advice, I just ordered three more Marble Mice, one for my mom,
and one each for my wife at work and at home. They are a lot cheaper than wrist braces,
physical therapy and stand-in typists.
Tech Tip 70 - Print Your Snaps With PictBridge
Article by Roy Davis
Now, you can take advantage of a new interface for digital cameras that allows you to
take photo files directly from your camera to your color printer. It’s called PictBridge and
this new specification breaks down the barrier between cameras and printers of different
brands. Eventually at some future time, PictBridge technology will be available in
electronics other than digital cameras that store, view, or capture digital still pictures,
including camera phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), and digital video cameras.
You will be able to print from any of these PictBridge-enabled electronics to any
PictBridge-enabled printer of any make or brand. For now, we’ll just discuss this
technology as it relates to digital cameras.
Digital cameras used to use serial ports or custom docking stations to transfer the files of
data that contain your photos to a computer. The software drivers were proprietary and
very fussy. I remember spending hours trying to make my camera talk to an IBM laptop,
and even then only getting it to work by turning off the IrDA infrared port.
The traditional way to get your digital photos from the camera to the paper is to fiddle
with the cable to upload the photo files to your computer. You need to have photo-editing
software loaded on your computer and then spend time learning how to run the software.
I don’t know why, but photo-editing applications are about the most difficult software to
learn. Even the icons are baffling to look at.
After struggling to upload and edit the photos, you then have to send the photos to your
printer. Most photo editors can only print one picture at a time. Getting multiple images
on one sheet of paper is a chore, especially if you want them evenly spaced with nice
white borders around them.
How many people do you know who fill up the huge data storage card for their digital
camera, and then park the camera until they can get around to dealing with the photos?
It’s just like all those rolls of undeveloped film in the drawer - it takes too long.
The simplest way to take advantage of PictBridge is to use the view screen on your
camera to select an image. A PictBridge-equipped camera, when connected to a
PictBridge-enabled printer, will display an option to print that photo. You can work your
way through the photos in your memory (the one in the camera, not in your head) to
select each picture you want printed.
One way to do this is to make an index print, what chemical photographers would call a
contact sheet. It’s just like a thumbnail preview of all your photos only it’s printed on a
single sheet instead of your computer screen. Since we cut the computer out of the deal
here, the index print becomes the point of reference. Review the shots, pick the ones
you really want, and print away.
All that selecting and printing from the camera view screen is fine up to a point. It’s
boring to sit around with your camera while your printer grinds out each print. The photo
industry stepped up to the task again with a new specification called DPOF, or Digital
Print Order Format. The concept of using the camera view screen and selecting the
images to print, the number of prints desired, and the size to be printed is pretty much
the same. What’s new is that you can do all this previewing, sorting, adjusting and sizing
with just the camera in your lap in the back seat of the car on the way home. The printing
instructions will be stored until you hook up to the printer. The printer can then do its
thing while you go take a shower, and you’ll have a stack of finished prints waiting when
you get back.
DPOF isn’t even limited to digital camera enthusiasts who own a
PictBridge color printer. You can take the memory card from your
camera to a photo service. There are even do-it-yourself machines
coming on the market where you can stick in your memory card with the
photos and DPOF instructions, insert a credit card to pay for it, and walk
away a few minutes later with your prized snapshots on paper.
Five (5) Megapixels means the resolution of your photos can run all the way up to 2,576
x 1,932 pixels. That’s plenty of image detail to fill the largest paper size your printer can
handle. No worries about fuzzy prints unless you shake the camera in dim light.
There are a number of special features that make a camera outfitted with PictBridge
even better. The V550 includes all of these to automate the picture-taking process even
more than you realize. They save a lot of steps that normally you would have to use a
computer-based photo editor to achieve.
Camera Orientation Detection sounds unimportant or minor, but if you’ve ever had to
review a few dozen photos you took that were oriented in various positions other than
upright, you know it can take time and effort to reorient the photos for comfortable
viewing. Many times, I’ve had to go back and manually rotate the images so people
didn’t look like they were lying down. This is especially important when printing more one
than image on a single sheet of paper. Cameras like the V550 that come with Camera
Orientation Detection can even rotate images in the camera if you want so all your
photos are right-side up before going to the printer.
The trick is to paint over the redness with a dark color that matches what the pupil
normally looks like. If not done correctly, red-eye removal can make the eyes look very
strange, an effect most people don’t want in their shots. The V550 can automatically
detect and correct red-eye for you. That’s pretty tricky business, but it can save images
and get them ready for printing without a trip through your computer.
Final Words
Digital photography is no longer the domain of only those who are serious enough to
spend hours “photo shopping” their images and waiting patiently by their printer to see
how it comes out. Even if you just want a stack of 4 x 5’s to pass around at the dinner
table with minimum of fuss, you can circumvent the pocket full of film rolls and the 1-hour
lab and make your prints right at home.
For now, look for a digital camera and photo printer with PictBridge capability, with the
view towards watching for this new technology in many other electronics that take, hold,
or store digital photos. DPOF is the icing on the cake for taking total control over your
digital photo printing. Even if you use a commercial photo printer, PictBridge and DPOF
will let you use odd moments to do your photo selecting and get your prints done quickly
instead of languishing in your camera.
Tech Tip 71 - FRS Radios for Geeks
Article by Roy Davis
1. CB It’s Not!
Actually, there was another form of Citizens Band radio that predates the “10-4, good
buddy” type. It operated in the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band near where commercial
two-way radios for police cars and delivery trucks are now. This was Class A Citizens
Band, but almost no one had heard of it because the equipment was too expensive, the
rules too restrictive, and it required a complicated license from the Federal
Communications Commission, or FCC.
In the eighties, this part of the radio spectrum was converted to the General Mobile
Radio Service, or GMRS. The FCC license was easier to obtain, the rules relaxed, and
the equipment less expensive and easier to operate. The GMRS radios used Frequency
Modulation (FM) that rejects interference better than AM CB radios. Even if another
station is on the same channel, but with a weak signal, you can usually talk right over
them to your close-by buddies and the other party probably won’t even know it.
GMRS was mildly successful, which we’ll get back into later, but electronics retailers
wanted to sell more radios. The biggest retailer of all pushed a new concept called
Family Radio Service, or FRS. That retailer is Tandy Corp., but we all know those folks
as Radio Shack. In the mid-nineties, Tandy went to the FCC and convinced them that
this new FRS could share the radio channels with GMRS. Instead of the 5 Watt mobile
radios common in GMRS, the FRS radios were usually handheld units limited to 500
milliWatts, which sounds better than “half a Watt.”
5. Privacy Codes
6. Look Ma – No Hands!
FRS has some real practical uses too. Suppose you have your head in the wiring closet
trying to troubleshoot a network problem and you need to talk to your helper who is
running tests on the equipment in the other room. You can try yelling down the hall, but
that bothers the other workers and it’s hard to yell when you have a punch-down tool in
your mouth because your hands are full of wires.
Some FRS radios come with VOX, or Voice Operated Switch. When the radio
microphone picks up your voice, it automatically switches on the transmitter. Thus, you
and your helper can talk back and forth almost like you are in the same room. VOX is
real handy this way, but it isn’t perfect. There is a tiny delay when the VOX circuit picks
up, so it will cut off the first part of your first word. If you get in the habit of says
something like, “Ah, George did that fix it?” you will not have trouble with a first syllable
“clipping” problem.
7. Economical, Too
FRS radios are small, portable and can be really inexpensive, too.
They’re cheap enough to keep a pair in the toolbox or in the
glovebox of the SUV. Take a look at the Xact X-Link Digital Watch
& 22 Channel FRS/GMRS 2-Way Radio right here at Geeks.com.
For less than a round of greaseburgers at your favorite fast food
joint, you can sport one of these gadgets. You can clip it on your
belt or use the strap to hang it around your neck. Having it closer
to your mouth and ears makes the VOX operation better.
8. Ranging Out
The specification most FRS manufacturers quote is a 2 mile range. FRS radios use UHF
radio frequencies that depend on line-of-sight for maximum range. The signals will
penetrate buildings and trees when you are close by, but especially after a rainstorm
when everything is still wet, you are talking a few hundred yards. If you want range, sit
on a hilltop and your distance will pick up significantly. If both parties get up on hills or
even mountains, you are going to “range out” to dozens of miles. That’s the nature of
UHF radio. FRS is intended for close-in communications, so being within a block or two
will usually work pretty well.
I mentioned that to use the GMRS channels, you need an FCC license. The license is
expensive, at about eighty bucks for five years (a little over a buck a month), but one
license is good for all of your immediate family members. The GMRS channels are
generally less busy than the FR-only channels, so you will get less interference and
better range.
I explained that if you get up to a high spot, your range would extend considerably. If you
upgrade to GMRS, you can avail yourself of a feature called a repeater. Years ago, radio
amateurs started putting radios on tall towers and mountain peaks and set them up so
they could listen to one channel and repeat the signal to another channel. GMRS copied
this scheme. That’s why GMRS channels come in pairs split between 462 and 467
Megahertz. With your simple low-powered radio, you can send signals that are repeated
from the mountaintop to a huge coverage area.
Final Words
Pick up a pair of FRS/GMRS radios while the price is right. They might just be a handy
gadget to save some steps while shopping, visiting a theme park, or fixing something
around the house or the workplace. Or, they might lead you to a whole new hobby with
involvement in local emergency organizations.
I hope understanding the features and uses of FRS and GMRS services will help you
choose what is best for you without getting confused by the legal gibberish of the FCC or
the claims of the equipment manufacturers. It really is a lot of fun for the whole family to
be able to communicate even in a crowded shopping mall. It gives everyone more
freedom and peace of mind – and who couldn’t use more of that?
Tech Tip 72 - The Facts About MySpace
What You Need to Know Before Your Kids Sign On
By Kimmy Powell
Why MySpace?
Teens are constantly looking for places to hang out, away from parents and school.
MySpace gives them just that – a place to socialize with others of similar interests and
tastes. The biggest attraction in using MySpace is its ease of use and the number of
friends one can meet online.
Setting up an account in MySpace is free and easy. The only requirements are that users
must be at least 14 years of age. The information needed to start an account includes:
While MySpace is great for making new friends and promoting oneself, there are several
drawbacks in allowing your children to roam freely online within the MySpace
framework.
First and foremost, MySpace profiles are public. Anything posted on a public profile can
be read by other members, and anybody in the outside world can get to a MySpace
profile. Children often disclose too much personal information (i.e. – name and
addresses, school names, classmates, teachers, birthdates, favorite hobbies) on profiles,
which attract child predators lurking on the site. These predators seize upon details left in
blogs, comments, and personal profiles to take advantage of these kids when parents
aren’t home, or when kids are at school.
The lack of parental controls and the relatively easy access to inappropriate materials
have prompted some parents and schools to entirely remove access to the site from home
and school computers.
Parental Involvement
Communication
• Make sure kids are aware of issues of online safety. Discuss with them what they
can and cannot do online.
• Provide an open environment where your children can share and report what they
encounter online. If you react negatively and take away their Internet privileges
at the slightest infraction, you’re not creating a place of trust. Kids will be afraid
to come to you with legitimate concerns if they feel they cannot trust you.
• Be reasonable and try to understand the issues your children are facing.
Remember, parents were once children too.
• Tell your children to avoid putting personal information onto profiles or online
blogs. Let them know that leaving too much personal information can come back
to haunt them.
Education
• Find out everything you can about MySpace. Educate yourself on the features
and potential hazards of having an account.
• Monitor what your kids do online. Search on Google by email address, name,
nicknames or school names and see what you find.
• Turn the online experience into a family adventure. Ask your children about the
latest happenings online. Have them show you the hotspots on the net and what
topics they’re currently interested in.
• Don’t believe the person behind the profile. Make sure your child understands
that anybody can create an account on MySpace and lie about who they really are.
Communication with your children is the best way to make your child aware of online
dangers. Most kids avoid doing things online that draws unwanted attention. Instead of
banning children from the site when they do something wrong, sit down and talk about
common sense. By keeping open channels of communication open on both sides, you’ll
be happier for it.
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With this easy to follow guide, a few minutes of your time and the required components,
you can install your own CDRW or DVD drive and be burning your own movies and
music before you know it.
Step 1
Before we get started, you need to round up a few items you will need for the installation:
Step 2
Power off your computer and unplug it from the wall! You should never work inside your
computer with the power turned on or the power cable connected to any socket because
you could seriously damage your computer or yourself!
Step 3
If you are installing a DVD or CDRW drive into
an empty 5.25 inch drive bay, you will need to
remove the front cover (often called a “bezel”)
from the drive bay to gain access. The method
used to remove the drive bay cover will vary
depending on the brand of your case. Some are removed by pressing tabs on the front of
the computer case, and some have screws that need to be removed to get the cover off the
case. Refer to your case User’s Manual for detailed instructions for this step. You will
also want to remove both side panels from your computer at this time.
Step 4
The next step in the installation of your new drive
is to prepare the drive itself by setting the drive
jumper (A jumper is a small, elastic-encased
metal bridge that closes an electrical circuit). On
the rear of your drive near where the IDE cable
connects, you will see a plastic cap placed over
two pins that controls how your computer “sees”
your new drive. If you already have another
CDRW or DVD drive in your system, the new
drive should be “jumpered,” or set, as the “slave.”
The existing drive is likely set to be the “master”
drive already. If the existing drive is not set to master, it will be set to Cable Select and
setting the new drive as slave will still be the best option. Typically, there is a key to the
jumper settings embossed on the back of the drive. Improperly setting the jumpers could
cause problems with your computer recognizing your drive properly. IMPORTANT: You
can only have one master drive on each IDE channel.
Step 5
Once your jumper is set, you are ready to
install the CDRW or DVD drive into your
computer case. This is a simple task! Slide
the new drive into the vacant 5.25” bay and
get ready to secure it in the next step.
Step 6
Now that you have placed the drive into your
case, you are ready to secure it with screws or
some type of retention mechanisms. Most drives
are secured to the case by using 4 screws which
hold the drive in place. If your drive did not
include screws for securing it, you should be
able to get some appropriate screws at a local
computer or hardware store. Be sure not to over-
tighten the screws. They should be tight enough
to hold the drive in place, but not so tight as to
strip the screws/sockets.
Some computer cases are tool-less, meaning screws are not used to secure the drive to the
case. Cases that are “tool-less” utilize different methods of securing drives such as
retention brackets and snap fittings. If your case is a tool-less design, you will want to
look at the User’s Manual for instructions on securing a drive.
Step 7
Now that the drive is installed and secured to the
case, you need to identify and locate the required
cables to connect the drive to your motherboard
and power it. All internal CDRW and DVD drives
need the same two cables to connect them to your
system: an IDE Cable and a 4-pin Molex Power
Cable. If you don’t have an available Molex or
IDE connector inside your computer, you will
likely want to look for a more experienced geek to
assist you. In this case, you will need to install
additional components to accommodate your new
CDRW or DVD drive. When possible, it is always
best to connect your CDRW or DVD drive to an IDE cable that is not connected to your
hard drive. Most all motherboards have two IDE connectors and you may need an
additional IDE cable. Connecting the CDRW or DVD drive to the same cable as your
hard drive will work, but it is not the ideal configuration.
Step 8
Assuming you had the Molex and IDE
connectors available, you are now ready to
connect them to your new drive. Connecting
the two cables is easy since both the cables are
keyed. To put it another way: keyed
connectors can only be installed one way. You
cannot connect them improperly.
Step 9
After you have connected both the Molex and
IDE cables to your new drive, you are ready to
reinstall the side panels onto your computer. Once
your side panels are reinstalled, you can power up
your computer.
Step 10
The last step in installing your DVD or CDRW drive is to install the software needed for
you to burn music or movies, assuming the drive you have installed is a CDRW or DVD
burner. Typically, no drivers are required for the drive to be recognized by your
computer.
You are now finished installing your CDRW or DVD drive into your computer – happy
listening, viewing, and/or burning!
Tech Tip 74 - Installing a Power Supply
By Shane McGlaun
Installing a power supply is not a hard job. However, a new geek can be intimidated the
first time they open a case and see the mass of wires and ominous-looking components. If
you follow these simple steps, you can replace your power supply unit (PSU) in no time
and with little effort. It is also important to note before we get started that a computer
PSU stores power even when unplugged and you should never open the case of the PSU
itself.
Step 1
You will need to gather the tools you need for this
task. Namely, you need a Phillips screw driver to
remove the screws holding your side panels, and
old PSU (assuming you are upgrading an existing
PSU). You may also need a set of wire cutters, a
knife, or scissors to remove wire ties that may be
securing the cabling from your PSU to the chassis
or case of your computer.
Step 2
Step 4
Step 5
Step 7
Once you have your new PSU secured to the
case of your PC, you are ready to reconnect the
power dongles to your hard drives, optical
drives, and to your motherboard. Many newer
PSUs have a 24-pin main board power
connector. If you are replacing the PSU on a
system that uses a 20-pin motherboard
connector, it can get a bit confusing at this point.
Every quality PSU I have seen allows four of the
pins on the 24-pin main power connector to be
removed to be compatible with an older 20-pin
motherboard. If your PSU does not have the ability to have four of the pins from the 24-
pin main power connector removed, and your board requires 20-pin main power, you will
either need to get a different PSU or a different motherboard to continue. Many newer
PSUs also use an 8-pin power connector in addition to the 24-pin main power connector
to supply the motherboard. Every PSU I have used offers an adapter to change the 8-pin
main board power dongle to a 4-pin P4 power dongle. Be sure to use this if your board
requires a 4-pin P4 connector and your PSU has the newer 8-pin connector built on. If
you don’t plug in the additional 8-pin or 4-pin power connectors, your system will likely
not boot up.
Step 8
Step 9
Cyberspace is a valuable resource if kids can learn to filter content appropriately. Not
only can a kid get ideas for science projects and learn about history from a variety of
sources, but kids can learn about any subject, usually in much greater detail with much
more live data than books can offer. The Internet can help children learn problem-
solving skills, improve writing skills, teach programming, and they can learn to analyze
the pros and cons of the things they find in their research. These are important tools your
kids can use in the future in an economy turning increasingly towards information
services.
Anything goes on the Internet, but we shouldn’t be afraid to let our children explore the
possibilities. Be vigilant, be wise, and most of all, don’t discourage your child getting
online. Participate in your child’s adventures and help your child understand and conquer
this new world that is such an intrinsic part of life today.
Tech Tip 76 - A Guide to Internet Blockers and Filters
By Kimmy Powell
Young online surfers are bound to run into content they should not see, especially since
the Internet is an environment where anything goes. An innocent misspelling of a word
can lead to a graphic display of pornography. Parents should take the necessary
precautions to monitor the activity of children online. An effective method to monitor a
child’s use of the Internet is to use Internet blocking and filtering software, known as
parental control software, to filter out objectionable content before it reaches young eyes
and ears.
Features to Consider
Parents should choose user-friendly programs that are easy to install and easy to use.
Purchasing a complicated package that has all the latest bells and whistles defeats the
purpose when parents can’t manipulate or understand all the great features.
White list filters allow access only to “good” sites on the list while denying access to
websites not on the list. White list filters are the most restrictive blockers.
Keyword or content lists scan websites for the presence of specific words, phrases, or
images that appear on the restricted list. Access to a website is denied if the keyword or
content matches any words on the list. Because of the specificity of the filter, these
programs often deny access to websites that have acceptable content.
Before purchasing any Internet filtering packages, find out what levels of protection your
Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides, and decide what your family needs. Things to
take into consideration are the ages of the users, defining what is and what is not
acceptable, and deciding on the level of blocking needed.
If your ISP does not offer effective filtering programs, consider checking out the products
that have been tested and evaluated by the Consumers Union, publisher of the Consumer
Reports Guides. Their website (www.consumerreports.org) provides a great list of
effective software filters. Among their picks are:
It’s important to remember that while Internet filters are effective in limiting what
children see and do online, these tools are not foolproof, and hackers are always on the
prowl to break the tool. Parents should take an active role in monitoring online activity
to let children know which behaviors are or are not appropriate while web surfing.
Communication coupled with these external programs is the best defense parents can
have towards protecting their children online.
Tech Tip 77 - Installing a Graphics Card
By Shane McGlaun
Graphics cards are typically the first item a gamer or general computer user decides to
upgrade when they are seeking better graphics performance from their system. There are
a number of different graphics cards and you want to be sure that you choose the correct
card for your needs and for your system. There are currently three different types of
graphics card interfaces to choose from.
The first type of card interface is not very common and is limited to specialty use cards
most commonly used for multiple monitor systems. These cards use the standard PCI
(peripheral component interconnect) slot. The second type of graphics card interface that
is still common in many “older” systems is the AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) slot.
AGP slots are typically seen in the 4x and 8x varieties. The last type of card interface is
the PCI Express slot. PCI-E (or PCIe) is the newest graphics card interface and offers the
highest performance.
I mention the different graphics card slots so that you will understand that not all graphics
cards will work with all types of mainboards. Be sure that you buy the card that has the
appropriate interface for your system. If you are in doubt as to which type of card your
system will support, check with the computer or mainboard manufacturer for your system
before you buy.
Once you get the correct type of graphics card for your PC, follow these simple steps
below to install your new graphics card. Installing the graphics card is one of the easiest
upgrades you can perform on your system and also one of the upgrades you will see the
most benefit from when it comes to gaming.
1. The first step is to gather the tools you will need to install your new graphics card.
Many newer computer cases are tool-less. You may not need any tools to install your
graphics card. However, it is still very common to have cases that use screws to hold the
side panels on the case, as well as to hold the expansion slot covers on the case. So, have
a medium Phillips-head screwdriver ready just in case.
2. After you get your tools together, you are ready to disconnect your computer from the
power outlet and remove the cables connecting your peripherals to the computer. After
the cables are removed, you are ready to remove the side panel.
3. After you remove the side panel, locate the appropriate expansion slot covers on your
case and remove them to allow for the install of your new graphics card. Some cheaper
cases have expansion slot covers that snap off and can’t be replaced. Be sure that you
choose the correct slot cover or covers to be removed. Often, the easiest way to be sure
that you are removing the correct slot covers is to hold your graphics card over the
appropriate slot on the motherboard and see which covers need to be removed. It is
important to note that the graphics card I am using in this article is a two slot ATI
X1900XT card. Many cards only require a single cover to be removed.
4. Once you have removed the correct expansion slot covers from your case, you are
ready to actually install the card. It is important to point out here that you must be very
careful at this step of the installation. The capacitors and components that are on the
surface of the graphics card are very fragile. Mishandling the card can cause irreparable
damage that will likely not be covered by the warranty.
Hold the graphics card by the edges of the board, not by the heat sink or fan and not by
any of the components of the graphics card. Once you have the card aligned correctly for
the slot you have chosen to use, gently but firmly press the card into place. Every
mainboard manufacturer uses a retainer system of some sort to lock the card into place on
the mainboard. After you get the graphics card secured in place on the mainboard, be sure
that you secure it to the case where you removed the expansion slot covers with the same
hardware that held the expansion covers in place.
5. This step only applies to those installing some higher end PCI Express graphics cards.
Many PCI-E graphics cards require a special six-pin power adapter from the computer’s
power supply to operate. The PCI-E power connector will typically be black and located
near the rear edge of the graphics card. If your graphics card has this six-pin power plug,
be sure that you connect it or your card may not function correctly.
6. You have now completed the hardware portion of the graphics card install. When
completed, your system should resemble the image below. You are now ready to replace
your side panel, reconnect your peripherals, and power your computer back up.
7. The final step after powering your computer back up is to install the drivers for your
new graphics card. While most graphics cards will come with a disk containing the
drivers and possibly other applications, it is recommended that you download the newest
drivers for your graphics card from the manufacturer’s website. Follow the instructions
from the manufacturer to install the graphics card drivers and you are finished!
Congratulations - you have installed your new graphics card!
Tech Tip 78 - Voice Over IP Basics
By Shane McGlaun
Currently, one of the biggest drawbacks to VOIP service as the sole phone service for a
home or business is 911 service. On a normal phone line, 911 operators have access to
caller ID information that allows them to route emergency services to the address you are
calling from. However, VOIP calls
often do not provide accurate
location information due to their
portable nature. Adding to this
problem is the fact that many VOIP
providers allow you to choose the
area code for your phone number
from any available across the
country. That means you could live
in Texas and have a California area
code with many VOIP providers. For
more points to consider regarding
VOIP and 911 services, check out
this page from the FCC web site.
We often take our phone
service for granted because in
most areas the service is rarely
interrupted. We can’t always
say the same thing about our
Internet service. VOIP calls
won’t work if your Internet
connection is down, and a
broadband connection is
required for VOIP to function with most providers. Dial-up access does not provide
enough bandwidth and popular VOIP services like Vonage require a connection that
provides 90Kbps upstream speed. The more things that use your web connection
bandwidth, the less call quality you will get when making a VOIP call. If, for instance,
you are downloading music when you are making a VOIP call, you may experience poor
connection similar to using a cell phone in an area with bad reception. A web connection
with higher bandwidth and speed will reduce the chance of your calls dropping and the
chances of poor quality calls.
Ultimately, whether or not VOIP is a viable option for you comes down to your
preferences and the quality of your web connection. If your web connection frequently
goes down or is particularly slow, you may want to think twice about VOIP. If members
of your family have medical needs that might make you more prone to need to call 911,
you may also want to seriously weigh the pros and cons of the 911 functionality with
VOIP services.
The equipment needed to make VOIP calls is not very costly and the prices are coming
down all the time. Perhaps users who should most consider VOIP are those that make lots
of long distance calls. Personally, I used VOIP for awhile and, on my connection, I had
some issues with call quality that make me not want to use VOIP alone for my phone
service. However, if you are in an area with quality high-speed web connections, you
may well be very happy with your VOIP service. The cost savings typically seen when
VOIP is used is undeniable. My suggestion is to try VOIP before you totally drop your
standard phone service. Use the VOIP as your everyday calling plan while you use your
web connection as you normally would. The only really way to tell if VOIP is for you is
to try it out. You can always go back to your plain phone service. Just don’t sign a
commitment contract with a VOIP carrier until you are sure VOIP works for you!
Tech Tip 79 - Converting Your Old Media to New
How to Convert LP Records, Cassette Tapes and VHS Tapes into New Media
By Bryan Lambert
Geeks.com respects the rights of all – and asks that its customers do the same. Current
copyright laws vary from country to country, and while many countries allow private
copying for personal use, some may not. However, no country allows you to make copies
of copyrighted material for sale or distribution (even free distribution to friends). Please
respect all laws and regulations of the country that you live in.
You simply plug in the LP or cassette player to the computer, launch the program, and
then let the recording begin!
Like LPs and audio cassettes, converting VHS, or other video tapes, to DVD or AVI can
be done via two routes. One uses what you may already have on your computer, and the
other uses an all-in-one package.
Many capture cards already come with software that will allow you to record a video
signal in different formats and at different resolutions on your PC. However, many will
not have the ability to convert them to the DVD format, also called the MPEG2 format,
though they may offer it as a separate add-on. From this point, you can make your own
DVD or VCD (Video CD).
You simply plug in the VHS player to the computer, launch the program, and then let the
copying begin!
If you lack the software that will allow capture and conversion, you can find many
programs on sites such as http://www.downloads.com (with a search for “VHS”) that will
do this.
Whether you decide to use the equipment you already have, or buy an all-in-one solution,
converting your old media can be a fun and rewarding process. Don’t be afraid to
convert your LPs, audio cassettes or VHS tapes – you’ll find the process very much
worth the effort.
As some readers pointed out, there were two different types of LP turntables that were
made. One was an "all in one" unit that typically just had straight RCA audio jacks out
while the other was usually a "component" of a larger system (these were typically higher
end turntables). While the "all in one" type of turntable will produce an adequate output
to record directly on a PCs sound card, the component type will not. The turntables that
were component type usually could not work without the use of a pre-amplifier
(commonly called a pre-amp). If your turntable is a component type, you will need a pre-
amp as many sound cards cannot compensate for the low-level sound produced by these
turntables when used without a pre-amp. You simply hook the turntable to the pre-amp
inputs for "phono" and the PCs sound card to the pre-amps outputs.
Tech Tip 80 - What You Can Do with Your PDA
By Kimmy Powell
If your computer and PDA support wireless syncing, go wireless. By using wireless, you
avoid the hassles of connecting one device to another and fooling around with wires.
However, keep in mind that wireless synchronization may be slower than synchronization
through a direct connection. Also, if your device is not secured while you do a wireless
sync, you’re opening yourself up to potential attacks by hackers. On the other hand, if
you have to sync to more than one computer, you can mix the different modes of
synchronization. Set your PDA’s settings accordingly before you perform each
synchronization if you sync using more than one mode.
You’ll also need to decide whether the information from your computer or PDA takes
precedence should a conflict occur during the sync process. The choices offered include:
• Handheld wins – if there are any differences between the computer’s contact
organizer and your PDA, the data stored on the PDA will overwrite the data stored
on the computer. Use this option if you primarily collect new information using
your PDA and must replicate it to other systems.
• The PDA or desktop computer notifies you if there is a conflict and you decide
whether to accept the information on the PDA or the desktop computer.
Once you’ve set up the software and synchronization settings on your desktop, you’re
ready to work. Your software will normally require an initial sync to occur. Once this
has taken place, the PDA now becomes the central collection point for all your
information.
Today’s PDAs are more than functional extensions of the office; they’re miniature
entertainment centers, capable of playing MP3s or videos if you have the software to do
so. Pocket Tunes is a software program that turns a Palm or Treo into an MP3 player.
Napster features music downloads for certain handheld models. The Palm Zire series
features built-in MP3, digital camera and video capabilities. Owners of the Pocket PC
may purchase videos from Pocket Movies (www.pocketmovies.net) on their handhelds
running PocketTV. There is no fee for the personal use of PocketTV on Pocket PCs and
the Casio Pocket Manager. Other things you can do with your PDA (with special
software) include reading e-books and listening to audio books. Life is never dull with a
PDA at your side.
Your PDA is, after all, a handheld computer, and computers are not immune from
disaster. That’s why it’s important to perform
regular back-ups of your PDA’s data. Back-up
your data to a CompactFlash (CF) card or a
Secure Digital (SD) and MultiMediaCard
(MMC). These cards store anywhere from 64
MB to 1GB of data You can use the basic
utilities that come with the Pocket PC, or
purchase a third-party software package, such as
Pocket Backup Plus (www.spritesoftware.com)
or Backup Manager. Remember, your back-up will be the one true source from which to
replicate your data should the PDA fail.
Make your investment work for you – get acquainted with your PDA and make life on-
the-go more than functional. Make it an unforgettable experience!
Tech Tip 82 - Shopping for the Perfect Printer - A Printer Primer
By Kimmy Powell
Arming yourself with a few basics can save you more than you’ll know. Prevent the
post-sticker-shock blues by keeping the following tips in mind when you shop for your
next printer.
Do Your Research
First, figure out what your printing needs are and how much you’re willing to spend. A
good quality inkjet printer can be found for under $100 while a laser printer can run
several hundred, and high-volume or color laser systems thousands.
Make notes on one-time costs and then calculate the costs of ongoing essentials – ink and
toner cartridges and paper (especially if you opt for a photo printer). Another thing to
look into is whether the printer will require swapping out a single ink cartridge or the
entire unit when an individual color runs dry. A printer that requires all cartridges to be
changed at the same time will be costlier in the long run than swapping out individual
cartridges. Single ink jet cartridges cost around $10 (Canon) to over $40 (Hewlett
Packard (HP)). Laser toner cartridges average between $50 and $100, but have the added
benefit of producing higher page counts (in the thousands) than inkjet printers which will
produce in the hundreds.
After you’ve figured out how you’re planning to use your printer, you’ll need to select
the appropriate type that meets your individual needs. There are four major types of
printers.
Inkjet Printers
Photo Printers
Laser Printers
All-In-One Printers
The features that come with a particular printer should rank just as high as price on any
scale. Some of the features you should consider when selecting your next printer
purchase are:
• Speed – how many pages per minute does it print? Don’t go by the
manufacturer’s claims; test the printer at your local electronics retailer once
you’ve narrowed down your selections.
• DPI, or dots per inch of paper – the higher the dpi, the better and crisper the text
quality. You’ll want to aim for printers with a resolution of at least 600 dpi,
although many quality printers today will create outputs of at least 1200 dpi.
• Connection type – most printers come pre-built with universal serial bus (USB)
ports, although some models still come with parallel ports. USB connections are
easy to set up and use. When selecting a USB printer, check the speed of the
USB connection; if your computer uses USB 1.1, you won’t get any added speed
from a faster USB 2.0 printer. Also, most printers require the purchase of an
accompanying cable, no matter what the connection, so be sure to take that into
consideration as well.
• Duplex capabilities – looking for double-sided printing? Check for printers that
offer duplex capabilities.
• Capacity of paper trays or availability of additional paper trays – how much
paper does the tray hold? Some low-cost printers will require you to constantly
add paper. If you plan on printing volumes, look for a printer that has capacity for
at least half a ream, if not a ream of paper.
• Networking ports – if you need to share your printer with other workstations in
the home or office, look for printers that come with built-in wireless or wired
networking ports.
• Cost of cartridges/toners and paper for the particular printer – Prices will vary a
little from store to store, but you can use one store for comparison purposes.
• Warranty – how long is the printer guaranteed to work, and what form of support
can you expect?
Remember, your printer doesn’t have to cost you a fortune to maintain. Take the
effort to do your research and pick a printer that serves your purposes rather than
what’s hot on the market. Not only will you be prepared on what to expect, but you’ll
have a little pocket change for that next great gadget.
Tech Tip 83 - Setting Up Remote Desktop in Windows XP
By Shane McGlaun
Why would you want to connect remotely to another desktop on your network, you ask?
Say you are at home comfortably working in bed and your laptop doesn’t have the word
processing application you need, but the computer in the living room does. If a wireless
or wired network connects your computers, you can access the application you need from
the computer in your living room without leaving your bedroom. The same goes for the
office: why walk all the way back to shipping to print out a label with postage to send out
a package when you can connect remotely and save yourself the walk.
There are several other applications besides Windows XP Remote Desktop that will allow
you to remotely connect to another computer on your local network or via the Internet.
However, the best thing about Windows XP Remote Desktop is that it is included with the
Windows XP software package, and may be already be loaded on your computer. Other
applications typically involve buying and downloading the software, then configuring
the built-in Windows Firewall. Guess what? Remote Desktop inside Windows XP can even
configure the Windows Firewall for you, making it probably the easiest to use remote
connection application you will find.
Remote Desktop also has some options to help speed up the use of the remote computer
in slower networks or for dial-up users. You can opt to display a smaller screen resolution,
remove the desktop background from being displayed on the remote computer, and even
reduce the color depth to improve performance. Other performance enhancing features
include the ability to turn off animations and themes, but seeing the desktop is not all you
can do when remotely connected via Remote Desktop.
You can also print your documents using the remote computer’s printer, and bring any
sounds from the remote computer to your own speakers. In addition, you will always be
using a specific application each time you connect remotely. You can set Remote Desktop
to launch the application you need automatically every time you connect, saving you
valuable time.
For users with several Windows XP computers on the network in a home or office requiring
programs and applications to be shared between computers, Remote Desktop will do the
trick. Remote Desktop is already built into your Windows XP operating system and is easy
to set up. The steps below will walk you through the process of setting up Remote Desktop
on your computer. A word of caution to those who have modified some of the Windows
files – these instructions may not follow exactly and you may need to contact Windows
Support to complete the set-up process.
1. The first step is to right-click on the “My Computer” icon on your desktop, then click on
Properties at the bottom of the window that opens up.
2. After you click on Properties, you will get another window that opens up.
That looks like this:
4. The next step is to click on the Start button in the lower left corner of your computer
screen.
5. Go to Programs, Accessories and
Communications. Inside the communications
folder, you will see the shortcut for Remote
Desktop. Select the Remote Desktop icon.
6. After clicking the Remote Desktop icon, you will see the actual Remote Desktop
Connection icon pop up.
Once you are finished accessing the remote computer, either click the “X” on the beige
colored tab at the top of a full screen remote desktop session, or the red “X” in a
windowed remote desktop session.
Choosing a CD/
Choosing Your Power Supply DVD drive is a
bit easier than
Power supply units choosing some
(PSU) are one of the of the other main
main components components of
of your computer your computer
that many people system. Short of the speed at which the drives
put little thought can burn disks, most drives are similar. There
into. It would be a are some DVD/CD drives out that use SATA
wise move to not ports like a newer hard drive rather than
simply buy the cheapest PSU you can find. A the IDE channels from your motherboard.
bad PSU with unstable and fluctuating power You can choose either style, so long as your
output can cause all sorts of problems with your motherboard supports SATA. You can even go
computer, such as damaged components due with an external drive if you so desire.
to a power surge, to crashes and reboots due
to power levels falling too low that can wreak Most drives you find will be the standard IDE
havoc on your patience. Because computer type. DVD burners are quickly becoming the
components put increasing demands on the drive of choice for computers. The newer dual-
case power supply, manufacturers are working layer DVD drives will allow you to store more
to bring more powerful and efficient power data per disk for your back-ups. The new Blu-Ray
supplies to the consumer that feature the new drives are also available, but at an exorbitant
ATX12V 2.2/ EPS12V power supply standard, price typically over $1,000.00. Your typical DVD
which you can find in power supplies such burner will run you well under $100. Keep an
as the Antec NeoHE 500-Watt 24-pin Power eye out for media compatibility, availability,
Supply. and burn speed. Go with the fastest drive that
fits in your budget and you will be happy.
PSUs that are included with computer cases are
notorious for being cheaply made. The PSU is A DVD drive is recommended over a simple CD
one component where you certainly get what drive as more games and software are shipping
you pay for. While you don’t necessarily have on DVD media.
Floppy Drive a floppy drive, just pick one up to be safe.
Floppy drives are readily available for under
The floppy drive $20.00, and Geeks.com still carries a fairly good
is the first of selection of floppy drives.
the optional
components of
your computer Conclusion of Part One
system. As DVD
drives take over, There are just too many components and
many newer too much information to cover the basics of
computers from the big manufacturers such as what you need to know when building your
Dell and HP no longer ship with floppy drives. own PC and shopping for components in one
With files getting ever bigger, the floppy drive installment. In Part 2 of this series on how to
just doesn’t have enough capacity any more. build a computer system, we will pick up at
choosing the right hard drive for your computer.
However, if you go without a floppy drive, keep If you still find you can’t decide on what
in mind that you may find yourself at some components to choose for your system, call the
point needing one to load a driver if you plan Geeks.com sales team for assistance. Trust me -
to use an older operating system like Windows it’s far better to ask than it is to buy the wrong
98 or 98 SE. Depending on your motherboard, component; it’s quite common for components
you might need a floppy drive to easily install to be non-returnable once opened.
drivers for your SATA RAID or drives during
the Windows install at the F6 prompt. We will
cover this in more detail in a later installment
of this series. If you are not sure you will need E-mail: Techtips@geeks.com
geeks.com | techtipsblog.com e-mail
How to build
a computer
Part 2: Choosing Computer Components
Tech Tip 85 - By Shane McGlaun
The amount of RAM depends on both your The same goes for Intel processors - just get
budget, as well as what you intend the system a motherboard that has the correct socket.
to be used for when it’s completed. If you are There are several socket types currently in use
going to build a gaming computer system, I by both AMD and Intel, so be sure to check
strongly recommend a minimum of 2GB of compatibility with the motherboard before
RAM. The way games are trending, 2GB of you buy either the motherboard or the CPU or
RAM is swiftly becoming the norm for high- you can buy a motherboard/processor combo
end titles to perform at their best. Currently, such as this one.
I see no need for more than 2GB of RAM in
standard gaming systems. RAM can be one of You want to be sure that you choose the
the most expensive components of your system. correct features for your desired system based
For a basic Windows XP system intended for on anticipated use. For instance, if you are
simple web browsing, word processing, and building a moderate to low performance
maybe some simple games (ie., Solitaire), 1GB system for general computer work, look for
of RAM should be adequate. a motherboard with on-board graphics. This
will save you some money and time over
Motherboard buying and installing a separate graphics
card. If you are building a high-end gaming
system, stay away from any motherboard
that has on-board graphics. Instead, look
for a motherboard that has one or two PCI
Express slots for high-end graphics cards. You
can also still occasionally find motherboards
that use AGP over PCI-E. There are very few
high-performance AGP graphics cards left
on the market; gamers should go for PCI-E
motherboards.
motherboard that lacks RAID functionality, performance of your PC going forward. Next
you can buy good, inexpensive add-in RAID week, we will pick up where we left off today,
cards. That said, most current motherboards starting with CPUs, the most important part
offer RAID functionality of some sort. of the entire computer system. Knowing
For more information on RAID, [check out this what you will be using your computer for will
Tech Tip on RAID]. help you decide what direction to go when
building it.
In summary, your choice of motherboard is
going to be the basis for determining the Post a Comment
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How to build
a computer
Part 3: Choosing Computer Components
Tech Tip 86 - By Shane McGlaun
and fan combo installed correctly. Running beyond the scope of this series, but if there are
your computer for even a few seconds without enough requests for it, we may do a Tech Tip
the heatsink and fan installed can ruin your on the subject of exotic or out-of-the ordinary
CPU due to overheating. We will go over the cooling systems available.
correct installation procedure for the CPU
heatsink/fan combo in a later issue of this That’s All for This Week
series.
That’s all we will cover for this installment. The
Just like the two components we covered today are two
CPU and the of the most important parts of your computer
motherboard, system. If you missed the first two installments
the CPU of the series, here are the previous installment
heatsink/ links for Tech Tip 84 and Tech Tip 85.
fan combo
is specific Next week, we will pick up at choosing thermal
to a socket paste. Thermal paste works in conjunction with
type due to your heatsink/fan combo. Without thermal
the required paste, your heatsink will not be able to draw
retention system. Each socket tends to have the heat away from your CPU. It’s imperative
a completely different retention system, to have a properly installed heatsink/fan
therefore requires a different heatsink. Some combo, but placing the proper amount of
do interchange, but not all. Be sure to check thermal paste in the right location between
compatibility before you buy and install your the heatsink and the CPU is also crucial. Tune
heatsink. in week for more details!
How the heatsink/fan combo looks is irrelevant. Most likely, the paste pre-applied to the
What is important is that it fits in the case you heatsinks will be fine for your needs. However,
bought. Typically, the larger the heatsink and many PC enthusiasts go for a higher quality
fan, the cooler your CPU will run. Often, the thermal paste such as Artic Silver. The main
cooler your CPU runs, the longer it will last point here is that thermal paste of some sort
and the more performance you can get out of is not optional. You absolutely must apply
your system. It is important to note here that thermal paste to your CPU or risk destroying
advanced users and overclockers may decide it the first time you try to boot up your new
to choose liquid cooling or the more exotic computer. Check with the manufacturer for
phase-change cooling rather than a simpler, instructions for applying the thermal paste.
but less effective heatsink and fan combo.
Liquid cooling and phase change cooling are Post a Comment
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5 Ways to Watch TV
on THE computer
Tech Tip 87 - By Jason Kohrs
Note: We’re taking a break
from our Tech Tips series on
“How to Build a Computer” to PC TV Tuners
bring you the following article
instead. We will be back next The most common way to get TV or other video
week with the next installment on your PC may be to use a tuner specifically
of the series as we continue designed to interface with your PC. These de-
to look at selecting computer vices are available with a variety of interfaces
components. and feature sets offering great compatibility
with just about any personal computer (PC).
Over the last several years,
computers have worked The basic principal of a PC TV tuner is that
their way out of the office you connect the device to your computer, and
and into just about every then you connect your cable or antenna tele-
aspect of our daily lives. vision source to the device, just like you would
Home computers are no connect to any typical TV.
longer boring beige boxes
destined for a boring ex- There is an interface to turn just about any
istence revolving around available connection on your PC into a TV
e-mails and personal fi- source, including: PCI, USB, Cardbus, PCI
nances. They can also be Express, and FireWire. So, it doesn’t mat-
the key to our personal ter whether you have a desktop or laptop,
entertainment that allows or if you are running Windows, Linux, or a
us to immerse ourselves in Mac. You can find standard (NTSC/PAL) cable
games, music, movies, and or HDTV tuners configured in single or dual
television (TV). tuner arrangements.
This Tech Tip will focus on All of the tuning is done with a combination
the television portion of of hardware and software, so quality will vary
the list above, and will take from one tuner to another based on the qual-
a look at five ways in which ity of the tuner components and the design of
just about anyone can en- the application and drivers. Watching televi-
joy watching television on sion is the easy part, but the great thing about
their computer monitor. these tuners is the ability to record.
Higher-end cards will provide better video the vast majority of HD tuners will require
quality during live television playback, and an antenna and also that you be physically
in general will offer more options and capa- located in the vicinity of an over-the-air HD
bilities when it comes to recording and saving broadcast.
programs to your hard drive. Having a dual-
tuner card allows you to watch one show Computer Monitor TV Tuners
while recording another, or even record two
shows at the same time. Even if you don’t Although the title of this section may not be
have a dual-tuner card, you can create a simi- the most technical term available to describe
lar setup by installing multiple TV tuners into the product in question, it is a fair description.
one computer. This type of TV tuner connects to your com-
puter monitor directly, and does not require
All of this, especially the recording and en- that your computer be powered up in order
coding, requires some reasonable computing to enjoy television (or any of the other video
power. Many times just meeting the minimum input sources they may support). The device
specifications published by the manufacturer connects between your computer and moni-
will leave you less than impressed. In addi- tor, and with a press of a button or click of a
tion to a fast processor, you’ll need enough remote control you can switch between your
memory and a hard drive that is not only fast computer display and your favorite TV show.
enough to keep up, but large enough to hold
all of your recordings. The Startech.com TV Jockey and ViewSonic
NextVision N5 are two examples of this sort
One big upside to this method of getting tele- of “PC-less” TV tuner that allow just about
vision onto your computer is the wide array of any computer monitor to be converted into a
choices, interfaces, and price ranges. You can display for TV, DVD, and other video sources
be up and running on a basic tuner for around (security video on your PC monitor, anyone?)
$25, and since they are also available with USB
and FireWire connections, your installation One key advantage of this type of tuner is
might take just a minute or so and doesn’t that you are not relying on the computer at
have to involve opening your computer case. all - you simply need a monitor. This way, you
Other strong points of this method are the re- do not have to worry about any PC noise (the
cording capabilities, potential for high quality whirring of fans and droning of drives) hin-
audio and video, portability when used with a dering your enjoyment, there is no software
laptop, and the ability to install multiple tun- to install, and you do not have to worry about
ers in one system. your computer hardware meeting minimum
specifications for proper operation.
A possible downside to this method is that
you need a computer with the horsepower The downside to this type of tuner is that
to keep up with the demands of your tuner you cannot use your computer to record, and
or tuners. Just watching cable TV might not since the tuner is not built into your computer,
stress a system that is even several years old, it will probably be a stationary device.
but trying to watch an HD broadcast while
recording from another tuner might best be Watch TV Online
done on a more modern computer. Another
potential downside is also related to HD, and With high speed Internet reaching new
that is that most HDTV tuners are for over-the- heights in popularity and available speed,
air high definition broadcasts only. There are many outlets (such as YouTube) are taking
tuners that can access HD digital cable, but advantage of it to share their video content.
This includes pre-recorded content, but now more bandwidth than ever on their personal
there are a variety of programs available to broadband connections, having shows stream
watch TV online. in broadcast quality (or dare we wish for HD
quality?) is generally cost and hardware re-
Some of the major broadcast networks now strictive.
have programs available online, such as CBS
and their CBS Innertube originals. Established Network Attached TV Tuners
online media portals now also offer television and The SlingBox
There are also some websites out there that The device is controlled from any computer
have sprung up to serve as portals to direct with the software installed and proper login
TV feeds from around the world. World Wide credentials. You can then not only watch TV,
Internet TV and Beeline TV are just two ex- but you can also control it; change channels,
amples that will let you watch things like the video sources, and more. Special IR adapt-
local news from sunny California or a soccer ers included with the SlingBox allow you to
match from Eastern Europe. control other items, such as DVD players and
personal video recorders just like the cable TV
The main advantage of this type of television function.
is that it is readily available anywhere broad-
band Internet is available. Today, you can The biggest upside to a device such as the
watch shows from around the world that you SlingBox is that you can share your home au-
could not get on standard cable TV, and there
is no additional charge over your Internet ser-
vice fees.
dio/video and television with any computer to play back or burn to DVD, sent straight
on your local area network or anywhere in from the cable box to your PC.
the world with a broadband connection.
In addition to the various data connections,
One downside is that video quality isn’t the the video connections could be connected to
greatest due to the restrictions of bandwidth, either your computer or directly to your mon-
and it only gets worse when you go from lo- itor. Connections such as component outputs
cal to Internet viewing. Another issue is that on the cable box could be used to send video
the present design only allows one computer to a capture card or graphics card with VIVO
to broadcast the SlingBox content at a time. (Video In / Video Out) support in the PC for
You cannot set up the device to share a pro- watching and/or recording. The DVI connec-
gram and allow all of your friends to watch, so tion could be used to go straight to your mon-
just forget about starting your own pay-per- itor.
view company with one of these devices!One
downside is that video quality isn’t the great- The main upside of this method of getting
est due to the restrictions of bandwidth, and television on to your computer is that the sig-
it only gets worse when you go from local to nal may be of the highest quality and look su-
Internet viewing. Another issue is that the perb on screen and in recordings.
present design only allows one person to view
the SlingBox content at a time. You can not The main downsides are that it may not be
set up the device to share a program and al- particularly convenient and compatibility
low all of your friends to watch, so just forget features will vary from one cable box to an-
about starting your own pay-per-view com- other. Also, while some equipment provides
pany with one of these devices! these connections for “future use,” in many
cases their use is not currently documented or
Digital Cable Box supported by providers.
How to build
a computer
Part 4: Choosing Computer Components
Tech Tip 88 - By Shane McGlaun
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Cable cables, floppy disk drive (FDD) cables are not
keyed. This means that you can easily install
If you bought a the cable incorrectly if you don’t put it in the
new motherboard right way.
for your project,
it likely came Much like the HDD cables, floppy cables are
with a hard drive available in both ribbon style and rounded
cable. The cables cables. Again, the rounded cables tend to
for the HDD and be better from a cooling standpoint as they
the compact disk (CD) or digital video disk help promote better airflow. However, both
(DVD) drive look very similar. However, the rounded and ribbon-style cables will perform
cable for the HDD has more wires in it than the same in practical use.
optical drive cables. One glance at the two
and you will see the difference. If you are CD/DVD Drive Cable
using SATA (serial ATA: advanced technology
attachment) drives, the cable will be a little This cable is required for your system if you
different as well. Most retail-boxed hard intend to actually use your computer. Again,
drives will ship with a SATA cable. If your you can get both rounded and ribbon-style
motherboard has SATA ports, it probably CD/DVD drive cables. A few manufacturers
came with cables you can use rather than also offer SATA optical drives now. The type
having to purchase new ones. of cable you choose will depend on the
type of drives you purchase and your cable
When using Integrated Drive Electronics preference. Most cables will support two
(IDE) hard drives, you can use rounded optical drives.
cables over the older ribbon-style cables.
The rounded cables look much better, which Video Cards
is important in windowed cases, and helps
cool by not restricting air flow as much. You This is the
can typically get both rounded and ribbon component most
cables that will connect two or three drives gamers spend
per cable. I also want to mention that it the most on
is important to keep your hard drive on a along side their
separate IDE channel than your optical drive, CPU. Your video,
and make your faster hard drive the master or graphics, card
drive. This will help to ensure you get the will have a huge
fastest speed from your drives. effect on how well your computer performs
in games. The video card is optional on
Floppy Drive Cable some boards. However, it is only optional on
motherboards that have on-board graphics.
If you choose
not to use a The vast majority of high performance
floppy drive in motherboards will not have on-board
your system, you graphics and you will still on occasion come
obviously will across older motherboards that may need
not need a floppy drive cable. However, if an accelerated graphics port (AGP) card.
you are using a floppy drive, you want to However, if you are buying a new CPU and
be sure that you use the correct cable and motherboard, you will likely be looking to
install it correctly. Unlike IDE drives and SATA buy a peripheral component interconnect
(PCI) Express video card. Be sure that you buy Next Week on How to Build a Computer
the correct graphics card interface to match
the interface on your motherboard and you Next week, we will wrap up the “Choosing
will be fine. Components” portions of our series, starting
with how to select the display and finishing
There is a huge variance in the price of off the remainder of the components you
video cards on the market. For instance if need to build your system. If you missed
you opt for a maxed out quad scalable link any of the earlier installments of this series,
interface (SLI) system with dual Nvidia 7950 please go to the Geeks.com website Tech Tips
GX2 graphics cards, you will easily spend archive for the back issues of the Tech Tips
over $1,000.00 on video cards alone. If you newsletter.
go with something along the lines of an ATI
X1300 Pro, you are looking at under $100.00. See you next week as we continue learning
If you are a gamer, the video card is where how to build a computer!
you will want to spend your extra cash.
Geek Humor
Sound Cards
Reaching the end of a job interview, the
Sound cards Human Resources Person asked the young
are optional Programmer fresh out of MIT, “And what
in this day starting salary were you looking for?” The
when the vast Programmer said, “In the neighborhood of
majority of $75,000 a year, depending on the benefit’s
motherboards package.” The HR Person said, “Well, what
come with on- would you say to a package of 5-weeks
board sound vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical
however there is a lot to be said for some of and dental, company matching retirement
the aftermarket sound cards. For example, fund to 50% of salary, and a company car
if you want to run 5.1 or 7.1 Dolby sound, leased every 2 years - say, a red Corvette?”.
odds are you will need an aftermarket card. The Programmer sat up straight and said,
Hardcore gamers will likely want to look at “Wow!!! Are you kidding?” And the HR
something like the Creative X-Fi series, as the Person said, “Certainly, ...but you started it.”
difference in sound quality in game with the
X-Fi series is impressive. However, if you are
on a budget, you can save your cash if your
board has built-in sound. click here
How to build
a computer
Part 5: Choosing Computer Peripherals
Tech Tip 89 - By Shane McGlaun
This is the fifth and final portion of the series • RAM (random access memory)
covering choosing the components for your • Motherboard
computer. So far in the series, we have cov- • CPU (central processing unit)
ered every item in the list below that is itali- • CPU heat sink/fan
cized. As always, the items with an asterisk • Thermal paste
beside them are optional, depending on your • Hard drive cable
computer set up. • Floppy drive cable*
• CD/DVD drive cable
Here are links to the first four installments of • Video card (graphics card)*
the series in case you missed them: (optional if your motherboard has
onboard graphics)
Tech Tip 84 - How to Build a Computer • Sound card* (optional if your
Part 1: Choosing the Basic Computer motherboard has onboard sound)
Components • Display/Monitor
• Keyboard
Tech Tip 85 - How to Build a Computer • Mouse
Part 2: Choosing the Hard Drive, RAM • Speakers*
& Motherboard
Computer Monitor
Tech Tip 86 - How to Build a Computer
Part 3: Choosing the CPU & Heat Sink Fan Choosing the monitor for your new comput-
er is one of the more personal choices when
Tech Tip 88 - How to Build a Computer it comes to selecting components for your
Part 4: Choosing Cables & Sound/Video Cards computer system. Depending on how you
will be using your computer, you will want to
• Chassis/case choose a monitor that tailors to those uses.
• Power supply If you are a graphic designer and absolutely
• CD drives need to have colors on the screen that look
• DVD drives exactly like what you get on paper when
• Floppy Drive* it is printed, you should shop for a high-
• Hard Drive(s) end graphic design display, such as the Eizo
and more expensive, while optical mice tend components. In our next issue, we will begin
to be cheaper and less sensitive. the assembly portion of our series starting
with preparing your computer case or chas-
Even if you’re not a gamer, you will still want sis. If you missed any of the past installments
to pay attention to the mouse you choose. of the series on choosing computer compo-
You’d be surprised at the productivity you nents, visit the Tech Tips Hardware section of
can lose if you choose a poorly designed the Geeks.com website.
mouse. I have found over the years that a
mouse with extra programmable buttons Geek Humor
that control Web browsing forward and
backwards is a big timesaver, not to mention You know computers have taken over
a scroll button for quickly scrolling up and your life when...
down a page.
• You hum the Windows opening theme
Speakers when ever you wake up
• You think the numbers on tombstones
PC speakers are an optional component of are high scores
your computer system. If you’re not inter- • You use Google to search for your
ested in hearing sounds and music from your car keys
computer, you can simply skip this compo- • You actually hand in work from
nent all-together. However, for the gamers, EssayGenerator.com
• You keep getting fired as you beat up
your boss thinking that you’ll get to the
next level
• You keep a trash can and a selection of
neatly arranged folders on your desk top
• You excuse yourself to go to the toilet by
anouncing that you have to download
• You try to shut windows by tapping
them on the top right corner
• You refer to meals as power ups
• You call Christmas a bonus round
That’s All for This Week Buy your desktop computers, notebook
computers, refurbished computers,
computer parts, and computer cases at the
With this issue, we conclude the portion of Computer Geeks.
the series covering choosing your computer
An Insanely Great
Thirty Years of
Innovation
A Brief History of Apple Computers
Tech Tip 90 - By Kimmy Powell
One fine day in 1976, 21 year old Steve Jobs lights) and sold for $666.66 at the local
quit his day job at Atari and convinced electronics store. By the time the Apple II and
computer engineer Steve “Woz” Wozniak to the Mac rolled around, Jobs and Woz had
quit his job at Hewlett-Packard. Together, in popularized the personal computing
the garage of Jobs’ Cupertino, CA home, they revolution, and the rest, as they say, is
founded a new company which they christened history..
“Apple”. Their goal - create an inexpensive
and simple to use computer. On April Fool’s Revolutionizing Personal Computing:
An Apple II for the Everyday User
A compact and
Day in 1976, they introduced their first system, self-contained
an encased circuit board known as the Apple Apple II was
I (previous computers consisted of circuit released on June
boards and switches which produced flashing 5, 1977. Priced at
At the same time, Apple released its first What was next for the boys of Apple? Building
thermal printer, the SilenType. The SilenType a machine that was at once sexy, bold, and
generated output of 80 columns in width and insanely great was what Jobs had in mind
required the use of special thermal paper. The when a team was assembled to begin
printer attached to the computer by way of development of the legendary Macintosh.
an interface card. Absent from the process was Woz, the brains
and engineering talent behind Jobs’ vision,
The Apple IIe, the most popular and best- who left Apple in 1981 after he crashed his
selling of all Apple II models, followed in 1983. airplane taking off from Santa Cruz Sky Park.
Enhancements included faster chipsets, dual As a result, he had temporary short-term
disk drives, improved graphics and memory memory loss. On board now was Jeff Raskin
capacities of 128KB (expandable with external for the lower-priced Macintosh model and Bill
cards to a whopping 1MB). Other models Atkinson for the higher-priced, more business-
which came afterwards included the Apple IIc oriented Lisa.
(1984), IIgs (1986) and IIc Plus (1988), and each
featured improved chipsets, memory, and Development of the Lisa started in 1978, with
greater processing speed than its the Macintosh following one year later. While
predecessors. Jobs focused his attention on the Lisa project,
At heart was the lack of viable software The Mac IIx, Mac IIxi, Mac IIcx, Mac IIci, Mac II
programs for the new platform, the scant SE, and Mac IIfx followed into the 90s, each
memory included, and the absence of a real upgrade forced by the growing popularities
hard disk drive. By 1984, new classes of x86 of the lower-priced PC clones and the
PC clones were providing low cost alternatives enhancements available in Microsoft’s
to the higher-priced and less feature-rich Windows cheaper operating systems. Apple
Macs. Apple knew it had to improve on the even produced a line of popular portables
design of the original Mac to stay competitive. during the late 80s and 90s, known as the
Internal struggles with then CEO John Scully PowerBook. Because of the Mac’s proprietary
and Jobs would prove to be Jobs’ undoing architecture, software programs would always
and Jobs was finally forced out of Apple in remain expensive and hard-to-come by.
1985.
The Father Returns and Apple
Apple released several minor versions of their Re-invents Itself
Mac system after Jobs’ departure, with the
exception of By 1992, sales of Macintosh computers suffered
one event: in due to the mass availability of inexpensive PC
1985, Apple clones, and for the first time in its history,
once again Apple resorted to marketing clones. However,
became an Apple’s fortunes would soon change with the
innovator return of its founding leader Steve Jobs in
when it 1997. Jobs steered the company away from
introduced the clones and reversed direction with a back-
d e s k t o p to-basics approach.
publishing.
Macintosh- The aesthetic vision and leadership that led to
s p e c i f i c the creation of the Apple II and Macintosh
packages such computers came back with a roar in 1998 with
as MacPublisher and Aldus PageMaker, along the elegant all-in-one iMac, priced at $999.00
with the addition of the first LaserWriter (a and designed much like the original Macintosh
laser printer) cemented Apple’s reputation as case in clear plastic and trimmed in translucent
the desktop publishing giant. One year later, shades of blue or red. The sleek unit was
Apple released the Macintosh Plus to address accompanied by a smaller mouse and
the limitations of original Mac. The Macintosh keyboard. The new design utilized SCSI and
Plus featured 1MB of RAM (expandable to Apple desktop bus (ADB) ports. An iMac
4MB), a SCSI hard drive controller that allowed
for the possibility of adding 6 additional
devices, and increased its floppy disk capacity
to 800KB.
tech tips
brought to you by
geeks.com
Tech Tips Community Geeks.com
Computer Geeks is more than just a great source 1890 Ord Way, Oceanside, CA 92056
for computer gear and consumer electronics, we’re
1.760.726.7700
also a community of tech-enthusiasts excited about Read more about Computer Geeks
teaching and helping others learn. We’ve developed at our website: www.geeks.com
Tech Tips because we believe that by providing our
guests with tutorials, instructions, directions, and Buy your desktop computers, notebook
other learning tools they need to become educated computers, refurbished computers,
consumers, they’ll keep coming back. computer parts, and computer cases at
the Computer Geeks.
A Housekeeping Tip
With a ZIF socket, if the CPU is aligned correctly There are many manufacturers of thermal
with the motherboard CPU socket, it should paste on the market currently and each
not require any force to install the CPU. Be package should have instructions on how to
sure that you have the arm on the ZIF socket use it. If no instructions are included with the
up to open the retention mechanism for the paste, check the manufacturerís website for
socket. The CPU will have a mark of some sort, more information.
most commonly a small triangle in one corner,
and the CPU socket on the motherboard will If no information is available, these are some
have a similar marking on one of its corners as basic guide lines. Cover the entire surface of
well. the top of your CPU with a thin coat of thermal
paste after it is installed on your motherboard.
Align these two marks and gently insert the After that, using a clean lint-free cloth gently
CPU into the socket. If you experience any wipe the thermal paste from the surface of
resistance during the insertion, stop the CPU. You will not be able to get all the
immediately and be sure that you have the thermal paste off the top of the CPU because
CPU aligned correctly. If you are not sure how it will fill the little scratches and valleys on the
to do this consult with the motherboard CPU surface. Once you have done this, reapply
manufacturer. Inserting the CPU incorrectly the thermal paste in the same manner, but
can damage one of the CPU pins and destroy this time DO NOT wipe the thermal paste off.
your new CPU. You are now ready to install the heat sink/fan
combo.
Applying Thermal Paste
Installing the Heat Sink/Fan Combo
I need to make something very clear here,
thermal paste is not optional. You absolutely Heat sink and fan combos come from many
must use thermal paste to attach the heat sink different manufacturers. They will use the
to the CPU. If you run your computer without same retention system designed to be used
thermal paste, you can ruin your CPU in just a with your CPU socket type. Some heat sinks
few seconds. come with several brackets that will work
tech tips
brought to you by
geeks.com
Tech Tips Community Geeks.com
Computer Geeks is more than just a great source 1890 Ord Way, Oceanside, CA 92056
for computer gear and consumer electronics, we’re
1.760.726.7700
also a community of tech-enthusiasts excited about Read more about Computer Geeks
teaching and helping others learn. We’ve developed at our website: www.geeks.com
Tech Tips because we believe that by providing our
guests with tutorials, instructions, directions, and Buy your desktop computers, notebook
other learning tools they need to become educated computers, refurbished computers,
consumers, they’ll keep coming back. computer parts, and computer cases at
the Computer Geeks.
• Keyboard • Mouse • Monitor Once you match your connection type to the
• Speakers • Webcam • Printer port on your computer, you are ready to go
• Scanner and installing the keyboard is as easy as
plugging it into the chosen port. A word of
Note: If your computer doesn’t have an caution however, do not install your keyboard
operating system installed yet, you will want while your computer is powered on and do
to stop after you install your mouse and not unplug your keyboard while your
keyboard, install your operating system, and computer is running. If you do either of these
then resume the installation of your things, you run the risk of locking up your
peripherals. computer with possible data loss. Always be
sure to read and follow the manufacturer’s
Installing the Keyboard instructions before installing the keyboard on
your system.
Installing a (non-wireless) keyboard is very
straight forward and easy to do, but first you Installing the Mouse
need to determine if the keyboard uses a PS/2
or USB connector. The PS/2 connector for Installing a mouse is very similar to installing
keyboards is round and typically colored a keyboard. You will still find mice with either
Installing
Windows
XP Tech Tip 93 - By Shane McGlaun
settings, save them, exit the BIOS and reboot. to begin the formatting and installation. If
If the boot sequence is correct, you should see you had any data on the hard drive you are
the screen reading “Windows is preparing for using, it will be lost at this point. However, if
installation”. you took our advice earlier and backed up
your files, you should be okay.
After the software has copied the required
files to your computer, you will be asked if If you are using a SATA (Serial ATA) hard drive,
you want to install Windows -- click “enter” you will get an error message and will need to
to begin the actual install process. The next start the install process over. Keep an eye out
screen you see will be the End-User License for the message at the bottom of the screen
Agreement (EULA). You can’t begin the that prompts you to “press F6 to install a third-
installation without accepting the EULA. party driver”. At that time, go ahead and
Follow the prompts to either accept or press F6 and follow the prompts to install the
decline. SATA (or RAID) driver. This is the point where
that “optional” floppy drive comes in handy
As you will see, the EULA is quite long and since the only way to install drivers in this
most likely hasn’t been read since the Microsoft screen is via floppy disk. Place the floppy with
attorneys drafted it. In a nutshell, it says you the correct drivers for your SATA or RAID array
won’t pirate the operating system (OS). If you into your floppy drive to install the drivers.
decline, you will not be able to continue with After the drivers are installed, you are ready
the installation. to move on.
Pre-Installed Software on
Free Antivirus Software New Computers
Why pay for antivirus protection when it is New computers often come with more than
available for free? Free virus protection one antivirus software program pre-installed.
software did not used to measure up to its Never run more than one antivirus software
commercial counterparts. This is no longer product on your computer at a time. Running
true. Many very reputable software more than one software solution can create
manufacturers use free trials or free products serious performance conflicts, slowing down
as marketing strategies to attract new the computer and even causing it to lock up.
customers to other security products.
If your new computer has a pre-installed viruses and how to remove them if need be,
antivirus software product, make sure you visit the Symantec and McAfee websites. Stay
activate it. Some installations require you to tuned for more on how to stay protected
click on the program icon to uncompress the against other types of malicious software
program and fully install it. Also remember to coming soon!
configure the settings for automatic signature
updates. When the free trial period expires,
be sure to pay for a renewal or uninstall the Geeks Humor
program and replace it with another security There was once a young man
product. who, in his youth, professed his
desire to become a great writer. -
Installation Tip for Infected Systems When asked to define “great”
he said, “I want to write stuff
If you are that the whole world will
installing an read, stuff that people will
antivirus react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that
product on will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and
other than a anger!” - He now works for Microsoft, writing
new computer, error messages.
check the
installation
directions for
use with a At this time, we do not have the technical
possibly- support staff to provide general support for
infected computer. Putting an antivirus products not purchased from Geeks.com or to
product on a computer that already has one answer the hundreds of tech help requests we
or more viruses can disrupt the program and get from our readers, however your questions
render it useless. and comments are appreciated and other
readers may be benefit from them or be able
Special directions will take you step-by-step to help. Feel free to post your question or
through a process of rebooting your computer comment in our Blog (no link) and no need to
from the installation disk. This will allow the register unless you want to be notified when
computer to load in a special way that will others comment.
avoid running the usual programs that start
at boot up. Doing this interferes with the virus Disclaimer: Occasionally we miss something,
and allows the antivirus product to scan the make a mistake, or don’t cover everything on
computer for signs of virus infection. the topic but we are trying hard to give you
the most unbiased and well-written
If the virus scan detects an existing infection, information that we can.
the security software can often remove or
quarantine the virus and continue with the
rest of the installation. If it cannot remove the
virus, the installation directions will tell you Did you find this article helpful?
how to continue manually. Do you have a question or comment?
In Conclusion
Acquiring malware protection is not the only
thing you can do to remain safe from having
your identity stolen on the Internet. Criminals
abound on the Internet, just as they do in the
physical world. However, they can reach many
more potential victims through computers.
No single anti-spyware and anti-adware
program will find every instance of a malware
infection. The combined effect of running
multiple solutions, however, will result in
trouble-free computing. Remember, the single
Ad-Aware SE Personal is well-known for best defense remains to compute safely and
performing comprehension checks for smartly by not installing every “cool, free
malware components and is very successful in application” you come across.
removing them. It has several options for
configuring how you use it.
Each of these advancements brought better You are probably familiar with a router
performance through faster signal delivery [define] as the box that sits between your
between the connected device and the cable or DSL modem and two or more
computer’s memory and processor chip computers. Instead of having to pay for several
circuitry. But computer processors and memory separate Internet connections, the router lets
systems eventually became so fast that the you share your one paid connection with
throughput capacity of the PCI bus reached its multiple computers. The router allows each
design limitations. A big reason for computer to access the Internet as if it were
performance slowdowns in even newer, faster the only computer connected.
computers was the bottleneck of data flow
between these peripheral devices and the The PCI-E slots can speed up the flow of digital
motherboard. information between your peripheral devices
and the CPU because each one has dedicated
This slowdown in performance was especially bandwidth [the amount of signal allowed] to
a problem for users of games, music and video the computer’s memory. The older PCI slots
programs that required massive quantities of had to share bandwidth, but the new PCI-
graphics data. According to Gordon Burke, Express slots can link together to provide a
vice president of marketing for NextIO, the more direct and faster connection. The PCI-
PCI bus was limited to parallel architecture. Express standard can also work with existing
This means that the bus was designed to move software designed for the older PCI bus.
signals along parallel lines of wires that However, since it uses a physical bus capable
handled a maximum of 8-bits of data. of handling a high-speed (2.5 Gb/s) data
Engineers could tweak the data flow speed by signal, the connecting slots themselves are
providing more wired paths, but this method not compatible.
could not overcome the physical limitations
of the 8-bit bus. To solve this potential legacy problem,
computer designers provided for a transition
Computer engineers devised the PCI-E or from traditional PCI to the new PCI-Express
Express bus to speed up the data flow. Instead standard by designing motherboards with a
of using parallel architecture, Burke said the combination of PCI and PCI Express connectors.
Express bus uses serial technology which links Consumers can plug smaller connectors from
data lines in series. This enables data to travel PCI devices into the larger PCI-E host connectors
along different pathways depending on on the motherboard. However, the newer PCI-
whether it is a signal coming in from the E devices do not fit into the smaller sized PCI
peripheral device to the CPU or returning connectors.
from the CPU to the peripheral device.
Size Matters!
“This serial bus architecture lets data go much
faster on single lines than it could on parallel Motherboard design
lines that had to share directional flow,” said today includes these
Burke. “This PCI-Express solution has become standard PCI-Express
so ubiquitous in the computer industry that it slot sizes. The x1 slot
is used all the way down to hand-held is a general-purpose
devices.” slot that can host new
PCI-E single-channel
PCI-Express: A New Architecture devices. The x4, x8,
and x16 slots provide 4-channel, 8-channel
Think of the PCI-Express bus as a data router. and 16-channel extensions for use with devices
that plug into desktop and server computers. problem with a newer device driver you can
download and install. Another solution could
To better understand the physical differences be specific directions from the device’s
between the older PCI slot and the newer PCI- manufacturer about changing driver settings
Express, look at the graphic below. You can or changing switches on the motherboard.
see the three traditional long PCI slots on the
left side of the motherboard. The PCI-E x4 slot In Conclusion
is colored black and sits in the upper center
portion of the motherboard. To its right are The PCI-Express standard is here to stay and it
two smaller, white-colored PCI-E x1 slots. To is gradually replacing earlier bus interfaces.
the far right of the motherboard is the long, For the foreseeable future, motherboard
blue-colored PCI-E x16 slot. Notice that the makers will provide a variety of PCI-E slots
x16 slot is slightly larger than the traditional along with the legacy PCI slots. For now it will
PCI slot. usually not matter what upgrade component
you buy because your computer’s motherboard
will probably have a matching slot for it. Read
our Tech Tips 15, 16 & 17 for more information
on expansion card formats.
Ethernet is the industry standard for, wired kinder, gentler solution is needed when
networks. Virtually every computer of the computers are spread throughout the house.
past decade has an integrated Ethernet port That alternative would be a wireless network
(or the ability to accept a third-party card). (aka WiFi).
Ethernet Cons:
• Requires each computer to be physically
connected to the router
• Hiding the wires is difficult, if not
impossible
• Limited computer portability
Wireless Cons:
• Slower than Ethernet
• Not always intuitive to configure
• More expensive
that “n” is (or will be) the fastest, “g” is next In Conclusion
fastest, then “a” (typically not used by
consumers), then “b”. Not sure which protocol Even though signal and security issues need
applies? Buy a router that allows a “mixed” to be addressed, setting up a WiFi network at
network commonly 802.11b/g or 802.11a/b/g. home can solve a multitude of problems. But,
what can be done when traveling? Part three
• Does it matter what brand of router is of this series will take a closer look at accessing
used? the Internet away from home.
casual user. Unless connectivity is required an upset stomach, configure the computer’s
24/7 as it is for “road warriors”, this type of TCP/IP settings to “obtain an IP address
plan is generally not worth the money it automatically.” Nearly every public hotspot is
costs. configured this way. Makes sense actually,
because it requires very little time and effort,
Connect Using a WiFi Hotspot both by the provider and by the end user.
Exactly how secure is that public wireless Boingo Wireless also offers several service
network? The answer is none of the above. plans based on where and how often you
With public WiFi, encryption might be there. access WiFi hot spots.
(It might not be, either.) Networks are only as
secure as their owners want them to be, so if Summary
you have classified data, then using public
hotspots isn’t the way to go. Avoid entering WiFi networks are here to stay and will
passwords or transmitting personal data (such continue to improve and make our lives easier
as credit card numbers) when using a public and more mobile. From libraries to coffee
WiFi. Batten down the hatches by enabling shops, the Internet is our friend keeping us
your computer’s firewall, and by making sure connected and allowing us to communicate
your anti-virus software is up to date. with family and friends or do business as if we
were at home.
Some locations (Grand Central Station in
Manhattan, certain bookstore and coffee
chains) offer a “pay to surf” plan. These plans
are usually provided by a brand name cell GEEK HUMOR
service (although this is still WiFi, and should
not be confused with the proprietary access Top 10 Signs Your Cat Has Learned Your
methods mentioned earlier), and are only Internet Password
recommended if plans include spending a lot
of time using these hotspots, or a generous 10. E-Mail flames from some guy named
expense account is available. “Fluffy.”
9. Traces of kitty litter in your keyboard.
When using this type of service, don’t be 8. You find you’ve been subscribed to strange
alarmed to find that the homepage has been newsgroups like alt.recreational.catnip.
hijacked and a screen appears asking for a 7. Your web browser has a new home page.
user name and password (for existing 6. Your mouse has teeth marks in it ... and a
subscribers), or to sign up for an account (new strange aroma of tuna.
subscribers). The good news is that these big- 5. Hate-mail messages to Apple Computer
name providers offer a secure network, so Corp. about their release of “CyberDog.”
there is less worry about having data 4. Your new ergonomic keyboard has a
compromised. strange territorial scent to it.
3. You keep finding new software around
Plans such as these usually involve a monthly your house like CatinTax & WarCat II.
fee with a contract (least expensive), a month- 2. On IRC you’re known as the IronMouser.
to-month plan with no contract (more 1. Little kitty carpal-tunnel braces near the
expensive), or an à la carte plan (most scratching post.
expensive). The best idea is to not sign the
contract until deciding how much time is
really needed to get work done in their
network.
What is Global
Positioning
System (GPS) ?
Tech Tip 100 - By Michael Welsh
The Global Positioning System, commonly rather than quartz or gears to keep time, an
known as GPS, is a network of satellites that atomic clock is more accurate than a normal
determines a ground based user’s specific clock. The satellites transmit radio signals to a
latitude, longitude, and altitude. GPS devices receiver on the ground and the receiver
have become more integrated in our daily calculates its position in relation to the
lives through navigation computers in cars to satellites. A minimum of three satellites are
emergency locators in cellular phones. GPS needed to provide latitude and longitude
can even keep the time accurate on watches information using a process known as
and VCRs. Portable GPS receivers are becoming triangulation. If a fourth satellite is in range,
increasingly popular for young and old alike. then the user’s altitude can also be determined.
The more satellites that are available, the
For the GPS to work there are twenty-four more accurate the receiver’s calculation will
satellites in Earth’s orbit. Each satellite is be. GPS receivers come in a variety of
spaced so that at least four can be used by any technologies, from handheld devices to
given receiver on the ground. The satellites geological monitoring stations.
each contain a computer, radio, and an atomic
clock. Because it uses the frequency of atoms The History of GPS
American scientists learned they could deliberately “de-tuned” (define) and less
precisely locate the satellite by the frequency accurate than that used by the military, it is
of its signal. The Doppler effect (define) of still extremely beneficial. The modified signals
the signal grew stronger as the satellite allow non-military GPS users to obtain
approached and grew weaker as it flew away. navigational readings that are accurate to
They also realized that the opposite would be approximately 100 meters. Today many new
true and several satellites would be able to cars come standard with GPS locators that can
precisely locate items on the ground. be activated if the vehicle is stolen or involved
in an accident. These locators can also be
Through the 1960s, the first navigation systems integrated with navigation computers that
went into orbit but were limited in function help drivers navigate to their destinations.
and accuracy. Many systems show locations on a map and
audibly announce when to turn. Some can
In 1978, the first of several NAVSTAR GPS even help drivers avoid heavy traffic and many
(NAVigation Signal Timing And Ranging units will also provide guidance to nearby
Global Positioning System) satellites was restaurants, movie theatres and other places
launched with military use as the primary of interest and business.
purpose. NAVSTAR proved to be more accurate
and resilient than radar and unlike radar,
NAVSTAR did not rely on ground stations
being nearby. It was not hampered by weather
and was also harder for enemy units to jam
the signals. The full constellation of satellites
as we know them today was achieved in
1994.
diggers avoid the buried lines or tap into them to parents to track
for new houses and buildings. Distances can their teenage
be more accurate for landscape planning and drivers. This allows
road building. Farmers are turning to GPS to parents to know if
help locate cattle herds, find property lines, they really went to
and locate where to dig wells for water. see a movie or if
they went to a party
Games involving GPS have also emerged, with at a friend’s house.
geo-caching (define) being one of the most And since a GPS can
popular. Geo-caching is a game where people determine speed,
leave clues about treasures they have hidden. parents can also know if the teens are engaged
The treasure is usually small, and when a in any dangerous driving. GPS can also come
treasure is found, it is to be replaced with a in handy in emergency situations such as car-
new treasure or new treasure added to it. A jacking. This technology is becoming available
geo-cache website will identify where local as a transponder for cars, an add-on for
treasure hunters have hidden their loot by phones, or as carry-along units.
their geo coordinates. By using a portable GPS
receiver, goodies that are hidden, generally in Many cell phones are now coming with limited
a park, library, or other public area, can be GPS receivers to help with Enhanced 911.
found. Enhanced 911 sends the caller’s address to
emergency operators, but to date it has only
Since all of the worked with traditional land line phones.
global positioning Since a cell phone can be used to make a call
satellites have from anywhere, global positioning is being
highly accurate added to quickly locate distressed cell phone
atomic clocks within callers.
them, electronic
products are being In Conclusion
designed to tap into
their frequencies to Global positioning has grown from a military
update time. Several feature to a must-have electronic gadget.
lines of new watches and clocks now Although the possibilities for use are still
automatically update themselves from the growing. today GPS and navigation is still an
GPS network. This synchronization helps users add-on feature but within a few years it could
by giving them a more uniformed time become standard equipment. The tech savvy
structure. Changes for daylight savings can generation growing up today will probably
happen automatically for all clocks that use look at the compass and think it ancient the
this technology. In case of a power failure, same way previous generations looked at the
clocks and VCRs will automatically reset to the sextant.
proper time as soon as power is restored.
Our next Tech Tips will be reviews of some of
The Future of GPS the portable GPS receivers currently in stock
at www.Geeks.com.
While the use of Global Positioning has
expanded within the last decade, there are
many new uses being still being developed.
Some new GPS products are being marketed
Portable GPS Receiver UT-41 Setup seat offers an easy-to-read screen compared
with many of the handheld units which have
Setting up the UT-41 can take less than two to be held or dash mounted. Remember, do
minutes even without the printed instructions. not attempt to make changes or look at the
For this test, the UT-41 portable GPS was laptop while driving. Turn on voice activation
plugged into an IBM ThinkPad. Like any other when available. Also, the low power
USB device, just plug it in and load the driver consumption of the UT-41 does not noticeably
which was provided on the included CD-ROM. affect the runtime of a laptop. The device
Getting the unit to work with Google Earth does well finding latitude, longitude, and
along with Earth Bridge takes a little longer altitude and, while driving, it also keeps track
but the combination of two free applications of speed very accurately. Working with Google
makes it worth Earth in conjunction with Earth Bridge makes
while. Google Earth navigation a snap as Earth Bridge constantly
is a free application updates Google Earth’s map. The UT-41
for Windows, performs well outdoors and in a car, but has
Macintosh, and several issues when used indoors. Indoors, the
Linux computers information is inaccurate mostly with altitude,
that offers satellite if it even worked at all. Because the unit comes
views of the Earth. with a six-foot cable, it can be placed next to
Earth Bridge works a window which often helps with most
as a conduit for Google Earth to interface problems it has indoors. This is because a
with a GPS. Earth Bridge will update Goggle building window will allow the satellite’s
Earth with current location data from the GPS signal to pass through to the receiver much
allowing real-time navigation. like it does in a vehicle.
MS-GM-03 Portable GPS Receiver Setup The unit is very efficient on power, so it creates
Caution! This is not mentioned on the box. little to no impact on the life of the laptop’s
The MS-GM-03 has a fairly powerful internal battery. When first started, the receiver can
magnet that can cause damage to sensitive have trouble finding enough satellites, even
electronic equipment. To prevent damage or in wide open spaces. But once they are found,
data loss, be careful not to place the unit on traveling under bridges, in high-rise downtown
tapes, hard drives, or flash media. areas, or even indoors, the MS-GM-03 was
very good at keeping its location. Also, the
Test runs for the MS-GM-03 used an IBM MS-GM-03 does a terrific job accurately
ThinkPad loaded with Google Earth along measuring speed, altitude, and direction.
with Earth Bridge navigation software.
Wrap Up
Installation of the MS-GM-03 is quick and as
easy as any other USB device. Simply unpack The MS-GM-03 is a great GPS receiver for
the unit, run the setup utility found on the almost any user on the go. Its speedy set up
included CD-ROM, and plug the unit in when and take down make it a useful gadget. With
requested. Make sure to open the device its durable construction, it can go almost
manager after running the installation to find anywhere and keep up with the most
out what communications port the USB bus demanding of users. While the receiver was
has assigned the receiver. You will need this tested with Google Earth and Earth Bridge,
information before configuring any navigation almost any GPS-compatible navigation
software. To open the device manager in software should work. Though both units
Windows XP, right click on your “My performed well, the MS-GM-03 worked better
Computer” icon and choose Properties from indoors than the UT-41.
the menu. Click on the “Hardware” tab, then
click the “Device Manager” button. Make Overall, both products performed well in most
note of the port. Once assigned, the MS-GM- locations and both worked best with laptops
03 was very good about releasing this port that were USB 2.0 enabled. When compared
after being removed, or if the computer was to standalone GPS units, these portable GPS
shut down. One downfall is that the CD-ROM receivers are very affordable and the larger
does not include drivers for Macintosh or screen of the laptop made following along
Linux and a quick search on the Internet did very easy.
not reveal any.
Either unit could be a great asset for a major
MS-GM-03 Portable GPS Receiver Usage laptop user. With the multitude of GPS
software products available for personal
The internal magnet of the MS-GM-03 is computers, low price, and ease of use, this
strong enough to hold the receiver to most item is a necessity, especially for the
metal car roofs, and the rubber padding helps directionally challenged! At under $40.00,
prevent scratches to the car’s finish, but having either unit is also a great buy for anyone
the receiver on the dash of a car was more interested in experimenting with GPS
than adequate for it to function properly. The technology.
receiver has a rugged, three meter cable that
can allow it to rest in just about any optimal
spot and the cable can even withstand minor
pinches from car windows when it is mounted
on the roof.
heavy strain on battery life and depending on youth, professed his desire to become a great
the PDA, it could last several hours. writer. When asked to define “great” he said,
“I want to write stuff that the whole world
Using a PDA in a heavily-wooded area or in a will read, stuff that people will react to on a
downtown environment was nice; it is light- truly emotional level, stuff that will make
weight and easy to store in a pocket. Also, them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!”
having the PDA and GPS as one unit means
less equipment to haul around. For a dedicated He now works for Microsoft, writing error
PDA user, the UT-41 is a handy tool since the messages...
user only has to handle one device while
checking a schedule, listening to music, or On a more serious note:
looking for a hotel.
If you go to the website LetsSayThanks.com
When held in the hand the extra two inches you can pick out a thank you card that Xerox
that the card extends from the top of the PDA will print and send to a soldier that is currently
was not a problem but added some serving in Iraq. You can’t choose who gets it,
awkwardness when trying to store the PDA in but it will go to a member of the U.S. armed
its original pouch. However, the advantage of services. How AMAZING it would be if we
having it all as one unit was a benefit and the could get everyone we know to send one!!!
extra height was not a problem when carrying
the PDA around. Depending on how the PDA Computer Geeks
is stored, it might be best to shut down and Your #1 Source for
remove the card. Computer Information!
One problem encountered with the card was At this time, we do not have the technical
that it would occasionally freeze the support staff to provide general support for
application until the entire PDA was hard products not purchased from Geeks.com or to
reset. Another issue was the GPS’s ability answer the hundreds of tech help requests we
monitor the unit’s speed while traveling. The get from our readers, however your questions
accuracy of this feature worked intermittently and comments are appreciated and other
if at all. The last problem is the lack of readers may be benefit from them. Feel free
explanation of the software controls for a to post your question or comment in our Blog!
novice user. Unless you know what all of the Oh, and no need to register unless you want
buttons and numbers mean, you are left to be notified when others comment.
searching the Web for an explanation.
In Conclusion Disclaimer:
Occasionally we miss something, make a
Overall the Holux GR-271 is a solid, well built mistake, or don’t cover everything on the
unit. For a dedicated PDA user who is also a topic but we are trying hard to give you the
traveler or directionally challenged, this is a most unbiased and well-written information
nice addition to a hand-held unit. For a limited that we can.
time, this unit can be found at Geeks.com.
Geeks Humor
Why Convert?
What happens when you aren’t at your own Media-Convert.com works in much the same
computer, don’t want to install any more way. But instead of emailing you the file, your
software on your system, or just want to browser automatically downloads it once the
impress your friends and family with your conversion is finished. How well does it work?
geek skills? You turn to the Web, of course. Recently, my wife used Media-Convert.com to
There are two great Web sites that enable you transform some MIDI files of Scandinavian
to do quick and dirty audio conversions. folk music to MP3, and there was no loss in
quality. Her only complaints were that the site
The sites are Media-Convert.com and Zamzar. is difficult to navigate and the conversion was
Media-Convert.com offers conversions for a slow.
large number of audio formats. Zamzar, on
the other hand, is more modest in its offerings A Couple of Gotchas
– the number of formats it supports is limited.
However, the Zamzar site is very clean and Converting from other audio file formats to
polished; Media-Convert.com is cluttered with MP3 is easy. However, there are a few things
ads. that you must watch out for. MP3s are smaller
than many other audio files because they’re
Why do I call the sites quick and dirty? It’s compressed. MP3 uses lossy compression,
because they don’t offer you any options to which means that some unneeded or
set the bit rate or sampling rate, or to tweak redundant information is tossed away when
the files in any way. The results are good the MP3 is created. If you’re converting other
enough for most people, though. types of audio files that use lossy compression
– like Apple’s ACC, Ogg Vorbis, or Windows
With Zamzar, for example, you upload a file WMA – to MP3 then you should make sure
that the encoding quality is as high as possible. converting other audio formats to MP3 can
If it isn’t, then you’ll notice a real difference in be quick and easy.
the quality of resulting file.
On a more serious note:
Something else to consider is DRM. DRM is
short for Digital Rights Management. It’s a If you go to the website LetsSayThanks.com
method of protecting files from being copied you can pick out a thank you card that Xerox
and pirated. Two of the most widely DRM- will print and send to a soldier that is currently
protected file formats are ACC (used with serving in Iraq. You can’t choose who gets it,
many tracks available from the Apple iTunes but it will go to a member of the U.S. armed
Store) and Windows WMA. While Geeks.com services. How AMAZING it would be if we
doesn’t advocate digital piracy in any shape could get everyone we know to send one!!!
or form, there may be a time when you have
a legitimate need to convert protected files to Computer Geeks - Your #1 Source for
MP3. A friend of mine recently had his iPod Computer Information!
die on him, and he bought another brand of
audio player. But, he had a large number of At this time, we do not have the technical
ACC files that he couldn’t play on his new support staff to provide general support for
device. products not purchased from Geeks.com or to
answer the hundreds of tech help requests we
So, how do you get around a situation this? get from our readers, however your questions
The easiest option is to burn the protected and comments are appreciated and other
files to an audio CD. They’ll be converted to readers may be benefit from them. Feel free
actual CD tracks. Then, rip the CD to MP3 files to post your question or comment in our Blog!
using a program like Cdex. It’s a time Oh, and no need to register unless you want
consuming process and requires you to to be notified when others comment.
sacrifice a CD. On the other hand, it beats
having a bunch of audio files that you can’t Disclaimer: Occasionally we miss something,
listen to, especially if you’ve already paid for make a mistake, or don’t cover everything on
them. the topic but we are trying hard to give you
the most unbiased and well-written
Conclusion information that we can.
A component of nanotechnology,
nanocomputing will give rise to four types of
nanocomputers:
• Electronic nanocomputers
• Chemical and Biochemical nanocomputers
• Mechanical nanocomputers
• Quantum nanocomputers
Electronic nanocomputers
In the past twenty years, there has been a Eletronic nanocomputers are created through
dramatic increase in the processing speed of microscopic circuits using nanolithography.
computers, network capacity and the speed [Nanocomputers]
of the internet. These advances have paved
the way for the revolution of fields such as Chemical and Biochemical
quantum physics, artificial intelligence and nanocomputers
nanotechnology. These advances will have a
profound effect on the way we live and work, The interaction between different chemicals
the virtual reality we see in movies like the and their structures is used to store and process
Matrix, may actually come true in the next information in chemical nanocomputers. In
decade or so. order to create a chemical nanocomputer,
engineers need to be able to control individual
NANOCOMPUTERS atoms and molecules so that these atoms and
molecules can be made to perform controllable
Scientists are trying to use nanotechnology to calculations and data storage tasks.
make very tiny chips, electrical conductors and
logic gates. Using nanotechnology, chips can Mechanical nanocomputers
be built up one atom at a time and hence
there would be no wastage of space, enabling A mechanical nanocomputer uses tiny mobile
much smaller devices to be built. Using this components called nanogears to encode
information. Some scientists predict that such patients who are living at home.
mechanical nanocomputers will be used to
control nanorobots. QUANTUM COMPUTERS
Enter Audacity
Audacity is an Open Source sound recorder
and editor. It has a number of features that
enable you to record, modify, and export
audio files. Best of all, Audacity is free and
there are versions that run on Windows, Mac
OS, and Linux.
that creates MP3s. When used in conjunction After a bit of trial and error, I found that the
with software like Audacity, LAME enables the best results come by using the following two-
software to import and export MP3 files that stage process:
are comparable in quality to those produced
by expensive commercial encoders and • Remove the noise
applications. • Even out the loud and soft portions of
the audio
Get going by starting Audacity. Then, select
Project>Import Audio. Find the audio file Remove the noise
that you want to clean up and then click OK. Even out the loud and soft portions of the
Here’s what my friend’s raw audio looked like audio Removing Noise Audacity has a great
in Audacity: built-in noise reduction tool. To get it to do
its job properly, you need to get your hands a
bit dirty. So, first you need to get a noise
profile. A noise profile lets Audacity recognize
what noise actually is. The profile also gives
Audacity a baseline from which to work.
Some of the other Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that have similar information as this
article are:
Final Words:
Windows hot keys are all intended to provide some sort of convenient alternative to common
tasks, and whether specific combinations do so is up to the individual to decide. Some are
simple time-saving motions, while others are complex maneuvers in finger gymnastics. There
are dozens of other common Windows shortcuts (and even more related to specific software
titles), and memorizing just a few of the more basic ones may be worth the time-savings they
can afford you.
about podcasting then you following month unless you’re willing to pay
really should be ready to for more data transfer.
spend a few dollars.
If you don’t want to, or don’t have the skills
No matter what type of to maintain a podcast in your own space on
microphone you choose, the Web, you can turn to one of the many
try to find one that cancels podcast hosting services out there. Many of
background noise. A good these services offer free and/or low-cost
microphone won’t eliminate hosting accounts. On top of that, the hosting
all of the background noise, services also set up a Web page or blog from
but it will help to keep it to a minimum. which your listeners can access your
Speaking of noise, if you plan to record your podcast.
podcasts (or even portions of them) with an
MP3 player like an iRiver, expect the quality Some of the hosting services that have been
of the sound to be so-so and require some recommended to me include Libsyn, Podbean.
cleanup. com, CastPost, PodBlaze, and IcanCast.com.
I’ve also heard good things about Podcast
Hosting Pickle, BlipMedia, and Odeo. But don’t take
You’ve got your software and microphone my word for it. Do a Google search and ask
picked out. You might even have your first around. That way you can find the host that
podcast recorded. All you need is a place to best suits your needs.
host it. There are many ways you can do
this. Other Considerations
You have your software and microphone, and
If you have a Web site, or if your Internet a place to put your podcast segments. You’re
Service Provider (ISP) gives you some space, ready to record. But before you do that, there
you can host your podcast there. You can link are a few factors you have to consider.
to your podcast from a dedicated Web page While the idea of just speaking off the cuff
or a blog (if you maintain one). Keep in mind, and letting witticisms roll off your tongue is
though, that a five minute podcast can weigh fun, it’s difficult to speak both spontaneously
in at anywhere from four to seven megabytes. and fluently. It takes a lot of practice. Until
Obviously, the longer the podcast, the bigger you’re able to do that, you’re going to get a
it will be. lot of “umms” and “uhhs” in your recordings.
Depending on Instead, you should consider using a script or
how much space an outline. You don’t have to stick to it word
you get from for word, but a script or outline is a good
your ISP or Web guide for what you’re going to say. Try not to
host, you might sound like you’re reading from a script,
run out of space though. Use the speed and tone that you
very quickly. On would when talking normally. When recording
top of that, most podcasts, I use the old presenters trick of
Internet and pretending that I’m talking to my wife or a
Web hosting friend.
providers have limits to the amount of data
that can be transfered from a site each month. The position of your microphone is also
Once you hit that limit, no one will be able to important. Try not to have it too far away
access your podcast until the beginning of the from you, and not right in front of your mouth.
With a hand-held microphone, it’s best to place it a couple of inches below your chin. A headset
microphone should be positioned slightly below your lips. Try not to breathe into the microphone
- breathing gets picked up when recording and it’s difficult to edit out.
Record your podcast in a room with minimal noise. Microphones, no matter how poor their
quality, always pick up some background noise -- like an air conditioner or a fan, kids rolling
toys across the floor, or whatever. Sure, you can edit out much of the background noise using
your software, but why make extra work for yourself?
If you can, make a transcript of the podcast available on the Web – link to it from your blog or
Web site. If you’re using a script, then doing this is easy. You just have to save your document
as an HTML file and post it somewhere. You can also use an online application like Google Docs
& Spreadsheets or Writeboard to write your script. Once the script is written, you can publish
it on the Web. Here’s a sample of a podcast script that was created using Google Docs &
Spreadsheets.
Conclusion
Starting a podcast isn’t a huge effort. Sure, you’ll need to take some time to investigate
software, microphones, and hosting options, and you’ll have to do a little planning. But once
that’s out of the way, you can start recording and sharing your voice and ideas with the wider
Web.
Configuring Audacity
While you can use Audacity’s default settings
to record your podcast, you can improve
the quality of your recordings by tweaking
Audacity’s preferences. To do this, select
Edit>Preferences. On the Audio I/O tab, you
can force Audacity to use an audio driver
other than the one that comes with Windows. the best quality audio for your podcasts. But
On my computer, this is the Sound MAX Digital it isn’t strange at all.
Audio driver which I’ve found produces better
output than the default Windows driver. Why? Some media players, especially those
that are embedded in Web pages and used
by podcast hosting services, don’t support
higher sample rates. When the audio is played
back, a phenomenon called chipmunking
occurs. Remember the annoying voices of
the characters in the cartoon Alvin and the
Chipmunks? That’s chipmunking. The lower
sample rate, while slightly decreasing the
audio quality, also gets rid of the chipmunking
problem.
in. Click the Record button on the Audacity To delete a portion of the recording, just
toolbar and start speaking. Make sure that highlight it by pointing and clicking with your
you speak steadily and clearly, and try not mouse. Then, press the Delete key on your
to breathe into the microphone. If you get keyboard.
tongue-tied or flub a few words, don’t stop
recording. Just take a moment to regain your Just as you’d move blocks of text around in a
composure, and then keep going - you can word processor, you can move chunks of audio
edit out any mistakes later. around in an Audacity project. Highlight the
portion of the recording that you want to
Also, try to include a few seconds of silence move, then press CTRL-X on your keyboard.
here and there throughout the recording. This In your recording, click wherever you want to
will be useful later when you need to remove put the cut audio and press CTRL-V to insert
noise. it.
When you’re finished, click the Stop button You can do the same thing for audio copied
on the Audacity toolbar. from another Audacity project or an audio file
that you’ve imported into Audacity. In both
cases, though, make sure that the playback
of the audio is stopped and not paused. If
it’s paused, none of the editing features are
available.
Once you’ve recorded your podcast, listen You can also save portions of your podcast
to it. Doing this will give you an idea of the as an MP3. You might do this to create a few
quality of the sound and help you locate any seconds of audio that acts as a preview. Or,
portions of the recording that you need to cut if this is your first podcast, you can do this
- either because of a flub or you just don’t to save an introduction or ending that will be
want it in there. used with future editions of your podcast.
This opens the Volume Control panel. set to Windows Default Device, select
another option from the dropdown lists.
On my PC, for example, I selected
SoundMax Digital Audio. Also, make sure
that the Let Skype adjust my sound settings
option isn’t selected. While Skype tries to
make your sound the best it can be, it
doesn’t do a great job. You’re better off
manually tweaking your settings.
Conclusion
The audio quality of your Skype calls
depends on a number of factors. With a
bit of simple tweaking, you can noticeably
improve the way your calls sound. The
quality of the sound may never be perfect;
this is especially true for PC-to-phone calls
using Skype. But you can eliminate much
of the echo and background noise, and
that goes a long way to making your Skype
experience a whole lot better.
Creating PDFs
There’s quite a bit of free and low-cost
software for creating PDFs in Windows.
Some of it is good. Much of it isn’t. Here
are a few free PDF generators that won’t
let you down.
problem. You do, however, need to have Save. Then, the PDF Options dialog box
the PDFCreator program running on the appears.
server for this work.
The options you can set include how you
Many Windows users do work in Microsoft want the PDF compressed so it’s smaller,
Office. But its free rival, OpenOffice.org, can the security settings, the page layout
do just about anything Office can. And it when the file is viewed in a PDF reader,
sports an excellent, integrated PDF writer. and more. Once you’ve selected the
The PDF writer works with all of the options, click Export. A document created
applications that make up the OpenOffice. this way doesn’t look too bad.
org suite -- word processor, spreadsheet,
presentation program, and drawing
package.
Early rechargeable batteries were composed your work. Now that is not a situation you want
of Nickel-Cadmium (or “NiCad”). NiCads were to find yourself in. The fact of the matter is it
great because they were rechargeable, but is unavoidable after a certain period of time as
early NiCads held comparatively small charges the battery goes through gradual degradation.
as well as suffering from “Memory Effect” – There are, however, ways to extend your
if the battery was only partially drained and battery life.
then recharged, it lost its ability to be fully
recharged. If your device always (or usually) runs on
external power, you may be inadvertently
Most portable devices these days use Lithium- decreasing your battery life. At least once a
Ion batteries. month, let the device use up all the battery
Lithium is the lightest metal and the one with power. In other words, let the battery drain
the highest stored (“potential”) electrochemical until the computer goes to sleep (“hibernate
energy. These qualities, along with the fact mode”) and then let it re-charge. This can
they do not contain poisonous metals (such as help avoid capacity degradation.
cadmium) make lithium-based batteries the
most widely used to power portable devices Some notebooks, using a combination of
such as laptops. specialized hardware, intelligent batteries, and
special “services” (small programs running in
Now that we understand the basic functionality the background) offer a “recondition” feature
of a battery, let’s discuss ways to preserve that will automatically prompt you to condition
and prolong battery life, specifically laptop your battery and then attempt to do so in the
computer batteries. background. If you are prompted by your
system to condition your battery, you should
Life Preserver probably allow it to do this.
Just as proper use
and maintenance of Operating temperature is another important
your car will result in factor when we talk about battery life. Extreme
longer life and better high temperatures can cause degradation
performance, taking rapidly, just as extreme low temperatures can
certain steps with your damage batteries— don’t leave your notebook
portable electronics’ in your car for extended periods on hot days or
batteries will result overnight on cold nights.
in longer use per charge, and a longer overall
battery life. With replacement laptop batteries
ranging from anywhere between $100.00 and It is recommended that you do not use your
$300.00, getting all the use you can out of laptop without a battery in the bay. Doing
your battery will save you lots of aggravation so may cause the electrical terminals in the
and keep more money in your pocket longer. battery bay to become dirty or get corroded.
It should be avoided for these reasons and the
As soon as your portable device leaves the fact that you may lose your work since there is
manufacturer’s premises, its battery starts no backup power supply.
losing capacity to store a charge. In some cases,
it may show more charge stored than there Micro-Manage Your PC Power
actually is. You may end up exhausting what’s Let’s talk about power management settings on
available without knowing it and the computer your laptop. “Power management is a feature
may end up shutting down causing you to lose of some electrical appliances that turns off the
Power v. Performance
To access the power management features on
your laptop, simply double-click the battery
icon in the lower-right corner of your screen
(on the Task Bar), or go to Start > Control
Panel > Power Options. Proper power
management of these devices is an extremely
useful feature, and will help you to strike the
ideal performance v. battery life balance.
Searching Files
The language of the Web is HTML. A Web page
is just a text file that contains formatting which
tells a Web browser how to display the elements
on a page.
dialog box will appear, asking if you want to However, the recordings are in PowerGramo’s
cancel recording. Click No. proprietary format. If, like my friend, you’re
making recordings for a podcast, you can
Optionally, you can export recordings in the Ogg Vorbis format.
attach a memo to Ogg Vorbis (Ogg for short) is a patent-free
your recording in the alternative to MP3. For more information on
memo window that Ogg, see this TechTip.
appears. The memo
enables you to add
details to a recording, like the date and While the sound quality of a recording is
time at which the recording was made, usually good, that quality will depend on a
who you talked to, and what the conversa- number of factors related to Skype. You can
tion was about. Adding a memo is useful learn more about optimizing Skype audio
if you have a number of recordings. You in this TechTip. If you need to clean up the
can pop open a memo about a recording audio, you can pull the Ogg file into a sound
that’s listed in the PowerGramo window. editor like Audacity. Ogg is a good format,
but it’s not as widely supported as MP3. So,
When a call ends, a dialog box pops up if you need to distribute an MP3 you can
asking if you want to add a password to convert the Ogg file using Audacity or an
your recording. It’s not necessary, but if you online service like Media Convert or Zamzar.
feel the need to add a password, then go
right ahead. Otherwise, click the Don’t use Other Ways to Record a Skype Call
password button. As you’ve seen, recording Skype calls in
Windows is easy as long as you have the right
Believe it or not, the entire process software. PowerGramo is a quick, easy, and
is that easy. PowerGramo literally painless way to record your calls, but it’s not
works in the background and requires the only game in town. You can use Audacity
little interaction with you. to do the job. This article discusses how, and
this blog entry offers another take on the
Saving Your Call subject.
PowerGramo automatically saves recordings.
Other software that can do the job includes
i-Sound MP3 WMA Recorder. A popular tool is
Pamela for Skype. In addition to being able
to record Skype calls, Pamela can do straight
voice recording, record Skype video chats, and
even act as an answering machine. Keep in
mind, though, that both i-Sound and Pamela
require you to pay a registration fee if you
continue to use them.
Wireless SSID Broadcast: Disable option on However, the fact that you’ve put some
the Basic Wireless Settings screen. security in place will put off most people
trying to illegally use or hijack your wireless
network, and that alone is worth the effort.
Conclusion
Adding a bit of security to your wireless
network is easy and doesn’t take a lot of time.
That said, one of the people who I talked to
while researching this TechTip commented that
no matter how well you secure your wireless
network, there will always be someone
who can break in. But, that’s true for any
other kinds of security, too. If someone is
determined enough, a deadbolt on your door
won’t stop them from entering your home.
of themselves. Once the page is in place, person behind the profile may not be who
you can invite friends to join your group of he or she claims to be. Be on the safe side
friends and thus expand your network. You --exercise caution and think before you click.
can also participate in discussion boards.
tool for musicians. By February 2006, the LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com), members may
more than 70 million users had made MySpace locate professional references, classmates,
the 10th most visited site on the Internet. and coworkers,
while employers
have the ability to
scour membership
directories for new
hires and consultants. Access to resources is
controlled; only those who have pre-existing
relationships with other members may join,
although guests may read selected postings.
A host of other sites arrived on the scene in Another network with the same concept and
2004. The notables among this group are professional bent is Ryze (www.ryze.com).
Facebook (www.facebook.com) and Flickr However, unlike LinkedIn, Ryze charges a fee
(www.flickr.com). The brainchild of a Harvard for membership.
University student, Facebook caters to the Search engines
college crowd, but jumped into
has expanded to the act, setting
be more inclusive. up their own
Facebook mem- networks on top of existing services with
bership entitles varying degrees of success. Google’s Orkut
you to create a customized profile, participate (www.orkut.com), originally an invitation-only
in forums, upload photos, and create and join network but now open to all, never quite
groups. The Facebook community was origi- found a following in the United States, suc-
nally centered on company, region or school. ceeding instead with Brazilians. Yahoo 360
Currently, 2.3 million photos are uploaded (http://360.yahoo.
daily and Facebook enjoys its status as the com), similar to
7th most visited site in the United States. MySpace, was
The other 2004 newcomer, Flickr, took social built to integrate
networking to a new level by focusing its into Yahoo’s existing functionalities like
networks Messenger and Flickr while offering features
on photo such as LAUNCHcast, an application that
sharing. facilitates the sharing of music and station
Members links. Even MSN and AOL chimed in with
join, Windows Live Spaces and AIM Pages
upload and
share their photos, with keyword tagging A newcomer gaining
added to enhance the photo’s online fast popularity is
searchability. Flickr is primarily used Xanga (www.xanga.
by bloggers as a photo repository and com) and the infor-
was acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. mation-intensive FAQQLY (www.faqqly.com).
Businesses and professionals even started Xanga possesses much of the functional-
to take advantage of social networks. At ity found in MySpace, but it has gained a
strong foothold among teenagers who refer real life. Second Life has become so popular
to themselves as “Xangans” and call their recently that US Internet searches for the
pages “Xanga term “Second Life” nearly tripled in October
Sites.” FAQQLY of 2006. Major international brands including
takes social IBM, GM,
networking in Dell, Nissan,
a new direction by emphasizing connected- Reuters, and
ness based on FAQs, or frequently answered Adidas are
questions. Users log in and create keyword taking it so
lists in subjects that they are curious about seriously
and receiving answers from other FAQQLY that they’re
members. FAQQLY members are recognized building
for their expertise. This promises great col- virtual factories, producing virtual cars and
laborative potential in the future. other products for sale and use by residents
of the environment, and even holding press
MMORPGs conferences and filing news reports from this
Inspired by the cyberpunk generation and “alternate universe”.
spinning off the theme of being somebody Other online virtual worlds require the
you’re not are the 3D online virtual worlds purchase of store-bought or downloaded
(known today as MMORPGs, or “Massively Mul- software packages and a valid credit card
tiplayer Online Role Playing Games”). Trendy to join. Sony Entertainment’s EverQuest
among teens, twenty- and thirty-somethings, (www.everquest.com) and Blizzard’s World
online virtual worlds come complete with of Warcraft (www.worldofwarcraft.com)
their own laws and rules of engagement. are examples of these types of networks.
An example of one of these online virtual
worlds is San Francisco’s Second Life (www. Social networks are great places to meet new
secondlife.com), which currently boasts 3.8 friends who share common interests, but as
million members after busting onto the inter- with anything involving strangers, be wary.
national scene in 2006. Second Life’s “Sim Its popularity with teens and the twenty-
City”-like community is created and main- something crowd means that parents should
tained exclusively monitor and instill the necessity of keeping
by “residents” contact information private and out of sight
(members). of strangers. Remember, meeting people is
Residents hang fun and easy, but do think before you click!
out with other 1 Source:
residents via chat rooms and game rooms, Revenue - the Performance Marketing Standard.
and conduct businesses transactions with one Volume 4, January/February 2007, p. 116.
another using Second Life’s own currency
standard - the Linden dollar. Basic member-
ship is free at Second Life, requiring just
a valid email to join. However, access to
functionalities such as the right to own land
requires premium-level membership – just like
Social Networking II
Tech Tip 117 - Kimmy Powell
Imagine finding that neat do-it-yourself The Ins and Outs of Social Bookmarking
web page you’ve been aching to share with There are no mysterious tricks to master,
all your buddies. You first bookmark the no special shortcuts to remember; social
page within your browser; then you copy bookmarking web services work pretty much
and paste the reference into an email and like the bookmarking you do on your personal
send it to friends. Every time you find computer. You save the location of a web
something while web surfing, you’re back page on your computer’s hard drive when
to the repetition of saving, copying and you bookmark it using Firefox’s “Bookmark
pasting the URL in an email it to friends. This Page” or Internet Explorer’s “Add to
Favorites”. With online social bookmarks,
rather than storing the page on your hard
Today, there’s a better way to collect, store, drive, you store them on a publicly- acces-
find, and share web bookmarks without sible Internet site. You classify, organize
the email repetition. The concept is called and manage your bookmarks on the public
social bookmarking, and it’s the hottest site just as you would in the browser and
wave of networking to hit the Net. Social assign descriptive names, or keyword tags,
bookmarking services work in much the to reference the saved pages that describe
same way as MySpace or Friendster, but the contents of the page to the community.
you instead create and catalog bookmarks
to share with friends and other users. Getting started is fairly easy and straightfor-
ward. Registration is mostly free; all that
is needed is to register your name, date bookmarks (not offered on all sites), or the
of birth (some sites) and to provide a valid option to create new bookmarks. To find
email address (to confirm and activate bookmarks available from others, initiate a
your account). Once you’ve completed search by subject or by using keywords. A
registration, take a tour of the site’s features list of qualifying sites (ranked by the services
before digging in with lists. Many services using the keywords other community users
offer “bookmarklet” downloads to facilitate have assigned these links or the link’s popular-
bookmarking. Bookmarklets are JavaScript ity) will be returned, of which subscribing is
software programs that add buttons to simply a click away with the bookmarklet.
the browser’s toolbar and facilitate the For each site listed, you can click and find
posting of web pages to bookmarking other users who have bookmarked the link
sites. Some services (like del.icio.us) offer and who may share similar interests.
tools to import existing bookmarks stored
on your hard drive onto their systems. If Social bookmarking creates a community
you decide to go this route, remember to of users whose pooled Internet resources
clean out dead links or junk before the has led to the creation of a “folk-
import; otherwise, you face the trouble- sonomy.” A folksonomy is the vocabulary
some battle of deleting unwanted links one and structure that subscribers use to
by one. Other features may include video define these Internet resources.
and podcasting (Digg.com and YouTube),
ranking capabilities, ratings and commentar- Popular Social Bookmarking Services
ies, RSS feeds, the ability to annotate links Now that you’ve seen how these services
and automatically update links. Exploring work, it’s time to examine what’s hot in the
the web site will reveal much about bookmarking community. We discuss specific
the inner workings of these services. implementations of these services below.
Del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us/)
Once you’ve explored the available By the time Del.icio.us was acquired by
features, you are ready to set up a profile Yahoo in the fall of 2006, it had registered
and import or create your personal web over one million users (and over 50 million
links. You can use your profile to manage posts). This is by far the most popular
users (others who have registered on the of the social bookmarking services, due
service), decide whether to save bookmarks in part to its of usability and wealth of
publicly or privately, create, change or features (including RSS feeds, podcasting,
delete keyword tags and set privacy friends list, browser plug-ins, import/export
filters for bookmarking and blogging. bookmarks, popular, and recent lists).
built into Windows XP can’t properly write Linux distribution and your hardware. I
ISO images. used an Ubuntu Live CD with a ThinkPad
T40 notebook and the only hardware that it
Or, you can go one better and use the ISO didn’t seem to detect was the modem.
Recorder Power Toy for Windows XP and Vista. Don’t worry about having to work at the
This nifty little application makes the job command line - just about every Linux
easy by allowing you to just drag and drop distribution starts up with a graphical
the image onto a CD. interface, like KDE or GNOME.
Conclusion
A Live CD is a quick, easy, and painless
way to take Linux for a test drive. Not only
that, but you can do even more with one.
Either way, you’re packing a lot of power
into a small space.
Introduction
Now that you’ve put your VCR in mothballs, on watching it on your television or
you realize computer. (Similarly, if you want to post
that the the video to the Web, you’ll have to save
closet full of it as a format that can be viewed on the
VHS tapes (or Internet.)
Betamax, if
you bet on To successfully accomplish this, you will
the wrong need abundant amounts of the following:
horse) contains valuable memories you
would like to see again. Perhaps you want • Time
to relive your wedding, or post the video • Hard Drive Space
of you and your friends lip-synching “Girls • RAM
Just Want To Have Fun” • Processor Speed
from the 7th grade talent • Patience
show on YouTube. But you
can’t be bothered Time:
integrating antiquated
technology into your Working with video is extremely time-
home theater setup, not consuming. Converting analog video to
to mention handling and digital and importing it into the computer
storing those bulky is accomplished in real time. This means
VHS tapes. that a two-hour tape will take two hours
to import. If you plan on editing the video,
So what do you do now? that takes more time. When it comes to
burning it onto DVD – see where this is
The solution is to going?
transfer the
analog video from Hard Drive Space:
the tapes into DV
(digital video) Of course, all this takes gigs and gigs
format that can (and gigs) of hard drive space. The good
be edited, and news is that hard drives are inexpensive,
eventually burned onto DVD, if you plan and many computers have the capability
to add a second internal hard drive.
Also, any computer that is robust software, which we’ll cover in our next
enough to handle video has can accept an installment of this series.
external drive (or two) via the
USB or FireWire ports. What else do you need?
RAM: OK, we’ve established that you need
a pretty rockin’ computer for this journey.
Working with video is memory intensive,
so if you’re serious about this, you’ll need But what else?
to crank up your RAM to the max. Upgrading
your RAM is also relatively inexpensive and
is usually a simple process. DVD Burner:
Graphics and animations: You can spice up Create any additions (graphics, original
your DVD with graphics – maybe giving music, animations) “outside” the movie
information on the content you’re editing software, and import in. (For
watching, or perhaps humorous clips. This example, perfect your graphics using
is advanced stuff, but if you have the time PhotoShop, and then import them.)
and interest to handle this, go for it.
A few funny touches (e.g., a Batman-
Auto-Play: You can make your DVD an esque “POW!”) go a long way.
“autoplay” DVD – you insert it in the player,
and it starts playing. The tradeoff, Take a break! All of this takes time, and
however, is that there can be no you don’t want to burn out.
chapters.
Now that you’re 100% happy with the
Remember – the more complex the end finished product, it’s time to burn it to
result, the more time it will take. DVD!
Editing your movies is frightfully Now, for the coup de grace: design a nice
easy label and cover for the DVD. Nothing says
cheesy like a naked DVD scribbled on with
Virtually every software package makes a black Sharpie. You’ve gone this far, so
this the simplest (and often most fun) part tie a pretty bow on the DVD by giving it a
of the project. Once the import is done, nice presentation.
you can add or delete scenes, overdub
music, insert fade in/fade out, input Now it’s time to bust out the popcorn and
graphics, voiceovers, and anything else enjoy your creation!
you want. You can import photographs,
logos, and sound effects. While each
software package has its own methods, a
couple of universal rules apply:
wireless network USB dongles and, of these types of hubs can come in USB 1.1
course, Bluetooth using USB Bluetooth as well as USB 2.0 varieties.
dongles has expanded and grown in
popularity making wireless connectivity Powered hubs are generally more desirable
easy and convenient with your USB port. to have than non-powered because of the
limited power that the original USB port is
If you have a computer with USB 1.x ports, capable of providing. Many common USB
you may want to consider adding a USB devices (such as keyboards and mice) will
add-on card to achieve the much faster draw sufficient power from the USB port
USB 2.0 speeds; because while a USB 1.x so extra power is not necessary; however,
port may be able to use a USB 2.0 device if too may devices are attached, power
(such as a USB flash drive), it will do so at levels may drop and additional power may
the slower speeds. Even some users with be needed. Consider how many items will
USB 2.0 ports already built into the PC be attached to any given hub. The more
sometimes opt for adding additional USB peripherals or devices you add, the more
ports via an add-on card rather than using power you will need.
hubs.
A really cool feature of the USB interface
Considerations before Purchasing is the ability to daisy-chain multiple hubs
together as well – this means, in practical
USB hubs come in all shapes, sizes and terms, that for greater expansion, USB
configurations. There are internal USB hubs can be networked together. This is
hubs; internal multi-port case panels; great advantage with USB, but watch out
powered external USB hubs with a modest for problems. Having too many USB devices
amount of USB ports; external powered USB linked together may cause power issues
hubs with a lots of USB ports; non-powered and can be a troubleshooting headache if
USB hubs; external USB hubs with extra types a device does not work.
of ports (such as PS/2, RS232 serial, and
parallel – sometimes called Port Before purchasing a USB hub, stop and
Replicators) (); USB and Firewire combination consider how it is going to be used. Will it
hubs. be used for a desktop or a laptop? How
many devices will be plugged into it? How
There are internal and external USB hubs many ports does the computer currently
with memory card readershttp://www.geeks. have? Thinking ahead before buying can
com/details.asp?invtid=DUB-CR200- help save money down the road. Make
DT&cat=NET, as well as many computer sure you have a hub with enough ports for
cases, monitors, and keyboards having growth. Another consideration is how
integrated USB hubs. close the ports are to each other on the
hub. If you’re going to be plugging USB
USB switches are almost the reverse of a cables into the hub, this really won’t be
USB Hub in that they allow users to share an issue, but if you plan on plugging
a USB device between two computers. multiple items into the hub such as USB
Though technically not a USB hub, they flash drives or USB network dongles, then be
will often be listed along side USB hubs. sure to get a hub with sufficient spacing
Again, you can always add more USB ports between the ports for these more “bulky”
directly to your computer via adapter USB devices.
cards – and look at the ad carefully as all
If the hub will be used in a laptop, then
Conclusions
While there are many choices with USB
hubs, be sure to take the time to find the
right one for you. Color and size are
important but remember to think of the
uses and positioning of current and future
devices. Making the right choice up front
can simplify life, save money, and make
for a more enjoyable computing
experience.
LCD v. Plasma
Biggest pros of DLP: Provides the best bang Bottom line: Tight on space? Watching TV
for your buck as far as large screens go – or viewing digital family photos? You’re
probably the price/performance all set for LCD – just mount your LCD TV on
“sweet spot”. the wall and go!
In Conclusion
Modern large-screen televisions are no
different than many products or
technologies that follow the price/
performance triangle – in this case, you
can have it large, good, or cheap – pick
any two. The trick is to pick your two and
then find a product that has as much of
Slideshow, and the ability to display RSS ability to handle a variety of backup
headlines (Vista is now natively “RSS devices and media.
aware”). You can also drag and drop these
applets directly onto your desktop if you
choose forego the Sidebar.
Improved Security
With Vista,
Microsoft has
a d d e d
improvements
that close some
s e c u r i t y Better Hardware Support and
loopholes (like Improved System Performance
blocking access
to the kernel
and running
applications in “protected mode”).
Windows Firewall now provides outbound
as well as inbound protection, and Internet
Explorer 7 runs in a protected mode to guard
against potential attacks during browsing.
Also included are an improved User
Account Control (even administrators
must confirm changes to the OS with a Among the highlighted improvements in
password!) and Vista are power management and self-tuning
native parental control software diagnostics, like the automatic scheduling
(restricting children’s access to certain to de-fragment your hard drive (this,
applications, web sites, games and files, however, is not available in Home Basic).
hours of activity, and activity logs). Changes in the OS kernel now improve
Windows Defender scans for spyware in low-level functions like scheduling and
the background so it doesn’t processor synchronization. Finally, Vista
interfere with existing processes. also introduced a new product called
Additionally, Vista Ultimate and Enterprise SideShow, which supports auxiliary devices
versions include a new program called like secondary screens on mobile PCs).
BitLocker Drive Encryption.
Exclusive to Vista is DirectX 10. Utilizing
Improved Backup and Restore advances in graphics architecture, DX10
Functionality runs more efficiently and much faster.
DX10 is a major plus for all you PC gaming
Complete PC Backup, the new program that fans out there.
comes bundled with Vista Enterprise and
Ultimate versions, resembles Norton Ghost New tools in Vista now manage your PC’s
by using disk imaging during the memory to boost speed and performance.
backup process. Also included are version SuperFetch tracks and preloads frequently
control indexing of files so you can roll used programs on a user-by-user basis. If
back to previous versions and the you’ve got a USB drive or hybrid hard disk,
you could dedicate available space towards Meeting Space replaces the old NetMeeting
the swap file using ReadyBoost. Finally, and is a peer-to-peer, collaborative
ReadyDrive provides added support for application permitting you to share
hybrid drives by allowing you to use the applications with users across networks.
hybrid’s built-in flash memory towards re- It’s much like another Microsoft product,
booting or resuming your PC session. Groove, albeit limited in scope.
There are two ways in which signals can a small base station to your stereo or a set
be sent from the transmitter -- analog of powered speakers and you can use the
and digital. iPod’s controls you can shuffle through
songs or play your favorite play lists.
Analog is similar to FM (Frequency
Modulation) radio. The signal is strong You can also get FM transmitters for certain
and constant, but the frequency of the makes of MP3 player. The transmitter --
signal changes slightly based on like iriver AFT-100
the information being sent. If you still or the Belkin
listen to terrestrial (as opposed to TuneCast II --
satellite) radio, you’re probably familiar plugs into your
with FM. MP3 player and
literally sends
The quality of the signal is good and the music on the
signal strength is decent, though it device to an FM
can be affected by barriers (like receiver. That
walls) in the way of the signal. receiver could be
a stereo or even
Digital, on the other hand, converts sounds a car radio.
to packets of electronic data. In the case Essentially the transmitter turns your MP3
of a wireless audio system, this data is player into a short-range radio station.
sent over the air from a transmitter and The range of these devices is limited –
the data is converted back to audio when about ten to 30 feet. But over those
it reaches the receiver. It’s really the same distances, the signal is clear and has little
principle as a wireless Internet connection. o r
no interference.
Wireless devices, like the ones described
in this Tech Tip, operate over a specific Or, you can use a
range of frequencies -- usually between d e s k t o p
900 MHz to 2.4 GHz. This range of computer (which
frequencies is used by most consumer is often called a
wireless devices. That means a consistent media server) to
level of signal quality, but it can also lead store and
to interference from other devices. broadcast your
Luckily, the hardware used in setting up a audio. You don’t
wireless sound system enables you to need an up-to-date, lightning fast system
select different frequencies to avoid or at with the latest version of your operating
least minimize interference. system (although that does help), either.
An older computer running Windows XP
and with a decent amount of memory and
Ways to Go Wireless a fair sized hard drive is usually more than
enough. I know at least two people
There are a couple of ways you can go who turned old eMachines desktops with
wireless. If you’re an iPod user, you can 512 MB of memory and 80 GB hard
turn your gadget into a music transmitter disks into serviceable media servers. Using
using the Wireless Music System for iPod a software media player -- like
by Logitech. This device clips to your iPod, Windows Media Player, iTunes, RealPlayer,
turning it into a transmitter. You connect or WinAmp -- you can create play lists
the audio that’s coming out of them. moment, depending on how far the from
You can expect to pay several hundred your media center the speakers are set.
dollars for a decent set of wireless In most cases, you might not notice
speakers. Models from Panasonic, for any problems with the sound. Sometimes,
example, can cost anywhere from $200 to though, you will definitely notice a
$1,700 dollars. Ones from Acoustic Research small lag. If that happens, then you’ll have
or JBL will cost quite a bit more. But, as to experiment with the placement
with anything else, you get what you pay of your speakers.
for. The quality of the sound will be better
with a slightly higher-end set of speakers. As mentioned earlier, most wireless
That said, you should really only buy what devices operate in a similar range of
you can afford and if you can afford it. frequencies. Some wireless speakers work
You can usually find some pretty good in the range of 900 MHz. That’s the
bargains on eBay or at online retailers – frequency range used by many common
Geeks.com, for example. household wireless devices like cordless
telephones or baby monitors. You might
Of course, how you position your speakers encounter some interference from such
in a room is almost as important as choosing devices in your home or even those used
the right speakers. How you position your by a neighbor (depending on how close
speakers will depend on the size of the your nearest neighbor lives to you).
room and its layout. You can find some
good advice on this topic here and here.
Conclusion
A Few Caveats For less than a couple of hundred dollars
(more, if you want to splurge), you can
Remember that a wireless sound system put together a decent wireless sound
has a limited range -- from around system in your home or office. Installing
30 feet to 100 feet, maybe a and configuring the hardware and software
bit more. This isn’t a problem in the doesn’t take long and once that task is out
average home, but if you want to play of the way, you can enjoy your music
music outside then you might experience anywhere in your home or office without
a drop in the quality of the sound. worrying about stringing (and tripping
over) a knot of unsightly cables.
Speaking of putting your speakers outside,
while it may seem like a good idea to have
your favorite bit of music playing during a
BBQ or garden party, remember that many
speakers aren’t meant for use outdoors.
They could get damaged by the
weather or careless guests. If
you’re using battery-powered speakers,
remember that the life of the batteries
is limited -- probably (hopefully!)
shorter than the duration of your party.
But you’re not stuck at the command line, Recently, I decided to test whether or not
unless you want to be. DeLi Linux runs a a lighter Linux distribution could actually
complete graphical environment. It’s not bring an older computer to life. And I had
the prettiest, but it doesn’t look too bad. just the PC. Last year, my mother gave me
On top of that, it uses a number of smaller, an old Pentium 333 with 265 MB of memory
less resource intensive applications. Like and a four megabyte cheap hard drive. That
what? Instead of the OpenOffice.org computer was running Windows 98, but it
productivity suite, DeLi Linux runs Siag had been pummeled by adware and
spyware. The computer took several If you’re wondering, the computer sits on
minutes to boot up, and applications my home network. It’s in constant use as
loaded slowly. All in all, this was the both a publishing server -- compiling
perfect computer for my test. documents
typeset using
I chose Xubuntu for the test, for a couple LaTeX and
of reasons. First, I’d standardized my two DocBook -- and
cheap laptops on Ubuntu -- it was familiar, as a file and
and I’m really impressed with Ubuntu’s PDF print
package management tools. Second, the s e r v e r .
specifications of my old PC fit well with Sometimes, my
the requirements for Xubuntu. I downloaded daughter uses
the ISO image for Xubuntu and burned it to that computer to practice her typing and
a CD (see this TechTip for more information mouse skills (she’s autistic and this helps
on burning ISO images). her fine motor skills) or to play the
educational games that I installed on the
Then, I popped the CD into my old PC and system.
booted up the computer. After a minute
or two, the installation process started. In the end, resurrecting that old computer
It’s fully graphical, so I was able to do only cost me a little bandwidth for the
everything point and click. The installation download, a blank CD, and the time
encountered only one glitch. I ran off to needed to burn Xubuntu to the CD
answer the phone, and when I came back and install it. Regardless of the Linux
there was a message on the screen that distribution that you choose, you can
said Xubuntu couldn’t create a file system. probably get the same results.
When I saw this message, I got a bit worried Instead of spending several hundred
thinking that the hard drive was damaged. dollars on a new computer, you can turn
What had happened was that I had told an older PC into a powerful
the installer to create a new FAT 16 file workstation for practically no cost.
system (the one used by Windows 98).
Obviously, Xubuntu didn’t like that. So, I
backed up a couple of screens in the
installation and told the installer to use
the more Linux-friendly ext2 file system.
After that, the installation went
smoothly.
IE Tab
If you’re a Windows user of Firefox, there
will be times when having access to Internet
Explorer might come in handy. Even in these
days of Web standards, some sites still only
render properly in Internet Explorer. If you
design web sites – even your personal site –
it’s often useful to see how the site renders
in both Firefox
and Internet
Explorer.
Instead of
opening two But, not every signature is appropriate for
separate all purposes. You might have one that you
browsers and use with messages to friends and family, and
flipping back another for business or professional emails.
and forth Unfortunately, most Web based email tools
between only allow you to have one signature. The
them, you can aptly-named Signature extension gets around
use the IE Tab extension to give you the full that limitation. Signature enables you to define
Internet Explorer experience in Firefox. If multiple signatures. When you want to add
you haven’t guessed it already, the IE in the one to an email message, just right-click and
extension’s name stands for Internet Explorer. choose Insert Signature. Then, select the ap-
The extension is extremely simple to use: just propriate signature from the list that appears.
right click on a Web page or a Firefox tab and This extension isn’t just good for email: if you
choose the Switch Rendering Engine option. post on message boards or leave comments
After a second or two, you get a view of the in blogs, you can quickly add the appropriate
page as you’d see it in Internet Explorer. signature to your posts.
Depending on the size of your file, the transfer window. From there, you choose a blog from
can take a few seconds to a minute. From the list on the left side and start typing. You
there, you can access the file from wherever can add formatting to your text, insert images
you can access your Gmail account. or links, or create lists. ScribeFire doesn’t seem
to have a way to automatically insert tables,
but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done; if you
Be warned, though, that some users of this know how to code HTML, then you can add
extension have run into trouble when uploading a table by hand by switching to the Source
too many files at once. The folks at Google have
-- to run a variety of popular Open Source numbers of Mac and Linux users. Unfortu-
applications. Like what? How about the nately, PortableApps won’t run on those
OpenOffice.org office suite, the Firefox operating systems, so if you’re a user of
Web browser, the Thunderbird email client, one of these, then you’re out of luck.
a number of graphics and Web tools, VLC
(a player for audio and video files), and On top of all of that, a PortableApps is
even an antivirus tool. You can get a full slow to install. The three times that I
list of the available applications here. The installed it, the base package took over 10
software available for PortableApps will minutes. Applications also install slowly.
cover most of your needs quite nicely. With many, the install process seems to
freeze about half way though. In many
You can install and remove applications as cases, you have enough time to go grab a
you see fit. Just run an executable to install snack while a program is being installed.
the application. To remove it, just delete
the application’s folder on your USB drive.
Once installed, the applications that make How & Why?
up the suite run quite quickly and smoothly. So, why would you want to use Portable-
Depending on the speed of the computer Apps? If, for example, you’re traveling and
that you’re plugged into and how much don’t want to risk taking your computer,
memory it has, you’ll notice very little differ-
ence between the performance of Portable-
Apps and software installed on a hard drive.
Drawbacks
PortableApps is a fine piece of software, but
it has drawbacks for some people. You might
not be a fan of Open Source applications,
or may be wary of them because there’s no
real company behind them. You might prefer
commercial applications, and not want to
worry about having to learn something new.
then PortableApps is a perfect way to
For some, the lack of games -- Portable- take your computing with you. It’s small,
Apps only comes with a simple version of light, and will work with most modern
sudoku -- might be a tick in the negative computers -- say, at an Internet cafe, a
column. In fact, I’ve heard people complain library, a hotel business center, or even a
about the overall lack of software that is PC belonging to a friend or family member.
available for PortableApps. While there
are only 27 pieces of software that come How you use PortableApps is up to your imagi-
with the suite, they’re not the only ones nation. I know of at least two writers who
around. You can find more software by use PortableApps for a variety of writing and
checking the PortableApps forums. blogging tasks whenever they’re away from
home, either out of town or just across town.
I used PortableApps to write this TechTip as
Even though Windows is the dominant well as a number of other articles.
operating system, there are large
At a recent professional conference, my then a 256 MB USB drive will be fine. If you’re
business partner and I were asked to using the large packages, I’d suggest getting
conduct a number of interviews. While I a 512 MB or 1 GB drive. Remember that you’ll
had sound recording and editing software need space not only for your applications, but
called Audacity on my ThinkPad, he didn’t for your files as well.
have it on his computer. Luckily, I had a
USB flash drive with PortableApps and Conclusion
the portable version of Audacity. He was PortableApps enables you to compute on
able to do his interviews without a hitch, the go in a package that literally fits in your
and without having to contend with the pocket. While PortableApps won’t replace
hotel’s sometimes spotty Internet con- your desktop or notebook computer, it’s
nection in order to download Audacity. a quick, easy to use, and convenient way
to get work done while you’re away from
home. You don’t have to worry about
Choosing the Right USB flash drive
losing or damaging an expensive piece of
I tested PortableApps using three USB flash hardware or leaving your “footprint” on a
drives that I had lying around. Two were computer that’s accessible to the public.
generic and one was of decent quality. -- one
was a giveaway and the other I bought at the
HongQiao market in Beijing last summer. The
third was a SanDisk USB flash drive. The two
generic drives performed reasonably well,
but I noticed that the access and write times
were slow. The USB flash drive that I bought
in Beijing suddenly failed. The SanDisk drive,
though, is still performing very well. The
lesson here: buy the best USB flash drive that
you can afford.
even the most Internet-savvy users face the encourages you to forward them to spam@
dangers of identity theft if they’re not careful. uce.gov, reportphishing@antiphishing.org
and to the company being impersonated.
Before entering usernames and passwords,
verify that websites are secure by looking
for the https:// in the URL and the logo of a
closed yellow lock in the lower right corner
of the browser window (or just to the right
of to the URL field in IE7.) One caveat does
hold, however: Hackers hover like hawks
over new technologies, and they will resort
to forgery of these same digital security
measures in the pursuit of wealth. Online
job seekers make themselves especially
vulnerable to attack by leaving contact in-
formation and personal histories on bulletin
According to a joint report issued by the boards. Always verify the validity of a source
US Department of Homeland Security and before uploading personal information.
the Anti-Phishing Working Group, online
thievery is a billion dollar industry and
growing in sophistication as technology
advances. Between March and April 2007
alone, Antiphishing.org reported a substantial
increase (55,643 in April compared to 20,871
in March) of unique phishing expeditions
targeting email, social networking sites
and voice-over-IP (VOIP) applications.
Protecting Yourself
The best protection against Internet piracy
is not disclosing any information. If you
don’t know the person, don’t say anything, Thwarting unauthorized access to your
and don’t click on any links within an email desktop or notebook computer should be
message without first verifying the request a top priority as well as creating a barrier
with the legitimate entity the messenger between you and the pirates. Use antivirus,
purports to represent. A quick search for the firewall, and anti-spyware software on your
company in Google or Yahoo will give you the system, and update these programs regularly.
relevant information. If the alleged entity is Internet Explorer and Firefox provide excellent
your bank or credit card institution, use the tools to monitor fraudulent sites. The
contact number listed on your statements. phishing filter bundled in Internet Explorer 7
As a general rule, reputable companies will (located under the Tools menu) warns users
not collect personal information over the of potentially threatening phishing sites by
Internet because of lax security. If the comparing the website against a confirmed
emails are indeed spam, the government list of suspect sites. Firefox’s anti-phishing
feature functions in much the same way as 04. Contact the Social Security Admin-
the IE7 filter (access this feature by going to istration to report fraudulent activity.
Tools Options Security). For an extra 05. Report thefts to the local police.
layer of protection, download Earthlink’s free
Scamblocker tool-bar add-on application, 06. File a complaint with the Federal Trade
which also warns users of the security risks Commission (www.ftc.org) and the FTC’s Fraud
and ID Theft Division (www.consumer.gov/
associated with a website. Finally, change idtheft).
the default password of your broadband
router and/or Wireless Access Point (WAP), 07. If your bills do not arrive on time,
remove access to unnecessary services like receive denials of credit for any unknown
FTP and Telnet on servers, and block unused reason or find purchases you did not make,
ports to prevent tampering or scanning by call your financial institution immediately.
hackers. If your wireless network hardware
supports it, enable WPA or WPA2 protec- Final Words
tion, even if you are currently using WEP Internet piracy is very much alive and rearing
which has been inadequate since 2003. its ugly head. It is important to stay vigilant
and avoid becoming a victim of identity
Careful and frequent review of your financial
theft and the financial ruin that can ensue.
statements will alert you to any unauthor-
Closing backdoor security lapses, avoiding
ized charges against your accounts. Contact
unfamiliar emails altogether, and maintain-
your bank or credit card company and
ing your security and antivirus software will
alert them immediately to any suspicious
aid in the fight against malicious hackers.
activity. You are not liable for credit card
charges you do not authorize. Remember
– unless you initiate the contact, reject
all requests for personal information.
Damage Control
If you suspect yourself to be a victim
of identity theft, you can take the
following measures to minimize damage
to your financial reputation:
01. Change your passwords. Select passwords
that do not disclose identifying details and cannot
be associated with you (e.g., your birthday.)
Blogger
Blogger is one of the oldest blogging ap-
plications around. In existence since 1999, it
in an interface that resembles a simple word
processor. With a mouse click or two, you can
add paragraph formatting, tables, images, and
lists. If you’re so inclined, you can also edit
the HTML code directly.
of HTML and of Cascading Style Sheets (which out a few years ago by another company (in
enables you to apply formatting to HTML this case Six Apart). And, like Blogger, LiveJour-
documents). Recently, though, the folks at nal is a quick and easy way to start blogging.
Google introduced a feature that allows you to
customize your template without getting your
hands dirty.
WordPress
WordPress is a very powerful and flexible
blogging application. It can be easy to
install, and you can customize it to your
heart’s content. And once a WordPress blog
is up and running, it’s easy to maintain.
There are three ways to get a WordPress
blog. The first is to download the WordPress
software from WordPress.org. Or, you can sign
up for an account that’s hosted at WordPress.
com. If your Web hosting company supports
it, the other way is to automatically install You can extend the functions of a WordPress
WordPress using a Web application like Fan- blog using plug-ins. Plug-ins are like little
tastico or cPanel, which many hosts provide. programs that you can attach to your blog,
or to the built-in editor. They enable you
One of the unique features of WordPress is its to add any number of features to your
ability to import content from other blogging blog, like convert entries to a PDF document,
applications like Blogger, GrayMatter, LiveJour- add custom tables to a post, block spam
nal, and TypePad. The process is quite simple, comments, post entries using a mobile
and WordPress guides you through it. I’ve phone, or integrate a media player into a
migrated two blogs from Blogger to WordPress post. You can find a very large and com-
and the process was fairly smooth and rela- prehensive collection of plug-ins here.
tively painless.
Other Options
The blogging applications discussed in this
TechTip aren’t the only games in town; there
are many other blogging tools out there. If
you’re of a more technical bent, you might
want to check out Drupal, Movable Type, or
Bloxsom (pronounced blossom). They’re not
all that easy to use and set up -- requiring a
Web server and a database. Some Web hosting
companies, though, enable you to install them
in your Web space using Fantastico or cPanel.
If you have a little money to burn, then a
good hosted option is TypePad. TypePad is
Like the other blogging services described based on Movable Type, and is meant for busi-
in this TechTip, WordPress has a simple word nesses and professionals.
processor-like interface and comes with a
handful of templates (called themes). These You can also blog from your desktop using
themes are quite boring, but you can find a Thingamablog or Bash Blogger. Thingamablog
more -- either at the WordPress Web site or by is a multi-operating system graphical
doing a Google search. tool that makes blogging very easy. All
of your information is stored in text files,
Which to Choose?
That can be a difficult question to answer.
It all depends on your needs, your technical
skills, and your level of commitment to
blogging. If you just want a simple blog, and
don’t want to worry about doing too much
maintenance on your own, then Blogger
and LiveJournal are probably your best bet.
With them, blogs are easy to maintain and
just about everything (aside from writing
blog entries) is taken care of for you.
On the other hand, the hosted version of
WordPress is a good option if you want a
little more flexibility and a number of useful
features. For the control freak, then, a copy
of WordPress installed on a Web site is the
way to go. It’s fairly easy to install, configure,
and to expand upon. But you’ll need some
knowledge of database technologies (like
MySQL ) and Web servers to deal with any
problems that may arise with your blog.
If you’re a BlogJet
blogger, then “A good blogging For Windows, there’s BlogJet. In a tight little
chances are client can make interface, you can write and edit your blog
you write and writing, editing, posts with the same ease as using a word
post most and posting blog processor. It works with many of the major
(if not all) blogging applications out there – including
entries a breeze.”
of your blog WordPress, Blogger, Movable Type, and TypePad –
entries using and has a number of interesting, but at the
the interface same time useful, features.
that is provided by your blogging software
or service. But, it doesn’t have to be that
way. A good blogging client can make writing,
editing, and posting blog entries a breeze.
it still does pretty well in that area. Two appli- the application – Drivel supports multiple
cations that stand out are BloGTK and Drivel. accounts. From there, you supply a password
(unless you want Drivel to remember it) and
BloGTK once connected to your blog you just start
BloGTK is a small and simple blogging writing— it’s that simple. While Drivel doesn’t
client. There’s nothing incredibly fancy or offer much in the way of formatting options,
groundbreaking about it, but it’s easy to it does have one feature lacking in many
use and it gets the job done. The interface blogging clients: the ability to add a polls to
is quite simple -- just a few buttons for a LiveJournal blog. So, if you want to see what
formatting your blog entries and an area the favorite movie of your visitors is, you can
in which to type, and that’s about it. quickly construct a poll and insert it into your
On top of that,
you can post
to multiple
blogging ap-
plications from
BloGTK. Blogger
seems to be
the main focus,
while Movable
Type and blogs
that support
the MetaWeblog
framework (like LiveJournal. My only wish is that Drivel could
WordPress and Windows Live Spaces) are also add polls to other blogging applications, too.
supported. Your formatting options, though,
are limited to ordinary paragraphs, lists, While the applications discussed in this
tables, aligning text, and some character for- TechTip are solid, they tie you down to a
matting. Then again, unless you’re doing some single operating system. If you’re interested in
serious design in your posts, that’s pretty having a little more freedom while blogging,
much all you need. check out part two of this TechTip. It intro-
duces a pair of blogging tools that can be used
Drivel Journal Editor on any operating system, and three that you
Drivel resembles BloGTK in many ways. The can use from your favorite Web browser.
interface is quite spartan; even more so than
BloGTK – there are no buttons, just menus.
You can use it to post to multiple accounts
and blogging applications, though Drivel offers
only limited formatting options. That said, I
find Drivel to be easier to use.
WriteToMyBlog
WriteToMyBlog is an online word processor that
you can use to create posts for your blog.
Well, as long as you use Blogger, TypePad, Google Docs & Spreadsheets
WordPress, or Movable Type, that is. While its Google Docs & Spreadsheets is a powerful and
range of supported blogging applications is popular online productivity tool. While it can’t
limited, WriteToMyBlog makes up for that with match the features and power of Microsoft
its range for formatting options. Office or OpenOffice.org, Google Docs &
Spreadsheets can help you tackle a good
WriteToMyBlog’s toolbar gives you access to a number of your productivity chores. The Docs
far greater number of formatting options than component isn’t just a word processor -- it’s