1. USB or eSata?

    March 6, 2010 by admin

    One major grouse of any computer user is the lack of storage space. As hard drives grow in size, files also seem to grow exponentially. It is hard to imagine a time when 1.44 MB floppy disks allowed a user to carry around multiple files.

    As users run out of storage space and physical space within the computer casing itself, they often find themselves turning to external storage devices. The reason why this was always a second choice is that external devices are always more expensive than internal devices. However, with mobility and sharing becoming priorities, the trend is changing. Users are shifting more and more towards portable devices and that brings them to the question, “Which technology should I choose?”

    We will briefly examine two methods which are appealing to users.

    USB 2.0 - This is currently THE most popular technology for external storage devices. This is because every single computer manufacturer has included USB technology in their computers. Therefore, making a storage device that uses this technology was a surefire winner. The only drawback is that as fast as USB 2.0 is, in this day and age even that speed of 30-35 MB/s is a little slow with the huge files that are being transferred. While the world waits for USB 3.0 (with transfers up to 400 MB/s), there is another alternative.

    eSata - Simply put, eSata is just the external version of a Sata drive that sits inside a computer. This makes it one of the fastest external storage devices with transfer rates up to 300 MB/s. One of the disadvantages is that the cable length can only go up to a maximum 2 m, less than half of the length supported by USB.

    The choice is really up to the user; neither technology can be put down and therefore the deciding factor will always boil down to cost.

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  2. A Short Introduction to Biometrics

    March 5, 2010 by admin

    Through the ages, verification of a person’s identity has always been an issue. Many different methods have been used over time, each replacing the previous one when loopholes were found. As successive technologies “fail”, security breaches and transaction fraud grows in numbers and in magnitude. This is why researchers are trying to perfect security systems that are based on Biometrics.

    Biometric analysis is used with the aid of computer algorithms to detect a person’s voice, signature, face, iris, retina, finger print and even hand geometry. In very high security situations all of these aspects could be examined, but in most other situations as few as two or three of these are examined.

    The reason why this form of security is becoming popular is that it is very difficult to crack. All aspects other than the signature and perhaps voice is very difficult to reproduce and therefore almost impossible to crack. In an age where privacy is becoming a rare commodity and personal information is being publicly disseminated, protecting what is left is an absolute priority.

    Biometrics was once found exclusively within secure government agencies and installations. But as the cost of manufacturing detection devices comes down it is finding its way into the public domain as well. Many laptop manufacturers are already shipping units that have fingerprint scanners as alternatives to passwords. Offices have widely adopted fingerprint scanners to replace employee work login times.

    As the technology grows and improves, it will only be a matter of time before we do away with remembering a multitude of passwords and carrying documentation to prove who we are.

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  3. Why Windows slows down over time

    February 5, 2010 by admin

    Seasoned Windows users have a great solution for a slow Windows PC, along the lines of “format the system and reinstall everything”. Even though this sounds drastic and time consuming, it is actually the best way to go about rectifying the speed problem. However, this is not the solution for everyone as there are other ways to rectify the problem.

    Employ a registry cleaner. Windows registries can become bloated and fragmented over time. Imagine a football-sized filing cabinet, full of files placed in no order and imagine locating five specific files from that gigantic mess. Now that in the virtual world, is what the registry looks like after a long period of use. A good registry cleaning software will soon have you out of this mess. A word of caution, always backup your registry before you begin.

    Another fragmentation culprit is the hard disk. The data on this also becomes fragmented over time due to files being stored, deleted, copied or moved. Using the disk defragmenter that comes with Windows should rectify this issue.

    Uninstall programs you do not use as they load up services and files into memory so that they can function faster. You should run the registry cleaner after this operation, as some entries are not completely removed during the uninstall process.

    A virus scanner and spyware scanner are essential. As more and more of our functions shift toward the internet, we grow ever more reliant on online services. Unfortunately, this opens us up to attack from hackers and other malicious forces on the internet. Viruses and spyware can also be primary causes in slowing down PCs and hence, protection is essential. If possible, you should look into installing a firewall as well.

    These measures should have your PC operating at a decent speed. Regular maintenance will keep your PC in good health and help avoid many problems.

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  4. Firefox increases speed by 15%

    by admin

    Mozilla has been working desperately to stay alive in the browser wars and Mozilla Firefox 3.6 is an improvement over Firefox 3.5 but only just. In the battle for JavaScript rendering Firefox 3.6 is 15 % faster than Firefox 3.5, three times as fast as Opera 10 and over four times as fast as Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8.

    Sadly, the Mozilla browser cannot compare to the browsing giants Safari and Chrome. Apple’s Safari browser is twice as fast as Firefox 3.6 and Chrome is almost at the same level. Between the two giants, Safari is only 6.5% ahead of Google’s Chrome browser according to the last benchmark test that was held between the two by Computerworld in November 2009. It is ironic that Firefox has been beaten at its own game as it was Mozilla about two years ago that was proudly parading the TraceMonkey JavaScript engine, which boosted JavaScript performance.

    Mozilla’s push is a continuing trend in the browser wars; even Microsoft has woken up and announced an expected performance increase in the upcoming version of IE. According to Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft’s president of Windows and Windows Live, IE 9 will give Chrome and Safari a run for their money. Based on the surprising stability and optimization of Windows 7, this bodes well for IE users.
    On the Acid3 benchmark test, Firefox 3.6 scores a respectable 92, only beaten (obviously) by Safari and Chrome who both score the maximum 100 points. IE can only manage 24 points.

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  5. How Clean are Your Computers?

    January 28, 2010 by admin

    Would you consider grabbing a sandwich after you touch a toilet seat? Would you consider eating a sandwich after touching your keyboard? Out of the two scenarios above, the cleaner option is the one that involves the toilet seat. Surprising, right?

    Studies have found that toilet seats contain 80% less bacteria than keyboards. This is because restrooms are cleaned regularly and hygiene is a priority in offices. The keyboard and mouse are not even considered for a complimentary wipe down. This is a matter for concern and must be taken seriously. The cleanliness of computer equipment that you constantly use is very important. Humans with their quirks such as nail biting, nose digging, rubbing the eyes, etc. transmit bacteria when at the workstation.

    Proper care must be taken by administrators in an office to make sure that these items are cleaned as well. This not only ensures better health for the employees, it also results in more productivity and less downtime for the office. The cleaning company must also be carefully selected, and the chemicals that they use for cleaning must be reviewed thoroughly before being given the green light. Improper methods can lead to a variety of incidents that range from letters being erased from keyboards to chemical fumes affecting employees.

    These concerns are not limited to the office only. Even in your home, you should make an effort to keep your computer equipment clean. After all, good hygiene is good living.

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  6. Why Are Printed Circuit Boards Green?

    by admin

    Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are everywhere. In your computer, DVD player, Mobile Phone, Car Stereo, etc. Anything electrical these days is guaranteed to have a PCB within it.

    If you have ever looked at one, they seem to resemble a miniature city. The analogy (of a miniature city) is not too far off the mark. The tiny buildings are places where electrical signals need to go to and the roadways are the means they use to do it. PCBs have played an active role in the process of eliminating wires and miniaturization. In fact, you may be surprised to know that they have been around for over one hundred years.

    The underlay of a PCB is formed using a very thin layer of Copper and usually, several layers can exist in any given PCB. Sometimes Nickel is used instead of Copper but the idea is to have a layer that will allow electricity to be conducted. The top layer or the overlay needs to be made of a non-conducting material. For this, the popular choice has been Green Epoxy Resin. Since it is very effective and most importantly inexpensive, almost all PCBs you encounter will look green. The cost factor is very significant when you consider the millions of PCBs that are manufactured in the world today. Ultimately, someone will purchase them, and using the most cost-effective materials in production makes sense.

    If you are interested, there are many different do-it-yourself kits that are available, where you can play around and create your own PCBs which will perform a simple function.

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  7. Computer Maintenance Guidelines

    January 23, 2010 by admin

    Computers, just like cars and other mechanical devices, need to have maintenance performed on them regularly. However, this article does not deal with the hardware maintenance, but rather the software side of maintenance, which is often forgotten.

    Software, as most people do not realize, also needs to be kept in order. More often than not, the software that you get contains a few undiscovered bugs, some unpolished corners and even some loopholes in the code that allow hackers to exploit them. These can be fixed by installing software updates. In the past, the prevalent method involved manually checking for, downloading and installing the updates. Now, most software vendors have taken to the automatic delivery of software updates. This generally happens through the application you purchased, which is put into effect the moment you register. Whenever you see an alert for a software update, make sure you install it as quickly as possible. This is especially important in the case of operating systems, virus scanners and firewall updates.

    Other than this, you can take some steps to make sure your data is protected as well. Make data backups a part of your schedule. Once a week or in two weeks is an acceptable frequency. You should also scan your hard drives for viruses regularly, once a day if possible. Hackers are always finding new ways to infiltrate systems so it is better to be safe than sorry. One other thing you can do to stay safe is to change your password whenever you can. This helps keep any unwanted characters from getting into your system and stealing valuable data.

    The best way to keep track of all these tasks is to make a schedule with a checklist and stick to it religiously. This will ensure that your computer stays in good working order for a long time.

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  8. Used Computers Are a Good Buy

    by admin

    Computers and cars are prime examples of quick depreciation. The moment you purchase either of these products and leave the showroom, they have depreciated considerably. This has nothing to do with being cheated but all to do with the nature of the product. Once owned, the value is drastically reduced.

    Computers, in particular, tend to lose their value very quickly over time. This can hurt your finances quite a bit, especially if you had decided to purchase the top-end configuration that was available at that time. Computers such as these cost a lot more because they feature hardware that is not yet available en masse in the market. Therefore, you end up paying a premium. This is justified if you are a power user who is constantly at the computer using up every little bit of performance it has to offer. However, if you do not fit into that category and just want to use your computer on and off for email, surfing, playing a game or two, etc then a top-end purchase is a bad idea because you are wasting your money.

    A better alternative is to purchase a used computer. Using the theory of depreciation mentioned above, it is very likely to be able to purchase a computer with a decent configuration for a very low price. For example, a Desktop computer with a P4 processor can go for as cheaply as $90. At that rate, you can get one, use it as you wish, and not bother about taking care of it as if it does go bust at some point, you can easily replace it with another. This type of purchase saves you a lot of money and makes a lot of sense with the recession affecting the economy.

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  9. How to Connect Your iPod Touch to Bluetooth Speakers

    January 14, 2010 by admin

    Finally, the iPod Touch can connect to Bluetooth speakers. Originally, the iPod touch did not support Bluetooth out-of-the-box, but now you have to perform a simple software upgrade and ‘voila’, the iPod has Bluetooth support. Yes, this means that you had the technology to do Bluetooth based operations but had to wait until Apple kindly consented to allowing you to do so.

    However, there is no point in griping about it now that you can finally connect to other devices via Bluetooth. Before you run off to hook up your Bluetooth speakers to your iPod, there are a few things to bear in mind.

    Software version & iPod - First, check your serial number against the Apple website to determine which type of iPod you possess. You will need a Second Generation or newer iPod to proceed. Once you have confirmed that, check your software version number. To do this, simply select Settings-> General-> Version number. This will inform you as to which version of the OS you possess. If you do not have version 3.0, it strongly recommended that you upgrade to the latest OS available. This might involve a small sum (possibly about $5) but it will be worth it.

    Speaker instructions - Do not throw away the box and instructions that came with the Bluetooth speakers. They contain important information that relates their connectivity. More often than not, Bluetooth devices have their own peculiar way of being discoverable and more importantly, have their own unique PIN number. You will need to follow the instructions to make the speakers discoverable to you iPod and hold on to the PIN number so that you can enter it when asked to do so. To search for your speakers, simply select Settings-> General-> Bluetooth and turn your Bluetooth on. Once turned on, you will see your speakers as one of the discovered devices.

    Keep these tips in mind and you will find it easy to enjoy music off your wireless speakers, using the iPod.

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  10. Three Ways to Type Faster

    January 13, 2010 by admin

    As more and more people opt for work-at-home jobs, many are finding that the jobs involve a lot of typing. If you are one of those who find yourself in this position, it is necessary to upgrade your typing skills so that you save a lot of time. Let’s face it; single finger pecking is not going to get us anywhere, is it? So here’s three ways to improve your typing skills:

    Position - Your fingers have predefined roles in where they should rest and where they should reach. It is imperative that you learn them as those positions form the initial steps in learning to type. Look online for a free typing tutorial which will help you learn these positions.

    Practice, practice, practice - This point cannot be emphasized enough. No matter what you learn you must always practice it to be good at it let alone be perfect. Typing is a skill that requires a lot of practice to improve your understanding of the layout of the letters on your keyboard as well as to improve your speed. In your search for an online tutorial, you will come across many typing tutorial games. Go ahead and play them, you will find a fun way of improving your typing skills.

    Do not peek - It is probably the hardest thing to do when you start off, but try your hardest not to look at the keyboard when you are typing. At first, you will make many mistakes and might even get frustrated. But if you keep at it you will find that your fingers automatically move to the right locations without you even thinking about it. To motivate yourself, drape a hand towel over your hands and go through your practice sessions.

    Typing is like riding a bicycle, it takes time to learn but once you get it you can only get better at it. So practice, practice and practice away!

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