Archive for the ‘General Tech’ Category

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The Best Christmas Gadgets For Your Technically Minded Friend

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

There are certainly plenty of options available when buying a Christmas gift for your technically minded (geek) buddy, but sometimes the brain doesn’t stretch when it comes to making a choice. One way you could brainstorm is to hop on the internet and bring back a bunch of gadget stores in a search. Some websites allow customers to give their reviews of the most popular technology products, but if you want some ideas on finding the best Christmas gadgets, right now then what follows here are a few simple suggestions to get you started.

Your geek friend might be one of those people, who is never long away from his computer. If he is smart, then maybe he’d be into a computer programming book or some other book of a technical nature? These can be interesting as well as handy references when it comes to performing certain computer tasks. Computer magazines are an alternative computer gift, that offer plenty of nice new information on the latest and fastest processors, RAM, hard drives and other computer hardware and software that your friend might enjoy reading about.

For gadget crazy geeks, a quick way you could search for the best gifts to give him this Christmas is to get on Google and type in “top 10 Christmas gadgets 2010“. There are tons of new cell phones and other cool gadgets that are constantly flooding onto the market, offering you plenty of great options that will be sure to pique his interest. The down side is that many technologically minded folk are quite particular about the versions of gadget products they want and if you think this might be the case with your good buddy, then you could instead give a gift certificate so as to allow him to make his own choice.

There are also countless novelty items and while the best Christmas gadgets tend to be those that offer some practical value, a great gift need not do so. You could buy him a geeky t-shirt for instance or a poster than you think he’ll like, or a star-wars figurine toy and many countless other novelty items that you think will tickle his fancy. There are plenty of novelty portable memory keys to choose from and other gifts that are related to computers like external hard drives, printers and a multi-button advanced optical mouse for his PC. Buying gifts for a geek, is not too hard, once you get your imagination on the task, when it comes to buying a great gift for your techie friend, you can start with the ideas mentioned here or broaden your search by seeking out infinite more options online.

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The Crosley Record Player

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

To many music fans, vinyl records have an undying appeal that is just mystifying and captivating at the same time. It is a beloved medium of music that, despite the arrival of CDs, DVDs, and multiple digital formats, they are still being collected, and in some cases, manufactured, even today. One of the biggest hurdles in enjoying vinyl records, however, are the players. There are many modern turntables available today, but to many, the classic look of yesteryears is still preferred. For these people, the Crosley record player is the best option.

Crosley record players combine classic, old-fashioned designs, and cutting-edge modern technology to give people highly reliable, and high quality vinyl record players. The classic exterior gives the nostalgic feel that most vinyl record lovers enjoy, and is offered in a variety of styles and designs that span the decades long history of the vinyl record. Elegant wooden boxes of the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s, are recreated in stunning detail, while the funky colors of the 60’s and 70’s are duplicated down to the last shade of color. There’s also the new-wave style of the 80’s to be enjoyed by fans.

The modern technology offer fans other features that are unavailable to the older players, like being able to copy the music into CDs or other digital formats, connecting to computers, and varying speeds of play. Most importantly, modern technology provides Crosley players with advanced mechanics that produce high quality sound, and ensure proper playing each and every time.

And for those who wish to play their vinyl records on the go, there’s the Crosley Revolution, a Crosley portable record player that works similar to a portable CD or DVD player. The record is secured in place like a clamp or a stapler would secure paper, and the device then reads it with no change in quality. Like the other Crosley players, the Revolution has advanced features as well.

Crosley is definitely the brand to go to for vinyl record fans.

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Powerful and Portable 5-Inch Dell Streak

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

A tablet? A netbook? A smartphone? Dell Streak is a little bit of all. Packed with a variety of features, it is by far the most talked about mobile device by Dell. Slim and slick with a vivid 5-inch WVGA screen, Dell Streak is beautifully designed and cofortable to use. The screen is made with Gorills Grass to make it a more durable portable device.

Dell has used the Google Android operating system and has enhanced features in the compact device. You can access over 38,000 applications via the Android marketplace and the number is growing. There is a clear Google Voice support and an integrated Google Maps app with a voice-activated search. Dell Streak is powered with 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 512 MB RAM.

Dell Streak comes with a VGA front-facing 5 megapixel autofocus camera that is tested to provide high quality snapshots. It is especially good for those professionals who are constantly working in the field and require web-based applications on their phone. There is Bluetooth, 3G connectivity and built-in Wi-Fi that enables easy access to downloading music and videos, updating social networks like Twitter and FaceBook, and staying well connected at all times through emails, sms and voice calls.

The price for this type of device is a little on the higher side at $300 with a 2-year contract and $550 without a contract.

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The Growing Influence of 3D Scanning

Sunday, October 10th, 2010

3D scanning technologies continues to grow and become a part of everyday reality. This technology has been used in art and film and is quickly becoming a part of the business world. In fact there are companies that customize 3D scanners for various purposes as well as provide 3D scanning services for their clients.

Many companies seek these services for various purposes. Hospitals have already utilized digital rendering in CT and MRI scans for years. 3D scanning provides a digital representation of an object which is great for those who plan and/or build products such as aircrafts, boats, buildings and cars. These 3D representations help them analyze competition, capture performance surfaces, create CAD data, improve quality, measure parts and make them fit by scaling them, save storage space and provide a rapid prototype for products among other tasks. In this case, these digital renderings of actual products help with improving the overall efficiency of an operation and eliminate the need for physical models. There are many brands of digital scanners including ATOS, CyberWare, Dimensional Photonics, Faro, Handyscan 3D/ZScanner, Immersion MicroScribe, Laser Design, Konica Minolta, Leica, Metris, NextEngine, Optigo, Polhemus, ROMER, Trimble and VX Technologies.

There are also software programs such as CATIA, Geomagic, Metris Focus, Photomodeler, Pro/E, Rapidform, Rhinoceros and SolidWorks that allow companies to provide their own in-house 3D scanning needs. 3D digital scanning comes in a variety of technologies. Besides CT and MRI scanning, the technology is used in CMMs, computer vision, destructive slicing, geosurvey scanning, GPS, interferometry, laser scanning, photogrammetry, sonar, stereoscopic, theodolites, touch probes and white light scanning. Many of these technologies are familiar to most but may not have been associated with 3D technology. However, as the world grows more accustomed to digital technology, new develops will continue to make scanning 3D images as familiar as television.

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The Importance of an Outsourced IT Department

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

Outsourcing can be a great business strategy and it is an opportunity that company owners are looking more into these days. It can especially be advantageous to outsource the IT department because other countries have technical experts at low costs. This is a good solution for companies that are downsizing and trying to minimize their costs. Outsourcing as a business strategy is a way of getting human resources, particularly IT personnel, from other companies.

Some companies favor this outsourcing activity for a lot of reasons. The main reason these business owners favor outsourcing is because of its cost effectiveness and great value. An outsourced data center often costs less than hiring IT personnel to run the system. If outsourcing is done overseas, then the IT employees are often much less expensive. Even if you don’t outsource your IT department overseas you can still save money by outsourcing within the United States. This is because there are businesses set up that already have trained IT staff on hand ready to perform any functions you can throw at them. Outsourcing this way saves you hiring and training costs.

One drawback of outsourcing is that it downsizes the number of IT personnel in your organization. There is no getting around the fact that this is a bad deal for your company and could affect employee morale. However, this outsourcing has positive effects elsewhere. Its impact on other companies and locations is quite beneficial. It offers more job opportunities for locations that have lower employment rates and can even help increase the working capital of a country. IT department outsourcing offers a good venue for people around the world who are equipped with skills and knowledge to be part of your company.

Before companies opt for an IT outsourcing strategy, they should first consider the pros and cons that it will bring to the company as well as the IT personnel and clients. Basically, outsourcing is a good way for the company to save a lot of money, but it can hurt employee morale and damage customer relations. Some customers dislike having to work with someone that doesn’t understand them fully. In these cases, it may be best to only outsource IT services that aren’t customer oriented.

Outsourcing allows the management team of the company to have more time and energy for important tasks, rather than facing the burden of managing their IT resources. However, if you have a large IT department now, don’t expect to see this benefit right away. The transition to IT department outsourcing can take months and initially it will be time consuming.

Outsourcing strategies have benefits and drawbacks. However, if these drawbacks are properly managed by your company, then you can be assured of increased productivity and profitability.

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Kinect Fitness Games: A Fun Way to Keep Fit

Monday, October 4th, 2010

Introduced for the first time by Xbox 360, the Kinect Fitness Games are sure to capture a huge market for gamers as well as fitness freaks. Due to be launched in November 2010, Kinect Fitness Games are a fun and enjoyable way to lose those extra pounds without having to go to a gym or indulge in a diet plan. They will make you jump off the couch and in to the game with your hands, feet and other body parts for a great workout. The best thing is that there is no need for a controller. The Kinect motion camera equipped with motion sensor and voice recognition software intelligently recognizes your body movements and voice commands. Also, there is a heart is a heart sensor that sends out real time signals for complete heart monitoring during the game.

There are many interesting games for Kinect to suit the choice of each individual. Your Shape: Fitness Evolved is one of these, designed for a complete body workout for men and women. Zumba Fitness features dance sessions and there are many styles to choose from. These include Reggaeton, Merengue, Salsa, Cumbia, Hip-Hop, Mambo, Rumba, Flamenco and Calypso. Another interesting release is The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout. In this game, players can maintain fitness diaries and even have a workout buddy. Mel B from Spice Girls has also announced a new fitness game with a collection of her favorite workout activities.

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Asus Battery Charger

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

The importance of battery charger is known to everyone. Whether it is Acer laptop charger or Asus laptop charger, you simply need one in order to use your laptop. In this article I will briefly go over battery charger for laptop.

We have seen too many brands of laptop spreading around the computer shops. It has been considered as the necessity nowadays as it helps us ease our work and connects people across the globe. With the new innovation of computer, it accentuates new features that are distinct from other brands. Laptop as portable as it is has battery on its unit to work it possibly even in secluded places or where electrical switches are not available.

Battery is the power of our unit where we rely too much especially when our works demand constant traveling. It equates with processor and toils the data we needed. It makes it confusing how we choose the right brand with quality battery life on it. It makes it confusing and tends on picking one that has recorded high on gross sale.

This device too has restrictions and depends on the life span manufacturers created. Like Asus, as the leading producer of technology device has proven worth in the market. It supplies gadgets to other brands and starts of the distinct characteristics of their product. Accompanied with regaining power on battery life is having a charger which has distinct features from one another.

Asus charger are built in strong exterior design. It works well and was tested to perform better even in environment where signal zone is at zero level. Aside from the fact that this gadget last longer than other brands. It helps re-amplify the power of your battery in a short period of time. This has shown extreme activity in bringing back the strength of your laptop.

It was said that this charger complements with other clone computers. It works similar to how it functions on its brand. This what makes this charger a top choice among customers aside from its availability always in the shop. This is quite inexpensive to note and worthy to own. You can never go wrong with Asus products as its company has made it sure to introduce only calibre products beyond the customer’s satisfaction.

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An Overview of CB Radios

Friday, October 1st, 2010

Citizens’ Band radio (also known as CB radio) is a two-way radio system intended for short distance communication, which uses channelized frequencies. There are 40 CB channels being shared by many users, but it started with only 23 channels. In many countries, this kind of technology is used for both personal communication and business purposes. This type of radio is distinct from amateur radio, Family Radio Service (FRS), General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), and Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS).

The use of CB radio originated in the United States and CB radio services began to operate in 1945. It is one of the radio services regulated by an independent agency of the US government, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Class D CB radios used to operate on the 460 MHz – 470 MHz UHF band in 1948. However, in the 1970’s class D CB service was regulated by the FCC on the 27 MHz band, which is now known as “CB”, reassigning the former for business and public safety purposes.

CB radios use a non-license short-distance radio communication system, which is widely used by drivers and most people associate them with truckers. In emergency situations, CB radios proved their worth and usefulness. The Radio Emergency Associated Communications Teams (REACT), provide the victims a link of communication to medical emergency services or even to volunteer organizations in times of crisis.

In the 1970’s and early 1980’s, CB radio reached its peak of popularity. It served as a practical two-way radio system for distinct types of users including truck drivers, radio hobbyists, and other individual consumers that needed a short-range radio to help them communicate and accomplish a particular task. It was also prominently used in TV shows and movies which significantly increased its popularity to the public.

Due to the development and existence of a more advanced technology such as the Family Radio Services, internet, and mobile phones, many citizens lost much of their interest on CB radios. The advent of these new technologies in the recent decades, which are capable of clearly transmitting long-distance communication, gave CB radios a declining appeal to the public. Although most people refer them as obsolete, CB radios have excellent uses. Mainly used for communication, CB radios can be used for personal and business purposes. They can also be used to report accidents and to ask for medical assistance. They are used by drivers to give advance warning of traffic build-ups to their fellow drivers. Drivers heading on strange places often get directions on where to go from CB radios.  They even make motorcycle CB radios. Some shippers and consignees get the benefit of being notified of dispatch and arrival of goods or shipments with the use of CB radios.

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PC Upgrade Tips: Three Key Hardware Improvements Worth Doing

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

In these recessionary times, it makes more sense to do a PC upgrade of computer components than spend money on a brand new PC. This article takes a look at the three principal upgrades you can consider.

Adding RAM memory is one of the more common computer repair and maintenance tasks done in repair shops, and is the most effective way of boosting the speed of your computer. Current prices for RAM are very cheap so it is an economic will option to consider. Installation is done as follows:

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  • Research on the computer maker’s website how much RAM your motherboard will support and what type of RAM is needed. Purchase the appropriate memory.
  • Shut down the PC and disconnect the power cable.
  • Open the casing and locate the memory slots.
  • If there are empty slots then use those. Align the new RAM into the slots and securely press down then pushed down the securing tabs at either end. If there are no empty slots then remove some of the previous memory first by pressing down on the tabs at either end and then removing the memory.
  • Close the case and restart the PC.

Adding a new graphics card is often considered if you are you playing games or watching HD content. You may also consider doing this if using multiple monitors. Installation goes as follows:

  • Purchase a graphics card according to which connection interfaces you have on your PC (PCI/VGA).
  • Shut down the PC completely and open the case.
  • Place the graphics card into one of the available slots at the back of your computer and connect up a power supply cable. Use the available screws with the product to secure the card to the frame.
  • Close the case and restart the PC.

Upgrading your hard drive is often worth doing if you are beginning to run out of space on your existing drive. The simplest option is to go for external hard drive that can be connected via USB/FireWire. Alternatively, you could install internal hard drive as follows:

  • Purchase a new hard drive.
  • Shut down the PC and open the case.
  • Place the new hard disk in one of the available slots at the front of the PC and connect up a power connection and use this SATA/IDE information cable to connect to the motherboard.
  • Close up the case and restart.

Other PC upgrade tasks worth doing included adding USB ports are upgrading your sound card. These use the same PCI connections as a graphics card and are installed in a similar fashion. However, you could additionally use a USB splitter to increase the amount of USB ports if your PC already has 1 or 2 available.

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Finding Breathalyzer Reviews

Monday, September 27th, 2010

At gift giving time, why not consider a gift that can both keep your loved one safer while really showing how much you care about them. A gift that can help someone make a critical decision at a critical time that might affect other people. I am talking about giving a personal breathalyzer as a gift to the loved ones in your live.

If you have not seen the latest versions of these high tech devices, you are missing out on a very popular little safety gadget. Breathalyzers are now marketed that are small enough to fit in a pocket or purse and go unseen by anyone nearby. These devices are as accurate as anything that law enforcement is using, so you can be sure the user is equipped to make a good decision.

Prices vary depending on the model you choose, and there are actually some that are more accurate than others. if you pick up one of the least expensive versions, which will cost less than $50, well just remember you get what you pay for. We are talking about a device that can take a person’s breath, analyze it, and give an accurate reading of their BAC, or blood alcohol content. If you want one of the most accurate versions of these devices you will have to pay somewhere between $100 and $200. Of course, there are some that are much more expensive, but there is no need for the average user to spend that much money on this device.The AlcoHawk PT500 Breathalyzer is both affordable and accurate and is also one of the most highly rated on the market.

So, where do you go to get information so you can decide on the right breathalyzer for your favorite loved one? The best place is right here online, specifically at one of the sites specializing in breathalyzer reviews. You will find many different versions of portable breathalyzers on the market, but if you spend just a little time doing some research, the right one for you will quickly make itself known.

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