Technology and Gadgets

Troubleshooting Slow Broadband Speeds Without Upgrading Hardware

April 16th, 2011

GuestPoster

Slow broadband performance is often a direct result of contingency on your connection. Once you have checked which arise. If there are no issues with the line then you should consider how your OS and software services are using the connection itself. In this post I’ll focus on how software can be tweaked and tuned to more effectively use your connection.

The first task you need to do is establish what the broadband speeds currently are. This can be done using various websites online (e.g. speed test.net) where you can establish what the ping rates, download speeds and upload speeds truly are. We run this test after making changes to see what gains are made.

The first alteration to make is to disable add-ons in your web browser. These small programs can use up a large amount of Internet connectivity bandwidth and cost slow broadband speeds even when you’re not changing web pages.

Next, get the latest version of your web browser. IE and Firefox are continually updating their browsers to improve performance improvements as well as security/patch fixes. Manually configuring the browser for performance tuning is very specific to which browser version you have so it is much more recommended to use something like Faster Fox to point out what changes could help to performance.

You should now consider which applications in your computer are accessing the web and if they should be blocked. Many programs access the Internet in the background in order to get updates or download new program versions. You can block these through your firewall permissions. Just be sure that critical security applications are not blocked by accident.

Lastly, slow broadband connection speeds may also be due to slow laptop performance in general. Try to improve disk access times by defragmenting the hard drive, and improve OS performance by increasing the page file size (i.e. virtual memory).

Reasons to Purchase an Amazon Kindle 3 Reader

April 10th, 2011

Tech Guru

Hand held electronic book readers have been wildly popular for a few years now and they are only showing signs of becoming even more ubiquitous. With so many brands on the market today including offerings from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony and many other makers of Android devices, it is a tough decision to pick the right brand for you.

What we shall be looking at today are some of the main reasons why so many customers are deciding to go with the current Kindle 3 reader sold by Amazon. The list below shows three of the most impressive features that the 3rd generation Kindle has to offer. We shall look at each of these in turn below.

Ease of use
Very long battery life
Huge selection of out of copyright books

Amazon have taken great care to make the Kindle accessible to all. So whether you are a young tech geek or have already retired, you should have no difficulty learning how the Kindle works. In fact, as soon as you open the box, it is ready to start working. There is no software to install. The only thing that you have to do is to charge the device, then you are ready to start reading.

A single battery charge can last for up to one month. This assumes that you use the 3G connection sparingly. If you leave this connection turned on all the time, the battery will run down much faster. The only time that you really need to use it though is when you are downloading books. Then you can turn it off again.

Perhaps the biggest attraction of the Kindle is not actually the gadget but the whole system that supports its use. Amazon provide users with access to almost two million out of copyright books. As many as you want of these can be downloaded for free. So owning a Kindle can quickly start to save you money on book purchases.

Using a handheld reader is very enjoyable if you regularly read books. But just because it is a cool product, it offers you no value if reading is not a big part of your life.

Android Tablet Review: The Creative Ziio

April 9th, 2011

GuestPoster

Tablets are amazing and trendy. They are innovative, handy, and functional. They are also stylish and easy to use. If you are in search of a good device, read this Android tablet review about the Creative Ziio.

The Creative Ziio is one of the cheapest Android tablets available in the market today. You can get it for as low as $250 – not bad for something with 8GB storage capacity, 800 x 480 resolution display, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi, VGA camera, and ZiiLABS ZMS-08 HD processor. You will need to add $20 to get 16GB storage.

A small USB connector, a microphone, a headphone slot, an on/off/standby button, and a tiny HDMI port can be found on the Ziio’s top portion. A micro-USB slot is located at its left side while volume controls are at its right side. Four buttons and a small 5V charging port can be found at the back.

The 800 x 480 resistive touch screen of the Ziio is fairly responsive. Although a stylus is included in the box, it is not extremely necessary. You can simply use your finger to access the menus. This makes browsing the Web smooth and easy with the Ziio. However, such screen is mediocre compared to the Galaxy Tab’s 1024 x 800. So, you may not be able to enjoy photos and videos at the fullest.
The battery life of the Ziio is satisfactory. You can play MP3 songs for twenty-five hours or watch videos for five hours straight. Furthermore, the Ziio is designed to stream music to other devices wirelessly through its apt-X and Bluetooth. You may also connect wireless headphones and speakers by Creative to it. The Ziio supports various audio formats such as MP3, WMA9, AAC, ADPCM, OGG, WAV, MIDI, and Audible Format 4. It also supports video formats such as MKV, AVI, MJPEG, MPEG4, H.264, MOV, and WMV9.

Outdoor Security Cameras Protect Your Property and Family While You Are Away

April 6th, 2011

GuestPoster

Are you a parent searching for a way to provide security for your children and your home? As a parent, it is often difficult to make financial ends meet and purchasing security may put a dent in the budget. It is important to note that the safety of your children and your property are your top priority and security can be obtained on a budget. Outdoor security cameras can be a good deterrent for crime and they can often be found at prices that fit the budget.

Protecting Your Home When Away

As a parent, there are times when you are not home, rather you operate an online data entry from home business or outside the home…you have to work, shop and run errands, so it is impossible to be home 24 hours a day. While you are away, worrying about the safety of your children should not be a concern. Wireless outdoor security cameras have the ability to monitor the home while you are away and you can view what is happening on a laptop or the computer at the office.

Teaching Children to Be Safe

There are several ways to protect your home while you are away and the children should be taught safety measures. Teach the children to never answer the door while their parents are away and should the answer the telephone, the child should never say the parents are not home but busy at the moment. Outdoor security cameras for your home gave offer a peace of mind, in that you would be able to watch over a monitor who is on the property.

Stay Within Budget

If the budget does not allow you to have an installed alarm system with an expensive monthly payment, consider outdoor security cameras wireless. Security cameras offer you the protection you want. Outdoor security cameras can be installed that allow you to watch either black and white or color video of everything that takes place in your home while you are away.

Getting Your Computer Repaired In Ottowa

April 6th, 2011

Tech Guru

Computers have become man’s best friend. It seems to be the first thing people go to when they need something. They go to it for directions, to read the news, to play games, to chat with friends, and more. So when someone is having trouble getting their computer to function the way it is supposed to, it can be stressful. As complex and high tech as computers are, they are very susceptible to viruses and other issues. If you are a computer expert and know how to get your computer back up and running the way it is supposed to, then great. If you don’t have a clue what to do to fix it, the best thing to do is to take it to get computer repair in Ottawa (assuming you are from around these parts). Just like you would take your car to get repaired if something was wrong with it, you need to take your computer in to the shop to get it repaired when its having problems too.

Chances are you have a lot of valuable information on your computer, including files, pictures, documents, and more. You don’t want to risk your computer shutting down completely and losing all of that data. Shops that deal with computer repair in Ottawa can remove spam, viruses, install better software, back up your data or even recover data you may have already lost, and more. Even if you don’t have pop-ups or spam mail coming up frequently, if you computer is running slower than usual, you most likely have some type of virus. Sometimes people just deal with the slower computers, instead of getting it fixed, but that is usually a mistake because your computer will just become slower and slower until it’s too late to get it fixed. If you are having trouble with your computer, don’t wait. Get it fixed so you can continue relying on your computer for all your needs.

Handling the Increased Number of Consumer Websites

April 6th, 2011

GuestPoster

Because of the vastness of the Internet and its ability to host hundreds of millions of users all at the same time there is a real need for businesses to be able to manage numerous financial transactions simultaneously. Being able to accept multiple credit card orders from a variety of consumers across the nation, many businesses have found that they can best serve the needs of the cyber-consumer by setting up a dedicated server. Hosting their e-commerce website without having to worry about overloading the network where their site is being stored, many companies are turning to the safe and secure solution of having their commerce website hosted on a dedicated server.

Making certain that with the millions of visitors that are browsing through cyberspace, the company website can manage a large volume of consumer visitors the organizations that are making tens of thousands of dollars each day on the Internet are providing the most reliable technology to support their online sales. For companies that are dependent upon the flow of steady traffic that is bringing in consumers from the search engines, the use of a dedicated server is enabling them to make the most of their online endeavors. Without having to think about system crashes that are caused by too many visitors accessing their website and overloading the server, companies that are increasing their online sales through internet marketing strategies are able to see the increased volume of purchases as the dedicated server is able to keep up with the demands of the millions of people that are being redirected from their search to the consumer website where they can make a purchase. Trusting that with the increase in visitors there will be an accompanying increase in the number of sales and amount of each transaction, the companies that are serious about their online consumer satisfaction are doing everything they can to keep traffic flowing through their website as they are selling their merchandise over the Internet.

Dedicated Servers keep Data Safe

April 6th, 2011

Tech Guru

The Internet is a place where anything is attainable. Over the years the evolution of the Internet has brought many advances into the lives of people that are conducting business throughout the world. With the ease and convenience of e-commerce sites allowing people to shop from the comfort of their own home the Internet is making it even easier to find all sorts of merchandise and products that can be ordered, paid for, and shipped with the touch of a few keys or the click of a mouse. Over the years the ability of businesses to control their inventory by offering their wares online has created a need for them to secure the financial information that they are gathering. Providing consumers with encrypted websites that can process their credit card information safely and securely many businesses that operate online are utilizing dedicated servers to help them ensure the security of sensitive information.

Through dedicated server hosting businesses that are offering consumers their products on cyber space are able to meet the demands of the millions of internet users that are able to access a website and make an online purchase. Separating their website from the other servers that are employed by a business is allowing corporations to maintain limited outside access to the data that is being stored on their servers. Supplying the consuming public with the well needed information to successfully transact their business through an e-commerce website, the companies that have separated their internal and external data with the help of a dedicated server are able to provide for the millions of people that are visiting their website and making a purchase without compromising the integrity of their other internal data. Using the World Wide Web to secure their future with the transactions that are taking place in the virtual world, many companies are relying on their dedicated servers to keep consumers coming back to their site again and again.

How Can I Send A Fax From My Computer?

April 5th, 2011

GuestPoster

You can easily begin faxing from your computer with email to fax services. You will also be glad to know that using email fax services, also known as internet fax services, is very easy and affordable. You can also fax from computer free! Keep on reading for full details.

So you want to send fax from your computer, awesome. Whether you need this for a home office or business, this is THE solution and it is called Internet faxing. Internet fax services are cheap and a very effective solution to faxing compared to using a fax machine.

Faxing online is amazing, but don’t take my word for it, try it out yourself for free! Many of the top rated email fax services offer free 30 day trials. Take advantage of this promotion while it lasts!

With email faxing you can send and receive faxes from your computer, your laptop and now you can also fax from your cell phone. All this for a low monthly price, starting as low as $4.95 a month. You also receive a free fax number which can be local or toll free, but you can also keep your current fax number as well.

Each service also offers several professional features such as broadcast faxing, electronic signature, online storage, notifications and more. Many of these features would never be available on a fax machine. And you get this and more for just a few dollars a month.Your online account is activated instantly and there are zero setup fees.

Best of all, you can get started for free. Enjoy one of the best internet fax services for 30 days free! There are no risks and no hidden fees and if you decide to sign up there are no contracts so you can cancel at anytime with zero cancellation fees. Increase productivity by faxing from your computer.

Best Touch Screen Laptops

April 5th, 2011

GuestPoster

If the release of the Apple iPad got your fingers twitching for some needed tapping and yet unable to get one for yourself, you can still get some tactile feedback because there are other touch screen laptops out in the market that won’t leave your wallet starving. Tablet PCs have been around for ages, the iPad just kind of caught most of us off guard because of its very appealing features. Nevertheless, there are still touch screen devices available that can satisfy our needs.

The Lenovo Thinkpad T400s has a simple tap application that enables you to control the screen with ease, an ant fingerprint coating for screen protection and low power consumption. Its remarkably 14.1 inch screen also provides vibrant colours and larger display.

If you want a laptop and a tablet, you can just swivel the screen of the HP EliteBook 2740p and you’d get to experience both. You can easily slip it in a backpack or a briefcase and bring it anywhere you go. Its convertible design really adds up to its overall appeal, making it ideal for business, school and home use.

When it comes to durability, the Panasonic Toughbook C1 can certainly take the cake. It can endure large amounts of pressure, short falls and even liquid spill on keyboard because of its spill-resistant feature. It also has a Gloved multi-touch screen, making it ideal for those who work in construction sites who wear gloves most of the time.

There are evidently numerous choices available, computer stores and online retailers alike. You just have to hunt the best touch screen laptops from reputable sites to be certain that you have the right purchase in mind. Also check for warranty and free shipping if you decided to order online. If you already covered all your grounds, then expect your new baby to be delivered at your doorstep.

How to Fix A Broken External Hard Drive

March 21st, 2011

Tech Guru

When trying to fix a broken external hard drive it is important to start out with doing some hardware and software checks first to make sure you do not cause any data loss during data recovery. In this post I’ll step through some of the checks you can do which may also help repair the drive.

Start by checking all your hardware for signs of physical damage, beginning with the cables. Make sure the USB cables have not got any damaged connector pins and that they show no signs of burnout damage. Try using a different USB port to see if the port could in fact be the issue. It may even be wise to use a secondary PC the test out the system using a completely new computer (to isolate the problem down to the drive itself). If the broken external hard drive has been dropped or had water/fire damage then this type of hdd repair should be left to experts to complete.

Software checks may also detect if there are perceived issues with the drive. Start by opening the Device Manager utility to check that the broken external hard drive has been detected properly and that the driver utilities are operating without are. It may also be that there are hardware conflicts between your drive and some other component. This can happen especially when using USB splitters.

If these attempts at doing a HDD repair have failed then you may need to resort to data recovery software. Install these tools onto your computer, connects the external drive and then scan it for any data. There are a wide range of data recovery tools available online and most of them support the FAT32 format used on external hard drives. Data recovery experts will have more sophisticated tools which will even be able to recover files from a disk that has been repeatedly overwritten (by detecting data shadows).