Plasma TVs At High Altitudes
June 30, 2007
Plasma TVs At High Altitudes
by: Jakob Culver
An interesting factor to consider when planning your purchase of a new plasma television is altitude. Plasma TVs use millions of tiny, gas-filled chambers to create a picture. When you move to higher altitudes, the constant pressure in the chambers and the now lower ambient air pressure create a buzzing sound reminiscent of a halogen beer sign. This buzz is a combined result of the increased power consumption necessary to overcome the pressure differential, and the increase in fan use because the high power consumption heats the unit. This change in noise is really the only difference between operating a plasma television at sea level and one operating at extreme (above 6,000 ft) altitudes.
This noise increase provides a hint as to the more serious reason to avoid using a plasma television: lifespan. The life of a plasma screen is dependent on how hard it works through the course of its life. Operating these televisions at altitudes above what they were designed for puts an excess strain on their various components. Using a plasma TV above 6,000 ft. is more likely to annoy you with additional noise than anything else, but it’s a bad choice in the long run.
Bios Term
June 29, 2007
BIOS - Basic Input Output System
The central processing unit of a computer needs to communicate with the many hardware devices installed in your computer.
The BIOS of a computer contains a piece of software that enables the CPU to communicate with the many devices a computer has installed. The BIOS is normally installed in a ROM and is normally stored on a chip located on the motherboard of a computer.
When you turn on your computer, the bios is the firs thing to load up, you can enter this program by pressing a certain key on your computer keyboard. The BIOS uses the CMOS memory to store all set configuration for your computer. You can change and alter settings in the BIOS and then save it to the CMOS memory.
There is now the flash bios, which enables you to update the bios information with updates etc. Many manufactures provide bios updates on their websites. This can help your computer stay updated and keep performance running smoothly.
Http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com helps new users come to their own decesions.
About The Author
John Gibb is the webmaster of several guide and review websites. http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com is his latest addition.
How to Get Satellite TV Free
June 29, 2007
How to Get Satellite TV Free
by: Will Spencer
Almost everyone is familiar with Dish Network (http://www.tech-faq.com/dish-network.shtml) and DirecTV (http://www.tech-faq.com/directv.shtml). These two enormous successful firms sell paid satellite tv (http://www.tech-faq.com/satellite-tv.shtml) to over twenty million Americans.
Both of these firms offer an incredible selection of programming with an amazing level of convenience for the average viewer.
What fewer people know is that many channels of quality satellite television programming are available at no cost to individuals with the proper equipment.
This programming includes channels such as:
ABC News Now
America One
Bloomberg TV
Bluegrass Music
CNBC
CNN
The Documentary Channel
Faith TV
IRS Satellite Network
KPBI (Fox Fayetville)
KQUP (UPN 24)
The Outdoor Channel
These channels are encoded using DVB (http://www.tech-faq.com/dvb.shtml), NTSC (http://www.tech-faq.com/ntsc.shtml), or PAL.
You can legally receive these channels without any type of subscription. These channels are known as free to air channels (http://www.tech-faq.com/free-to-air-channels.shtml).
What You Need to Receive Free Satellite TV
Most free to air (http://www.tech-faq.com/free-to-air-satellite.shtml) programming is broadcast on the Ku Band (http://www.tech-faq.com/ku-band.shtml). Ku Band signals can be received with a satellite dish as small as eighteen inches across.
How To Become A True CCNA
June 28, 2007
I’ve worked my way from the CCNA to the CCIE, and along the way I’ve conducted job interviews and casual conversations with dozens of CCNAs and CCNA candidates. Believe me, people who “sneak by” the CCNA exam by braindumps, memorization, and never touching a router or switch are QUICKLY found out in job interviews and on the job.
The field will always need qualified CCNAs. The key word is “qualified”. How can you make sure you’re truly qualified? It’s actually pretty simple.
1. Use routers and switches in your study, not simulators. Simulators are OK to start with, but when you’re in the interview room and you’re taken to the network room, that simulator’s not going to be there. Real routers and switches are. With all due respect to the simulators on the market, they’re not routers and switches. Don’t fool yourself.
Attend a CCNA class that gets you plenty of time on real Cisco equipment. Used Cisco equipment is cheaper than ever. Look at it this way — you can put together a true CCNA lab that you can also use for CCNP study for less than $1000. When you choose to sell it, you can get half of that back. A small investment like that pays huge dividends in your future.
LCD TVs Brightness And Contrast
June 27, 2007
LCD TVs Brightness And Contrast
by: Eli Aloisi
Unlike computer monitors, brightness is an important parameter in the choice of a LCD TV set. Since a TV set is viewed from a distance, a (measured) brightness of 220 to 250 nits is appropriate, where for a computer monitor, that would be too bright. When we talk about brightness here, we’re referring to the values we’ve measured ourselves, not the exaggerated, basically useless values claimed by the manufacturers. Some claim up to 800 nits of brightness, a level that would be like looking at a welding torch through a color slide.
Contrast is another story. A good contrast level is always preferable, but you have to be careful not to confuse contrast ratio and screen dynamics. Here’s an example to make that a little more clear.
Here I am trying to display concentric circles in shades of gray, from the lightest to the darkest. Screen A shows the shades correctly, but screen B shows only two shades. They have the same contrast ratio - that is, the relation between the whitest point on the screen and the blackest - but not the same dynamics. Screen A shows more details and more nuances than screen B. So as you can see, you need to be careful about manufacturers’ claims regarding contrast ratio.
How To Avoid Plasma TV Burn-In
June 26, 2007
How To Avoid Plasma TV Burn-In
by: Jakob Culver
If you’re familiar with the technology behind plasma televisions, you know that the gas contained in each individual pixel receives a charge from a set of electrodes and produces ultraviolet light photons. These light particles hit a phosphor coating on the pixel’s walls. If the same picture remains on the screen long enough the phosphors will age prematurely and they will produce a less intense light and color. The phosphor’s continuous light will also burn the screen itself, leaving a ghost of an image. This burning of the screen, and the residual image it creates, is called burn-in. Older CRT monitors, as well as ATM machines, are prone to burn-in. This was the reason behind the invention of screen savers; having a randomly shifting image displayed whenever the picture was constant for a certain period of time helps prevent burn-in.
A Beginners Guide to Avoiding Viruses
June 25, 2007
"Aaaaaahhhhhh! I’ve been invaded by a virus!" Getting a virus means getting sick and no one in their right mind wants to be ill. Well, now that computers have become our close friends, it’s a shock to learn that foreign bodies too can invade them with malicious intent. No, your computer doesn’t get a runny nose or diarrhea. This is a sickness that stops your friend from functioning properly, sick in bed, incapacitated.
Well in Nature viruses occur from a power outside of our control. But, with computers it’s different, humans, mean or ignorant humans are creating these viruses. Why? Usually these are disgruntled people who want to wreak some havoc on others or companies that they feel have done wrong to them. In any case we have to be in the know and prepared to deal with these debilitating scourges.
There are many ways to approach the protection of your computer. First of all there’s the step of awareness. Be aware of how viruses are transmitted. You can catch them from a disc but in most cases it is through your email system. Check your email carefully. Be very wary of anything that has an attachment. Check whom it’s from and look at the title of the mail, is it something you were expecting? Even if it’s from someone you know, be careful as their computer could be infected and the virus being transmitted without their knowledge.
Electronics: An Evolution and Revolution
June 24, 2007
Electronics: An Evolution and Revolution
by: Chris Robertson
I often find myself thinking about the ways in which my everyday life has changed over the past twenty years. Usually, I take a step back and wonder how my mother - who passed away seventeen years ago - would view today’s world. Aside from the geopolitical changes that have taken place in the past twenty years, and the ways in which the landscape of our city has changed with explosive growth and development, there are the wondrous developments in electronics that have changed the ways we do business and the ways we spend our leisure time.
Twenty years ago, I started using my first PC at work. I recall having to put in a floppy disk every time I wanted to do any word processing. It would be another six years before a friend told me about what he thought would be the next big thing - something called the World Wide Web. Today, of course, it’s crippling when my DSL goes on the blink; my work grinds to a halt and I marvel at just how dependent I am on the Internet.
Your Computer Cant Keep Time
June 24, 2007
A computer needs a certain amount of information to operate; for example, the date and time, the amount of memory installed, the number of drives and their configuration, and so on. In the early days of computers, either the user typed in this information each time the computer started, or it was set using DIP switches and jumpers. Today, computers store this information in a CMOS chip that uses a small battery to retain the information when the computer is shut off.
CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) is type of chip that consumes very little power; therefore, while the computer is turned off, the battery discharges very slowly. But the battery will totally discharge if you leave your computer turned off for a year or so. Even if you turn your computer on every day, the battery is designed to last only a couple of years. Occasionally a battery will fail prematurely.
Today’s plug-and-play computers can detect most of the necessary settings, but if your CMOS battery is dead, your computer will not be able to retain the date and time. The computer will also lose any custom settings, for example, the boot sequence. If you set a password in CMOS, you may be locked out of the computer. If the CMOS battery does fail, you might receive the message “System Configuration Lost” when you start the computer. It would be wise to record all the CMOS settings as a precaution.
To Change Or Not To Change - Satellite TV vs. Cable TV
June 23, 2007
To Change Or Not To Change - Satellite TV vs. Cable TV
by: Mitchell Medford
What is the problem with most television viewers in continuing on with the same old television viewing habits? Apathy in home entertainment is the problem. I am teasing, of course, but I think that many viewers are just accustomed to their usual every day routine and don’t like ‘change’. Change always meets with resistance until convincing proof is produced and made evident. And even then, many people make changes for the better in their lives quite reluctantly. The change from cable to digital high definition satellite programming is a most definitely a once in a lifetime experience, and Dish Network TV has made such a change possible easy and affordable for everyone.
Most all of us can remember when a satellite dish was so big and awkward. It detracted from the beauty of a home but was sort of a symbol of status in the neighborhood. Adjustments were a hassle and assistance was always required. Times have changed with advanced technology in communications and so, too, have peoples life-styles changed, and the dish on today’s market is much smaller, sleeker in design, and fits well on the roof or side of a house. Satellite TV programming is popular and inexpensive with subscribers having the same programming choices as cable TV as well as many more selections from all over the world. Dish Network offers 5 programming packages with diverse selections, including multi-cultural international selections as well as Sirius music channels in CD-quality sound.
