Computer Virus Primer
A computer virus is similar to a virus that affects living organisms in that it can spread from computer to computer, infecting each new host with a small program that is intent on causing some kind of harm. The infection may be relatively harmless such as a prank popup display, or it can be extremely dangerous if its intent is to destroy all the data on your hard drive. Staying true to its … Read More...
Wi-Fi Direct Takes on Bluetooth
The Wi-Fi Alliance formally announced a new Wi-Fi protocol called "Wi-Fi Direct." This new protocol will allow devices to communicate directly with each other without the need for a dedicated Access Point. Typically, Wi-Fi works in what is known as Infrastructure mode, where each device communicates through an access point to other devices. Bluetooth technology eliminates the need for this … Read More...
MP3 Unwrapped
MP3 is the term for a patented digital audio encoding format. It is one of the most common digital audio formats and is the preferred format for storage and transfer of audio on portable media players. Officially published in 1993, the MP3 format was created by the Moving Picture Experts Group as part of its MPEG-1 standard. Officially known as MPEG Audio Layer 3, the full name was "MPEG-1 … Read More...
PC Sales Slugish in 2010
The emerging prominence of Apple's iPad has contributed to lower than expected sales of PCs. PC sales rose by 13%, but fell short of expectations, partly due to a lower than expected consumer demand and emergence of tablet platforms. It is expected that the new tablet devices, led by the iPad, will continue a strong showing through 2011, but their growth will begin to fade as Netbooks did last … Read More...
MP3 Unwrapped
MP3 is the term for a patented digital audio encoding format. It is one of the most common digital audio formats and is the preferred format for storage and transfer of audio on portable media players. Officially published in 1993, the MP3 format was created by the Moving Picture Experts Group as part of its MPEG-1 standard. Officially known as MPEG Audio Layer 3, the full name was "MPEG-1 Part 3" which resulted in the more widely known name of MP3. The MP3 standard uses a "lossy" data … [Read More...]
More Digital Lifestyle
CAT5 Explained
CAT5 (Category 5) is an ethernet network cable standard that describes the physical characteristics of the wiring used to carry data along digital networks. CAT5 cable is made up of 4 twisted pairs of unshielded wires encased in a polyethylene sheath. A completed cable will have a RJ-45 plug at each end. The outer sheath of CAT5 cable is generally blue, but can be any color, "CAT5" will be … [Read More...]
More Home Networking
A Freeware PC?
For the last several months, I've been using a PC that does not have any commercial off-the-shelf applications. Other than the Windows XP operating system, everything else loaded on the PC is freeware. I didn't originally intend to do this, but after I loaded the OpenOffice suite, I thought what … [Read More...]
Best Free Antivirus Programs
Having quality, current antivirus software is essential for online safety, and you don't need to spend a lot for a good antivirus product. In fact, these 3 choices are free and have performance and features to match some of the better commercial products. AVG (free.avg.com) … [Read More...]
Move Your iTunes Library to an External Hard Drive
If you made a resolution to get more organized for the new year, and made specific plans to get your ever-growing music collection under control, you probably will be getting a larger hard drive or maybe an external drive for your music. The process can take a couple of hours, depending on the size … [Read More...]
Back It Up
Do you store anything on your PC's hard drive that's important to you and would be hard to replace? The answer to this can be very subjective and is certainly a matter of personal opinion. But if a disaster should strike, what would your loss be if you couldn't restore these files or … [Read More...]
MP3 Unwrapped
MP3 is the term for a patented digital audio encoding format. It is one of the most common digital audio formats and is the preferred format for storage and transfer of audio on portable media players. Officially published in 1993, the MP3 format was created by the Moving Picture Experts Group … [Read More...]
Decline of the Netbook
A recent forecast estimates that shipments of netbooks will decline about 18% to about 27 to 28 million units in 2011. The reason for this sobering outlook is the fact that tablets are “cannibalizing” the entry-level computer segment in the $550 to $650 range in developed markets. While the … [Read More...]
Wi-Fi Direct Takes on Bluetooth
The Wi-Fi Alliance formally announced a new Wi-Fi protocol called "Wi-Fi Direct." This new protocol will allow devices to communicate directly with each other without the need for a dedicated Access Point. Typically, Wi-Fi works in what is known as Infrastructure mode, where each device … [Read More...]
New Wireless ‘n’ Standard is Official
The iEEE wireless standards organization has ratified the new Wi-Fi 802.11n wireless communication standard. The new standard raises the theoretical transmision speed to 450 Mbps. This is a leap forward compared to the previous standards of 54 Mbps. New devices should be available for the holiday … [Read More...]
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