So you've bought your computer and want to get online? It's not as simple as connect the wire and off you go these day's. The internet is a weird and wonderful place as long as you can control what you do.
Simple Steps - Protect your Computer online

That's why you need to protect yourself. These can be done in a number of very simple steps. This article will get you started but you should always try to be smart when your surfing the net!



Step 1: Anti-Virus Scanner

Whether you're connecting to the internet or not, you need an Anti-Virus scanner. Your computer can become infected with "viruses". These are little files or codes that have been written to ruin your computer! That's why they must be stopped!

There are many programs out there that can help, but it's best to trust only the mainstream programs as these are used widely and updated regularly.

Recommendations:
AVG Anti-Virus Free
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

Avast antivirus
http://www.avast.com/

Step 2: Firewall

Ok so your thinking what is a "firewall" sounds scary right? Well it's not really. It is again another line of defence against the number of ways your computer can be attacked. In simple terms it blocks other computers and programs from connecting to you and playing with your stuff. Think of it as an internet wall of fire, where you allow what can pass through.

Software - Again there are many programs available to protect you, Recent Microsoft Windows machines come with Windows Firewall, which can be described as basic at best. We do recommend you go for mainstream again.

Hardware - A firewall can also be included as part of your hardware, like an internet router "that's the box that sits between your pc and the internet line". This is the best and recommended way to have a firewall. As it blocks intruders before it gets to your pc.

Recommendations:
Zone Alarm
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp




Step 3: Be AWARE!!

Simply put watch what you download and accept to save to your PC, sometimes people can send you files in e-mails. They look ok but when you run them they will install something onto your PC and leave you upset and distraught. Always scan something that has been downloaded before opening it and never open/run programs that have been sent in an e-mail from unknown sources.
Step 4: Go for it

That's pretty much it to get you going. If you think something doesn't look right, it probably isn't. Hopefully this will get you going to start with, wait till you find out about spy ware and Trojan's!! Good Luck and Safe Surfing
IMPORTANCE OF LAPTOP COOLING PADS

Laptop Cooling Pads

Every laptop user has felt it at one point. The scorching hot waves of the heat of your laptop slowly cooking your legs as you try to finish up a project or check your emails. You might have also noticed, the performance of your computer seems to slow down in this case, too. You are right. This isn't just your imagination. This is due to throttling that takes place in the device. Having processing power in a compact space like the body of a laptop often puts a strain on the hardware. Intensive activities like gaming or even binge watching Netflix might be causing the throttling and making your computer over heat. This problem might eventually lead to permanent damage.

However, cooling pads come to the rescue in elongating your laptops life span and helping it deliver its top performance without the hassle of overheating. The most common complaints from laptop and notebook users are that their laptops systems almost crash due to heat exhaustion and the uncomfortable feeling of using a laptop that feels too hot while in use. Laptop cooling pads increase airflow to your laptop's mechanism. Majority of these pads have fan systems that allow the laptop's system to have access to a cool stream of air. This stream of cool air helps the device stay at a stable, cool temperature, eliminating the possibility of overheating. The stabilization of temperature in the device allows the mechanism to breathe which helps the computer to function better and makes it easier for the user.

The excessive heat that the laptop produces is not comfortable or healthy for the user. Recent studies have been showing that Wi-Fi using products, such as laptops, may be harmful to the user. It is possible that the laptop-cooling pad, while cooling the device can also block off some of the harmful radiation too.

While purchasing cooling pads it is important to pay attention to things like performance, the CFM and sometimes even the fan noise factor. Amongst that, it is also important to focus on the design and pick a cooling pad suited most to your working and life style. Fortunately many laptop and notebook cooling pads are very stylish and come with cool features like different lighting features and colors.

Even the best laptops might come down due to overheating permanently. The straining of throttling can unfortunately damage your laptops and notebook devices. Sanoxy Cooling pads will however eliminate this issue and provide you with a healthier and "cooler" laptop.
If you are interested in computers and love learning about the hardware, upgrading your own computer and doing just about anything you can with a computer, than a potential career with computers might just be the perfect job for you. Before you go out and just label yourself a computer expert though there are a few different tips you need to follow. These are going to make you easier to employ and even help you earn more money. This way, when you find a position that comes up and you're interested in, all of your experienced and training should pay off and help you land the job.

5 Tips for Computer Careers

1) Learn both Operating Systems

It is very important for you to know how to use the operating systems. While you might have a personal preference as to which is best, knowing how to work both is very important, because by only learning one, you are going to greatly limit your job potential.

2) Certification

While you might already know how to do something and have extensive experience in it, obtaining a certification in the position tells anyone else who is reading your resume that you know how to do it and are not just listing it as a career skill on your resume. IT training certifications are always going to look better to an employer than no certification at all. This is very important to remember, and although you might have to pay some money up front for the class or certification test it is well worth the money.

3) Take Computer Courses

There are always computer courses available for you to take, and some of these classes are going to help you greatly expand your knowledge base. Yes, not all of the classes are going to be very exciting, as you probably already know how to use word processors, spread sheets or other programs. However, learning how the inner workings of these different software titles work and how you can troubleshoot the system is going to come in handy.

4) Read

If you go to the computer section of your local book store you are going to find all sorts of different computer books on different kinds of software, hardware and just about anything else you could possibly think of. These different books are great tools to not only learn from, but to have on hand when you do land a job.

5) New Hardware

Stay up to date with the newest software and hardware from computer manufacturers and never let your IT training expire. If you know how to work the latest programs and features, as well as the difference between previous models and releases, you can work on just about any computer system, regardless of how old or new it might be.
Nothing could be more exquisitely painful than losing critical data you have just finished putting in after a terrible accident (as in accidental formatting) or some horribly arcane mechanical glitch (as in broken drive parts) - although the end results would still be the same whether the data in your storage system had been in place for a long while now or relatively just written. This is to say that it would be catastrophic in both situations. Luckily, technology has evolved so much that previously considered lost data may still be recovered.

What You Need To Know About Hard Disk Data Recovery

RAID, Mac, or laptop, hard disk recovery of data is entirely possible provided you take the proper steps to ensure it. The first thing you need to do, right after not exploding into a fit of panic, is to make sure that the problem really is the hard drive. Tech magazines recommend that you take out your hard drive from the troubled desktop or laptop and connect it to another computer to run hard drive diagnostics. For a Mac computer, you only need to use a FireWire cable to connect your troubled, non-functioning Mac by pressing down "T" at startup. If the files from the failed hard drive show up on the working Mac, the problem might not be the hard drive. If not, then it is time to seek professional help - the kind that uses forensic quality tools that recover digital data.

Companies that specialise in desktops, RAID, and Apple Mac hard disk data recovery would be recommended as this indicates a high level of expertise. Depending on the extent of the damage and data to be recovered, this specific and very technical service will cost a great deal of money. So you want to make sure that the service provider's data recovery process will not tie you to a pricey fee. Ideally, and perhaps for less complex data recovery jobs, you may get an online quotation and send your media through shipment. The data recovery company should be able to make a diagnosis and assess cost for the job.

For more complex jobs, you may want to personally bring your hard drive to the data recovery company. This will allow you to better understand the process and, more significantly, check out the company's facilities, such as its laboratory, for security. You want to guarantee that whatever sensitive data is contained in your storage source that it will remain secure with the recovery company.

From MacBook to RAID data recovery, a proper recovery firm can retrieve or salvage your lost files. Take the necessary step today. And find a reputable recovery company - before you need one. Check this out to know more about this.

Click here for more information about data recovery for Mac.
I think we can all agree that computers and the internet have had a huge impact on pretty much every industry, and are the cornerstones of our modern civilization. It's amazing to think that people once thought of computers as a huge waste of space, and that they would never become popular. The past decade has taken these innovations and brought them into the mainstream with technologies like social networking, GPS, smartphones, and a whole lot more. It truly is mind-blowing to see how far we've come in the past decade alone.

7 Amazing Innovations of the Near Future

We live in a unique and interesting time in human history, where the sharing of ideas and information is done at lightening speed, and innovative research is at an all-time high. The next 10 years are going to be one hell of a ride, with so many problems still left to solve - from overpopulation to finding alternative energy sources, from ending illness to exploring space - and we're only just starting to understand this basic fact: for all we know, we know almost nothing.

With all the innovation taking place in the world, from tiny steps in existing technologies to new, industry-changing ideas, it's getting pretty hard to keep up to date on the latest discoveries. If you're interested in a small glipse of what's in store for humanity in the near future (we limited our list to technologies we believe could be out in the next ten years), then this list is for you.

The Chemputer

This idea is still in the concept stage, but we foresee a bright, intoxicating future. Just as the 3D printer is able to take a 3D digital model, basically a file on your computer, and translate that into physical objects such as machine or gun parts, the Chemputer would take this concept to the molecular level and enable printing of pharmaceuticals. Instead of ink, this printer would use a mixture of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, the basic building blocks of most drugs, as well as certain agents such as vegetable oil and parafin.

Imagine the uses: diabetics could print their own insulin at home, personal Chemputers could be used in third world countries to print out the exact needed drug at the right time to save lives. Obviously this would have a huge impact on the medical and pharmaceutical industry as well as drug research. With the chemputer, you would go online, download your medication and then print it out, all from the comfort of your home.

Next-generation biofuels

The world is coming to terms with the need to ween itself of fossil fuels, which are quickly getting depleted and becoming more expensive to extract from the earth. Biofuels can be used in the place of fossil fuels in certain cases as they're derived from biological matter like vegetable oils, animal fats and so on. Unfortunately current technology has created biofuels that rely mainly on food, causing an increase in global food prices.

Today scientists are focusing their research into next-generation biofuels which would be generated from non-edible sources such as corn stover, switchgrass, woodchips, and miscanthus. In 2010 biofuels provided around 2.7% of the world's fuels for road transport, mainly through ethanol and biodiesel. It is believed that biofuels could help meet up to a quarter of the world's fuel needs by 2050.

Graphene

Graphene is basically a substance which is 300 times stronger than steel and made of only a thin layer of pure carbon, making it literally as light as a feather. Each sheet of graphene is only one atom thick, and one square meter weighs just 0.77 milligrams. In 2010 the Nobel Prize for Physics went to scientists researching this super film, and in 2013 a 1 billion dollar grant was awarded by the EU to researchers in the field.

The uses of this technology could be revolutionary: Space exploration and the aviation industry would benefit from the extremely light and strong material that could be used in aircraft construction. Graphene could revolutionize electronic devices by enabling lightweight, thin, flexible, yet durable display screens, cellphones, and much more. Graphene would also revolutionize transistor componentry and solar pane construction.

Photovoltaic Glass

This highly durable, efficient optical grade glass will be used in the future to allow any flat surface, from the mirror in your bathroom, to a picture hanging from the wall in your bedroom, to be used as an integrated computer screen. Together with a household computer system you will be able to access the internet, control your "smart" house, and get instant information about your fridge temperature or anything else, at the touch of a surface/screen.

Imagine brushing your teeth in the morning and simultaneously getting your news from the bathroom mirror. Your refrigerator would have touch capabilities, enabling you to continue with the news, display favorite family photos or even video chat with grandma from your fridge door. Then move it all to the kitchen table with just a touch. Photovoltaic glass can also house solar cells laminated between glass layers, meaning that soon every window will become an energy generating solar panel.

DNA Data Storage

The discovery of DNA has led to humanity's deeper understanding of living organisms and viruses, as it's basically a set of instructions and information encoded into molecules. Just as mother nature uses DNA to store biological information, so too have scientists discovered a way to store and encode digital information into DNA, enabling storage of massive amounts of data in a very small space. In fact, one gram of DNA can store at least 2.2 million gigabits of information, which is over 450,000 DVDs worth of storage space.

Using this new method of storing data, it will now be possible to store all the data that has been accumulating during the digital age, and much more. Written, audio and visual information have all already been uploaded into DNA then retrieved by DNA sequencing. The future of bio-computing is here.

Driverless Cars

When you just start out, it's exciting and fresh. As the years go by, it becomes habit and loses its lustre. Driving is a part of life for millions around the world, enabling fast and east transportation of people and goods, but also leading to many yearly fatalities from wreckless driving. Imagine getting into your car, talking to the voice-activated computer and telling it where you'd like to go, then nodding off to sleep, secure in the idea that your car will be able to drive you to your destination without your help.

Well, not only is this going to be a reality in the coming years, Google is already deep into the advanced stages of research, and driverless cars have already logged thousands of miles, having traversed the windy hills of San Francisco, cruised over the Golden Gate Bridge and even run laps around Lake Tahoe. The cars navigate using advanced GPS technology as well as special laser sensors mounted on the roof to help "map out" the area around the vehicle. They know to stop when there's a pedestrian on the road, and to drive when the traffic light turns green. Say goodbye to your designated driver!

Visual prosthesis (Bionic Eye)

Just as technology has advanced to the point where the cochlear implant is helping deaf people to hear, the idea behind the bionic eye is to help the blind, or those with very poor eyesight, to see. Researchers are making fast advances in developing artificial eyes that would give sight to the blind, and prototypes are already available that provide grainy images. However, the eye is much more complex than a regular camera and complex software, such as missile tracking technology, must be employed in perfecting the technology.

We believe there will come a time when everyone will be able to see with perfect eyesight. That future is closer then you imagine.
With all of the possibilities that the market has to offer, you are probably wondering whether buying a laptop is still a good idea. A laptop computer used to be differentiated from the desktop computer by its mobility. Today, however, there are several other mobile devices that can be used for work, watching movies, playing games and browsing the web.

Should I Still Buy A Laptop

So, the big question remains - should you still buy a laptop computer?

Laptops vs. Tablets: The Biggest Pros

According to many experts, 2013 is the year of the tablet due to the popularity that the device has gained. The worldwide tablet market experienced growth of 142.4 percent in the first quarter of 2013 in comparison to the same period last year. According to the International Data Corporation, the worldwide shipment of tablets reached 49.2 million.

Tablets still miss a number of important characteristics, however. The main advantages of the laptop include:


  • Better performance
  • Multitasking
  • Larger display

What does a tablet have to offer?


  • Very lightweight
  • A longer battery life

If you are looking for a portable computer that you can use to work and to process documents, the laptop is still a better option. You can perform all of the tasks that you can perform on a desktop computer, plus you get mobility. Tablets are still considered a poor option by people who have to make presentations and by hardcore gamers.

What is the Laptop Missing?

The casual user will do just fine with a tablet. If general entertainment is the purpose of the purchase, the tablet is a better pick.

It is much lighter than the laptop. Just put it in your handbag and go anywhere. It lets you carry around books, games, favorite movies and documents. Internet browsing is also easy and fun.

The main disadvantages of the laptop are:


  • In comparison to a desktop computer, the laptop is more difficult to upgrade
  • Mobility can be limited by size, if you pick a larger laptop
  • Tablets can perform simple computing tasks, so there is no need to carry a laptop around
  • The touch input of the tablet could be better for gaming, processing photos and working with multimedia

Is a Hybrid Laptop the Answer?

Looking for a portable computer option? Cannot decide between a laptop computer and a tablet? The hybrid may the answer to your questions.

The hybrid is an innovative laptop that transforms into a tablet. The keyboard can be detached and the screen has a touch function that turns it into a tablet. Hybrid laptops, however, tend to be more expensive and the tablet is heavier than other tablets being offered for sale.

Laptops and tablets have pros and cons. Both of them are mobile, a characteristic that the desktop computer lacks. Having both or buying a hybrid is still the best possibility.
A laptop is essential to daily life. You use it at work, home and during leisure activities. Caring for your laptop is important so that you have access to it at all times. Laptop repair is expensive so waiting until the damage is done is too late. Use these tips along with the products and accessories as a part of your laptop care routine so that you can extend its life. Always turn off and unplug the power adapter and battery before cleaning it. Your safety is important when cleaning your laptop.

Laptop Care: Follow These 4 Tips to Care for Your Laptop

1. Use a Laptop Cleaning Kit
This contains a Keyboard Cleaning Brush, Microfiber Cloth and Laptop Cleaning Liquid. The brush can be a regular dusting brush or a Mini USB Vacuum Keyboard Cleaner Brush. The keyboard cleaning brush is used to remove dust, food particles and other messy substances that fall between the keys on your keyboard. Use the brush regularly to keep your keyboard clean. The microfiber cloth does not scratch surfaces so it is a great choice for cleaning the surface including the screen. A dry microfiber cloth can be used. However, for a more sparkling clean and to remove sticky substances then use the microfiber cloth and cleaning liquid. The cloth should be damp and not soaked with liquid.

2. Use a Laptop Air Duster Spray
An Air Duster Spray is a can of compressed air. It cleans in between your keyboard keys just like the keyboard brush. However, it works better for removing particles that are hard to reach or stuck. Use it in a sweeping motion to remove those unwanted particles.

3. Have a Laptop Cooling Pad or Laptop Cooler
A Laptop Cooling Pad is used to keep your laptop cool because the battery gets very hot when in use. The desk surface or legs can get very warm after using it for a long time. Therefore, the cooling pad ensures that it is cool enough to be used safely.

4. Utilize a Laptop Carrying Case
A Laptop Carrying Case is used to protect your laptop while travelling or for storing it after daily use. The case protects it from food, liquids, dents and other kinds of damage. The carrying case can be a laptop sleeve, tote bag, backpack, messenger bag or briefcase. Always use the proper size case to ensure that it fits snugly and does not suffer shock from moving around in the case.

These are the most common products and accessories that should be used to clean and maintain a properly working laptop. Follow the tips above to extend the life of your laptop and have access 24/7.

Tamara M. Williams reads and uses tips from DIY Technology articles. She shares tips so that you can learn multiple ways to care for your electronic devices. To learn more about caring for your laptop visit your local electronics store or visit the manufacturer's website.
Windows 7 Gains Over Windows 8 and Vista Competition
Windows 8 is making a headway against Vista. However, both of them have no match with Windows 7. The most recent figures have shown that, in May, Windows 8 has a 4.27 percentage share of the PCs being installed worldwide versus the 4.51% for Vista. As you know, Vista is one of the least popular OSes introduced in November 2006. But then again, maybe they will be breaking out the sparkling wine soon. Still, Windows 7 leads a long shot at 44.85% and it truly made gains in May. It had 44.72% in April.

Newer Isn't Always Better

We need to understand the situation. According to Bill Gates, higher is better. Let's take a look at the reality. The Windows Me, the blue one has problems. The Windows 98 has issues. The Windows Vista could not transfer files over a network at rational speeds. Users were happy with Windows XP but it became out-dated. Now, this most recent version, which is Windows 8, has even more issues. This points out that newer is not always better. As what Bill Gates says, it's not practical to point out the best one, when the most recent has more issues. Without a doubt, people prefer Windows 7 because it has operated far better and has had lesser and more tolerable issues.

Still, Windows 7 Is Pretty Good

Many people tried to purchase and install Windows 8 on their desktop or laptop, but when they discovered some drawbacks, they came back to Windows 7. Users know that Windows 7 does not have a touch screen, but that does not matter. People with laptops and desktops are used to having a mouse as a way to navigate and do not mind that it is not similar to Smartphone, touch screens or tablets. Windows 7 does not push services to people. It is more comfortable in desktop experience and users are not forced to hunt the disabling settings, as well as learning to live with the things that cannot be disabled.

When people see Windows 8, they will get excited at first. But, when they get to know it better, most of them would love to go back to Windows 7, due to its convenience. Windows 7 is indeed great, and this is the reason why most businesses are sticking with it. As you know, Windows 7 is derived from XP. Though, Windows 8 got its throne from Vista. There is nothing better than Window 7.
My Tips on Laptop Repairs

You see, to be honest, the majority of the time I recommend throwing the thing away and purchasing a new one. Really, it is just the best thing to do much of the time. You see, PCs, more than vehicles, are made with a built in obsolescence. Unless of course you have your equipment designed to run some fixed software - like large companies do - or you are still using the original Word and an old Epson Dot Matrix printer, the chances are that the Internet & hand-helds and all that have made upgrading even more crucial.

The other aspect is - do they manufacture your hard drive or processor anymore?

The other thing is - is it a "sealed unit" where nobody can open it and have a examination.

So right away we are into a few barriers - which is why 80% of notebooks in active use are under three years old.

So - what do I do? Mostly, I'm fixing notebooks less than three years old. It isn't so much they are badly made - there are many mishaps they can have - being dropped, water damage, malware attack and obviously - owner attack too.

The most typical is the hard drive. Yes they are robust and taking into consideration what they do I would say they are amazingly trustworthy. But when the heads are skimming thousandths of an inch above the platten - it is a bad time to have thump or bump on the equipment. Too many of these and you get a hard drive break down. Even today there are still many people who don't do regular back ups. This is easily the most common repair.

What we do is take the hard drive out and using a hardware/software device (you can buy them too of course) is copy off all the info on the drive. Even after failure most of it is still there - even 99.9% The problem is when the 0.1% is slap bang in the middle of the boot up sequence or other essential windows system file.

When we go truly online - and this is taking place - that will be the end of a major source of the problem - big businesses & Google do of course have thorough back up procedures in place - when a hard drive goes they just throw it away and put in a new one (hot swop) without missing a beat or breaking sweat.

Till then - honestly - best guidance is back up and buy a new one - new drive or new PC. An old PC just can't keep up - even if it were in great working order, it was never designed to cope with the demands put upon it today. So why try.
Computers are great when they run quickly & smoothly, but as soon as they run slow, they quickly become extremely annoying and frustrating to use. Millions of people have to put up with using slow computers every day, and if you're one of them, the good news is that there is a simple trick computer technicians use to help boost the speed of any Windows system in just a few minutes. Here's what you need to do...

The way to boost the speed of your PC is to fix the problems that cause it to run slowly. There are a variety of issues which can cause a computer to slow down, but there's one that causes Windows to take longer to open up your programs & your system. The most common reason why your PC is running slow is that the 'registry' database is continually being corrupted and damaged. This database is one of the most important parts of your system, and is actually the most likely reason why your PC is running slow.

The trick that many computer technicians use to boost the speed of slow computers is to "clean out" the registry database and make Windows able to read it a lot easier. The registry is basically a central database inside Windows, which stores a lot of important files & information your system needs to run. Everything from your desktop wallpaper to your Internet favorites are kept in this database, making it one of the most vital parts of all Windows systems. It's best to think of the registry as like a "telephone directory" for your PC - storing important settings that your computer can look up at any time.

The big problem with the registry database is that it contains so much valuable information that Windows is continually saving many of its listings in the wrong way, making them extremely difficult to read. This is like taking the telephone directory and mixing all the pages up - leading Windows to take longer to read the settings it requires to run, slowing it down and causing a lot of problems on your system. Not many people even know the registry exists inside Windows, but it's one of the most important parts of your PC which needs to be kept in top condition.

The good news is that you can now fix the registry, like the computer pros, and make your PC run extremely fast again. There are effective software programs called "registry cleaners" which have been designed to repair the errors inside the registry, allowing your computer to run much faster and without many errors. Many computer tech's use registry cleaner programs to scan through slow PCs and repair the errors that could be causing them to run slow.

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