How To Travel With Your Laptop

Laptops are big investments for most people.  Most of us use laptops for personal or professional business.  Anytime you travel with your laptop you take a chance of your investment becoming lost, stolen, or broken.  Many people who have laptops have the laptops with them every day and do not really think about it until something happens to the laptop.  If you think that your laptop is too fragile for your trip, leave it at home.  Taking steps to insure the safety of your laptop will create fewer headaches when travelling.

If you have to leave your laptop in your hotel room, get a cable lock.  This allows you to secure your laptop to a desk or table.  Make sure that you need to have a password in order to log into your laptop.  If you can take the laptop with you, put it into a form fitting case and then store it in a backpack or messenger bag with other valuables.  Do not let it out of your sight.  Do not get a bag that screams, “Hey, this is my laptop in this bag”.

To keep your laptop being from being lost, be organized when you are packing.  Knowing where you packed your stuff will make it harder to forget what you have with you.  Thinking about what you have with you before leaving will also help you to remember you laptop.

Unless you have a tough, rugged laptop you know your laptop is fragile.  Keep your laptop in a separate bag and place it on your lap to protect it and cushion it from bumps and feet.  When on an airplane, always take your laptop as a carry on.  Never stow your laptop in the above compartment.  Keep it under your seat or at your feet.  This keeps it from being tossed around in luggage or squashed by someone else’s heavy bag.  A little planning will keep your laptop safe when travelling.

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Things Not To Do On Facebook

Facebook, for many, has become an addiction and we don’t always think about some of things that we post.  It’s a great way to keep up with friends and family but Facebook is also a great way for thieves to gain access to your personal information.  Here is a list of things not to do on Facebook to keep you and your family safe.

Use the privacy controls in place on Facebook that is what the settings are there for.  Restrict access to your photos and personal information to family and friends.  Consider leaving out contact information such as phone numbers and email addresses you probably don’t want anyone to have anyway.  Don’t let young children on Facebook unsupervised.  They can sometimes post things that you don’t want people to know; like that you are not home.

Also you do not mention in your posts that you will be away from home and how long.  If thieves are watching your post, they know the exact dates to come rob your home.  Wait until you are home to talk about you trip.  It would also be a good idea for you not to post that you are doing something at the same time every day, like you are leaving going to the gym.

Avoid using weak passwords.  Simple words or names with numbers on the end are weak.  Mix upper case, lower case, numbers and symbols.  Your password should be at least eight characters long.  Try inserting numbers and symbols in the middle to strengthen the password.  Doing this on all your passwords, not just Facebook will keep your information safe.

Leaving your full birthday in your profile opens you up to identity theft.  This will give identity thieves enough information about you to potentially get access to bank or credit card accounts.  Go in to your account and edit your birthday to show only month and year or no birthday at all.

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Tips To Speed Up Your Internet

Everyday people are surfing the web.  Whether it is for work, pleasure or school people need the internet.  It has made research and corresponding so much easier.  When your internet is slow and you have to wait for pages to load it can make your life miserable, especially if you are working on time sensitive items.  It wastes your time and in some instances loses money.  For techies, this seems like no big deal, but to someone who only works with computers and not on them it can be a big headache.  Here are a few ways and tips to speed up your internet and computer allowing it to function at its best.

Having to many applications running at once makes too many network requests.  Cutting down on those requests makes more bandwidth available to you.  In other words, if you do not need three windows open and Word running in the background cut them out until you need them.  Use an email notifies instead of running a separate window for you emails.  Doing this uses less bandwidth.  Surf the internet when the traffic is low.  Peak times are the weekends and evenings.  Do not use Google maps.  Use Google Earth instead for directions.  The way Google maps displays their map data makes huge network requests and it times out your connection for a little bit.  Google Earth does not have this issue because it is a stand-alone application.

You can up your cache size if your Wi-Fi is weak or you are running an older system.  Clear out your Temporary Internet files, empty your recycle bin, remove installed programs you no longer need to free up disk space.  Defrag monthly or when your disk space is 15 percent or less, installing new programs or adding a large number of files.  Last but not least, protect against spyware.  It steals personal information and slows down your computer greatly.

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Apple IPod Nano Versus Microsoft Zune HD

Both of these players have been on the market for over six months now.  It is pretty safe to say that you can give a fairly good review on the Apple IPod Nano and the Microsoft Zune HD.  Depending on your particular needs either one of these players will work.  Both the IPod Nano and the Zune HD have their pros and cons.  It basically comes down to which features you prefer.  Apple and Microsoft are very reputable manufacturers and both players have been popular in the past.

Let’s start with the Apple IPod Nano.  Nano comes in the 8GB or 16GB.  It has video recording capabilities but cannot take still pictures.  You can take video’s that are suitable for posting online, but falls short of video from a regular camcorder.  The lens is an odd place, most of the time you catch your finger in the recording and not your intended object.  The IPod Nano comes with the ability to listen to FM radio broadcasts with a cool feature that allows you to pause live radio for up to 15 minutes.  This is called Live Pause.  You can pick up where you stopped listening or fast forward to catch up.

The Microsoft Zune HD comes in 16GB or 32GB.  It is elegant and more colorful than previous Zune players.  The Zune has a multi-touch screen that is very crisp and sharp.  When the web browser is open you have the use of a virtual keyboard.  The Zune HD also has a built in Wi-Fi feature.  This is the first media player to have HD FM radio.  It allows you to pick up HD radio stations and see the information about the music and upcoming music.  You can also tag these songs for later purchase.  It is important to remember that this player can only be used with Windows.

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How To Properly Clean Your Computer

Cleaning your computer is just as important as cleaning your house.  A clean computer maintains its functionality and effectiveness.  Dust and debris can get inside your computer and jam up your fans and heat sink.  Dust can also damage sensitive components inside your computer.  Your keyboard and mouse will slow down if it is clogged with dust, dirt or debris.  There is a proper way to clean your computer to keep all parts functioning for a smooth running machine.  You should clean your computer every three months and you should dedicate at least 20 minutes to make sure it is cleaned properly.

Obviously, you want to start by turning off your computer and unplugging it from the outlet.  Unplug your mouse and keyboard from the computer.  You want to start from the outside and work your way inside.  Clean your keyboard by wiping the keys down with a dry cloth, and then turn it upside down so the crumbs and lose dirt will fall out, and spray it out with the can of air.  Wipe the outside of the mouse off, and then take the little ball out and clean the inside.

The monitor should be cleaned with a dry cloth.  The little holes in the back of the monitor should be cleaned with the compressed air to avoid overheating.  Clean the screen with a solution that is specifically designed for computers, using a top to bottom motion with a paper towel.  Cleaning the inside of the computer should be done carefully.  Take off the side panel and spray the dirt and dust toward the opening of the panel.  Pay special attention to the fan and the heat sink.  Never touch the inside of the computer with your hands or spray the air directly on any particular part as this will damage the sensitive parts of the computer.  Put the panel back on and your computer should be a little faster now.

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Tips To Get The Most Out Your Laptop Battery

If you do a lot of work on your laptop chances are you are plugging into an outlet three to four times during the day, possibly more depending on the age of your laptop.  And if you have no access to an outlet and are working off of one battery charge, you need to squeeze as much as you can out of that battery.  Newer laptops have a longer battery life but depending on how you use your laptop will determine if you can get that maximum amount of battery life.

Everyone knows that dimming your screen will of course save a little of your battery.  Cut it down to the lowest point that you can stand.  Any unnecessary programs running in the background will also take away from the battery. If it is not needed shut it down.  Never use your laptop to charge other components like IPods or cell phones will drain your battery very quickly.

Keep your air vents clean.  This keeps your laptop cool and laptops run better if they are cool.  Protect your laptop from overheating as this will damage your battery.  A damaged battery is a sure way to have poor battery life.  If you are going to put your laptop on your legs, use a cooling pad.  Never put your laptop on something soft like a pillow.  This blocks the air vents which cause your laptop to overheat.

A cd or DVD running in the drive will eat up a battery as well.  Even if you are not using it, the disc still spins in the drive.  If you are buying a second battery to use as a backup, make sure you get a good one.  It may seem like a good deal, but a cheaper battery will be more likely to lose charge.  When you do use your power cord, take the battery out.  Just be sure to keep the terminals clean.

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What Are The Benefits Of A Computer Science Degree

A computer science degree is a highly sought after degree.  This degree encompasses various aspects of computer engineering, such as building new computers, working with networks, creating websites, repairing computers as well as developing new programs.  With so many businesses and companies turning toward the internet, this degree is worth checking into.

People who hold a computer science degree have a huge advantage in job placement.  Every industry needs some sort of computer knowledge.  Graduates who excelled in college will always be in demand.  Most graduates being placed soon after college.  Some will have two or three job offers to choose from.  You can choose an occupation in the medical field, law enforcement, publishing and gaming.  These are just to name a few.  Any field that requires the use of computers will require someone who holds a computer science degree.

Having a computer science degree enables you to command a higher income straight after graduation.  You can look at starting salaries somewhere in the mid 70’s and going as high as the 100 thousands.  Businesses and companies are going to pay highly qualified computer science major good money.  In addition, if you work as an independent contractor, you could earn as much as 15 percent more than someone who works with a company.  Keep in mind that you pay for your own benefits.

Since a computer science degree is useful in many occupations, if you find that the career you have chosen is not the right career for you, you can still put those skills to use.  With all careers once you have been doing the job for a while you gain experience.   Experience is what increases your chances of advancement in this career.  In other words the longer you have worked in your field the more sought after you are.

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What To Look For When Buying A Wireless Router

Unless you have a tech savvy mind, most people are totally clueless when it comes to wireless routers.  When looking to buy a wireless router you might find yourself scratching your head as to what kind of router you need.  How much should you spend on a router?  In this article we will look at what you need to look for when you buying a router.  And hope, armed with a little knowledge that your decision will be a lot easier.

Put into terms that everyone can understand, a wireless router is basically a splitter of sorts.  You connect it to your broadband modem, DSL or cable, and then to your desktop PC, through an Ethernet cable.  Do not freak out!  Most wireless routers come with a setup wizard and instruction’s clear enough to follow.  It then “splits” the signal coming from your PC to your wireless router.  Depending on what kind of wireless router you have determines what kind of signal strength your wireless components have. There is nothing illegal in setting up a wireless router.  You are not “stealing” the internet.

So now let’s look at types of wireless routers.  You have Wireless G routers and Wireless N routers.  The G router technology is rapidly fading, although, some businesses still use this type of router because it is cheaper.  However, just because it is cheaper does not mean that it is better.  G routers are easily hacked even when password protected.

Wireless N routers are the best on the market now.  They are faster than the G routers and can maintain signal strength even through doors and walls.  You can buy your basic N router for around 60 dollars.  Some people say that the cheaper models tend to drop their signal.  If you are not running a lot of wireless components on your router, this should not be a problem.

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Transferring An Entire OS

Changing a hard disk on your computer means letting go of all software’s and settings that you have been used to and spend hours to configure the way you like. You will have to start from scratch to build everything the way you want. Install each bit of software the way you like it and download thousands of MB’s of updates for you anti viruses and other software. Most of the time you will have to pay for you a new operating system since the one you have on your current disk is not going to help you in any way. Even after installing and updating these software’s, you will have to transfer all your documents, music and files to the new hard disk, even then there is a chance of you forgetting where files go and where you have stored for. It is an incredibly time consuming process and quite irritating if you change the hard disk of your computer frequently. What is there is a way for take you entire OS the way it is to a new hard disk along with all you settings and documents? There is something known as cloning a hard disk. You can use this to clone your hard disk.

Many softwares allow you to create backups of your entire OS along with all the settings. Softwares such as Norton Ghost, XXClone and Acronis True Image. These softwares are useful in creating backups of your hard disk in case your OS gets infected by a virus or if your hard disk crashes. This new hard disk will help you to continue all your work without any interruption and will also serve as a replacement drive. These softwares only specialize in creating backups of only windows disks. For linux based operating systems, you will have to go for other means of copying the entire OS.

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Making A New Computer Your Home

Buying a new computer is not like buying a new car, a new computer does not come factory maintained and ready to use. Yes it switches on and you can see a desktop that has two or three icons. Other than that your computer is not capable of doing anything. You can’t even go to the internet as soon as you switch on your new computer. You will have no use for the new comp unlike a car which you can take on a cross country ride as soon as it comes out of the dealership. For a computer to be best at what it does, it has to have lots of softwares and may be extra hardware too.

First of all a new computer needs to have an operating system, most assembled systems have a operating system pre-installed. An self-assembled system will not have any installed softwares. You will have to invest in an operating system like Windows. If you want to go for a free operating system, you need to get half of some Linux based operating system like Ubuntu or Debian. Once you are done with installing an OS, you will have to connect the computer to the internet. Just plugging in the wire from the modem into the computer’s LAN card is not enough. The network setting also needs to be configured to access the internet. This might get a little tricky; you can call the customer care at the internet provider who can direct you step by step through the process. After this you can download essential softwares such as anti-viruses and codecs to play various video and audio files. After this the next software installations depend on your use of the computer. If you want to use the computer for entertainment purposes, you can install various players. In case of games, you need to install display drivers and for high graphics games you will need a graphics card.

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