Computers and Notebooks

Computers and notebooks are among the most expensive purchases you can make. Why is it then, that so many make an uninformed decision when it comes to their technological needs? It may be because they what they think is a good deal and snatch it up before the sale ends or the item is sold out. Others may just need a new computer quickly to replace one that dies. When shopping for a new computer, you want to make sure you make a good decision that will last you at least a few years. One of the most important considerations will be whether you want a desktop or laptop computer.

Before you decide which type of computer you want, you should think about your needs regarding the item. Computers and notebooks can each be purchased with the same specifications, so you will not have to decide on one type just to get the things you need on the inside. Determine the size of hard drive and RAM you need. Think about the audio and video quality you want the computer to have. Do you need extras such as additional USB ports or webcam? These are all things to think about when buying a computer.

Once you have determined what you need, you begin looking at desktop or laptop computers. The main reason for choosing between the two is primarily your needs for portability. If you travel a good deal and need your computer with you, it is best to go with a laptop. However, if you are simply looking for something to keep on at home, a desktop computer may be a better choice for you. If you decide to go with a laptop, there are additional considerations, such as battery life and weight of the computer that should also be made.

Budget is another factor that should be considered when you are shopping for computers and notebooks. Computers have become a bit more affordable nowadays, but if you want a top of the line brand or model, you should expect to pay top dollar. Desktops tend to be cheaper than laptops, but that is probably because of the ability to carry laptop computers with you where ever you go. No matter which type you choose, there are a number of models that can be purchased for less than $1000.

As you can see, there are a few considerations that you should make before you start to shop for computers and notebooks. With the price of the item, you will want to make a well-informed decision so that the computer will last you several years. Think about the specifications you need, as well as whether you want to buy a desktop or laptop. Also, set a budget so that you do not break the bank when making your computer investment.

Disposing of Your Computers and Hardware Properly

The time will eventually come when you or your business has to get rid of the computer to make room for the new one. The big question that is often asked though, is how and where. This can range from recycling to donating the computer towards an organization or charity. However before you make your decision, you should also consider what you are getting rid of.

Consider the Data on Your Hard Drive
Whenever you delete something off of the hard drive by throwing it away in the recycle bin it is not technically deleted. What happens is that the file is dumped into a section of the hard drive known as "unallocated space." The file will remain there until it is overwritten by a process, or another file being written over it. You can think of it as your hard drive being a giant phone book with the pages as the files. If someone tears out a page of the phone book it does not mean that the numbers that were on that page will stop working. Whenever you dispose of your computer you should either have the drive physically destroyed, or use a program to wipe the entire hard drive. These programs go through and overwrite the data on the hard drive multiple times, thus destroying any information contained on it.

Donating Your Computer to an Organization or Charity
This is probably the best use of your old computer. Not only is the donation tax refundable, but you are providing help to some of these organizations who are often struggling for funds. Just be sure that before you donate it that you have deleted all of the data from the hard drive of the machine.

Recycling Your Old Computer
This is one of the more attractive options for those computers that are too old to be of any use, even when donated, or ones that do not work anymore. Computers and their components are full of heavy and precious metals like gold or lead. They are contain other components that are very harmful and can be dangerous should the their base chemicals make their way down into the local groundwater system. Most computer manufacturers will recycle old equipment when you buy a new computer from them. Check with the manufacturer of your new machine to see if they will take yours. Otherwise the Environmental Protection Agency is always willing to provide you with information on where to dispose of your computer.

Computer and IT Support

Computers and IT (Information Technology) in general are a very big part of a lot of business in today's world, they are used all of the country and worldwide for a number of different purposes. As with all technology they carry the risk of going wrong and not only that but some people simply find them hard to use and do not understand their operation.

To some people a computer can be a daunting prospect and to others the operation of them can come second nature. However if you fall in to the category of maybe needing a little help then there are a lot of companies out there that can offer you help. Often they are support lines, you call the company up and an operator will pick up, from here you explain your problem to them or what you need help with. Some companies will try and help you from this point, but larger support companies will often work out which department you need (from what you told them) and transfer you through.

More than often they will be able to help you there on the spot, they will explain what you have to do and run through it with you on the phone whilst you do what they tell you. In the odd case the problem cannot be solved some companies will be able to send out a technician to help you.

Be warned, these businesses operate a premium rate phone line, make sure you check how much the call will cost you per minute before calling.

Computers and Technology Can Help You Find Health Insurance

In today's advanced world of computers and technology, it seems like just about everything is simpler than it was 20, even 10, years ago. We can do many things much faster and easier thanks to computers and technology. We can avoid the cost of phone bills and postage by talking for free through instant messengers and emails. We can save on gas money (and our own energy!) by keeping up with our bank accounts, and even paying bills or shopping using our bank accounts, online. We can save the time it takes to head down to the local library to search for the books we need for a research paper by using the resources of the Internet to study and explore every topic under the sun.

And, best of all for some of us, we can even work from home thanks to computers and technology.

Whether we're freelance writers, graphic designers, editors, data entry workers, or even photographers, because of the advances in computers and technology, we can set up shop right in our own homes. No more commuting, no more annoying co-workers, and no more bossy bosses!

However, despite all the perks of using computers and technology to work from home, those of us who do work from home usually lack one thing - health insurance. When we're self-employed, or contracted by a particular business, health insurance packages aren't usually one of the perks of using computers and technology to work from home.

Therefore, it's up to those of us who do use computers and technology to work from home to search for our own health insurance policies. There's good news - the same computers and technology we use to work from home can help us search for health insurance companies that sell affordable health insurance policies for individuals.

So, the next time you log on to start work, remember to take a few minutes to find a health insurance policy.

How the CRTC Will Influence Cloud Computing and Technology Adoption in Canada

A ruling by the CRTC has the potentially change the landscape and stump growth for consumer technology as well as business. As it currently stands there are internet service providers that offer a no bandwidth or unlimited internet usage. Fair use net policies exist a reasonable solution for when the network is stressed or being bombarded seems to be a reasonable compromise for most users. The new net-usage policy is based on how much bandwidth you consume.

For users that surf and research topics of interest and for email will not be impacted as much. The rest of internet users that watch videos online, stream and download music will be affected adversely. Internet capping of data rates and usage could affect how technology is used. Higher internet usage fees means that using technology such as your PC, net books, smart phones and iPads can rapidly drop if bandwidth usage is capped.

Services such as Netflix and TekSavvy that depend on internet usage can be influenced in a negative direction if usage is capped. Be prepared to pay more for monthly internet packages and as you scale up.

One of the problems that result will be that of business users that rely on VOIP for their global communication strategies. We recently received an email that we have consumed over 75% of our monthly bandwidth usage which was very surprising as we don't stream or watch many videos online and this month not much if any streaming has occurred. It then occurred to me that Skype and VoIP are included in bandwidth usage. How will this impact on Vonage users and will this change the way Vonage will be billed and will users revert back to phone service for their business communication needs? How much will your cell phone package go up a month if that usage is capped, business users should brace themselves as their cell packages will increase. Business users that use the net from their smart phones will definitely be impacted. Will paying more for internet surfing impact the way iPads are used in Canada thus limiting adoption, how much will small business owners suffer with these new regulations? This one aspect of this decision.

Another major impact that may result is the adoption of cloud computing or SaaS for vendors. The products of cloud and SaaS vendors can be impacted especially for small businesses who are more prone to adopt cloud based technology. If you are currently using Salesforce, Plex, Netsuite another ERP, CRM or any other enterprise software that is cloud/SaaS based may be in for a surprise in their upcoming bills at least in Canada. This constitutes bandwidth usage so will this influence cloud adoption for enterprise software adoption and by how much especially with services such as backup/storage services, IT as a service and other outsourced services could possibly be affected and what about gaming? Will sales of video game consoles decrease because not only will games have to be purchased but now online usage will be charged based on usage especially length of time when joining gaming communities and participating in perpetual forums.

Know What is Running on Your Computer and How This Information Can Help Speed Up Your PC

One of the things that happens to many Windows users is that their computers end up slowing down over time. Much of this is attributed to virus issues, malware problems, and registry errors. There are programs to deal with each one of those. One problem that a user causes on their own is not knowing what programs are running on their computer at all times.

To find out what programs are currently open and running, the easiest way is to hit Control + Alt + Delete. Push these and hold all three down at the same time until you see a dialogue box come up. In that box click on "Processes". This brings up a list of the applications and programs that you are currently running.

Before you do anything be careful that you don't accidentally shut something off that is actually needed to keep Windows running properly. If you do shut something off, you will have to reboot to fix the problem.

Sort the programs by their ram usage to see what the biggest computer speed hogs are on your machine. You might notice quite a few applications are in your active RAM that you aren't currently using. Some of the usual ones are Microsoft Office running in the background or the iTunes Updater. You can end these processes to free up some RAM since you don't need these things running all the time.

Another important reason to look to see what is running is because something viruses and malware will show up here. You can see them open and running while using your computer. Many have become smarter about not showing up in this list but some still do. At times these can also be caught by looking at your bandwidth to see if these programs are sending or receiving data.

Once you understand what is going on with your machine, you will be able to maintain it much easier and help it run more efficiently.

News From the World of Social Media, Computer and Technology

Due to the latest innovations, the world has changed into a global village and has brought many changes. In this respect the internet has paid much contribution, not to mention social media like twitter and Facebook which has really altered and affected our lives.

Twitter being one of the best resources for finding breaking news and information, with more than 200 million accounts, has flourished in recent years. In December 2011, a new version of Twitter was launched, available for mobile phones, iPhone and Android. Anyone who has access to it can click any tweet in his/her timeline to expand it to see photos, videos, favorites etc. and can 'discover' and plunge into a stream of useful and entertaining information which are based on his/her current location, what he/she follows and what is happening in the world.

Another social-media, Facebook also enables users to share stories on their profile pages and update their status. In accordance with the latest updates, Facebook has now rolled out a way for its users to edit and re-write their comments, simply by a click on "edit or delete".

Moreover, Facebook has issued a new email for its users, replacing their primary email accounts, like Yahoo or Gmail with a Facebook.com account.

Computers have taken over every aspect of human culture. We use computers to work, play, do research, shop, stay in contact with friends, and more. The name which has ruled the whole computer world since its first launch in November 1985 is WINDOWS. It is the most used operating system in the world. But another technology of operating systems is coming ahead which will fully replace windows, named as MIDORI. The main idea behind it is to develop a lightweight portable OS which can be easily joined to various applications.

New computer technologies keep coming out continuously and nearly everyone wants to keep up with the latest computer technology that comes along. For example, laser printers have taken the place of ink-jet printers; auto makers are appealing to car buyers with new in-vehicle technology like LTE, digital review mirrors and advanced telematics systems.

There have been more inventions such as Robots with human expressions, 4 G Technology, 3-D Processor chips and latest phones. It is said that in the near future we will see holographic cell phones replacing the simple cell phones, enabling the user to walk next to a hologram of a friend or colleague.

According to a current research, Robots of future will develop the ability of generalization and will learn to manipulate objects. This will help them to adapt according to new environments. Making robots like these is a giant leap in robotics.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of United States has developed an unnamed aircraft which can stay in air for a period of 5 years at a time. It is one of the most recent inventions in technology of the world.