CD-R For Long-Term Digital Storage of Photos, Audio, and More

By T. Millson

Depending on your storage requirements, a CD-R or recordable CD can be an excellent choice for safeguarding your digital information. Digital files such as digital audio, digital photos that are not very high quality, emails, spreadsheets, and word processing files can all be stored quite well on the CD-R format. However, the capacity of the recordable CD is either 650 MB or 700 MB and because of this, there is not enough space to store significant amounts of digital video and at reasonably good quality. To store more than 15 minutes of digital video on a recordable CD would require heavy compression of the video and this would result in poor quality. Despite this limitation for digital video, the CD-R can be used for the effective storage of most other digital files.

There are various choices for CD-Rs that go beyond just selecting a particular brand. CD-Rs store information in a dye layer and there are three main types of dyes that are used. The three dyes are a phthalocyanine dye which is light green in color, a cyanine dye which is generally light blue in color, and an azo dye which is deep blue. The phthalocyanine dye is the most stable and does not degrade with elevated temperature or relative humidity and does not fade with light exposure. Both the cyanine and azo dyes are much less stable. These dyes are sensitive to degradation initiated by temperature and relative humidity and will fade with enough light exposure.

Another important part of the CD-R is the metal layer. The metal layer is found after the dye layer if looking at a cross-section of a disc from the bottom up. A disc is read through the base. The role of the metal is to reflect the laser light that reads the disc back to the player/reader detector after it reads the information in the dye layer. In order words, the metal layer is very important because it allows the laser light to produce a signal. Without the metal layer, the laser light would shine through the disc and no signal would be registered. There are three types of metal layers that are used in recordable CDs, silver, silver alloy, and gold. Gold is very stable and will not react. Silver will oxidize and corrode and so will silver alloy but to a lesser extent.

Therefore, if you want to store your information on very stable media, the recordable CD or CD-R with a gold metal layer and phthalocyanine dye is the best option. Choosing discs with other dyes and other metal layers can potentially give you much shorter lifetimes. Finally, it is also important to select discs that have a good scratch resistant top layer because this will help prevent irreversible physical damage to that all important metal layer.

For more information on using CD-Rs or other media for storage of digital information, please visit http://www.digital-scrapbooking-storage.com

 

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Slow Computer Performance - The Answers to Your Computer Speed Problems Are Right Here

By Brad Armstrong

What could be the main cause of slow computer performance? The most logical answer to that question is that a computer is not able to process commands in a timely manner. Usually computers think fast so when it slows down then something is wrong with its logical processes.

In this case, a computer is having a hard time looking for proper files or commands that will make applications run. There are many possible reasons and it is best to dissect them one by one.

One of the major reasons why a computer is slow is due to software problems. It is the hardware that makes a computer work but if windows has errors or there is file corruption then the fastest computer in the world will not help.

Usually computers with problems like this have a harder time processing data and instructions simultaneously. This often manifests in its slow response. Instead of considering upgrading your hard drives, memory or even your processor to assure maximum performance you need to fix these problems and before you start thinking how can I do that, it is actually quite easy to fix slow computer performance.

The major cause of a computers slow performance can be traced to the windows registry. The registry serves as a storage of all the settings and information of a computer. If there are corrupted files in the registry then these errors will cause your computers slow performance.

Since the registry stores all important information about your computer and windows is always opening and editing hundreds of settings in the registry every time you use your computer you can see how all these errors can occur.

The registry is also responsible for remembering important details of all the applications installed, including settings and how they run and if you find you keep losing program, user or desktop settings then the problem is probably in the registry. We can include the fact that there are times when files are saved in the wrong manner. This causes windows to struggle to process them fast enough and results in your computers poor performance.

To repair your slow computer you need to download a free version of a registry scanner or cleaner. Simply install and run it to scan your computers registry. This will identify and remove registry errors in your computer. Once the errors are fixed that are caused by corrupted files, you will observe a big change in your computers speed and stop slow computer performance.

If you have a slow windows computer here is the best solution for Slow Computer Performance this will make your computer run faster, just click here

 

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Body Glove Cases - Superb Cases For Your Small Electrical Items

By Thomas Shaw

Body Glove is well known for its wet suits, but did you know they make cases also? That's right, all kinds of cases, ranging from cell phone, camera, laptop, CD and even musical instrument cases.

In fact did you know that Body Glove cases are one of the biggest manufacturers of cell phone accessories cases in the business. They have built a reputation based on consumer needs, these needs are met by designing cell phone cases that are both stylish and well made but also functional. The quality and finish is better than those plastic and silicone cases you find online and in stores. Oh yes, water resistant too!

Body Glove Camera Cases offer a sporty and functional design that gives the utmost protection to cameras of all types and sizes. They are available in three sizes and all are made from the same durable material. These cases feature a multiple range of pockets both inside as well as out, and it goes without saying, highly water resistant as well.

Body Glove laptop sleeves are a lightweight alternative to the more conventional laptop carrying case. Remember they are sleeves and not cases, so they will fit your laptop like a stocking, but at the same time keep it secure. The styling offered here is of the vertical and horizontal variety, but striking to look at nevertheless. Water resistant is a thread that runs through all Body Glove cases and laptops are no exception. Neoprene is the material used here,the same material as a diver's wet suit. Each case is finished off with a secure zipper.

Body Glove musical instrument cases are mainly for guitars and keyboards. The guitar case is made to prevent damage to the neck and frets of your instrument, weather electric or acoustic. A shoulder strap is is supplied as are storage pockets. For keyboards the story is pretty much the same, the difference being, five sizes are offered to compliment your size of keyboard.

Are you looking for a case for your cell phone, or any other small electrical item? Discover the many kinds of Body Glove cases that are available at this site http://www.squidoo.com/bodyglovecases

 

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Surveillance Hidden Camera

By Faisal Farrukh

One of the important tools in surveillance is the hidden camera. These can come in the names spy camera, CCTV camera and surveillance hidden camera. No matter how they are called, the intention is to record video signals. In the field of traffic enforcement, this tool is very useful as it helps enforcers to easily catch law breakers in the soonest possible time.

The hidden cameras are now installed in traffic points to capture traffic signals. This helps in making sure that citizens abide by the traffic rules and regulations. With this gadget, problems like having people jumping over railways and violating some other laws will become easier to handle and address. Another way to use such cameras is to install them in taxis as a way to record the actions of passengers and when an incident happens, the law enforcement officers can easily go after the passenger.

The good thing is that the cost of surveillance camera is now reasonably marked down compared to the market prices before. You can even choose the size, color, design and style that you want. There are even small sized cameras that you wouldn't notice in public places. This is what technology does today.

There are other features available in the more advanced hidden cameras today. You will find products like teddy bear cameras, pen camera and hidden clock camera among others. A surveillance hidden camera may also serve its purpose in the residential field to ensure security and safety of your family. There are many purposes to have this tool around and you can just find one that will fit your needs.

Get to know more on China gadgets here.

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Netbook Verses Laptop - Which to Buy?

By Beth Eshel

A Netbook is Not Just a Smaller Laptop

There are several key questions you need to ask yourself about what you need from a portable computer before making the final decision between a netbook and a laptop computer.

• Do you need a lot of computing power on the go?
• Do you need a long battery life?
• Is size and weight a comfort factor or you?
• Can you manage on small keyboards?

Computing Power

Let's start with the first question, do you need a lot of computing power for your portable computer? For instance, do you need large specialty programs like Photoshop or Dreamweaver for your work on the move? If so, forget the netbook, get a laptop. Laptop computers come with far more powerful processors and memory that you will need to run such programs.

If all you really need is internet access for checking your email, calling on Skype, and accessing your Google account to work in the cloud, then continue to the next questions to see if the netbook is indeed for you.

Battery Life

Okay, you don't need heavy duty computing power, but you are away from power outlets for a long time. A laptop battery usually averages 2-3 hours, with claims up to 5 hours. The netbook 3-cell batteries claim about the same range, but the 6-cell batteries on some of the newer models can give you up to 8 to 10 hours of battery life.

In today's world of electronics, you may be surprised how close the nearest electric outlet is. Modern trains have one outlet per table, modern airplanes have one per seat, and in the airport there are almost always outlets in the departure lounge for passengers to use for free. But if you need that extra battery time, consider a 6-cell battery notebook. The trade off will be the added weight of the larger celled battery.

Weight and Size

Have you every actually hauled a laptop around for days? Dealt with getting it in and out of its case at the security checkpoint in the airport? If you have, and you've found that your back aches after carrying your laptop, even in an ergonomic backpack, the netbook may be a great solution to your pain.

Laptops usually start at about 5 lbs and get heavier with larger batteries or larger screens. Netbooks start at under 2 lbs (less than a kilo), also getting heavier with larger batteries or larger screens. That's a significant difference in weight, though.

What you're trading off, however, is the screen size and keyboard size. We'll talk about keyboards in a minute, but netbook screen size runs from tiny 4.8 inches to about 12 inches. By the time you get to 12 inches, the weight difference may not be much, and you might want to look at the laptops. But if you really want the light portability of the netbook, even some 9 inch display sizes weigh in at less than 2.5 lbs (less than 1.125 kilo). That's not a bad size for internet activity on the go.

The Keyboard Factor

Here's another thing that most folks trying to sell you a notebook won't tell you: some of them have keyboards that will make it painful for you to even check your email. A keyboard less than 92% of a standard keyboard is going to be really tough for touch typists, those with large fingers, or anyone who is already familiar with standard keyboard size.

The good news is that there are netbook computers with keyboards up to 95% and even 97% of a standard keyboard. Do your homework, and pay attention to this factor, though, especially if you touch type.

So have you decided netbook vs laptop now?

In conclusion, you need to weigh especially hard computing power, weight and size, battery life, and keyboard size in your decision. Netbooks are ideal for those who only need internet access and simple computing tasks. Laptops are ideal for those who need more powerful computing on the go. Answer these questions, and you'll have the answer to which computer to purchase

About the author: Beth is currently researching a netbook purchase after finding that a laptop was too heavy for carrying on a regular basis and that while on the road all she needed was internet access. You can follow her journey to a netbook purchase at http://www.squidoo.com/netbook-laptop-decision. She's going to be adding more information as she zooms in on the exact model that's perfect for her needs.

 

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GIGA Vu SONIC Picture Storage Device

By Peter Bates

Recently I read an article about a photographer who detailed what he brought when he went on assignments. One of the items was a laptop computer, for "copying and backing up picture files" he's taken. I guess he has a strong back to lug that behemoth around. Some camera backpacks even come have pockets to accommodate laptops. Too bad this character never thought of the JOBO GIGA Vu SONIC.

No one seems to agree on what to call these gadgets. One company refers to them as "photo safes." Another tags them as "photo storage devices." JOBO calls its GIGA Vu SONIC model a "picture storage device," so we'll go with that. What it does is similar to the JOBO Spectator: it allows you to insert small SD and CompactFlash cards and copy them to the hard drive within. (Four hard disc capacities up to 250 GB are available.) Its download speed is 2 GB of data a minute. At 10 ounces, it's certainly not going to break your back to bring it along on shoots. In fact, its case even has a belt loop so you can attach it right next to your cell phone.

It comes with a USB cable, AC adapter (100-240V), and car adapter. In a stroke of genius, the USB cord can attach to the AC adapter or the car adapter, so you need only one cord. It can do RAW decoding of numerous RAW image files, such as the Canon format, which we tested. It has a large high resolution 3.2" color display and can perform numerous picture functions, like zooming in and examining a picture for focus. What you see ends up being a lot more detailed than what you encounter through your camera's LCD screen.

The instruction manual is the weakest link in the product package. While it can get you up and running, it omits several procedures and explanations. How do you create "shortcuts" that appear on the opening menu? What's the difference between "Incremental backup" and "Incremental backup (OTG)?" What do they mean by OTG? On the Go?

Apart from that, the GIGA Vu SONIC is easy enough to use and, unlike competitive models, can do incremental backups as well as full backups. (One maker said that incremental backups would be "too hard" to devise for his product.) Incremental backups ensure that the device doesn't fill up with needless duplicates of picture files. The screen has three brightness levels for battery conservation. You can also benchmark both its hard drive and the memory card you insert, displaying its best and worse performances. It also has a USB mode, should you want to access (or delete ) its contents.

This is a worthy tool to own and could replace your unwieldy travel laptop.

Peter Bates pbates@batescommunications..net http://batescommunications.net

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Got Office Printing Needs? Try Lexmark Optra E450 Printer

By Ben Pate

There needs to be cost-effective efficiency when it comes to small businesses. They cannot take the time to work on their order and then run to a print shop. A home office needs reliable computers and a reliable printer that can handle all print jobs that are thrown its way. For this kind of professional business, the Lexmark Optra E450 printer in combination with the top-notch Lexmark Optra E450 toner cartridge is one of the best choices.

Printers are usually taken for granted until they fall apart, break down, or do not perform as well as the user might want them to perform. When it comes to this printer, be prepared to take it for granted, as it will not disappoint. Need to print a range of documents, such as transparencies or maybe PowerPoint presentations? Well, this thing can do it all.

The Lexmark Optra E450 is a black and white laser printer that makes professional grade material. It does this with 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution. DPI refers to the dots per square inch of melted toner. The more dots per square inch, the better the picture as it will be able to create cleaner, crisper shapes. In combination with the 64MG of RAM, a business will be prepared for just about anything.

In the digital age, everyone wants things done with the click of a button. To stay afloat as a small business, the business needs to be quick, quick, quick and print at top speeds like the 400 MHz speed that the Optra E450 provides. Thirty pages a minute is a good speed and then when it is combined with the quality that it prints at these speeds, a user is ready to make some business.

The Optra E450 has good networking capabilities as well. This is especially useful in a small business, as it would usually have maybe four or five people all pounding away on computers, all needing to print at around the same time. When the printer has networking capabilities, the office won't need four or five printers, but just one printer that can organize all the work orders and print them out efficiently.

Sometimes it can be difficult to work technology these days. Luckily, the Optra E450 is not a hard-to-use printing instrument and the panel display is actually quite easy to navigate. Of course, we all get snagged on something from time to time and for that, the printer offers a built-in tutorial. Easy-to-use top-notch technology helps small businesses to keep doing efficient business.

When an office has a few different people printing on a network printer, there needs to be a decent amount of paper in the printer so that someone does not have to reload every five minutes. The Optra E450 has a paper tray that can hold 250 sheets. If that is not enough, there is an add-on second tray to bring the total to 800 pages. Every single one of those 800 pages will be the same professional grade quality.

Now, what helps allow the Lexmark Optra E450 printer make such high quality material is the Lexmark Optra E450 toner cartridge. Loaded with plenty of laser toner to print thousands upon thousands of pages, businesses will probably forget that it does not last forever. With this in mind, it would not be a bad idea to have a few Lexmark Optra cartridges on the bench waiting to get called in when that time comes. Until then, though, a small business will never need to tell this printer to hustle as by the time the words are said, the job will be done.

 

Slow Windows 7 - Four Free Ways to Make Your Slow Windows Operating System Run Like a Car

By Janson Huang

"Why is my Windows 7 slowing down?" Most of the computer users ask this question again and again. It is a quite frustrating problem for all Windows users. However, it is necessary for you to learn some simple ways to take care of your computer on your own. The following special tips will help you fix your slow Windows 7.

1. Install a good Security program.

Obviously, normal antivirus software usually takes more computer resources to stop virus attack. Therefore, you have to speed much time to start up or shut down your computer. You will find that the Windows 7 system is performing like a turtle.

2. Defragment the fragments on your hard disk.

As a matter of fact, when you install and remove programs from your hard disk, the Windows data is scattered all over the hard drives in pieces. That means your operating system has to spend a long time loading the data on your computer. This slows the Windows 7 system down in every process. Defragment the fragment on drives can speed up the data access time. Also, it can make your computer run quickly.

3.Disable some Windows services.

Windows 7 as a new operating system, has too many Windows services which are activated in your computer. Even though some of the services are really needed to run on your PC, they are automatically enabled and take up a lot of resources of the computer so that Windows 7 runs slow.

If you want to speed up your PC, you can disable these Windows services.

4. Repair Windows registry errors.

The Windows registry controls all the actions that the pc does. Whenever you install or delete the programs and files, an entry of this process is created into the Windows registry. After a period of time, these unstable entries will make the registry errors. At this moment, you will get a slow Windows 7 system, which runs like an old man. If you would like to have a stable operating system, you can use a superior registry cleaner to scan and remove the Windows registry entries with ease.

If your computer runs too slow and you don't want to reinstall your system, the best solution for fixing slow Windows 7 is that you can click here to download the registry tool to boost your computer performance. I am definitely sure that your pc will immediately run faster.

Easy Steps to Transfer the Videos From an iPod to Your Computer

After Christmas, you can get a new iPod - the Nano 5 Generation. You may take some funny videos by it and you may wish to transfer the recorded videos to the computer, edit the record videos with the Windows Movie Maker and upload them to MySpace, YouTube, and Facebook. It is not hard to do that, this article will show you some steps to make the full use of the recorded iPod video.

Step one. In order to be able to transfer the videos to the computer, first you need to enable the iPod disk use. Plug your iPod Nano into computer, run the iTunes and choose the iPod in device list. Go to Summary tab. And you should see the option "Enable disk use", check that the click Apply button. And it is the same process for the Mac user to enable the iPod disk use.

Step two. Since iTunes prevent you from copying non-purchased file from the iPod to the computer, you need one iPod transfer software to get the iPod video transferred. I have tried lots of iPod transfers, and the Cucusoft iPod to Computer Transfer Software works best for transferring the iPod recorded video. I have already scanned it with the Norton Virus Protector, this software is quite safe without any spyware and virus. Install it, connect the iPod to your computer. Then run this software, it will automatically search the iPod,then all files on the iPod would return in a list.

Step three. Select the recorded video which you want to transfer, click "Export" to start the transferring; this software help you to copy the recorded videos to iTunes or computer, that's all. Also you can use it to transfer photos and music from iPod to your computer. If you are the Mac user, also this iPod transfer software has Mac version, the process is almost the same.

Mike J Howard is also an expert at paper area. If you want to get more useful tips and information to select the hp photo paper and kodak photo paper, visit my website.