Check out pictures of some computer keyboards from Japan that are made of pure 99.99% gold. They are real.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Top CD / DVD Burning Tips and Tricks to Avoid Coasters
Today CD / DVD burners are a standard component in every computer be it a Desktop or a Laptop. The CD / DVD media is the most affordable and most easily available backup options that we have today. But many times we end up creating discs that are either not readable, fail to read after a period of time and ofcourse the dreaded coaster. Well now you would be wondering what this term coaster is that I keep referring. 
What is a CD / DVD Coaster?
Well coaster can be defined as a unreadable disc, a badly burnt disc or a disc with lot of errors.
CD / DVD Burning Tips and Tricks to Avoid Coasters:
1. Check if your CD /DVD writer has the latest firmware: Always make sure that your CD/ DVD burner has got the latest firmware. The latest firmware offered by manufacturer of your drive would have support for latest blank CD / DVD medias and bug fixes if they were present in the earlier version of firmware.
2. Always use good quality media: Those nameless flashy cheap CD / DVD are no good. The quality of these cheap media is very poor so if you use those then you are risking your backup data. It is recommended that you buy branded media that can offer good results.
3. Take care of your Media: Buying good quality media alone is not sufficient, you must also take precautions that these media don’t get damaged. Keep the blank CD / DVD media away from sunlight and dust. Before you put the blank CD / DVD media into your burner make sure that they are clean.
4. Burn at lower speed: Burn at lower speed to get the best quality burning rather than burning at max speed or using overspeeding than the rated speed. I have noticed that the slower I burn the better quality of burns I get when compared to the max rates speed. I don’t mean that you have to burn you media at 1x speed, if you have 16x rated media try to burn at 12x which is quite optimal and you also don’t loose lot of precious time.
5. Defragment your hard drive: To get the best quality burns your CD / DVD writer needs to get data at the desired speed at required rate. To achieve this the hard disk drive would need to transfer the data at that rate hence it is advisable to have your data defragmented so that hard disk drive can transfer the data without any hiccups. Even if you set the max burning speed the burn rate will slower if the data is highly fragmented.
6. Close the programs that you do not use: The CD / DVD burning is more of hard drive taxing job rather than the CPU, close all those hard disk hogging programs that you don’t intend to use. To make the burning smoother the CD / DVD burning program uses quite some RAM if you are running low on RAM close all the unwanted programs that would free up more memory to the burning application.
7. Enable DMA for CD / DVD drives: The DMA mode allows the CPU to transfer huge chunks of data to the drive thereby reducing the CPU utilization. If this mode is enabled then high speed and high quality burning can be performed.
8. Make your CD /DVD drive as Master: If you are using IDE or PATA based CD / DVD burner then it is a wise decision to make that drive as master drive to get better performance.
9. Opt for SATA based DVD drive: Planning to buy a new drive? If yes then it is better that you a SATA interface based drives as it offers better performance over its PATA counter part.
8. Enable buffer under-run protection: Enable the buffer under-run-protection in your burning application before you burn your data.
A buffer underrun occurs during recording if the recorder runs out of data in the recording buffer. Once the laser is on, it cannot stop and resume flawlessly; thus the pause necessitated by the underrun can cause the data on the disc to become invalid. Since the buffer is generally being filled from a relatively slow source, such as a hard disk or another CD/DVD, a heavy CPU or memory load from other concurrent tasks can easily exhaust the capacity of a small buffer. Therefore, buffer underrun protection was implemented by various individual CD/DVD writer vendors. With this technique, the laser is indeed able to stop writing for any amount of time and resume when the buffer is full again. The gap between successive writes is extremely small.
Modern burners and burning applications by default enable the buffer underrun protection but it is always better to double check it before you start your backup or burning project.
9. Use Ultra DMA (80-Conductor) IDE/ATA Cables: If you are using a PATA or IDE CD / DVD drive use the 80 pin ultra DMA IDE/ATA cable over the 40 pin cable as it offers better performance.
Image courtesy: Seagate
If you got any more tips then do let us know we will update those here.
Are flying cars soon to become reality?
Sir Clive Sinclair who gave the world the Spectrum computer and the C5 electric car has told BBC Radio 4 that soon it would be “economically and technically possible” to create flying cars.
As well as saying they were technically possible, he also said that they would have to be automatically controlled because “we can’t all learn how to fly” (try stopping me!)
But since he also added that these cars would have to be electrically powered instead of petrol powered, you can tell right away who will resist the building of them. Yep, that’s right - the oil companies! So that pretty much dooms the project from the get-go.
Plus I’m pretty sure the bird union will have something to say about it too. How’s a self-respecting sparrow supposed to do its flying about and dropping its waste on people’s heads when there’s flying cars whizzing past left, right and center? Come on!
Casio introduces the world’s slimmest* digital camera with a wide-angle 4x optical zoom
Features CCD-shift anti-shake function and a large 3.0 inch LCD display
Casio America, Inc. announced today the release of the newest model in its EXILIM® digital camera series — the stylish, slim EXILIM Zoom EX-Z150, which features a wide-angle zoom lens, a CCD-shift anti-shake function, a 3.0” LCD monitor and an 8.1 effective megapixel resolution.
The EXILIM Zoom EX-Z150 contains the features and functions needed to meet the demanding requirements of today’s digital camera users, all within a slim form factor. The EX-Z150 comes complete with a built-in wide-angle 28 mm (35 mm film equivalent) and 4X optical zoom lens, at just .79” thick (.74” at the thinnest section).
“This camera is the perfect accessory for the picture taking enthusiast as it is compact, attractive and comes equipped with face detection technology which is a popular feature,” said Bill Heuer, Vice President of Casio’s Digital Imaging Division. “The EX-Z150 stays true to the user-friendly features that have become standard to the EXILIM Zoom series.
To complement the slim, stylish look, the new EXILIM offers all the premium functionality you would expect in a much bigger digital camera, including a CCD-shift anti-shake function and face detection technology. It also features a large 3.0 inch LCD monitor, a first for the EXILIM series, making it even easier to compose shots and adding to the fun of viewing the images taken.
MAIN FEATURES OF THE EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z150
· 8.1 effective megapixel model for high resolution photography
· Slim, compact size: 3.81” wide x 2.26” high x .79” thick (.74” at the thinnest section)
· 28 mm-equivalent wide-angle 4x optical zoom lens enables users to conveniently photograph scenes such as tall buildings or get shots of big groups of people in a small room, while still allowing zoom photography to capture distant subjects
· CCD-shift anti-shake function for beautiful image quality, free from effects of camera-shake
· Face detection technology that senses people's faces
· Large 3.0 inch, high resolution LCD monitor with 230,400 dots
Saturday, April 26, 2008
inflatable Massage Chair
inflatable Massage Chair
Here's a first: a bargain-priced inflatable massage chair that can be taken anywhere — great for the hotel room. This massage chair includes three intensity levels, nine functions, timer control, repair kit, and remote. The electric pump (included) inflates this chair in just one minute.
Transfer Information Via Handshake - Smart Rings
These rings add a gripping new meaning to “shake on it”.
Each “smart” ring stores your details, transferred there via a digital business card the size of a credit card. To pass along your details to a new business associate, simply shake hands, instead of handing over a traditional business card. It also displays a contact list of all the people you’ve exchanged information with – personal info, contact numbers, and for those with short memories, the date you met. All information is customizable, and transferable to anyone wearing another “smart” ring.
To view the information, sync the ring back to the digital business card. No batteries required either; the rings are juiced up by body heat. The entire business world will have to get one of these for the trend to take off in a big way, but even from where I’m sitting, the possibilities are mind-blowing.
Each “smart” ring stores your details, transferred there via a digital business card the size of a credit card. To pass along your details to a new business associate, simply shake hands, instead of handing over a traditional business card. It also displays a contact list of all the people you’ve exchanged information with – personal info, contact numbers, and for those with short memories, the date you met. All information is customizable, and transferable to anyone wearing another “smart” ring.
To view the information, sync the ring back to the digital business card. No batteries required either; the rings are juiced up by body heat. The entire business world will have to get one of these for the trend to take off in a big way, but even from where I’m sitting, the possibilities are mind-blowing.
Data Transfer Via Hand Shake 2 - Firmo
Previously we’ve featured Smart Things that transfer your data. It’s 
like in those spy movies where two agents shake hands, then part immediately after, totally baffling the enemy agents as to how they transferred the information. Well, we just gave away the secret. The Nippon Telephones and Telegraph company has developed a device that transmits data across the surface of the human body. The device can let users communicate with electronic devices just by touching them.
You wont have to undergo surgery of any kind to achieve this super power. The new product, called Firmo, is a card-sized transmitter carried in the user’s pocket. The card converts stored data into a weak AC electric field that extends across the body, and when the user touches a device or object embedded with a compatible receiver, the electric field is converted back into a data signal that can be read by the device.
For now, Firmo transfers data at 230kbps, but NTT is working on a low-cost 10Mbps version that can handle audio/video data transfers.
like in those spy movies where two agents shake hands, then part immediately after, totally baffling the enemy agents as to how they transferred the information. Well, we just gave away the secret. The Nippon Telephones and Telegraph company has developed a device that transmits data across the surface of the human body. The device can let users communicate with electronic devices just by touching them.
You wont have to undergo surgery of any kind to achieve this super power. The new product, called Firmo, is a card-sized transmitter carried in the user’s pocket. The card converts stored data into a weak AC electric field that extends across the body, and when the user touches a device or object embedded with a compatible receiver, the electric field is converted back into a data signal that can be read by the device.
For now, Firmo transfers data at 230kbps, but NTT is working on a low-cost 10Mbps version that can handle audio/video data transfers.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
HP Brings New Set Of Gadgets For You
including a revamped MediaSmart Receiver, a slim PC, multimedia notebook, storage, and monitors.
MediaSmart Receiver x280N
Hewlett-Packard continues to emphasize both traditional PC technology along with newer, crossover consumer electronics--all of which center around the explosion of media in the home. The latest innovation: The $300 HP MediaSmart Receiver x280N, which streams music, photos, and video from one (or several) Windows systems to any HDTV, in HP's bid for a piece of the digital media adapter pie. This media streaming box works as a Windows Media Center Extender; it also has an HP Pocket Media Drive bay and two USB ports, so you can also store and access content without streaming from a PC. The unit connects via ethernet and 802.11 a/b/g/n; and has HDMI (up to 1080p), component video, and digital audio outputs.
MediaSmart TVs Get Smarter
HP may not be the first name you think of for TVs, but the company is the first with connected TVs. HP has refreshed its MediaSmart TVs: All models are now 1080p, connect via ethernet and 802.11 a/b/g/n, and have built-in extenders for Microsoft's Windows Media Center (you can access multiple online services via this connectivity, including downloading movies from CinemaNow). The included remote control can handle up to four entertainment devices; the TVs now have three HDMI ports. The 42-inch SL4282N will sell for $1900; and the 47-inch SL4782N will sell for $2400.
Data Saver: New MediaVault
The HP MediaVault line gets a much-needed boost with this user-expandable storage system. The mv2100 and mv5100 series are aimed at homes and small businesses, respectively (the former, a two-bay unit, tops out at 500GB; the latter--a multibay unit referred to as the Media Vault Pro--comes in 1TB and 1.5TB versions). The Linux-based network-attached storage devices pack a Marvell processor for improved performance, and both models borrow features from HP's MediaSmart server (such as securely sharing images via Photo WebShare and easily accessing music via iTunes server).
$1000 PC Packs Blu-ray, Too
Not so long ago, Blu-ray Disc playback was a premium feature on a PC. The HP Pavilion Slimline s3330f PC--the most interesting of HP's three PC announcements here at the Consumer Electronics Show-- comes in at under $1000, and delivers a dual-format Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD drive (which might be useful for those of you with HD DVDs lying around). The space-saving s3330f is notably slim--HP says it's a third of the size of an ordinary PC tower. Even so, this model still manages to squeeze in a Pocket Media Drive bay. The unit also comes with a digital TV tuner, plus an Nvidia GeForce 8500 card with HDMI out.
Amped-Up Mobile Graphics
The HP Pavilion HDX series notebook gains a major upgrade: The option of integrating 512 MB Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTS graphics. This top-of-the-line mobile chipset from Nvidia--announced in late November 2007--should provide significantly better frame rates for gameplay, to the point that previously unplayable games may now be enjoyed in a notebook PC (Alienware has already announced it will use this chipset in notebooks due out this quarter). Another first: The HDx now has a 20.1-inch WUXGA XHD Ultra Brightview display. Plus, this model also now supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD.
WowWee's New Robots
From in-home surveillance robots to flying battle bots, WowWee is showing more than 20 new robots at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas. Here's a sneak peek at the company's 2008 robot lineup.
Rovio, the Home Survellance Robot
The $300 Rovio has a video camera, microphone, and Wi-Fi capabilities on board. The three-wheeled omnidirectional robot can stream video from its camera to remote locations with a broadband-connected Windows PC or smartphone. The robot is WowWee's first foray into remote home surveillance and "telepresence."
FemiSapien: The Female of the Species
WowWee is also targeting some new robots at women and girls. FemiSapien is a female humanoid robot that dances to music it "hears" via its onboard microphone, and can control other robots in WowWee's lineup. The $100 robot reacts to voice commands and even human touch. It is scheduled for release in late summer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
