Video game accessories and consoles which will help you lose weight in the New Year!

The Nintendo Wii is a great fairly priced game console which will let you use its motion controller to play games like Wii-bowling, Wii-Tennis, and other Wii exercise games with your hands. It also has a lot of exclusive titles like Super Mario, Zelda, and Donkey Kong for you to play after you are done exercising.

The Xbox 360 Kinect lets you use your whole body to play video games while you use your entire body as a controller. It uses a camera and body tracking technology to track your body movements during gameplay.

The Playastation Move track your hand movement with a wand with a glowing ball on it, and the Eyetoy webcam, so you are moving your hand for games.

Ubuntu 10.10 Great operating system for everyday tasks and more!

I been using Ubuntu 10.10 Free Open Source Operating System for a few weeks, and it has been excellent. I use Ubuntu to check e-mail, browse the web, watch videos, listen to songs, Facebook, Twitter, play flash games, Linux and Ubuntu native games, write blog post, go on social networking sites, watch TV, and do other daily tasks. It has been one of the most trouble free experiences with an operating system I ever had.

Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat will satisfy most users need when it comes to typing a letter, going online, and doing daily tasks. If you are willing to learn a little more about Ubuntu, and Ubuntu and linux compatible software you can do most tasks you would be able to do on more popular operating systems like Windows 7 and Apple Mac OS X.

Laptop Bags which keep your Laptop warm and dry during Winter

A Laptop bag is good for cold snowy and rainy days. It keeps your laptop from getting too cold and freezing in cold weather. The padding in laptop bags act as a sweater keeping warm air in while keeping cold air out. The bag also prevents snow and rain from dripping into your laptop. It will also help prevent your laptop from breaking if you slip on ice and fall on the floor since a laptop bag is usually pretty well padded to protect your laptop from falls and bumps.

SanDisk Sansa Fuze 4GB Video MP3 Player - A great all in one portable player

SanDisk Sansa Fuze 4 GB Video MP3 Player is a great MP3 player for most people because it has a 24 hour battery life, lots of space for hundreds to a thousand songs depending on quality.

You can watch video clips and photos on the 1.5 inch color screen. If you are bored of your MP3s, you can always listen to FM radio with 40 station preset stations.

The Sansa Fuze also has a built-in Microphone for recording your voice.

Western Digital External Hard drive the perfect gift someone will keep using all year long!

Western Digital WD Elements 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive  is a great Christmas or Birthday gift that your friend or family member will use all year.

Plus, they will really be thanking you if their computer breaks and they backed up all their important files to  the external hard drive which you gave them. Plus, the drive comes with 1000 GB of space, so it will take them a long time to fill up all the space.

This external hard drive is great if your computer is running out of space, and you need to store a big file which the hard drive on your computer can not store because of lack of space on your PC.

How to take care of your computer in the Winter?

You need to be careful about static electricity in the winter because the air is dry and cold which means static electricity is easier to generate while fixing your computer. I recommend using an anti-static wrist strap to minimize the chance of zapping your computer with static electricity while fixing or cleaning the inside of your computer in the winter.

Great inexpensive electronic Christmas gifts

It's almost Christmas which means you probably need to finish holiday shopping. But, a lot of electronics are so expensive, and most of the cheap ones are not very good or memorable. Here are some inexpensive gift ideas for you which will be useful all year long not just during the holidays, but all year long.

A SanDisk Cruzer 8 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive is great for anyone who carry a lot of files to and from work and school.

If the person you are buying for needs loads of space then a Western Digital WD Elements 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive  would be a better choice for the person you are buying for. It would take a very long time for the average person to fill out 1TB of space.

Diskeeper 2010 Professional - best paid defrag I ever use!

Diskeeper 2010 Professional is a great automatic disk defrag program which works for Windows 7 and later version of Windows. I been using it for almost 30 days and I love it. All I have to do is install it, and let Diskeeper defrag my drive automatically in the background when my computer is not very busy. I notice my Windows Startup and shutdown times both improve. Launching programs and files also seem a lot faster as well.

There are also a lot of logs which you can view in Diskeeper 2010 to see how fragmented your drive is. The logs are great for power users, and IT staff to see how Diskeeper 2010 is maintaining their computer drive.

You can also still run Manual defrags if you plan on doing hard disk intensive tasks like video editing.

 Best thing I like about Diskeeper 2010 Professional is it uses little system resources unlike most manual disk defrags, and I no longer have to manually defrag my hard drive, or schedule my hard drive to defrag with task scheduler. Diskeeper is a program you just have to install and forget about since it decides when my hard drive needs to be defrag and optimize my computer, so I never need to analyze and defrag my drive manually.

Parallel to USB Printer Scanner converter cable lets you use old printer on newer PC!

Do you still use a older printer or scanner with a parallel port,but your newer desktop or laptop computer does not have a parallel port? You can use Cables To Go 16899 USB To DB25 IEEE-1284 Parallel Printer Adapter Cable which is 6 feet long.This cable will save you some money since it lets you re-use your old printer or scanner on your newer computer. Plus, it only cost $8.57 to 12.94 which is a lot cheaper then a new printer.

How to connect your laptop to an older TV with only RCA jacks

Most laptops only have S-Video output and no RCA outputs for TVs; however, some older or lower-end TV's only have RCA input.
Cables To Go - 27965 - 12ft Value Series Bi-directional S-Video To RCA Cable (Black) will convert your S-video plug to RCA, so you can watch videos on your bigger TV with only RCA inputs. It is only 13.73 USD or less at Amazon which is a lot cheaper then a new TV with S-video inputs. Plus, this cable is also 12 feet, so you do not have to worry about the cable being long enough to reach your Television set from your laptop.

USB to PS/2 adapter lets you use your USB keyboard on computer and laptops with only PS/2 ports

If you only can use PS/2 (Purple PS/2 plug) keyboards and (Green PS/2 plug) mouse ports because your computer is very old and only have PS/2 ports, you'll need a USB to PS/2 converter for both your keyboard or mouse to convert your PS/2 plug to USB for use on your computer.

Simotech CD /DVD Repair Kit help fixes scratches on your optical discs

Simotech DVD Repair Machine / Kit is great CD and DVD scratch removal and repair machine. It not only makes your CDs and DVDs playable again, but also remove the scratches unlike other CD DVD repair machines and kits which make your CD look even worse.

Ways to save money when computer is off from vampire power.

I just use a regular power strip and press the off button to turn off all my plugs on the power strip, so none of my electronics like chargers, USB hard drives, printer, scanners, etc are using any power when I'm not using them. If you do not need your computer, router, or cable modem to be on while you sleep, you can also plug them into a power strip and turn them off by plugging them onto a power strip and pressing the off button on the power strip.

If you are lazy, you might want to get a Smart Strip LCG3 Energy Saving Surge Protector with Autoswitching Technology, 10-Outlet which turns off all the other outlets when one of your electronics like your computer is turned off.
However, I just use a APC Essential SurgeArrest, 7 outlet power strip which is less costly. When I'm not using my computer, I turn off the power strip which turns off my monitor, speakers, USB drives and printer.

The good thing about using power strips or smart power strips are that you are also protecting your computer and sensitive electronics from surges, and spikes. Plus, by turning off your power strip and smart power strip, you will save some money on electricity and everything is off. Your AC adapters might also last longer since they are not ON all day.

Tips for desktop computer cable management with Belkin Velcro Cable ties

Cable management can be very important in keeping your desktop computer cables from messing up your room, or office. Plus, people are less likely to trip over your cables, and fall or drag your computer to the floor.Using Belkin 8-Inch Velcro Cable Ties can help you organize your cables better by securing them together with Velcro. Plus, when you unplug a cable it will not fall to the ground making the cable hard to find in the messy pile of cables lying on the floor which can be a tripping hazard.

PS/2 to USB Keyboard and mouse adapter-Reuse your old Keyboard and Mouse on your new Computer!

Sometimes switching to a new keyboard and mouse can feel weird especially if you have been using the same keyboard and mouse for years like me. I have been using the same keyboard and mouse for over 3 years. Luckily, my computer also have PS/2 ports for my computer mouse and keyboards, but if your computer or laptop does not have PS/2 ports on the back you need a Adesso PS/2 to USB Adapter if your old keyboard and mouse still uses PS/2 plugs which are usually round, and colored purple for the keyboard, and green for the mouse.

Changing Cable Splitters and cables for better TV reception sharing a cable connection!

Recently, I change my coax TV cable splitter for me TV cable which I am sharing with my other TV. It was an RG 6 coax splitter which I bought from Monoprice. The splitter was a lot better then the $1 splitter now my TV is more clearer and has less static while watching TV. The sound also improve. I no longer hear static and cracking sounds coming out from my speakers while watching TV. The new splitter cost only 5 dollars, but it was totally worth it. I did not even have to change my cables. I am using my old RG 59 cables, and my TV channels look great on most channels, or the static is not as noticeable compared to the past when I was using my poorer quality cable splitter which made channels unclear and the sound bad.

By changing to a more high quality splitter, you can also reduce or eliminate pixelation/those annoying boxes which show up on your digital cable, HDTV channels, digital satellite, or HDTV antennae channels since high quality splitter has less signal lose compared to low quality ones. Also, make sure to get an RG 6 cable splitter which is rated for up to 5-2400+ MHz frequency.

In the ideal situation, it is best not to use splitters, and have your TV cable directly plug into the cable outlet. But, if you need to share one cable connection, you might as well buy a quality coax cable splitter.

Stop lost of small files due to hard drive crashes, software, or other problems!

Ever lost a small files like your resume, homework, photos, MP3s, etc when your computer crashes? A few years back, I lost a animated clip which I spent days to make, and it was gone because my hard drive crashed if only I backed it up to a floppy or CD, but I did not own a cd burner back then.

These days most modern computers, laptops, and netbooks have Memory Card readers which can read a many kinds of different memory card formats like SD, Sony Memory Stick,  Compact Flash, and Smart Media.

Built-in memory card reader on computers can be used to backup and move files to and from computers like floppy drives, but without the noise, slowness, and regular maintenance of mechanical floppy drive like in the 1980s-1990s because Memory card readers are digital with no moving parts to maintain or replace.

Memory card readers and memory cards are great for storing files which are under 4GB in size since 4GB SD memory cards only cost about 5 dollars or less online if you buy them from Ebay or Amazon.

My memory card reader on my desktop computer by HP is almost 4 years old, and it works great.

Tips to Prevent Lost of Homework because of Power Outage

Ever had a power outage which made you lose all your homework, or work because you forgot to press the save button before there was a power outage? It happens to most of us, we work on our homework, or work, and suddenly there is no power. All our work is gone forever!

What you need is an Uninterrupted Power Supply also called a UPS which usually looks like a big box with places to plug in your computer and electronics.

A UPS is basically a power bar with battery back up. When there is a power outage, the UPS starts up and supplies battery power to your computer, monitor, and other devices it is plug into the UPS.

Maintaining a Computer during School Year, so both you and PC performs at its best!

A computer is a necessity for every student during the school year. Sure you can use the library computer, but it is not very convenient, or even slower and hard to use compared to your home computer. Plus, it is not always available since someone is using it already.

However, the teacher expects you to hand in a essay for English in a few days. Most teacher don't really care that your computer is slow, or broken. They expect you to hand in your work typed and on time.

Asking the computer teacher, school computer repair staff, and the nerdy computer wiz kid at your school for help can be unreliable since they might not want to help, are too slow to be any good, or they might want a favor back from you. It is best to keep your computer running at its best, so you can avoid asking for help by fixing and maintaining your computer yourself.

I give you some simple tips to maintain your computer during the school year so it runs its best to help you finish your homework faster, so you have more time to socialize with friends, play video games, or to review your work.

Tips for Maintaining your computer

1. Keep Windows updated by making sure Windows Update is updating Windows, or run Windows Update manually.

2. Use an Antivirus and AntiSpyware to protect your computer from the latest viruses and spyware.

AVG antivirus  works pretty well for at protecting my computer from viruses and spyware. Also, don't open weird e-mail attachments which you are not expecting if a friend sends you an e-mail attachment you are not expecting. E-mail them back, and ask if they actually sent you a e-mail attachment. Some E-mail viruses are very smart, and can send everyone's on your friends e-mail address list an e-mail virus, and make it look like your friend sent it. Also, don't download files from un-trusted sources like piracy sites, and weird download sites which seem unsafe.

Flash Drives I recommend for carrying around your schoolwork.

If you mainly use your flash drive for carrying around Word documents and power point presentations a 1GB or lower capacity drive should do fine. However, if you are require to make multimedia files like videos, music, and pictures then a 4GB and bigger drive should be fine.

However, for under 20 dollars you can usually get a 8 GB drive flash drive like this 8GB drive made by Kingston.It would be good enough for most of your school work needs. Kingston is a good flash drive company. I used some of their drives and they work great for storing my files.If you don't want to spend more then 10 dollars on a drive a 4GB Kingston flash drive will be good enough for storing some of your songs, videos, and work. SanDisk makes a good flash drive for their 4GB model.

It has a retractable plug, so you do not have to worry about losing flash drives caps. I also recommend backing up your files on your computer drive, or e-mailing files to yourself since flash drives can break, get stolen and lost like all technology.

Best tools to use to clean the inside of computer case.

I normally just use a Can of compressed air to clean my computer, but it can get kind of expensive and not very environmentally friendly.They cost around 10 dollars each, but they can last a long time if you do not use them very much like once or twice a year.

They also don't seem very environmentally friendly since you throw out the can once they are empty. Also, the air inside the can smells kind of bad, and can be toxic according to stories which I saw on the news of kids using canned air to "get high on fumes".However, you first need a way to open your case if your computer case does not uses screws with knobs you can turn with your fingers. I recommend getting a computer tool kit to open your PC case since it includes a Phillips head and flat head screw driver which is normally the screw driver type used to open a PC case.I'm thinking about getting an Electric Duster since its more cheaper to own in the long run, and better then buying canned air since they are expensive, and seem kinds of wasteful. Plus, an electric air duster is better then using a vacuum since a vacuum can generate static electricity which can damage your computer parts.But, if you work in a place where there is not always easy access to a power outlet, canned air might be better then a electric air duster.

However, for the price of four cans of air, you can get one electric air duster, and you do not have to worry about smelling the stinky fumes, and how to safely throw out the canned air cans, so they don't harm the environment.

Things to use to backup your files to when your running out of space and money?

Are you running out of space and money, but need storage to backup your important Files for safe keeping. Well, these days there are a lot of unlikely electronics like Digital Cameras, MP3 and Video Players, Digital Camcorders, Old SD cards and digital picture frames you can use to backup your files to.All these products I listed above have built-in flash memory/hard drive or can accept memory cards like SD memory cards or other types of memory for storing videos, songs, and pictures.

However, when you plug them into a Windows Computer. They usually act like regular external hard drives from my experience.

If you have a unused laptop or desktop hard drives, you can also buy an external hard drive enclosure case to put it into and use as an external USB hard drive. They are relatively cheap if you buy them on Amazon, or Ebay. You can also consider using your old or unused computers and laptops to store your files. You can use a specially design USB Cable or set up a small peer to peer network with a router or switch.

A crossover Ethernet cable can also be used, or use an external hard drive to transfer files from one computer to another.I also find using free or paid online backup like Dropbox, My Gmail account, Google Docs, web hosting account, etc good place to backup my files online, so I can access them from any PC with an internet connection!There are also other electronics to store your files. You just have to be creative. But, I think buying an USB external hard drive is a better idea when you have the money to buy one.

USB sound card to replace broken Sound card on computer!

USB Sound Cards< are great to own if you suspect your sound card on your computer is broken, and you want to find out if it is a windows sound problem or a sound card hardware problem. USB Sound cards are not very expensive compared to hiring a tech to fixing a sound card.
USB sound cards are very easy to install. All you need to do is plug it in, and install the USB Sound card software to use it, and uninstall/take out, or disable your original sound card on your computer.

Wired or Wireless USB Network Internet Adapter to Quickly Get online again

USB Wired Ethernet Adapters are good for troubleshooting if your network adapter is broken or not. All you have to do is plug in your USB network Ethernet adapter, and see if your computer is connected to the internet when your Ethernet wire is plug into your USB wired network adapter.

Using FM Transmitter to play MP3 players or computers music and audio wirelessly

An FM transmitter can use FM radio signals to transmit your music and audio files from your MP3 player, iPod, PC, laptop, or netbook wirelessly by setting a FM transmitter to a specific FM frequency and your FM radio or car stereo with FM to the same Frequency like 88.0 FM. The FM Transmitter will send your music to your FM radio for you to listen to on the radios speakers or head phones. An FM transmitter is like having your own short range FM radio station.

Using an FM radio Transmitter to stream music to a stereo with a FM tuner radio is the cheapest, and easiest way to stream music from one audio device to another compared to wi-fi wireless networking, and Bluetooth wireless speakers.

FM Transmitter works for all audio music players with a 3.5mm headphone/speaker plug like Mp3 players, iPods, computers, laptops, netbooks, personal Radios and CD players.

Worth It to replace poorly made ATX computer power supplies for Desktop computers?

Yes, it can be worth it to replace cheap poorly made ATX power supplies for your computer. I replaced two of my cheaper power supplies in my store bought computers with mid-end Power Supplies made by Sparkle and Cooler Master, and my computer have not had any power related failures and have been super reliable. A poorly made power supply can fry other computer parts like motherboard, CPU, memory which are easily damage by power spikes, and surges caused by a power supply. A good ATX power supply only cost 33 dollars and up, or less if you get it on sale. If your PC does not use ATX power supplies then you are pretty much out of luck, and have to keep using your current power supplies until it breaks taking the rest of your computer parts with it or hope it is well-made and can keep running well. A dieing power supply can also cause random freezes, restarts, and crashes.

But, most regular size tower computers use ATX style power supplies since ATX is the most popular form factor for most tower desktop computer. To find out if your computer is using the ATX form factor, you can see if your power supply has the word "ATX" on it or if your case has the word ATX on it. Also, there are two types of ATX power supplies one uses 20 pin plug to plug into the motherboard, and the other uses 20 pin to plug into the motherboard. The 24 pin ATX power supply is mostly used on newer computers with PCI-Express video cards or a motherboard capable of accepting a PCI-Express card.

Replacing a power supply is very simple, there are plenty of computer repair books, videos, and websites which teaches you how to install a power supply on your computer.

You might see the word PSU a lot on the internet and in books. PSU stands for "power supply unit".

For a typical computer user who does not plan on adding a lot of RAM, high-end video card, many hard drives, and not planing to over clock a computer. a 400W-500W power supply should be good enough for most of your power needs and future upgrades like a faster video card.

If your using an older Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon XP computer then a 300W-350W power supply should be enough.

If you are a heavy power user, get the best power supply you can afford since you spent thousands of dollars on your computer, so there is no point in breaking it because you were too cheap to buy a good power supply.

You won't save more on your power bill by buying a lower wattage power supply since power supplies only uses as much power your computer needs to keep it up and running. A 500W 80 % plus efficient power supply uses less electricity then a 300W power supply which is 50% power efficient. 80 Plus power supplies generate less heat, so more electricity can be used to power your PC instead of being wasted as heat.



Reasons why 30+ dollar power supplies are better then most 10 dollar power supplies


Usually better power supplies are also more energy efficient and run cooler, and saving you more money in electricity cost. They also has better cooling so your computer is less likely to overheat.

Better power supplies also have quieter fans or smart fans which only spin faster when it is hot which make your computer less loud and power supply last longer. Yet, they push the same amount of air, or more air then poorly made power supplies.

In many cases, it is essential to upgrade your power supply before you can upgrade to more RAM, CPU, extra hard drive, video card, etc since many power supples which come with store bought computers can't handle the extra electrical draw of mid to high-end video cards made by Nvidia or ATI.

Many better designed power supplies also has protection sensors to protect against Over Power, Over Voltage, Short-Circuit, and Protection Reset which is a good insurance measure to keep your PC running well.

If you want to install a PCI-Express video card, or SATA hard drive without the need to buy 4 pin molex to SATA or PCI-express power adapters , most likely you need to buy a new power supply with SATA power plugs, and 6 pin PCI-Express power plugs built-in to the power supply.

Mid to High-end power supply also has better cable management which improve air flow since there is less clutter in your computer case. I also notice the cables are longer, and are less likely to get tangled, or bundled up into a mess of wires.

Good power supply companies are Thermaltake, Antec, Cooler Master, Sparkle, Fortron, Corsiar, OCZ, Seasonic, Silverstone.

Cables for connecting your computer, Laptop, netbook sound to your stereo or home entertainment sound system speakers

Connecting your computer, laptop, and Netbooks sound to play on your stereo, or home entertainment system speakers is not as hard as it sounds or needs much configuration. All you need is the right audio cable, a stereo or home theater sound system which can playback sound from an external audio player via RCA, S/PDIF, or HDMI.  Connecting your laptop, computer to your stereo, or home theater speakers can improve the sound quality a lot.

The simplest way to connect your sound card on your computer with your home stereo is with a Y-Adapter 3.5mm plug, but you need to make sure your stereo supports RCA audio inputs you can usually know if it does by reading the instruction manual, or you see two ports which are roundish and can fit metal pegs in it.  You plug in the smaller 3.5mm plug into the audio port "usually the green port" on your sound card.  If your stereo supports direct 3.5mm input, you can just get a 3.5 mm audio cable to plug into your stereo. 3.5mm cables also work for connecting your MP3 player, and most portable music players, portable game consoles, video players, and portable DVD players which uses the 3.5mm audio plug standard.



A S/PDIF cable can be used to connect your computer to your home entertainment audio system. There is an optical version S/PDIF and a RCA version of S/PDIF. They both support surround sound, and sound better then 3.5mm output because they send the sound signal digitally to the speakers. But, S/PDIF is only found on newer computers or high end sound cards and it only works on high end entertainment sound systems. Most stereos do not have S/PDIF inputs for outputting sound from a external source like a laptop

There are also sound cards and USB adapters with S/PDIF outputs, so you can output high quality sound to your digital audio receivers.

You can also use an HDMI cable if you have a newer laptop, or desktop with HDMI ports can also carry audio to your TV speakers.

To make your speakers on your stereo, home theater sound system play audio or music from your computer or MP3 player, you usually have to change to external source/AUX mode. Read your  stereo manual for more info on how to play music from an external source.

Best of luck playing audio on your stereo or home theater speakers!

Video Cables to connect Laptop or Netbook to an external monitor or TV

In this article, I'll talk about the different video cable types you can use to connect your laptop or netbook to your external monitor or TV like tube tv, or HDTV set.

Connecting your Laptop or Netbook to a LCD or CRT tube monitor

In most cases most modern laptops and netbooks has a VGA port for allowing you to use a VGA cable from your laptop to your external monitor like LCD or CRT tube monitor with a VGA Cable. However, the cable is built-in to the monitor for some monitors I used, so you do not have to buy a separate cable.

Basic Guide to record video onto a computer's hard drive

The simplest way to record video onto your computer's hard drive is to use a digital camcorder which uses a hard drive, or SD flash memory since the file is already on the camcorder's drive, so all you have to do is plug in your camcorder to your computer with a USB cable, or take out the SD card to copy the video file on to your computer's hard drive, and the video is ready to be watched on your PC.

Flip HD portable camcorders, or other types of portable camcorders can also record video pretty well for Youtube and online video sites, but they has less features like long-range zoom which the bigger and more expensive camcorders have. However, if you just need a camera for recording short video clips under 120 minutes and of simple things then the Flip camcorders can be good enough for your needs. Some digital cameras also have a video mode. But from my experience with inexpensive digital cameras, the video quality is usually poor because the audio and video are very bad. Plus, the frame rate is not very good, so digital cameras are not very good for sporting events, and recording fast moving video. Digital Cameras are also bulky for the good quality ones, and they are not very comfortable for a long time since they don't have an hand band like real camcorders, or they don't fit your hand very well compared to portable HD camcorders.

Basic Mic Tips: Picking a Microphone or headset for recording voice on Computer!

I find using a computer microphone the best way to record your voice or singing onto a computer for music, podcasts, power point, and other applications like using a mic for Dragon Naturally Speaking voice to text converter to convert your voice to text on your PC screen.

From reviews, I read on Amazon, Newegg, and other forums, a USB Microphone is the best type of Mic to pick because they have more features, and better sensitivity.

Plus, they also look cooler then standard 10 dollar mics.Since I'm on a budget, I use a regular 10 dollar mic which you can get at any computer store or get for a dollar at the dollar stores, but the quality is not as good as more expensive mics, but it is good enough for making short voice reminders to yourself, and simple voice narrations for Youtube videos.

Kodak Easyshare M853 8.2MP Digital Camera, 3 X optical zoom review.

I been using the Kodak Easyshare M853 8.2MP Digital Camer with a 3x Optical zoom for two years now. It had been a great inexpensive camera for taking pictures.

I like how easy to use the camera is. All I have to do is "point and shoot" to take a picture. It is also easy to change shooting modes like action, still, macro, and more by turning the dial on the top of the camera. The 8.2 Mega pixels CCD image censor is great for taking good pictures.

It is also very easy to change the resolution of the photo, ISO, and other settings like timer.

The 3X zoom comes in handy for taking photos where the object is farther a way. There is also image stabilization for the camera.

The battery life for the digital camera's batteries last a long time. I can take hundreds of pictures before it needs to be charged, and the batteries hold their charge well, so if I haven't used the camera in months it still have power in the battery to take the occasional photo.

The look of the camera looks nice and sleek and does not look very cheap and plastic like a lot of cameras which cost under 80 US dollars.

This is a great camera for carrying around in your car, suitcase or purse since it is inexpensive and portable, but the quality of the photo and video the camera takes is a lot better then most cell phone cameras.

The Kodak M853 can also be a good starter camera for kids, or people who are new to digital photography, and don't want to spend hundred to thousands of dollars on an expensive complicated SLR digital Camera, lenses, and flashes.

Wired Networking repair tools Needed to troubleshoot a wired RJ45 ethernet home network!

I just use a Network cable tester to test my RJ45 network cables. Network RJ45 cable testers are also very easy to use. All you have to do is plug in both ends of the cable in to the network cable tester, and the network cable tester tests if the cable is broken or damage by sending a small current through it. If the cable is broken, it usually makes a sound or turns on a visual warning like a light. The network cable tester runs on a 9V battery.

Cheap Computer Tool kits, books for helping you fix a broken Computer or laptop!

Computer tool kits which you can buy from Amazon, Ebay, and other online stores for 30 dollars or less is good enough to fix most common desktops, and laptops. They usually come with Philips, torx, and other types of screw drivers and tools you need for doing basic computer repair.

For very basic repair, all you need is a Philips head screw driver, anti-static wrist strap, and mat. A magnify glass and flash light might also come in handy if you have poor vision, and can't see well in the dark.

Computer tool kits also come with wire striper, jumpers, screws, and tweezers which can come in handy when fixing computers.

For most computers, a Philips cross head screw driver, flat head screw driver is all you need for basic repair like removing an Expansion card like a video card, hard drive, or CD drive from a computer. Some computers use hex, and torx drivers. But, most computers I fixed used small Philips cross head screws.

I also recommend you get a power supply tester for testing your power supply to see if it went bad or not. They are extremely simple to use. All you have to do is plug the power supply main power plug into the power supply tester, and turn on the power supply. I use the one shown below. It works great for testing a power supply for reliability.

A small flash light is also good to have since the inside of your computer can be very dark, and a flash light help make it brighter.

I also recommend a magnify glass or reading glasses since you might have to read the small print on the circuit boards, and motherboard to fix your problems with jumpers and plugging in wires on your computer.

Anti-static wrist strap, and mat are good to have to prevent static discharge from breaking your computer parts.

Most importantly, I recommend a good book on computer repair like Mike Meyers A+ All-in-one book . It is a great reference book for looking up how to fix and troubleshoot a broken computer or home network. It also help me pass the A+ certification exam.

All the tools, I listed above should be all you need to fix most basic computer problems on a regular home computer, or laptop PC.

What are External hard drive Enclosures, how can I use one?

An External hard drive Enclosuresis the case for making an external hard drive by connecting a SATA hard drive or IDE Hard drive to the external hard drive enclosure's power cable, and data cable.

You can use a old IDE hard drive you already own or buy a new one to put in your new External Hard drive Enclosure. This can save you money since you only pay 30 dollars or less for an external enclosure, and use your old hard drive which is not being used for anything in the enclosures. You would not have to spend 60 dollars or more for a 500GB external hard drive since you can use your old 500GB hard drive and put it into your external hard drive enclosure, and use it as a regular USB 2.0 or eSata external drive depending on the make and model of your external device.

External Hard drives are both available for laptop size hard drives which are 2.5 inches, and desktop hard drives which are 3.5 inches.

How to prevent static electricity and power surges from frying your fragile computer parts or computer

Static electricity and power surges can shorten the life of your computers, computer parts, and electronics by frying the circuits, and electronic chips which are very easily damaged by static electricity, or power surges zapping them. It is a great idea to know how to properly store, and handle your computer parts, so they last longer, and how to prevent power surges from damaging your computers and electronics.

Anti-Static bags are great for storing electronics and computer electronic parts which are easily damaged by static electricity. Anti-Static bags are designed to prevent static from outside the bag from frying sensitive computer electronic parts like RAM/Memory, CPU Expansion cards like sound cards, network cards, etc.

When you buy computer parts like video cards, anti-static bags are used to protect the card from damage due to electrostatic-discharge, and dust.

Fantom external USB hard drive, Pretty good for the price!

Fantom is a discount brand of External USB and External SATA (eSATA) hard drive manufacturer. I been used a Fantom external USB 2.0 Hard drive for over 4 years untill the USB circuit board died, but the IDE hard drive is still running fine. The IDE hard drive ,which I remove from the Fantom external hard drive case, is now being used inside one of my desktop computers and its still running good. The file transfer speeds for Fantom hard drives are not the fastest, but for the price the performance is decent.

The older Fantom external drives had drivers for Windows 98 which help me transfer all my 50GB or so of files from my Windows 98 computer to my Windows Vista computer back in 2008, so I did not have to burn hundreds of CDs, or configure a complicated file sharing network just to copy files from a Windows 98 PC to a Windows Vista PC. My Fantom drive I own also did not require special software/drivers for it to be recognize with Windows Vista, or Linux operating systems. It was recognized by Windows and Linux automatically.

My Fantom External hard drive also worked with Transferring files to a Linux operating system like Knoppix without the need of special drivers or software.

LaCie 250 GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive, Nice inexpensive hard drive.

LaCie 250 GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive is a hard drive been using for about 1 year. It works great for backing up my files to keep them safe if my computer, laptop is damage, lost, or a virus deletes all my files or breaks windows.

The Lacie external hard drive speed is very good when "copying and pasting" files from my desktop computer or laptops hard drive to the external hard drive.  250GB is enough space to back up most of my music files, documents, photo files, program installer files, standard quality videos, website backup, etc. Also, the drive is not very loud while copying, or reading files.

If you use Windows XP, Vista, or 7 and some most modern Linux, or Mac operating systems, most external hard drives should work after you plugged it into the USB port, and turn it on.

TRENDnet 54Mbps Wireless G TEW-432BRP Router, good for the price.

I been using the TRENDnet 54Mbps Wireless G TEW-432BRP Router for over 3 years as both a wired and wired router. It works great as a wired router for splitting my Cable Broadband connection with 3 computers, and a Xbox 360, so they all have internet via Ethernet network cabling. With Cable Broadband internet connections, it does not require configuration in most cases unlike DSL which usually requires a username and password to go online.

CD DVD optical disk lens cleaners are they needed?

CD DVD optical lens cleaning disc are needed if your CD DVD Optical lens is very dirty, or stop playing cds or is Skippy CDs and DVDs. A CD DVD lens cleaner disk might help since it has a little brush on the bottom of the CD cleanind disc to brush off the dirt from your CD drive. All you have to do is put the cleaning CD in and play it. Some come with a bottle of cleaner for your CD cleaning lens disc.
CD Lens Cleaning Disc only cost 10 dollars or less, but they can be used over and over again which is a lot cheaper then hiring someone to clean your CD drive of dus

Cheap safe way to clean LCD, Plasma, CRT, HDTVs, Tablet, Smartphone and other types of monitors and TVS

We all probably seen those LCD cleaning kits at our local electronic store which contains a microfiber clothe and LCD blue cleaning solution in a tiny spray bottle, and they costs 10-30 US dollars which is kind of expensive to use for cleaning your screens for your monitors, tablets, and smartphones.

However, for 5 dollars or less, you can just use a microfiber clothe from a dollar store or even the super market which sell cleaning supplies. Microfiber cloth are good for cleaning eye glasses since they are incredibly soft and smooth, so they won't scratch your expensive eye glasses. If microfiber cloths are good enough to clean designer sun glasses and regular glasses, they are good enough to clean your expensive TVs and monitors. When wiping your monitor, use gentle wipes and make sure your clothe is clean of all dirt and dust to avoid damaging or scratching your TV or monitor. Avoid putting pressure on your LCD monitor. You should gently glide your clothe against the screen without pushing against it. Too much pressure can damage the display or crack it. LCDs and plasmas are easy to damage with pressure.

Verbatim DVD-R Best 4.7GB DVD I Used for burning backups and movies!

I been only using Verbatim DVD-R for almost 3 years as my main DVD-R disc brand. I have very few problems with Verbatim's DVD-R. I have very few bad burning experiences out of 30 DVDs I burned only 2 DVD-R were unreadable by my computer due to burn errors, but almost every pack of burnable DVDs have a few bad disk. Each disk can burn a maximum of 4.7 GB like most DVD-R on the market.  I mainly use these Verbatim's DVD-R for backing up my files on my computer, and they worked great. You can burn them at 16x or slower with a DVD burning program like Nero 9. I also burned a few video DVDs with Windows DVD Maker which is a free DVD maker which comes with Windows Vista and 7 using Verbatim branded DVD-R disks. The DVD-R played great on my DVD player and Sony Playstation 2 DVD player.

Shiny New USB keyboards to replace trusty sticky rectangle Keyboard.

I'm sure we all used a disgusting keyboard with food and drink stains which  we been thinking of replacing them.

But, never got around to it, or can't let go of the memories we shared with our beloved keyboards. I have very happy memories of using my old keyboard to make my first Yahoo Geocities website when I was in Grade 6.  Sadly, Geocities is gone as well because Yahoo decided to discontinue Geocities.

But, there's a time where I have to donate my keyboard to a thrift store or computer recycler which is sad since it is almost like losing a favorite childhood toy. What is important are the memories of using my old trusty keyboard to make my first website, write my first Essay and science lab report that I got an A+ in.

The good news is now wired entry-level USB Desktop Keyboards can be bought for 10-20 or more US Dollars on online stores like Amazon. Keyboards also are more stylish compared to the square rectangular keyboards from the 1980s-1990s. Newer keyboards are also more comfortable to use, and have more shortcut and multimedia buttons which improve usability and productivity. Plus, many Keyboards are water resistant, so you are less likely to damage your computer from spilling your drinks on your keyboard.

USB LED light lamp for typing using PC in the dark!

Ever had a problem where you can see where you are going because the light from the Window is enough to see where I am going, but not enough to see the keyboard letters. I'm thinking about getting a Portable USB light which I can plug into an available USB computer port.

The extra light from the USB light will save make typing in the dark so much easy, and I don't have to walk over to the light switch on the wall. Plus, USB lamps look very neat!

Portable Speakers for Rocking great sound for laptops and portable devices!

Many speakers which are built-in to portable devices like Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, Laptops, MP3 players have poor quality sound which is not loud enough or sound tinny compared to regular stereo speakers or your desktop computer speakers.

Most portable devices have an 3.5mm audio port for letting you plug in 3.5mm headphones, but you can also use the same 3.5 mm audio plug to plug in a pair of  portable speakers which is great for playing music at the park, or at home.

JVC Gumy Ear Phones sound Gumilicous Nice!

I been using the same pair of JVC Gumy Ear Phones for many years. The sound quality is pretty good for a 10 dollar pair of ear phones. The sound is not distorted when the volume is turned up like some head phones and speakers I owned in the past. The Base on these inexpensive headphones are pretty good.
I also like how long the headphone wires are which is 3.9 ft.

Technical details

• sensitivity: 109 db/mw
• l-shape gold-plated plug
• max input capability: 30 mw
• weight: .19 oz; blue

JVC Gumy Head phones are great headphones if you are looking for a cheap pair of head phones to replace your broken or poor sound quality ear phones for your MP3 Player, Laptop, and other portable device which uses 3.5mm headphones. like portable DVD players.

The JVC gumy ear phones are also very comfortable, and they are not very heavy compared to hard plastic or metal ear phones since they are made from a light Gumy like material.

I notice the Gumy material the ear phones are made to mold into to your ear, so they do not fall out of your ear very easily, and outside sound does not get into your ear during music playback on medium to high volume settings.

I love how these Ear buds come in so many colors like Blue, Black, Pink, Green, and more colors.

All this audio goodness just for 10 dollars  on Amazon.com is a great deal for someone who is looking for good sound quality from their ear phones, but they are on a budget!

10 dollar USB Optical PC Mouse Good Enough for Regular Users?

Cheap USB Optical Computer Mouses are worth the price. My Optical mouse only cost me 10 dollars and it is made by Nspire a generic mouse brand.

I have been using my mouse for many years.  It is also an 800 DPI mouse, so I can move my hand less, but the mouse pointer move farther with less movement from my hand.

My cheap USB mouse is just as accurate as other  entry-level USB Optical mouse I have used made by Microsoft and Logitech. Although, you can get a entry level Logitech and Microsoft mouse online for about  10 dollars as well.

A Cheap USB Mouse with a retractable USB cord is great for carrying around with your laptop if you hate using the laptops touch pad.

Running out of USB ports, You need a USB Hub!

Almost every PC accessory like keyboards and electronics like MP3 players connect to your PC with USB 2.0 ports, but I notice a lot of computers only have 2 USB 2.0 ports or less on the front of the PC. The back of a computer usually only have 2-4 USB ports on many computers.

However, these days almost every thing like game controllers for computers, MP3 players, Video players, cellphones, digital cameras, and flash drive use USB plugs to connect to your computer.

Unplugging and replugging in USB devices can be a hassle unless you have a USB 2.0 hub which splits one USB port into 4 or more.

I find using a USB hub also can make organizing my USB cables, flash drives, Digital cameras, etc better since I know they are all plug into one  USB hub.

Plus, some USB hubs look so cool and cute.Yet, they are so functional when it comes to increasing the number of USB ports you can plug into your computer at once!

Keep Laptop Cool with your Laptop Cooler USB Fan Pad

You want to stay cool in your Pad while using your laptop surfing the internet for cool sites. But, your laptop is really heating things up, but not in a good way. It is making your hands hot, or your lap burn. This is when a USB Laptop cooling pad comes in handy for keeping things cool.

A USB Laptop cooling Pad is basically a plastic or metal board with one or more fans at the bottom which blows air to the bottom of your laptop which sits over the laptop.  Laptop cooling Pads get it's power from your Laptop's USB port.

Most Modern Laptops these days tend to slow down the CPU, and video card when the laptop gets close to overheating, so a USB Laptop Cooling pad can improve your performance of your laptop by preventing your computer from over heating, so your laptop does not have to slow down the CPU and video card to prevent over heating.

By having your laptop stay at a cool temperature with a USB laptop cooling fan pad, your laptop will last longer since the internal parts and wires won't melt or get heat damaged as easily.

MicroSD card readers a good alternative to connecting your electronics to your PC with a USB cable

I find using a MicroSD card very great for adding extra space to newer cell phones, MP3 players, and other portable devices which accept MicroSD cards. However, finding the cables to connect a MP3 player or other device can be a hassle since it is not in my computer room.

I find using a MicroSD USB Reader very convenient since I don't have to find the cable to connect to my electronics to access my MicroSD card, and sometimes the cable is being used to charge my electronics battery. But, if you have a inexpensive USB MicroSD card, you can take out your MicroSD card, so you can continue using the USB cable to charge your device with the charger.

APC Essential SurgeArrest power bar, Great Power Bar for a great price!

APC Essential SurgeArrest power bar with 7 outlet is a great 10 US Dollar surge protected power bar. I been using  APC Essential SurgeArrest power bar to protect my laptop, desktop, and other electronic devices from power surges, spikes, and other power problems which can fry sensitive electronic parts like circuit boards, capacitors, wires, microchips, etc for 3 years. The power bar has 490 J of protection from power surge problems.The cord is 1.22 M long, so it can easily reach most power outlets. Plus, it comes with 7 outlets, so there are enough plugs available for your printer, scanner, computer, monitor, router, modem, and speakers.

I also like how the plugs for my electronics are not loose when I plug it in to this power bar. The ON/OFF switch is also not too easy to turn off if you accidentally slide your feet or fingers over the switch since the plug is not very big, and is located in a shallow hole on the top of the power bar.

This power bar by APC also look nicer with the black mat finish then the generic white power bars you get from the hardware store like the one shown below.


I also recommend getting plug cable extender if your devices use those very big power brick adapters since those power brick adapters tend to block an extra outlet, but with a short extension cable, your plugs won't be block, so you can use the maximum amount of space.

Cheap SD Memory Card Reader for reading SD Memory Cards on PC can't read SD memory card!

I notice my Transcend 2GB SD memory card can't be read on my Multi-format Memory card reader which can also read SD memory on my computer. I'm sure other people also experience this.

I find buying a Cheap USB SDHC SD MMC Memory card reader can read all my SD memory card including my Kingston, Duracell, and Transcend Memory Card which my more expensive reader can't read.

I also find owning a USB SD card reader is a good backup USB SD card reader when Windows corrupted  my internal SD Memory Card  reader driver during a Windows Update (which actually happened a few times), my internal card reader not working when my USB TV tuner card is plug in (which I fix by plugging my TV Tuner Card into another USB port)  or If I broke my SD card reader by using it too many times wearing it out.

DVD+RW CD-RW are great for saving money and going green!

I been using Maxell DVD+RW and Fuji CD-RW re-writable discs for a few years now. They both never failed me at writing files which I temporary need, but don't need permanently like files I burn to DVD-R or CD-R disks.  CD/DVD-RW disks saved me a lot of money and disks over the past 5 years.

For example, when I need to copy files to a friends very old computer which does not have USB ports and the file is too big to fit on a Floppy disk. But, I don't want to use a CD-R to copy a file to his compute, so I use a DVD-RW or CD-RW  disc which has 4.7 GB of space to transfer the file to his computer. Once I finish copying the file to his computer. I can use my CD/DVD burning software like Nero 9 to erase the disk and reuse it again.

Duracell 4GB USB Flash Drive Reliable and Quick drive for a small price!

I been using my Duracell 4GB  USB 2.0 flash drive for 2+ years which I got for 10 dollars at a retail store. My Duracell 4GB flash drive has never failed me once when it comes to storing, backing up, and transferring files to another computer. Plus, it looks really cool because of its rectangular oval shape and the little key chain on it!

The drive works on my Windows XP, Vista, 7, and Linux computers.

The drive also looks nice and is very well built. I like the oval rectangular shape of Duracell's USB Flash drive. It fits very well in my hand and my pocket unlike most square rectangular flash drives. The flash drive plastic also has a nice leathery soft  rubber mat texture to the flash drive which feels nicer then most shiny hard plastic flash drive which looks like it was made by the same company which makes those plastic toys in kid's meals at a fast food restaurant. There is also a small key chain loop, so you can attach the flash drive to a lanyard, necklace, cellphone charms, bracelet or your keys easily.

SD and MicroSD Memory Cards Best Flash Memory Card Format!

SD Flash Memory Card and MicroSD are my favorite memory cards for digital cameras, mp3 players, camcorders, computers, and any other consumer electronics which accept memory cards. SD Memory cards are portable, inexpensive, and reliable.

I have been using SD Flash Memory Cards of different brands and sizes for over 3 years on my consumer electronics since getting my first Digital Camera which accepted SD Flash memory cards for its main source for storing photos, and videos I taken.


I like that SD memory cards are so portable. They don't take up much space in my camera bag since they are so small and fit in a small plastic 50 cent SD card plastic box which I can carry inside my pocket.

 SD Flash memory cards so much is because they are inexpensive for most common storage sizes, and many company makes them.

Energizer NIMH AA Rechargeable Batteries and Charger are Awesome!

I have been using Energizer  AA/AAA/9V NiMH Battery Charger and my 4 AA NIMH Energizer Rechargeable Batteries for more then 3 years. It worked great for me since it charges AA, AAA, 9V and it only cost me 20 bucks when I bought it at a store, and came with 4 Energizer Rechargeable AA NiMH Battery  when I bought the charger at a retail store.

I been using the batteries for Many years. The batteries have not leaked or rusted like other rechargeable batteries I owned in the past. The charger also charge batteries in less then a day, and automatically turned off the charger, so it won't overcharge the batteries. It also has a red light to tell you it is being charge, and which batteries are done charging and which batteries still need to be charged The battery charger plug also folds into the battery charger, so it save space when not in use, or won't tear your luggage if you store it in your luggage cart.

Speed up Farmville Facebook Flash Game in Windows + Tips for leveling your farmer!

Farmville and other flash browser games can be very slow when I played it in Internet Explorer 8 and Avant Browser. I came to the conclusion most web browser games run badly in Internet Explorer if your computer does not have a lot of RAM like mine. I'm running Windows 7 with only 1 GB of RAM, on-board graphics card, and 1.8 GHz Intel Dual Core CPU. Whenever I run Farmville. Internet Explorer and browsers which uses the IE8 browser like Avant Browser uses almost 99% of my RAM according to Task Manager which make Farmville run ridiculously slow. I'm also running Antivir by Avira, and using the default firewall for Windows 7, so my antivirus and firewall is not slowing down my computer.

I decided to make the switch to Google Chrome to play Farmville, and now Farmville runs more smoothly on mt slower computer. My computer no longer lags when harvesting my crops, plowing my land, planting seeds, and harvesting my animals and fruit trees.  I tried Firefox, and Opera as well, but the latest version of Google Chrome runs Farmville best on my computer . Also, Opera scroll zoom function did not work in Farmville for my computer. Scroll Zoom is when I use my scroll wheel on my mouse to zoom in or out of Farmville display.

If you play Farmville at work, and don't have Google Chrome on your work computer, you can try the tips I listed below as well. Plus, I also talk about tips on gaining more experience and money in Farmville.

Keeping computer, laptop and you cool during hot summer days!

Summer sure is hot. Which can be very bad for your computer, laptop, and yourself. When your computer, or laptop overheats, they can be unstable and randomly freeze, restart, or shutdown. This means you might lose your work because you forgot to save before your computer overheated.

Patriot Xporter XT Boost 4 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive Fast Reliable flash drive review

I been using the Patriot Xporter XT Boost 4 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive  flash for more then 2 years, and it works great. It has a read speed which is about 30 MB/S and write speed about 12 MB/s which is a lot faster then many Flash drives which I have owned in the past. It comes with a short USB extender cable, so it won't block other USB ports, like most USB flash drives and it also comes with a lanyard for wearing it around your neck like a necklace. The Patriot Xporter also comes with a LIFETIME warranty which is great!

Watching, Recording, and Enjoying Television on your computer or laptop!

I love using my Windows 7 computer a lot for watching and recording TV shows which is a nice break from YouTube, and other video sharing websites. A lot of the shows which I enjoy on TV are not found on YouTube, or get deleted too quickly because of Copyright claims from the TV production company. Plus, my Internet connection can be kind of slow, so it takes a long time for my computer to download/stream the entire video, so the video pauses a lot during playback.

Xbox 360 Arcade is an awesome game console for the poor gamer!

I own a Xbox 360 Arcade since December 2009. I loved every second of it when I play games on the Xbox Arcade. It has been a fun, easy to use, durable, inexpensive and entertaining game console for spending countless hours at home playing games or watching movies on my TV.

Found a Free Word Proccessing program for Windows and Linux called Abiword

It is called AbiWord. Abi word has most of the features I want for a Word processor like spell check, margin size adjustment, and it is very lightweight, but I notice it tends to crash during print preview, and autosave does not work for me. If I just need a word processor to type out my homework Abiword is a decent word processor for me.

But, I notice it seems to have problems opening some MS Office doc files, so it is not the best word processor to use if you plan on using it to share with MS Word users.

I also ran into an error where I open a Abiword file and it was blank, so I recommend you backup your abiword files to another drive like a USB Flash drive, but I was saving my documents as a .doc file and not the default .abw file format.

Abiword also seems to mess up my documents when I save and close my documents with hyperlinks. It makes the non-linked text blue on some occassions. I think it is caused by MS word 2007 breaking my .doc file I made with Abiword, so I recommend saving your work as .abw and only do a Save as... to .doc when sharing with MS Word users.

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