July 31, 2010

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.

July 30, 2010

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.

July 29, 2010

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.

July 28, 2010

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.

July 27, 2010

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

July 26, 2010

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.

July 25, 2010

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.

July 24, 2010

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.

July 23, 2010

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.

July 22, 2010

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.

July 21, 2010

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!

July 20, 2010

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.

July 19, 2010

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.

July 16, 2010

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.

July 15, 2010

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.

July 14, 2010

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.

July 13, 2010

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.

July 12, 2010

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.

July 8, 2010

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.


July 7, 2010

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.

July 6, 2010

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!

July 4, 2010

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.

July 3, 2010

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.