Keep Your Notebook Compuer Longer! A Safety and Care Guide for Laptop Computers

Want to extend the life of your notebook computer? Here are some quick tips to keep your laptop safe and secure during use or travel...

Laptop computers - also known as notebook computers - have become an important part of our lives. They are more affordable than ever and as popular as cell phones. A laptop computer has a versatility that the home PC does not provide. With its smaller size it is portable and easier to carry along. This makes it convenient to use in many situations. You can take it to work and back home as well as take it on more extensive travel.

Laptop computers are not just for older working people anymore. Because of its ease of use, more young people are using them for school and college. They can access the Internet almost anywhere and provide updates for work, research, and even games.

Taking Care of Your Laptop or Notebook Computer

It is important to take care of your laptop computer and protect it from accidents. They are designed for heavy use but common sense will tell you that you need to be prudent in your treatment.

One of the first recommendations is to buy a case designed for a notebook computer. These are made with padding to protect your laptop computer from wear and tear and protection in case you drop it. It is not good to carry your notebook computer unprotected or in a purse or backpack. You can easily find a case by shopping online where you will find 1000s of products to choose from.

Another important tip for laptop computer care is to keep food and drinks away from it. Even a small amount of liquid is enough to ruin the delicate components in the laptop computer. It means almost certain replacement, and most warranties will not cover it. It is not worth the risk to lose all your data.

Protect Your Notebook Computer

When using your laptop computer you should always use a surge protector. An electrical surge may not hurt it one time, but continued surges could destroy it. If you are using a cable or dial-up modem during a storm, be sure to unplug it. Lightening can travel through phone lines and ruin the laptop computer.

You should not leave your notebook computer in a cold environment. This can cause condensation when you return it to a warm area and could cause the circuitry to short it out. If it has been in the cold, let it warm up before turning it on.

When traveling with your laptop computer, be sure to charge all your batteries before you leave. You might not know when you will be able to charge them again. On a long trip, take extra batteries to avoid this problem. By shopping online, you can find the supplies you need as well as other products such as iPods, jewelry, games, toys, sporting goods, pet supplies and cell phones - even free gifts.

Do not leave your notebook computer unattended and do not check it as baggage when flying. Keep it in your hands at all times to avoid the possibility of theft. Don't try to disassemble or repair your laptop computer; this is a job for professionals. You may inadvertently cause more damage by your lack of knowledge.

Shopping Online

When you are ready to buy a laptop computer, cell phone, iPod, or other electronics, shopping online will provide everything you need.

How Is The Audio Craze Sounding?

Sound effects sell. It's just one type of audio that has joined the race on the information superhighway to fulfill its promise, which some of us have been asking for and using for well over a decade now: The ability to send sound effects from a web site to a client at a moment's notice.

Knowing that kind of thing sometimes makes it hard to believe that there was a time when sound effects discs took weeks to arrive! Weeks! And, when they did ar- rive, occasionally they wer...

Sound effects sell. It's just one type of audio that has joined the race on the information superhighway to fulfill its promise, which some of us have been asking for and using for well over a decade now: The ability to send sound effects from a web site to a client at a moment's notice.

Knowing that kind of thing sometimes makes it hard to believe that there was a time when sound effects discs took weeks to arrive! Weeks! And, when they did ar- rive, occasionally they were of pretty shoddy quality, requiring us to take hours to sort through the "sound catalog" and make functional.

All self-professed "audio geeks" and sound engineers alike are relieved, to say the very least, that those days have passed. Today, companies are looking for better and easier ways to make their audio libraries accessible to a greater number of users, while making sure their files are at higher resolution and ready to pop in to an already-running production.

That said, the latest craze of downloadable single files or entire libraries has been hampered by a bevy of issues. Not only is the Internet's increasingly narrow bottleneck a concern, but so are any number of software compatibility problems and the high cost of putting those files on the Internet. Though most com- panies "audition" sounds on the Web, and a quick per- usal of home pages allows for more specific searches, the overwhelming feeling is that the compact disc method of distribution will not disappear any time soon.

The Internet has, however, allowed these audio post houses to offer their own libraries online. In fact, one quick search for "audio: sound effects" generates nearly 1 million links to some of the more established companies as well as to some of the more obscure ones.

One thing is for sure. As the number of general sound effects catalogs have grown over the years, demand seems to be decreasing. So, some companies are turning more and more to specialized discs. Maybe there are a lot of general libraries out there, and people don't need another general library. However, more special- ized libraries are coming to the marketplace, People are considering more "niche" categories of sounds and just going out, recording them, and posting them on their web site.

It's as simple as that, but it's also very, very com- petitive among big business as well as audio entrepre- neurs or enthusiasts.

For example, any high-end automobile TV ad campaign is going to go directly to these kinds of links to locate the best "sound quality" for their ad. For ex- ample, that secure sound of the door shutting on a brand-new car in a TV commercial takes hours and hours of research. And that sound comes from one of these audio posts, which means someone just made a lot of money.

Sound sells. It sells more than you'd think, and it's one of those "I've never thought about it," kinds of subconscious realities we "hear" every day.

So the next time you see a luxury car commercial on TV, really listen.

Apple iPod Special U2 Edition

New iPod models have sprung up as quickly as mushrooms after the rain and each time they just seem to get better and better. I have to say though that this U2 special edition iPod just captured my heart the moment I saw it. Being very much a U2 fan, the fact that the back panel has the band members’ signatures engraved on it is enough reason in itself for it to be the best. The U2 iPod is easily recognizable from all the other models due to its style. While the others are usually white - or plain black in the case of some 5G models – this baby’s black front panel and bright red click wheel is sure to stand out.

The U2 iPod is so much more than eye candy, though. Twenty gigabytes of storage may seem meager compared to the storage capacity of the newer models but believe me, it still translates to a lot of songs. I have had the iPod for a little over a year now and I still haven’t filled it up.

The U2 iPod has similar features as that of other iPods of its generation. It is so easy to use - all you need in order to do whatever you want with your songs is your thumb. Superior sound quality lets you enjoy all your favorite songs.

One drawback is the battery life. It is supposed to be able to play songs continuously for 12 hours. In my experience, it could be anywhere from 4-9 hours. Factors such as file size and playback options may be the reason for this. The lock button on the top of the iPod can help conserve battery. When not in use, you can lock it so that you won’t accidentally run the battery down. Another concern is that the iPod gets scratched easily. Solution: get a case for protection.

Indeed, compared to the other models with their newer features, the U2 iPod is a bit expensive. If you think about it though, it has everything you need in an mp3 player – unless it’s video you’re after. I suppose the bottom line is whether you are enough of a U2 fan to splurge on it. Then again, even if you are not and you have enough cash to spend, the stand out look of the U2 iPod should be enough reason to get it for yourself.