Provins Sirock Technology Site

Posts Tagged ‘technology’

Prices of HDTV sets are falling rapidly and the experts anticipate that they continue to drop over the next years. Because of this there is a lot of interest in all of the types of TV technologies available right now.

If you are shopping around for a TV right now, you can choose among a large variety of flat screen technologies including Plasma screens and LCD screens. Each technology has its own advantages over the other.

Why choose Plasma?
Plasma screen TV’s technology is based on exotic gases that can glow in different colors when different amounts of electric current are passed through them. For every pixel you seed in the Plasma screen there is a small pocket of gas that can be excited individually to glow at different wavelengths.

The result is an incredible range of colors that quickly reacts to changes of the images. Plasma screens re often easier to make in larger sizes than LCD screens and they are better at displaying fast action without blurring. However the do have a number of disadvantages. First of all the Plasma screens consume more than twice the amount of electricity that LCD screens do. Secondly Plasma screens aren’t bright enough to function well in higher light levels and their brightness fades with time and use and third they also tend to produce and annoying buzzing sound if they are operating at altitudes in excess of six thousand feet.

Why choose LCD?
Differently than the Plasma screens the LCD screens are based on a special type of crystals that react to electrical current by changing shape (not changing color like the gasses in a Plasma screen). In a normal LCD TV screen, the crystals are arranged in a grid pattern and they are supported by a transparent film transistor. A transparent film transistor applies the current to each individual crystal in the screen and, depending on the voltage that is applied to the individual crystal it will change its shape in various ways to block out light coming from a fluorescent lamp behind it.
Read the rest of this entry »

Buying a Computer does not need to be a budget breaker. A Computer purchase often includes additional components and software that are not needed and can be avoided…if you are well prepared with the correct information.

To help, the following tips can be used to save money on your next Computer purchase:

Tip #1 – Take a look at your Computer case. If it is not a name brand Computer more than likely the case is expandable and can be reused. Cases can cost anywhere from $25 to $100. If you have a mid tower case, check how many bays are available for CD/DVD drives, and other peripherals, Are the USB and audio ports in the front?

Cases are often an over-looked item that usually can be used over and over again.

Tip #2 – Monitor Keyboard and Mouse – Just because you are purchasing a new Computer does not mean the keyboard and mouse need to be replaced. An Optical mouse last longer than the ball style mouse. The same principal applies to keyboards, unless you are a heavy Computer user and the keys are worn and do not respond, you probably don’t need a new keyboard.

Monitors may need to be replayed if want to upgrade to a larger screen size. If you are happy with your monitor and are having no problems with it, you are better of keeping it a little longer until you can afford a new Monitor.

Tip #3 – Software License – Many people forget when purchasing a new Computer the cost of the Operating System license is included in the price. If the new Computer has the same OS installed, don’t pay for another license.

The same applies for other software such as Microsoft Office. Unless you want to upgrade to another OS or Office version, save your money. Significant savings can be realized by not purchasing un-needed software license costs.

Tip #4 – Consider No Name Brand – While Dell, Hp and Sony are some of the big names with Computers, the reality is that most Computers originate from the same area in Asia, specifically laptops. Consider shopping for lesser name brands, or visiting your local Computer repair store.

Unknown brand names such as Acer, are usually cheaper, yet inside the case or laptop, the parts are the same. Computer repair stores allows for customization, so you can tailor to your need, not by what is on the shelf allowing for more savings.
Read the rest of this entry »

If your computers are in any way connected the Internet, they are being regularly bombarded with spyware, viruses, and other malware. Here are 5 easy steps you can follow to block these programs, or at least detect and remove spyware from your firm’s networks and computer systems.

What are these sneaky little programs up to?

The more benign spyware and adware simply watches the pages you visit on the web so that companies can fine-tune their marketing based on profiling. However, malicious spyware goes beyond tracking, monitoring keystrokes, capturing passwords and other functions which pose a definite security risk to your business.

Be Careful Where You Download

Unscrupulous programs often come from unscrupulous sites. If you are looking for a freeware or shareware program for a specific purpose, try searching reputable sites like tucows.com or download.com.

Actually Read the EULA

That’s an End User License Agreement. It’s all of the legal mumbo-jumbo in that box above the radio buttons that say “No, I do not accept” or “Yes, I accept these terms”. Most people click “yes” so fast you’d think they were playing a computer game. Keep in mind that the EULA is a legal agreement you are making with the software vendor–and you may be agreeing to install spyware or allow a variety of other changes to your system. Evaluate whether it’s worth it first.

Read that Pop-Up Window

Windows that pop up on websites are sometimes useful. But sometimes clicking the button or link will start to install harmful software. Like the EULA, many users will click “yes” or “ok” without stopping to read the text just to make it go away. Maybe it said “Would you like to install our spyware program?” Ok, admittedly they don’t come out and say it directly, but that is all the more reason to pause and actually read those messages before you accept.
Read the rest of this entry »

What’s the big deal behind the Apple iPhone? It’s expensive. It’s revolutionary. But are its features worth the money?

With all the popularity, you can assume everyone’s at least heard about it. What does the Apple iPhone feature and what can it do?

#1: Multi-Touch Technology

The most outstanding feature is the iPhone’s radical multi-touch screen. The MT screen allows any mechanical button to appear on this high tech toy. It simply allows you to use your fingers to operate it. This is contrary to any other phone today, which either have mechanical keyboards or a stylus.

By tapping the screen with your finger, you can navigate menus, dial phone numbers, write e-mail messages and likewise use the whole functionality of the popular gadget. The three-point-five-inch screen displays a keyboard for inputting text via multi-touch. Most consumers are seemingly skeptical about typing with the virtual keyboard, but Apple has predicted the common problems and has made sure the iPhone was constructed with features like automatic spell check and word prediction, not to mention an enhanced customizable dictionary. More so, the iPhone addresses the problems of typos commonly known to multi-touch usage by adding self-correction capabilities.

When scrolling, the usual wheel is not found at the side of the gadget. The multi-touch screen functionality allows its owner to scroll by dragging a finger in the desired direction. The speed of scrolling is designed to be proportional to the speed at which you drag your finger.

The multi-touch feature furthermore enables several more functions like multi-touch sensing for magnifying or reducing photos and even web pages. Using this feature, you can regulate object size simply by placing two fingers at the side of the object and then moving them, by dragging, either further apart or closer to one another. This feature does not distort images because images are initially scaled according to its original dimensions in the first place.

Hands down, the iPhone is more intelligent than any other phone today.

#2: Revolutionary Sensors

The gadget’s sensors have the ability to detect changes to the iPhone’s environment. The sensors are minuscule yet absurdly powerful. The three major sensors include an accelerometer, sensor for ambient light, and a proximity sensor.
Read the rest of this entry »