Category Archives: Computer

Is Your Computer Really Safe?

December 18, 2010     No comments

The majority of business transactions today are conducted online, which in turn has caused computers to become household necessities. But as the internet continues to flourish, the rise of internet crimes seems endless. With the emergence of computer malware such as viruses, worms, spyware/adware we are constantly placing ourselves at risk by simply turning our computers on.

The problem has become so widespread that Congress prepared changes in amendments specifically related to internet crimes. In 2003 the National Cyber Security Alliance reported that 90% of all broadband users have spyware installed on their computers! Corporations and small business owners worldwide are hiring software engineers or utilizing their own IT specialists in order to maintain appropriate internet security for their business.

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What is Computer Temperature

August 27, 2010     No comments

A computer temperature, as the name clearly states, is the temperature of your computer. This is largely a sum of various devices giving off heat within the system. These can include the hard drives, graphic cards, CD-ROMs, power supplies, and the CPU, which gives off the most heat. The heat from these hardwares can have multiple negative effects on the machine, ultimately decreasing the life span of the computer.
The Origin of the Heat
Most of the heat within your computer comes from what is known as the Joule effect. This is basically when electric energy is transformed into heat energy. The many wires (conductors in this case) within the computer have numerous internal interconnections, and this is exactly where the Joule effect happens: a shock slams the electrons and the conductor ions together, creating a bit of heat energy in the process.
The Negative Effects of a High Temperature
 A high temperature increases the possibility of a total burnout with one of your hardwares.
 Also, a high temperature can cause internal circuits within the hardwares to be severely damaged.
 Reduces the overall life-span of the computer.
Monitoring and Keeping the Computer Temperature Low
There are many ways to keep your computer temperature low. Foremost of all, it is necessary to monitor the temperature to see if it is at an acceptable temperature or not. There are many great free softwares on the web today that can be used to monitor the temperature of your computer.

SpeedFan (http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php)
SpeedFan may still be in a BETA stage, but it certainly is a clean and powerful software already. It measures the temperature of the computer using the hardwares within the computer. Many hardwares actually have temperature sensors connected to the computer and the software uses these to find the temperature. This software also allows you to immediately alter the temperature by adjusting the fan speed

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The Home Computer User’s Guide to Spyware

May 26, 2010     No comments

As with the computer virus, spyware can be broken down into a number of different categories. Most users are familiar with the term “adware” which refers to software which serves annoying ads. There are however a number of other spyware variants you should be aware of. To begin with it is important to have a clear definition of spyware. This will also help us understand why the term is commonly used to encompass a number of different variants.

Spyware is a program, usually installed without your knowledge, which records what you do on your computer and then shares it with its creator. The information which the spyware program collects can vary from the websites you visit to log-in and passwords for your online banking site.

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Computer Desks: Features To Look For

April 18, 2010     No comments

An office worker spends as much time at his desk as he does in his bed. Still it’s doubtful whether he or the corporate buyer thought as much about acquiring the desk as they did their beds. Maybe the only considerations were that the desk had to house a computer, fit into a certain space, and cost less than X amount. Shopping that way is only a start, because the computer desk has evolved into one of the most sophisticated pieces of furniture in the office. There are many variables to consider.

Quality is number one, because a computer desk has to be durable. Those build-it-yourself jobs that come in a box are tempting, but what is easy to put together falls apart faster. Also there are a huge variety of lumber grades, and even different grades of chipboard. Wood, or the metal equivalent, is the most costly part of the desk, and the cheaper ones simply use cheaper materials. Hard woods are called hard for a purpose, and good lumber is an investment that pays off in both durability and beauty. This unit must support a valuable computer and the necessary peripherals, plus offer a friendly ergonomic environment to the worker. So quality is not the place to scrimp.

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Networking Home Computers

February 19, 2010     No comments

Increasing Productivity With the Whole Family

Have you ever thought about networking your computers at home? If you have a small collection of computers around the house (and a small collection of computer users), you can connect each one of those computers to one another and share data, software, and hardware including a single Internet connection. There are many creative uses for home networking, however it’s an ideal situation when upgrading each computer to the same capability is financially out of the question. On a home network, each computer has access to the equipment of the better machine in the group as if that equipment were their own.

Connecting computers with either an Ethernet cable or a Wireless connection can create a home network. The easiest and cheapest method uses an Ethernet connection, which requires a series of network cards, a cable for each computer, and a router. The network card is similar to the old modems we used in the past to connect to the Internet, however in a home network, it’s used to communicate with every computer that’s connected to it.

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Accessorizing Computers

February 06, 2010     No comments

Yesterday, we spent about three hours trying to convince a client of ours that brand new computers just don’t come equipped with the all things that most computers need in a PC. We tried to convince him that a fully functional computer is one that is personalized with specially selected hardware and software accessories – and that the computer purchased at the store doesn’t come with these things. Unfortunately, all of our convincing was to our avail. Our client insisted that he should never need more than what came with his boxed product and that we were just trying “bilk” more money out of him.

As computer consultants, it’s our job and mission to make sure our clients are 100% satisfied when they walk out our offices. But our job is unnecessarily made harder when people don’t take the time to learn about computer accessories and familiarize themselves with the limitations of store-bought computers. Hopefully by the time you finish reading this article, you’ll understand the lesson that we were trying to teach our client: “What comes out of the box is really just a starter kit.”

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