What is the difference between CD-R and CD-RW?

I thought that we had already done a tip on this subject, but after doing some research for it, I couldn't find anything. We have one for DVDs, which is pretty similar, but I thought I would go ahead and answer the CD part of it for you. Good thing you asked!

Both the CD-R and CD-RW CDs look alike, but there are obviously some major differences between them. (They wouldn't have separate names if there wasn't, right?!) We've done several articles on burning lately, so you should be pretty up to par on that, but picking the CDs you are going to use is the next big step. The main difference that comes into play is the quality you will get from each type of CD.

Most people burn CDs to either back up their data or to make a music CD. The CD-R format is a more inexpensive disk with a decent amount of quality. They usually hold between 650 and 700 MB of information. These are good for saving any type of information, but they're better used for school projects, copying games, moving data from one computer to another, etc. If you're not planning on ever erasing the information, you'll want to use a CD-R.

On the other hand, a CD-RW is a rewriteable disk. They are more flexible for the mere fact that you can write and rewrite information on them. You can usually copy over them at least 40 times as well, which is pretty impressive. CD-RWs are good for making music CDs, because if you get tired of that music, you can always copy new songs over the old data. So, if you're planning on erasing the information you put on a CD, use a CD-RW, because you can get a lot more use out of them. This also makes it less expensive in the end, because of the reuse factor.

Whichever format you use, you burn them the same way. As long as you have a CD burner and some type of burning software installed on your computer, you're good to go. As I said earlier, this information is pretty much the same for DVDs, but here's an article you can read on that if you're wanting to burn DVDs instead.

Happy burning!

~ Erin worldstart.com

Monitors: LCD vs. CRT

There’s a fierce battle raging in the world of computer monitors these days! It’s basically old technology pitched against a constantly evolving new technology and there's no telling who will eventually triumph over the other. It will more than likely be LCD, but for now, let's take a look at the following factors before favoring one over the other. Here we go!

Size Does Matter

There’s something to be said about Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors. To begin, the size is a lot less than what is usually given. For example, if it’s a 32" monitor, it actually means 32" diagonally. However, a 17" CRT monitor will only have a 15.7" viewable diagonal image. This is where LCD monitors score, because they are measured by the actual size of the screen.

Look at the Applications

If you're really into gaming or your job is to create high-end graphic designs and animations, a larger, more advanced CRT screen is still the best bet for you. But, if you're a home user who isn’t so particular about size or application, an LCD screen would do just fine. The image quality on an LCD is excellent, the look is more contemporary and it doesn’t strain your eyes that much either. Now, if your preference is a CRT monitor, don’t buy anything smaller than a 17” monitor. Similarly, if you're going for a 15" LCD monitor, you might as well go for a 17,” because they cost pretty much the same. If your house is spacious enough, you should go for the biggest LCD monitor you can afford.

The Price Stakes

There were days when there was quite a price difference between LCD and CRT monitors. But with much of today's technology streamlined and quality controls in place, it’s increasingly becoming a business with high volumes. And the best part? The prices are going southward as the days fly by. According to the price stakes, a 19" LCD monitor can be purchased for an affordable $200. However, for LCD sizes larger than 21," the price shoots up by 50 to 100 percent. If a 21" LCD can be had for around $250, the larger sizes cost upwards of $400.

Bundled Monitors

If you're going for a branded PC, the monitors (whether LCD or CRT) come with it. However, those monitors may not score high on quality and performance. So, it’s best to choose the right brand that is good at all of these things. The way out of this is to go for an "assembled PC," where you go to a vendor and choose the brand of PC, UPS, DVD ROM, hard drive, monitor and so on. The best way to find the best monitor for yourself is to check out the entire range of monitors and go for one that suits your needs the most.

Don’t Mistake Them for Flat Screens

You can get a flat screen CRT monitor, as well as, an LCD. So, just because the vendor is promising to hand you a cheaper flat screen monitor, don’t think it’s an LCD and jump for the deal. You should always ask the vendor if it's a CRT or an LCD. That's the only way to know for sure.

Happy monitor shopping, my friends!

~ Zahid H. Javali courtesy worldstart

USB Storage device.

USB storage devices are relatively cheap these days, as such in order to avoid my kids from messing up my PC hard drives, i had instructed that my kids, including those from Primary School to get their own USB storage devices. They are required to a get a RM20.00 USB storage device each using their own Hari Raya Puasa money, immediately after the first day of Raya. I did this, in order to provide a psychological reason, that will make them take a better care of their own USB storage devices and educating them, to spend their money wisely rather than on some silly "mini fireworks" which is a norm for the kids here. They are free to use their own USB storage device for keeping whatever they want, downloads - songs, you-tubes, movies, games and for their school work such as for contents of their folios.

And I have regularly reminded them on how to remove their USB storage device, safely. I found out that somebody had written those reminders so I am sharing it with you.

Proper Removal

Are you one of the many who use a flash drive these days? I mean, really, how can you resist? They are so simple to use and just as convenient as can be. So, tell me, when you go to remove your flash drive from the USB port it's in, how do you do it? Do you just yank it out of there and go on with your day? If you do, that's not really the proper way to do it and if you keep doing it that way, you could end up ruining your flash drive. Well, lucky for you, I have come bearing instructions on how to properly remove a flash drive from your computer.

There are actually a couple different ways you can do this. I suggest that you read through them and choose the one that you feel the most comfortable with. The first one has a few less steps than the second, so we'll start there. When you're ready to take your flash drive out, double click on the My Computer icon on your desktop and find the drive that your flash drive is listed under. (It will usually be listed under a "Removable Disk" letter). Right click on that drive and choose Eject. You can then remove the flash drive with no risks of ruining anything.

The second way is to use your Safely Remove Hardware icon, located in your bottom system tray. Double click on that icon (it's a little green arrow with a little gray disk underneath it). Highlight the choice that says "USB Mass Storage Device" and click on the Stop button. Next, find the entry for your flash drive and click on it so it's highlighted. Click OK. You will then see a little pop up window in the bottom of your screen telling you that it's now safe to remove the hardware. Once you see that, you can remove the flash drive and go on your way. As you can see, both ways are very easy to do, but you need to make sure you do at least one of them, in order to keep your flash drive safe!

~ Erin ( Courtesy steve@worldstart.com )


There is no limit to creativity (courtesy - st.bull my egroup)

Phillips Electronics in collaboration with Swarovski made the 'Active Crystal' collection of USB memory. These are really fancy.

This is platinum USB drive hand set with 350
white diamonds. It even comes with a solid
platinum chain and you can have it for $38,000.


Here are some less expencive.

Heart...

Wrists...



There are memory sticks shaped like food...

ice cream

or drink.

Dogs...

penguins...

teddy bear...



Cute.



Disney caracters...

Human thumb

a video tour of the new Nokia N97.

New Gadget - USB Negative

The latest in a slew of analogue to digital converters – think tapes and vinyl to MP3 files, or VHS to DVD – is this nifty negative scanner.

Transform forgotten 35mm negatives or slides into digital photos by loading them into the device and connecting it to your USB port. Now you can edit your images using the scanner's software. The resulting files may come in at 5 megapixels and the whole shebang is compatible with Windows XP and Vista. Let the blasts from the past begin.

Kaspersky on Threats

New IT Developments: New Internet Threats

Viruses, hacker attacks and other cyber threats are now a part of daily life. Malware spreading throughout the Internet, hackers stealing confidential data and mailboxes flooded with spam are the price we pay for computing convenience. Any unprotected computer or network is vulnerable.

All computers need internet security

Home users can lose valuable personal data with one click to the wrong website. Children trading games also exchange viruses unknowingly. You receive an email requesting an update to your payment details, and a hacker gains access to your bank account. A backdoor is installed on your machine, and your PC becomes a zombie, spewing out spam.

Address the risks

It's not just home users who suffer. For businesses of all sizes, the risks are manifold. Crucial data distorted by viruses, financial data misappropriated by cyber criminals, and mountains of spam reducing ROI on human and technological resources. An effective risk management strategy is essential for business success.

New technologies - new anti-malware solutions

As cyber threats have evolved, so has software to deflect such threats. Sophisticated antispyware and antivirus solutions capable of detecting the most complex new viruses are now available. New personal firewall programs designed to identify the stealthiest hacker attacks can hide your computer on the Internet. And the latest anti-spam products filter out up to 99% of unsolicited mail, protecting computers from malicious code and saving time and resources.

Forewarned is forearmed

In addition to providing a wide range of cutting-edge antivirus solutions, we at Kaspersky Lab believe that information is an essential element of safe computing. The Virus News section of our website (click 'about us' tab, then click 'press center' tab) offers information about all current cyber threats, ranging from basic definitions to thorough analysis and the Kaspersky Virus Encyclopedia, a comprehensive library of virus descriptions.

courtesy : Kaspersky

MS offers peek through Windows 7

Windows 7 will make it easier to view photos

Microsoft has unveiled the latest version of its Windows operating system.

It promised that it will deliver a better experience for users when it arrives sometime late next year.

Windows 7 follows Vista, which Microsoft claims has been a success, but which has been subject to fierce criticism from a number of users.

The system was demonstrated at the company's Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles.

Senior vice-president Steven Sinofsky described it as an "exciting new version of Windows" and claimed it would deliver a more personalised experience.

Feedback

When Vista launched in January 2007, many users complained that it ran slowly and failed to work at all with some programs and devices.

Corporate customers have been slow to switch from Windows XP to Vista, although Microsoft said that the operating system had an unfair press, and has enjoyed record sales.

"We got a lot of feedback about Vista," admitted Mr Sinofsky, who runs the Windows business.

He said his team had responded with improvements and had learned some lessons in developing Windows 7.

Data sharing

Among the new features promised in the latest operating system are Windows Touch, which introduces support for multi-touch technology.

This will enable users to zoom in on an image by moving two fingers closer together - a technology first introduced to millions of users by Apple's iPhone.

A new taskbar aims to give more rapid access to files and programs, with each open window appearing as a graphic thumbnail.

There is also a feature called HomeGroup, allowing users easy sharing of data across PCs and other devices in the home.

And there is more support for devices such as cameras, printers, and mobile phones with a product called Device Stage offering a single window to manage tasks for each device.

Microsoft's chief software architect Ray Ozzie defended Vista and indicated that Windows 7 would be evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

"Vista is a great operating system, it's tremendously functional," he told the BBC. "Windows 7 brings it up a level by enabling it to take advantage of certain hardware innovations. PCs have evolved since Vista was launched," he said.

Microsoft also announced that its Office software will now be available as a web application, so that users can create and share documents across multiple devices.

Google already offers users online applications allowing them to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations online for free.

Microsoft's Office Web will be supplied to customers who purchase the next edition of Office, but Microsoft stressed that it will provide all the same functions online as are available offline.

Computer Hacking

IBM aims to cool chips with water

The water cooling technology was built into IBM's 3D chips Enlarge Image

A network of tiny pipes of water could be used to cool next-generation PC chips, researchers at IBM have said.

Scientists at the firm have shown off a prototype device layered with thousands of "hair-width" cooling arteries.

They believe it could be a solution to the increasing amount of heat pumped out by chips as they become smaller and more densely packed with components. . . more

Factfile: XO laptop

The One Laptop Per Child project is one step closer to releasing the completed machine to millions of schoolchildren in the developing world. But what makes the computer so unique?

. . . . more

Now Available : Firefox 3 RC 1

Here's a quick update on what's happening in the world of Firefox 3 these days!

As you may recall, last week, I told you the Mozilla company was planning to release the Firefox 3 Release Candidate 1 in late May 2008. Well, they kept their promise, because it is now available for download! It made its debut on May 16, 2008 and while anyone is welcome to download it, you should keep in mind that it is for testing purposes only. At this stage, Mozilla is just basically looking for feedback and they will release the final version when they feel it's up to par for its users.

Firefox 3 comes along with several new features that will improve its performance, memory usage and speed. Of course, all of that will be tweaked as the process goes along and you shouldn't expect the RC1 to perform at 100 percent. For example, you might run into some trouble when working with your add ons. That's to be expected. But you can help by downloading the Firefox 3 RC1 and giving your feedback. It is available in more than 45 languages and you can download it right here. Simply choose your language, your operating system and then click on the Download link. Happy testing!

~ Erin (courtesy computer tips)

Microsoft walks away from Yahoo

Page last updated at 16:02 GMT, Sunday, 4 May 2008 17:02 UK

Yahoo's shares are expected to fall when markets open on Monday

Software giant Microsoft has dropped its three-month-old bid to buy internet firm Yahoo because the two sides cannot agree on an acceptable sale price.

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer formally withdrew the offer in a letter to Yahoo chief executive Jerry Yang.

Mr Ballmer said Microsoft had raised its original offer from $44.6bn to $47.5bn (£24.1bn) - $33 per share.

But he added that Yahoo had insisted on at least $53bn, or $37 a share - more than Microsoft was prepared to pay. . . . . read more

Microsoft gives Yahoo three weeks

Yahoo said Microsoft's original offer undervalued the firm

Computer software giant Microsoft has given Yahoo a three-week deadline to respond to its offer to buy out the internet company for $44.6bn (£22.3bn).

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said his company would take its case directly to Yahoo's shareholders if Yahoo's directors did not respond by 26 April.

Google helping with US spy work?

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:03:33

US intelligence agencies have recruited search engine giant Google to help its agents share information about their suspects.

Under the partnership, Google is helping intelligence organizations like the National Security Agency, CIA and FBI to deviate from their current archiving systems by offering them the latest, easy-to-use technologies and supplying the necessary software and hardware.

The three intelligence agencies have reportedly created a secure internal government intranet to share data about their targets that can be accessed by colleagues on a system similar to Wikipedia called Intellipedia.

Agents have clearance to log on to the site, which is closed to public users, and access three levels of data, top secret, secret and sensitive, and sensitive but unclassified.

Google's transactions with the intelligence community have irked bloggers who criticize it for collaborating with spy agencies more closely than simply selling search equipment.

CS/FH/BGH Courtesy Presstv

Nano-controlling chemical brain invented

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:17:02

Scientists have produced a tiny chemical 'brain', able to control nano-machines and boost the processing power of future computers. The molecular device, which can control eight microscopic machines at one time, has raised new hopes in treating diseases. The machine is made of 17 chemical duroquinone molecules, each sitting at the centre of a ring formed by the remaining 16. The chemical duroquinone molecules known as 'logic device' are connected by hydrogen bonds and a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) switches the state of the control molecule at the centre. The STM system enables the nanotechnologists to change the central molecule's state and switch the states of the surrounding 16 at the same time, BBC reported. Experts believe the device could be used during remote operations by guiding the nanobots through the body and controlling their functions. TE/HGH

Asus Already Looking to USB 3.0

USB 3.0 could take off fast. We believe that the connectors were shown for the first time publicly at this year's CES, and at least one manufacturer is already working the spec into their laptops. Eagle-eyed scouts at The Register spotted two USB 3.0-like ports in the Asus' M50 laptop.

But it's sort of complicated. The transition of USB 2.0 to USB 3.0 will increase the number of wire contacts from 4 to 5. The Register spotted ports that made room for the fifth wire contact but still sported only four, meaning that Asus was framing their system for USB 3.0 even though they weren't technically adopting the spec just yet. Given that USB 3.0 will bring data transfers up to 4.7GB/sec, we're fine with companies pushing this technology onto us.