A beta particle is a form of ionizing radiation. Beta particles are closely related to other types of radiation such as gamma rays and alpha particles. In more scientific terms, a beta particle is a high-speed electron (and sometimes positron) that has been released from a degenerative radioactive nucleus. Beta particles are low mass and medium-energy and are one of the least-damaging types of radiation. Beta particles do, however, pose a large health risk. They contain the following: carbon-14, tritium, technetium-99, potassium-40, and strontium-90. What Are Beta Particles? Beta particles Read More

Port forwarding, also known as tunneling, is basically forwarding a network port from one node to the other. This forwarding technique allows an outside user to access a certain port (in a LAN) through a NAT (network address translation) enabled router. Advantages of Port Forwarding Port forwarding basically allows an outside computer to connect to a computer in a private local area network. Some commonly done port forwarding includes forwarding port 21 for FTP access, and forwarding port 80 for web servers. To achieve such results, operating systems like the Read More

An infrared sensor is a device that emits and/or receives infrared waves in the form of heat. While most infrared sensors transmit and receive infrared waves, some can only receive them. These types of infrared sensors are known as Passive Infrared Sensors (PIR sensors) or motion detectors. What is an Infrared Detector? An infrared detector is a pyroelectric sensor that detects the light spectrum’s infrared wavelength. Infrared detectors are usually emitters as well, but this is not always the case. Infrared detectors can be made of a phototransistor, photodiode, or Read More

WordPerfect Viewer is a word processing software that allows users to view, print, and copy content from a Microsoft Word document even if Microsoft Word is not installed on the computer. WordPerfect Viewer is an extension of WordPerfect, the core word processing program that allows users to actually create documents and modify existing files that are saved in the WordPerfect Document or .wpd format. WordPerfect is often found on computers hosting a Windows operating system and can be used in conjunction with Microsoft Office products in order to view Excel Read More

Unbuffered memory, or unregistered memory, is memory in which no hardware register exists between a RAM chip and a memory controller. Unbuffered memory is not as stable as buffered memory, but is faster and cheaper to implement. While buffered memory may be necessary in some computer systems, such as high-end corporate servers and workstations, where large amounts of memory are accessed on a regular basis, personal computers usually have unbuffered memory because they can be smaller, faster, and less expensive.   How Unbuffered Memory Works In a typical system that Read More

Broadband has revolutionized the way we view and use the internet. The two main types of broadband technology that have pervaded the market are Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) and cable modems. Both these technologies are a huge leap from the days of the 56 Kbps dial-up connections, with maximum speeds ranging between 8 to 10 Mbps. This makes one wonder, what’s next? Another form of DSL, known as VDSL or Very High Bit-Rate Digital Subscriber Line, is widely regarded as the next step in Internet connectivity. This technology is Read More

No matter where LCD screens are kept, they will always need cleaning from time to time. Cleaning an LCD may seem like a daunting task, but there are a few simple ways to clean it without damaging to scratching to surface. Retail There are many cleaning solutions available in shops. However these may seem a bit expensive and are sometimes quite unnecessary. PixelClean is one of the better and less expensive brands. It is highly recommended. Most products will come with instructions on how to use them. Alcohol Solution It Read More

An output device is any peripheral device that is connected to a computer in order to give visual or audible feedback to the user. Output devices vary dramatically in size and function, although all output devices must be connected to the computer via USB ports, VGA cables, IDE cables, etc. Some types of output devices are included with the computer upon purchase while others must be bought separately and connected to the computer at a later time. An output device is generally much larger than an input device and is Read More

Aggregate concrete is a polymer concrete that is made of aggregates such as limestone, granite, silica, quartz, or a combination of these minerals. Aggregate concrete differs from cement in that it contains many different mineral rocks that protrude from its surface, while a cement surface is smooth. While cement is simply mixed together and applied to a surface, aggregate concrete must be properly prepared and applied so that the aggregates bond to the polymer. Because of this, the aggregates must be dry, clean, and made of a strong material. When Read More

Pocket software refers to any program that can be stored and launched from a portable device such as a USB flash drive or memory card. These programs often provide the user with essential features that are capable of analyzing the host computer or simply enhancing the computer experience for the user through communication, virus protection, or even entertainment. Pocket software is widely available from many different websites and is usually free. This article will list a number of free pocket programs that cover nearly every need that the computer user Read More