A capacitor is used to store energy so that it can provide power to any kind of electrical appliance when it is needed. Over time, though, the capacitor does begin to wear out and when this happens, its effectiveness in powering the appliance can diminish. Therefore, conducting a simple test on the capacitor can provide the necessary insight into whether the capacitor is worn out or if there is something else wrong with the appliance. Testing a Capacitor Before doing anything with the capacitor, disconnect the appliance from the electrical Read More

Potassium alum is also known as potash alum, tawas, and alum (its common name). The specific compound is the hydrated potassium aluminum sulfate and it is commonly found in deodorant, aftershave treatments, fireproof textiles, baking powder, and used in leather tanning and water purification. It is soluble and liquefies when heated. Potassium alum is colorless in crystal form and is completely translucent when 100% pure, making it popular amongst those who collect minerals in the wild. Potassium Alum’s Characteristics Potassium alum is very soluble in water and becomes a porous, Read More

TTF files are files that used a font developed by Apple in the 1980s to compete with Adobe's Type 1 Fonts. Since then, TTF has become one of the most common fonts for both Mac OS and Windows. However, other fonts have also been used–OpenType and ClearType. Regardless, many computers are able to open TTF files so long as they have the proper font installed.  The first step to open a TTF file is to move it to your hard drive or insert a CD that has the file on Read More

Modulation is the process of varying some characteristic of a periodic wave with external signals. Modulation is utilized to send an information bearing signal over long distances. Radio communication superimposes this information bearing signal onto a carrier signal. These high frequency carrier signals can be transmitted over the air easily and are capable of traveling long distances. The characteristics (amplitude, frequency, or phase) of the carrier signal are varied in accordance with the information bearing signal. In the field of communication engineering, the information bearing signal is also known as Read More

An adhesive remover is a chemical that can break the chemical bonds of adhesives. There is a wide variety of adhesive removers because there are many different types of adhesives. Each adhesive on the market has a slightly different formula/chemical structure. Therefore, an adhesive remover must be specifically formulated to break down each adhesive. Adhesive removers can either be toxic or nontoxic and can range in texture depending on the type of adhesive it was made to remove. Toxic Adhesive Removers Solvent-based Solvent-based adhesive removers are the most toxic but Read More

The computer BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is found on Windows computers. The BIOS is the first application launched during the computer’s boot process. The program is used to check for and initialize computer hardware during the start-up process prior to passing control of the computer to the operating system. Unlike the OS that is normally saved on the local hard drive, a computer’s BIOS is stored as updateable firmware on a ROM (Read Only Memory),  EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Memory), or flash memory chip on the motherboard. When was BIOS Read More

Cisco uses a proprietary cable pinout for their serial console cables. Note: Pinout or pin-out is a term used in electronics to describe how an electrical cable is wired, or the function of each wire (pin) in a connector. Given below are the pinout details for a Cisco cable. 9-pin Cisco Cable Cable Pinout Signal DB9F RJ45 Receive Data 2 3 Transmit Data 3 6 Data Terminal Ready 4 7 Ground 5 4 Ground 5 5 Data Set Ready 6 2 Request to Send 7 8 Clear to Send 8 Read More

A multivibrator is a device that changes between two states and its own design or an external force powers it. For example, a weight that is placed on a suspended spring will extend the spring to its maximum length as gravity weighs down on it. When the spring is stretched to its maximum length, however, it snaps backs and pulls the weight with it until the spring has recoiled to its original length. When this occurs, gravity and the weight’s potential energy cause the spring to extend again, repeating the Read More

Many webmasters want to make JavaScript links instead of HTML links because they believe this will “conserve PR”. This is an unresolved argument among search engine optimization specialists. A normal HTML link looks like this: <a href=”http://www.byteguide.com”>ByteGuide</a> And works like this: ByteGuide A JavaScript link looks like this: <a href=”javascript:var handle=window.open(‘http://www.byteguide.com’)”>ByteGuide</a> And works like this: ByteGuide An Alternative to JavaScript Links An alternative to JavaScript links is to create PHP-scripted links. To create PHP-scripted links, try the Via toy from SEO-Toys. PHP is a server-side technology, and does not rely Read More

The conversion from basic to user defined data types can be done using constructors. Consider the following constructor: .cf { font-family: Lucida Console; font-size: 9pt; color: black; background: white; } .cl { margin: 0px; } .cb1 { color: green; } .cb2 { color: blue; } .cb3 { color: maroon; }   String :: String(char *a) { length = strlen(a); s = new char[length+1]; strcpy(s,a); }   The above constructor definition is used to construct a String type object from a char * type variable. The String class has two data Read More