One of the more interesting pieces of technology that has been released for the laptop computer is the fingerprint reader, which makes logging into a computer so much easier. The software that HP laptops use is Bioscrypt’s VeriSoft Access Manager. By sliding one’s finger across a small metallic sensor, the software is able to read the fingerprint and determine whether that person is authorized to use the computer. If they are, the computer automatically loads up. If not, said person will have to punch a password in. Setting Up the Read More

The term Video Graphics Array can be used to refer to many different things, but the original usage was by IBM for the graphics standard implemented in their PS/2 computer line. The original IBM VGA standard marketed in 1987 consisted of a 640 pixel by 480 pixel 16-color display at its highest resolution, but also included lower resolutions. Among those alternate modes, the 320 by 200 pixel 256-color "Mode 13h" was a common resolution for computer games because of the increased range of colors available to developers. Some of the Read More

A surge suppressor is a device that protects electrical equipment by dispersing or grounding excess electric current that surges or spikes in the electrical power grid. These surges can occur up to four times a day and can damage electronic equipment that is connected to power outlets throughout a home or office. Lightning, downed power lines, high-frequency sound waves, high-power electrical equipment, and natural weather conditions generally cause surges and spikes. How Surge Suppressors Work A surge suppressor is a ceramic or metal cylinder that is filled with oxygen in Read More

Socket-604 is a 603-contact CPU socket used by some Intel Xeon processors. The Socket-604 has 604 contact holes, the empty contact hole is used for a dummy pin. This dummy pin allows Socket-603 and Socket-604 CPU's to be used in Socket-604 mothterboards, while preventing Socket-604 CPU's from being utilized in Socket-603 motherboards. Socket-604 supports a 533MHz Front Side Bus. The Socket-603 supports a 400Mhz Front Side Bus (FSB). The Socket-604 is a Pin Grid Array (PGA) Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket. A ZIF socket features a lever on one side Read More

A PCI simple communications controller is a software component found on a computer that controls the PCI connected devices plugged into that computer. PCI (Practical Communication Interface) is a hardware component built into the computer that allows a wide variety of devices to physically connect to the computer via individual card slots. While the PCI allows the devices to be connected to the computer, the simple communications controller is responsible for managing the actions each device takes and how software interacts with those devices.   How a PCI Simple Communications Read More

The Need for Wireless Speakers A common complaint against home audio systems has been the cables that interconnect the speakers to the audio receiver, tuner, cd player, or stereo units. As more and more channels are added to modern home audio equipment the problem of connecting the speakers to the audio sources has exacerbated. Running cables through the house walls is messy and time consuming. Cables running over the carpet are a tripping hazard. Running cables along the ceiling or walls are just an eyesore. Modern digital surround systems can Read More

Are you experiencing problems with your printing queue? Perhaps you’ve got a whole bunch of print jobs in the spooler (printing queue) and a single print job has gone bad, freezing the entire queue. Or maybe you just want to know, for future reference, how you can cancel any print job that you’ve started? How to Clear Print Jobs from within the Typical Printing Queue Interface Firstly, open up the Devices and Printers interface. This can be found in the Hardware and Sound section of the Control Panel. Right-click on Read More

The battery that comes with the MacBook Pro will eventually need to be replaced as it is a consumable item with a finite usable life. The battery can be purchased directly from Apple Inc. or from a third party manufacturer. Only the batteries that Apple produce are really recommended as third party manufacturers may not produce quality batteries at lower prices. Purchasing the battery from Apple also allows the owner to get the service of having a new battery installed and the old one disposed of. Anyone with access to Read More

A SIMM, or Single In-Line Memory Module, is a printed circuit board that is designed to hold multiple RAM chips at a time. SIMMs provide computers with additional RAM that could not be provided by a single RAM chip and allow for a tier-based memory system. While SIMMs have been widely replaced with DIMMS, or Dual In-Line Memory Modules, they are still commonly found in 32-bit personal computers and can even be used in 64-bit computers when two SIMMs are installed together. How SIMM Works SIMMs are available in a Read More

An SD (Secure Digital) card is a portable storage device that stores data even when it is not powered. SD cards are very small and fit in many portable devices such as cameras, video game consoles, and cell phones. They can also be used with both desktop and laptop computers if the user purchases an SD card adapter. While SDSC (SD Standard Capacity) cards store up to 4 GB, there are also SDHC (SD High Capacity) and SDXC (SD eXtended Capacity) versions that store up to 32 GB and 2 Read More