A barcode scanner (which may also be referred to as a barcode reader) is a piece of electronic equipment that can read printed barcodes. Barcodes are used to manage and track a wide variety of items, ranging from grocery store items to cars to insects such as bees. A barcode scanner uses a lens, light source and photo conductor to translate optical impulses to electrical impulses. Main Types of Barcode Scanners Fixed Position: A fixed position barcode scanner is used by distributors and manufacturers. This type of barcode scanner can Read More

Molex connectors are pin and socket types of connectors that are found in a multitude of products. Their name stems from the Molex Products Company, the business that originally designed and helped standardize the type of connection in the 1950s and 1960s. Although they were originally designed for use in appliances, they are currently a standard in computer and automobile electronics. The Molex connectors of today are designed very simply. One piece of the two piece pin and socket design consists of metal pins while the other piece consists of Read More

Bluetooth is a wireless communication protocol which is used to exchange information or data over short distances, with the help of fixed or mobile devices. Bluetooth wireless technology is integrated into these kinds of electronic devices to enable users to exchange information such as music, videos, and pictures wirelessly. Bluetooth technology was created in 1994 by engineers working at Ericsson, Sweden. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group was formed in 1998 by various companies to develop, maintain, and license Bluetooth standards. Bluetooth is implemented with the help of a radio technology Read More

The case is the metal “box” that all the computer parts fit inside. It provides protection and the ability to customize the case. Larger cases leave room for expansion such as extra hard drives or R/W drives. There are three main types of cases: Pizza Box Case This is a thin case used mainly for network stations. They are usually seen in an office or at school. Desktop Case Usually sits horizontally on the desk. It is not as compact as the pizza box case, but has more room for Read More

DisplayPort is the new digital display interface standard. It has been recently approved (5/2006) by VESA and will be hitting the markets in 2008. For most computer users, the fairly big and bulky VGA port is familiar. While the VGA port has been extremely reliable and has delivered competent performance, the new standard – the Display Port – is considered to be quite an upgrade from traditional VGA ports and is on par with HDMI. The DisplayPort will be mainly manufactured by large computer makers to send video, as well Read More

Mobile computing has become nothing short of a necessity in the information age. Laptops, PDAs, and other digital communication and computer devices have quickly become imperative in conducting business for professionals that cannot be restrained to their office or homes all of the time. Rapid advances in technology have enabled device manufacturers to release products that were virtually unthinkable only a few short years ago. One of the most innovative and popular mobile computing innovations that has gained a great deal of popularity and support in recent years has been Read More

Inkjet printers contain hundreds of parts all working together to put millions of microscopic dots onto paper. There are five main components of an inkjet printer: print head, paper feeder, circuit board, power supply, and the case. Of these, the print head and paper feeder are the most interesting. The Print Head The print head contains an array of microscopic nozzles that fire drops of ink onto the paper. In some cheap printers, the print head is not even part of the printer, but part of the ink cartridge. There Read More

A sector is a small area on the surface of a hard drive or floppy disk. Hard drives usually have several platters. The platters are the discs that are covered with magnetic material, which is used to hold data. Floppy disk drives contain only one platter. Platters are divided into a set of concentric rings called tracks. A 1.44MB floppy disk has 160 tracks. Hard drives have thousands of tracks. Each of these tracks is divided into smaller storage areas called sectors. A sector is the smallest storage area on Read More

A dual core processor is part of a category called multi-core processors. These computer processors have more than one independent processor on the chip or package. In the case of a dual core processor, the entire chip has two independent computer processors that can work together to increase total computer performance. For non-technical consumers, dual core processors can be thought of as having two separate computer chips combined. One of the biggest advantages of having a dual core processor is the computer’s ability to perform thread level parallelism. A thread Read More

If you would like to replace your old hard drive with an upgraded drive, this is a simple process that can be done at home. Most new hard drives will come with installation instructions to make the task easier for you. Steps To install A Hard Drive Shut down the computer, and unplug all accessories attached to it. Continue by unplugging the computer completely from its power source, wait fifteen seconds, and “ground” yourself to prevent electrical shock. Remove the screws holding the computer’s cover in place. Remove the computers Read More