Anti-static tips for all! ;-)

So.. now that the dryer seasons are here.. it will help all yooz computin' types to know...


Static electricity can be fun, as in *Plasma* globes..

Or.. it can be lethal.. as in *Lightning* bolts..

Lightning can get into your house by way of rooftop antennas, or through the household electrical system.  *Especially* if you don't have a lightning rod, or proper circuit grounding.  One of the *main* ways to prevent lighting from getting to your *computer* .. is by using a device called a UPS, also known as an uninterruptible power supply. Commonly sold in all big box stores or medium to large computer stores. Some hardware stores carry them as well.

A power strip will only protect you from surges and line noise that comes from your electric company. A UPS will do that.. as well as blocking lightning from getting to your computer, and maintain your computer's power in the event of a blackout or brownout (power sag). A UPS will keep your computer up for about 5 to 10 minutes for the small units; long enough for you to safely save your work/files and shut down when you want to, not *suddenly* when your power goes out.  Lightning can strike right outside you window.. and your computer will not even flicker.

===================================

Now .. as for the smaller scale static electricity.. Lightning is HUGE for us.. and so too is small scale static electricity to your computer and primarily its chip components .. such as.. the main processor/CPU, RAM, video cards, and hard drives. The dielectric (insulating/non-conducting) layers in chips are at risk of having holes *punched* through them by static electricity. As well, static electricity can bridge 2 or more conducting legs of the chips, and thereby block signals from going in and out. Thus, freezing up printing or other functions.  And printers *by themselves* can have their chips affected in the same way.

Computers and attached devices can be protected from lightning externally. But they still need *internal* protection from small scale static electricity .. by you, using preventative measures.

Something as simple as grounding yourself with your finger, or a metal pen, or car key to a metal object, like a table leg. The reason it is recommended to use a car key or a pen, or even a paper clip.. is because sometimes.. that static discharge can actually be *painful*. The dryer it is, more so the chance of a discharge that you can feel.. on the upper end of the scale.. I have felt discharges to be as painful as a *bee sting*!

Another helpful item for anti-static measures .. anti-static pads that you can place underneath your computer keyboard. When you sit down.. touch the pad before you touch your computer keyboard. Because .. if not, there's a good chance that static can get into your keyboard, travel through the connecting cord, and give a very rude, *static discharge* *hello* to your computer's motherboard.

And.. if your computer is sitting on a carpeted floor.. *very bad* .. most often, carpets are made of synthetic material/something related to plastic/nylon/vinyl, etc. And these can build up and store static electricity. And pass it right through the computer case.. again.. and on into your computer's *expensive* components/chips. So,. you need to break that carpet-computer connection. By either raising the computer to the desktop, into a ventilated cabinet, or place a piece of wood or other anti-static mat underneath your computer, in order to break that connection between the synthetic carpet and the computer.

Another helpful practice.. which may be unavoidable.. yet helpful to anti-static wars.. and.. it has been said.. also helpful to your bod.. wear *natural* clothing (with the exception of wool types).. instead of synthetic.

Welp .. that's it for this session.

Til next time.. when i'll be *briefly* covering the new hard drive tech that's all the rage, and leaving old electromechanical drives behind.. because they are SO much *faster* .. SSD's!!!

This is your ol' computin' pal.. Ol' Doc CPU sayin'

Don't just calculate.. Compute!  It's just so much more fun!

;-)

Alternate Power Sources for Portables

I know.. i'm late again.. stuff IRL (in real life) rides again!

Lotsa stuff goin' on out here.. as i'm sure you've noticed in your own life.

;-)

So.. gettin' right down to it...

====================

Wouldn't it be *great* if there were *other* sources of power for charging phones, tablets, and laptops besides the wall socket and the lighter socket in your car..?  Well there are!  Yeehah!  An' i'm just the kinda guy to tell yah about 'em.

Where do you get power to charge your nifty devices if the power you normally use goes out!?

OY!!

Well, not to worry.. Ol' Doc CPU is here to help yooz wit dat... (sorry.. waxed Jurzee there for a bit)

;-)

Anyway .. it could happen .. most likely due to a power outage as a result of a thunderstorm.. or an ice storm or heavy snowstorm in the winter.. or even flying saucers over power stations!  Yup.. extraterrestrials need power too!  ;-)


So what are your options..?

Well.. good news!  There are several!

1 > Solar power > I actually have one such device that has multiple adapters for several portables; specifically for smart phones, because the solar panel's surface area is approximately the size of 2 covers of a medium sized hardbound book.  But there are *numerous* types of solar power chargers of different configurations.  For example...

Laptop

Tablet

2 > Human power > What if there's no power to charge from the wall, and it's a dark cloudy day..?  Well then .. that's where good ol' elbow grease comes in handy...  That's out there too!  Once again.. a pic is worth a thousand words.. Thusly...

3 > And.. if there's no sun or elbow grease .. Wind!  Yup.. there are actually *wind-powered* chargers!  As you can see...

4 > Concert power!  Yup.. a T-Shirt you can wear to concerts that by way of piezoelectric action.. converts the vibrations from concerts into electricity to charge your cellphone!  Niftykeenareeno!

Here it is right here...

IMPORTANT NOTE: with all the variety of gizmos.. you would be well advised to make sure what the basic electrical charging requirements are for your devices with respect to voltage and amperage. That's most easily found with a Google search for a manual if you no longer have one, or going to your device manufacturer's website to look for the model number's specifications.

Okay.. so.. those are some alternatives out there. There are others that are in prototype stage as you read this.  Such as.. Voice.. so that as you speak into your phone, you are simultaneously *charging* it!  How cool is that!?  And another .. Fuel Cell charging, using a Zippo-like gadget.. for up to 14 full charges!  A face mask that uses the air you exhale to charge a phone.  A heartbeat or pulse charger that actually uses body functions to charge a phone. Also *heat* by using a camping style frying pan that has a USB plug in for transferring the heat energy converted to electric to charge your phone.

===============

So .. like they used to tell me in the Navy.. "That oughta keepya busy for a microsecond.."  And that was a compliment.  Because they knew i'd be back real soon wanting to learn more stuff, to get a bunch more input .. so i could continue to get the smarts!

So until next time Computin' Pals.. stay tuned .. Next Blog update will have more good stuff .. 

"Fall and Winter Anti-Static Tips" .. to keep your devices from bein' fried!

And please.. feel *free* to spread the word and share the Ol' Doc's Blog.. ' one o' the few things in life that *are* free anymore .. enjoy!

And keep on Computin'!

Ol' Doc CPU

;-)

*COOL* Computin' .. :-)

Hey Computin' Peeps!

Hope you're/y'all are stayin' *COOL* out there now that the dog days of Summer are here.

But don't forget to keep your trusty hardware sidekicks.. the gadgets that these days, have become a pretty common extension of our lives/lifestyles.. *COOL* too!

Rather than writing a short novel-sized entry this time.. I'll just stick to some basic tips.  Some you may already know.. some you may not.  Some free and easy; some may cost a wee bit, relatively speakin'.. but well worth it for keepin' your computin' from overheatin' ... ;-)

1> Please give whatever computer gizmo you use (desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone) adequate ventilation. That is to say.. the *space* around said machine. In order to allow lots of airflow.

2> Also.. especially in the case of desktop computers.. if they are sitting on carpeted floor.. that's NG. The carpet acts as not only a static magnet, but a thermal insulator as well. One would be well advised to raise it off the carpet, using the shelf of a cheap computer desk, or some makeshift shelving device.. even a milk crate or two would work in the construction of same if you don't have spare change to just run out and buy a computer desk. Build your own computer desk; it could be an interesting undertaking. *You* get to design it any way you want. So, *nyah* big box stores!  ;-)

3> For laptops.. there are heat sinking laptop devices that can be purchased online. Or, here again, for those in-home artisans out there.. you can build your *own* laptop/lap cooler. I would recommend getting a piece of say aluminum. Bend it to your liking, drill air holes in it.. but do not *paint* it.. at least where the laptop will be making contact with the metal.

And speaking of heat sinking metals.. for even *better* heat sinking/cooling than aluminum.. you could use copper!  And yes, it does cost more.. but you can probably find some recycled copper somewhere.. and.. you will have the confidence in knowing that your *copper* heat sink/cooler is *SO* much more *fashionable* than those *tawdry* aluminum ones... ;-)

4> When you are not using said machines.. for the short term.. put them in 'sleep' mode. For the long term.. shut them down completely.. that includes more than just doing the normal shutdown using software.. but also flipping the computer or surge protector switch to 'off' on desktops.. or unplugging the charger from the wall in the case of laptops, or shutting off the surge protector you may have it connected to as well.

5> For both desktops *and* laptops.. look for a relatively inexpensive location (usually online is best) for buying canned air. If anyone told me 55 years ago, that in the future we'd be buying water in bottles, and air in cans.. I would have thought they needed an escort to a loony bin.  ;-)  But I digress.  So.. use the canned air for blowing out the fans inside your computer at least once every 3 months; once every 1 month if you are a regular computin' type.

For the *really adventurous* .. you could open up your computer and get better access to the fans for more *efficient* cleaning!  For desktop owners.. if at least you remove one of the side panels.. you may find a *wonderland* of dust (also my idea for a computer theme park E ride) inside .. ;-) Of course you would be wise to blow the insides out too.. as well as the internal fans.

NOTE: for a more thorough/in-depth cleaning of fans in particular.. please refer to my blog entry from February of last year (2nd blog entry below this one).. "Mysterious* CRASH problems ..solved!" Even further back in the past.. in July of 2010.. there is another blog entry similar to this one for further reference on this topic.

6> For the tablet and smartphone computin' types.. keep it clean.. so as not to build up a layer of crud that acts as insulation and a cause for overheating. And it will look *so* much more shiny and *nifty* too! You may want to consider either putting holes in the case wherein you keep those tablets or phones, or buy or make a case with holes. Better ventilation!

One type of app that will help keep the smaller computin' types of this ilk cooler.. are battery savers. Because they reduce the amount of 'on' time, not only saving battery, but keeping it cooler simultaneously. Heat is a *battery killer* too. Some battery apps will stop tablets and smartphones from overheating by monitoring and preventing overcharging as well.

7> Common sense.. don't keep any computin' device in the sunlight if you can help it. Unless of course you are using a solar charger for your device.. then, obviously, you would *need* the sun.. ;-)  Keeping a device out of the sun is *especially* a concern when leaving it inside a locked car with the windows closed.

I've read some general articles on interior car temps.. saying it can reach about *140* degrees!  Oy!  You wouldn't submit your child, your animal, or yourself to that.. please don't do it to your computer gizmo.

And that includes the new smart *watches* as well. They may not melt.. but after enduring desert/tropical temperatures.. they may not work.

So here's hopin' you and your computin' machine are *both* stayin' *COOL* out there!

And stay tuned!  Next blog entry will feature *alternative* energy sources for charging your phones, tablets, laptops, and powering your desktops differently as well.

In the meantime.. this is your ol' cyber pal Ol' Doc CPU sayin'

Keep on rootin' tootin' Computin'!

;-)

Windows XP *ALERT* .. and personal update...

Hello again!

Wow.. have *I* been away for awhile or what!?  ;-)

I'm even surprised myself to see that my blog is still here.

Thank you Google!  ;-)

Lots of stuff has been happening since my last post.. a state to state move.. medical problems.. etc.

I guess ol' techs never die.. they just get caught in a 'to do loop' of sorts and our brains get carried away somewhere else.

Oh well.. back to techy stuff...

So.. if you are *still* using Windows XP, you *need* to upgrade to at least Windows 7.  This is due to Microsoft having ceased support for XP back in April of this year; last month last i checked.. ;-)  The cessation of support by Microsoft means they won't be downloading anymore security update patches to XP.  This means your personal data is at risk of being compromised by software security breach.

To perform the upgrade, here are some things you need to do.

#1 > Download, install, and run Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from the link below.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=20

This will scan your computer and generate a report that will tell you what software you need to update to be compatible with Windows 7.  And it should also advise you as to what Windows 7 package you need to install.

#2 > On some Windows machines, it will be necessary to backup your personal data, docs, photos, etc.  Then do what is called a "clean install" of Windows 7, which includes formatting before installing Windows from the Windows 7 DVD.

If you do not *have* a Windows 7 DVD, you will need to order one online, or buy it from a 'big box' store like WalMart or Best Buy.

#3 > You will then need to update Windows 7 with whatever Service Pack software that the Microsoft "Windows Updater" tells you to download and install.

#4 > Then.. you will need to reinstall whatever applications you were using before on XP and check to make sure that they are updated to the latest versions so as to be compatible with Windows 7.

#5 > Then.. you will need to update software drivers.  These are small pieces of software that tell Windows 7 what hardware it needs to communicate with.

#6 > And finally, reload all your documents, pics, etc. from backup.

The *easiest* way of updating software drivers is to buy a program like Driver Max, or Slim Drivers, or Driver Detective, or some such.  Otherwise you may be tearing your hair out to find all the drivers you need separately.

All the above is unfortunately necessary if you wish to stay with the same machine.. this is what needs to be done for a major upgrade such as this.  The *good news* is.. you won't need to do this for about another 6 years.. when Windows 7 will no longer be supported by Microsoft.

OR.. you can just ignore all the above, bite the bullet, and buy a new or refurbished PC with Windows 7 or Windows 8 already pre-installed.  And then you'd still have to install applications that you'd like to use if they are not also pre-installed on the new machine.

Either way you choose to go.. be sure you download and install a good antivirus program. I recommend Avast. It's what i use; i don't get any commission from the company that makes any of the software that i recommend.  Avast also happens to be the *most* popular antivirus software at http://www.download.com/  There are 2 other programs i am currently recommending.. 1 for cleanup.. Advanced System Care. And for full defrag and optimize.. Smart Defrag 3.  Also both at the above linked website.

Okey dokey..?

Like they used to tell me in the Navy.. "That oughta keep yah busy for a microsecond."

And that was a compliment. Because they knew i'd be back asking more questions.. wanting to learn more...

Til next time.. Keep on computin'!

Your Cyber Pal,

Ol Doc CPU

;-)