Monthly Archives: July 2022
Hurricane Proof Computer
Hurricane Proof Computer
Hurricanes cause billions of dollars in damage each year, including damage to computers. Unfortunately, computers can be much harder to replace if lost than other electronics because of the data contained on their hard drives and time spent tweaking and overclocking them. Being a Katrina evacuee and survivor myself, I know how important a computer can be after a natural disaster. With hurricane season looming in the days ahead, I decided to write a guide to help people protect their computers and data during a natural disaster.
Part I: Backing Up Data And Things to Have
Hurricane season or not, you should always be backing up your data. Whether you plan on riding out the storm (a bad idea) or evacuating to another location, you should have a backup of your computer data either on an external hard drive or optical media such as CD-Rs or a DVD. Be sure to keep your data in a very safe place, such as a water proof safe. Never leave your backup by your computer.
Next, you should have the following things to make life after the storm easier:
1. Phone numbers for insurance, computer or computer parts companies, and phone numbers for all local ISPs (including dial-up and satellite). Having your insurance phone number and phone numbers for your computer company will help get your computer replaced faster if it is damaged. I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to have phone numbers and even access disks for all of your local ISPs! After Katrina, the Internet was the only way many people could contact the outside world. As fate would have it, my broadband was down for 3 weeks and none of the other broadband ISPs would except new orders due to the storm, leaving me with my old friend Dial Up, whom I thought I had buried 8 years ago. Your best bet is to use a satellite ISP as they have no equipment that can be destroyed by a hurricane and cause an outage.
2. Back ups of all your file, have all application and game discs, CD keys, drivers, and operating system discs on hand.
3. Photos of your computer as well as proof of what parts are inside.
In the event your quad SLI rig is destroyed, you don’t want your insurance company to replace it with something of a significantly lesser value, do you? It’s very easy for people to claim “I had this, this, and this and it all cost me 00 last month.” after their 3 year old Athlon XP rig is destroyed. As a result, your insurance company may be hesitant to replace your expensive computer parts unless you can prove you own them. Also know to what extent your insurance (including flood insurance) will replace damaged property. While some policies will cover the replacement cost of damaged property, some may only cover part of the damage cost. Also know what your deductible is.
4. Blog or Social Networking Profile
Social networking sites such as myspace were great after Katrina. Friends could find out where other friends had evacuated to simply by reading each others’ myspaces.
5. Generator and Gas
A generator can power many things, including home computers! Check with your local generator supplier about any local laws about generators, how to safely and properly set one up, and how well they will work with computers. Because generators provide unstable power, a battery backup UPS and a surge protector are a must. Do not count on gas to power your generator being available in the aftermath of the storm. It’s best to have a good supply of gas as well as a few empty gas containers on hand.
Part II: Evacuating with Your PC
Like any family members or pets you may have, your PC isn’t something to leave behind if you can avoid it. While your first priority should be getting out alive, you should consider bringing your PC with you if you can room in your car. You can’t count on your destination to have good computers, high speed Internet, or any entertaining activities for that matter. Being in another place during a hurricane is stressful. Between watching your home town being walloped on CNN and The Weather Channel, the people around you as well as yourself will be tense and worried. Having a nice computer to browse the web with and play Battlefield 2 is a sure entertainer. In fact, the Internet was the only place where I could get information about my very neighborhood after the storm! Local newspaper message boards were packed with evacuees from all over my area and had plenty of information about damage to share.
Even if you can’t bring your PC, at the very least bring your hard drive with you! If your home is looted in the aftermath of the storm, the last thing you want is your personal data in someone else’s hands. Be sure your hard drive is in an anti-static bag to avoid needless damage to it.
If taking a long road trip, you should probably place some sort of padding or foaming (even a blanket will work) around your computer or hard drive to protect it from the vibrations of the car. Don’t bring your monitor unless you have an LCD and there’s room for it.
Part III: Leaving Your PC at Home
If you don’t have room for your PC in your car, don’t plan on staying with it during the storm. There are several safeguards you can take to prevent unnecessary damage to your computer:
1. Cover any open parts of your computer case (such as fans and vents) with tape. Don’t use duct tape unless you want to risk taking paint off your case or a sticky mess.
2. Cover your computer with as many trash bags as you need. At least 2 trash bags per computer are recommended.
3. Consider how high your home is above sea level, the risk of flooding, and other factors. If you know your home could flood, you should put your computer on the second floor. But if you know your roof is weak and could easily blow off, don’t put it on the second floor! Find an enclosed space with no windows (such as a closet) as close to the center of your home as possible. If your computer case has a side window, make sure it’s facing towards the ground or against a wall. If you can, place other objects around your computer to offer it additonal protection from blowing rain and flying debris.
Part IV: When the Worst Happens
In the event your PC becomes damaged during the storm, don’t fret. If the damage is from a fallen tree or a piece of flying debri, there is nothing you can do. If your computer becomes flooded, however, there are steps you can take to recover it. Below is a basic guide on how to recover a flooded computer.
1. Do not turn on the computer! Make sure it is unplugged! While you may be anxious to see if your computer can run, don’t do it if you know it’s been exposed to water. You’ll just end up causing more damage if you do. Remember to keep your computer unplugged.
2. Remove components that work. If you can see a water line in your computer, take out all the components above it and put them in a safe place.
3. Let your computer dry. Let your computer dry for a week or so. One drop of water in a running computer could mean disaster.
4. Remove the CMOS battery and other parts.
5. Use a solution of 90% alcohol or more to wash the various components of your computer, including connectors. If necessary, use a paint brush to remove stubbon crud.
6. Let your computer dry completely.
If the above doesn’t work or you have data you can’t risk losing on your hard drive, consider professional computer recovery. Do not plan on salvaging the power supply, CMOS battery, the hard drive, optical drives, or any fans if they have been flooded. Also remember to take pictures of any damage to your computer before you attempt to fix it for insurance purposes.
Hopefully this guide will help people save their computers from hurricane related damage. A computer is a very useful tool that should be part of any good disaster supply kit. Trust me when I say it’s an important thing to have around. However, remember a computer is only a material possession. Like all material objects, they can be replaced. Human and animal life, however, cannot. Use good judgement when deciding whether or not to take your computer with you and while repairing it if it damaged.
Disclaimer: In no way is the author responsible for any actions you may take to save your computer from a hurricane or fix it after flooding. Any actions you choose regarding hurricanes and computers are taken at your own risk. For the sake of all, please use common sense during any natural disaster.
Atari Video Game Systems: Reliving the Best Games of the 80s
Atari Video Game Systems: Reliving the Best Games of the 80s
Atari developed one of the most popular and the most best selling gaming systems in the world. In 1977 Atari successfully launched a gaming system that almost everyone in the world wanted. The Atari Video Computer System or VCS created a new way to entertain the young and old alike in the late 70s to the early 90s.
If you played Atari before, you know how crude and simple the graphics were in this gaming system compared to the 3D state-of-the-art graphics with the latest technology in gaming consoles introduced today.
The popularity of Atari lasted for many years. However, with the introduction of a more realistic gaming system today, Atari became a relic. In the 80s, Atari game systems and its game cartridges flew off the shelves of stores worldwide. You can even compare Atari’s popularity with the Christmas season craze that you may experience with other popular gaming consoles available in the market today.
However, because of overproduction of gaming cartridges, the market for video games crashed. Even with Atari’s success, it was affected by the declining demand in the video game market. By the fall of 1986, Atari gaming systems wasn’t available in most retail stores in the US.
However, even after all these years, Atari games are still fun to play. Even old games like Pac-man, Asteroids, Missile Command, and other popular titles Atari produced were still widely available in the video game market. Although it wasn’t really available in cartridges like before, it is, however, still being played in the internet.
Today, Atari is now a game developer for PC games and other popular gaming consoles out in the market. They now develop games that can compete with the standards that people are searching for in a game. Popular Atari game titles, such as Neverwinter Nights, Test Drive Unlimited, Age of Pirates and others are now available for PC, Xbox, PlayStation 2 and others.
These games also have the stunning advanced 3D graphics that most people look for in a game today. With great sound effects and realistic graphic quality, Atari games can really make you want to play their games over and over again.
Atari games are also available in different genres. They have Role Playing Games or RPG, strategy games, action games, first person shooter games, driving games, simulation games, online games, fighting games and they also develop games for kids.
With the different kinds of games available that Atari produces, you can be sure that you will never run out of great game titles from Atari. If you get tired of an Atari game, you simply have to go out and buy another popular title developed by Atari.
However, fun as all the new games Atari is developing now, the old games, such as Missile Command, Pac-Man, Asteroids, Tempers, Battlefield and other popular game titles back in the 70s and 80s are still fun to play with. People who grew up in the Atari era have searched for the old gaming titles in the internet and play it online.
These games can still be played in your PC by just having an active internet connection and logging on to www.atari.com. Or, you can purchase the old Atari Video Computer System or VCS in the internet. Today, the game system still exists and people still buys them. Even the cartridges are for sale.
If you want to play old video games the old school way, then purchasing an Atari Video Computer System is the best way to do it. Relive the 80s and play hundreds of different games developed by Atari.
All you need to do is plug the Atari VCS to your TV, plug in your favorite Atari game cartridge and play like you did when you were a child. If you have children, try to let them join the fun by letting them play too.
Atari games are widely available for download in the internet. Old games can be downloaded and played in your computer. But, if you want to play with these old and simple games like in the 70s and 80s, purchase an Atari VCS gaming console in the internet.
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Apple Powerbook – Is It Better Than The Other Laptops?
Apple Powerbook – Is It Better Than The Other Laptops?
There has been a long standing debate as to whether Mac laptops are better than PCs. Owners of Mac laptops say yes. Many owners of other brands hate Mac laptops and vehemently say no. Let’s compare the Apple powerbook to other brands based on a set of features.
Processors:
Powerbooks are now capable of using the same Intel processors as other laptops, so processor speed isn’t really an issue anymore.
Operating system:
This is probably the area with the most intense debates. The Mac OS X utilized in powerbooks uses a Unix platform to drive it’s system. Many programmers believe that this gives the powerbook an edge as it is a superior system, since it can handle a large number of applications running at once.
Software:
It’s true that much of the software being created is geared more towards PCs than powerbooks. In terms of productivity tools, powerbooks come with a complete set of software that is comparable to the typical Windows software. You can get web browsers, email tools and even antivirus software. However, if you plan on using Mac laptops for gaming, you may run into some problems. Many of the popular games just aren’t compatible with the powerbook. Even the graphics software, for which Mac laptops were famous, are now compatible with PCs.
Customization:
This may just be the area where PCs win outright. Just take a look at Dell. While you can customize your powerbook, up to a point, it’s nowhere near what companies like Dell and HP are offering.
Security:
Anyone would be a bit skeptical about an operating system which prompts you to download and install security updates to fix bugs on a regular basis. Windows isn’t the most secure system, as evidenced by the tens of thousand of viruses that attack it. The powerbook does have a more secure system, but there are viruses out there that attack Mac laptops, just nowhere as many.
Cost:
You only need to take a look at various company websites to know that powerbooks are more expensive than PCs. The powerbook operating system itself is cheaper so it may be an option if you’re building a system yourself.
So what’s the bottom line? Mac laptops ruled the roost, as it were, for many years. While the OS X operating system is still superior, PCs have come a long way in catching up. Unless you really have a strong preference, you might be better off getting a PC with a good antivirus program.
Know Your Anatomy
Know Your Anatomy
If you talk to any computer lover the chances are high that he or she will be able to explain to you all of the parts of their computer and the way each thing works. You can easily find yourself in a long conversation about details of computer programs and issues that you never wanted to know. Or sit down with a man who loves his vintage car and you will learn things about the function and care of each part of his prized possession. If you think about it, the parts of a computer or of a vintage car are sort of like anatomy. I’m always a little surprised when someone knows exactly where the spark plugs on his car are but cannot name me the location or use of his gull bladder.
You see, humans have an anatomy too. Perhaps you haven’t thought about your anatomy since high school science class. I think the norm for most people is to go about living every day using our bodies without every really knowing much about them. Doesn’t that seem strange to you? We do not bake a cake without taking note of each ingredient that we’re adding yet we do not have any clue about the ‘ingredients’ that make up our anatomy.
It is important for every person to take the time to learn a little bit more about their anatomy. Go to the library and check out a book or get online and find a good source. Make flash cards or a chart that helps you to learn all of the different parts and functions of your anatomy. Get intrigued about the intricacies of the human anatomy and commit to learning about them. If you see a beautiful sunset or watch a great movie, learn to appreciate the gift of your eyes even more by learning each part of your eye anatomy and the special functions that each part has. You will grow in appreciation for the smallest and largest parts that make up your anatomy.
Learning your anatomy can also help you to keep track of your health. You will be much more apt to know when there is a real problem with an area of your body when you know what each part is supposed to do for you. By learning your anatomy you may be able to distinguish between a normal pain in your stomach and a pain that is cause for a response.
Take the anatomy of your body as seriously as you take learning the parts of your car or computer. You’re worth it.
A New Level in Gaming
A New Level in Gaming
Those of us of a certain age can remember a time when computer gaming signified all the excitement inherent in a game of Pong, that toe-curlingly breathtaking game where one or two players hit a computerized ball against a computerized wall or between tow, you guessed it, computerized paddles. While those early days of gaming were exciting enough for a generation to whom all this technology was new, today’s gamers are merely bemused by what used to pass for a good time. But then they’re used to so much more, a fact exemplified perfectly by the 2005 pre-Christmas release of Microsoft’s Xbox 360.
Computer gaming has come a long way in the last twenty years. From iconic Atari Pac-man who chomped through a screen of varying two-dimensional foes, gaming today is now barely recognizable as the same species of fun. Today an enormous variety of games include graphics that are startlingly life-life and storylines complex enough to sustain film versions of the same plot, creating a leisure activity so immediate and thrilling that it satisfies the urges of the most dedicated adrenaline junkie.
The Xbox 360 exemplifies all that is possible in today’s gaming world. With powerful graphic and audio capabilities, this console offers a gaming experience that is second to none. And as developments in the world of technology allow functional lines to be easily crossed, the Xbox 360 also offers much more than those old Atari games ever could.
With the release of the Xbox 360, Microsoft also revamped their Xbox live, the service that allows gamers to connect to the Internet and thereby to one another, creating their own personal profile and gaming history and buddy lists that allow communication between fellow gamers. As well as this high quality gaming experience, and the ability to share it with others, the Xbox 360 also acts as a larger media center, allowing users to download movies, music and pictures, on top of playing movies on DVD and music CDs.
With the release of the Xbox 360, many reviewers argue that Microsoft has set a new standard for gaming. And with a variety of functions and an enormous array of games to choose from, there is little doubt that this new standard will not disappoint.