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Basic Computer Maintenance
We get asked all the time what things you can do to prolong the
life of your system and keep it running in top shape. We have
put together a short list of our favorite tips to help you
maximize that investment of yours. Use these tips to keep...
Computer Hardware Preventive Maintenance Software
Computers often break down at the worst of all times. These problems can be averted, or at least minimized with preventive maintenance. Several methods of keeping computer hardware in good working order deal with the external components of the...
Music CD-R vs. Data CD-R: Is There A Difference?
You wouldn't believe how many times I run across this question. Is there a difference between music CD-Rs and traditional data CD-Rs? I think what people really want to know is if I buy a data CDR can I still put audio on it and vice versa. Well,...
The Complete Guide To Spotting Computer Spies & Recording Devices
Can you be absolutely sure, that your activity isn't being monitored and recorded right now, while you're reading this?
The problem with many people is, because they're alone in a room with their computer, they think that no body can be watching....
The Worst Case Scenario: How To Protect Your Data
Just another day, doing as you always do with your computer. Making documents, working on your finances, updating your family's website or conducting your home or online business.
Suddenly, strange errors start appearing, your computer makes...
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Computer Case Modding
Case modding is the artistic modification of a computer chassis (often just refered to as the case), often also involving peripheral components. Many people, particulary hardware enthusiasts use case mods to illustate a computers power. The terminology "mod" is short for "modification."
Computer Cases History
When personal computers hit the mainstream, most of them came in a case in the color of beige. This functional design was often called a beige box Although this served the purpose of containing the components of a personal computer, as time wore on, many users found their computers to be "tacky" or "dull" due to the lack of originality in the case design. So to solve this, some users began to modify their existing chassis or build their own.
Later, Case Modification became mainsteam when the Apple iMac was released, which went against the beige box design around at the time. Since then many computer manufacturers began selling cases that lack the dull beige base color. Case Modification has also opened up a new market for 3rd party computer cases to continue the break from the average case. Beige cases are now becoming harder to find since users enjoy the larger variety of colors and styles of current OEM cases.
LED technology and Computer Modding: Things you should know when lighting your computer
Physical function
An LED is a special type of semiconductor diode. Like a normal diode, it consists of a chip of semiconducting material impregnated, or doped, with impurities to create a structure called a pn junction. Charge-carriers - electrons and holes flow into the junction from electrodes with different voltages. When an electron meets a hole, it falls into a lower energy level, and releases energy in the form of a photon as it does so.
LED Light emission
The wavelength of the light emitted, and therefore its color, depends on the bandgap energy of the materials forming the pn junction. A normal diode, typically made of silicon or germanium, emits invisible far-infrared light, but the materials used for an LED have bandgap energies
corresponding to near-infrared, visible or near-ultraviolet light.
Considerations in use of LED lights in computer cases
Unlike incandescent light bulbs, which can operate with either AC or DC, LEDs require a DC supply of the correct electrical polarity. When the voltage across the pn junction is in the correct direction, a significant current flows and the device is said to be forward-biased. If the voltage is of the wrong polarity, the device is said to be reverse biased, very little current flows, and no light is emitted. Most LEDs have low reverse breakdown voltage ratings and will be damaged by an applied reverse voltage of more than a few volts.
Because the voltage versus current characteristics of an LED are much like any diode, they can be destroyed by connecting them to a voltage source higher than their turn on voltage. A good LED driver circuit is either a constant current source or an approximation to a current source made by connecting the LED in series with a current limiting resistor to a voltage source. The voltage drop across a forward biased LED can change significantly based on current flow.
Parallel operation is generally problematic. The LEDs have to be of the same type in order to have a similiar forward voltage. Even then variations in the manufacturing process can make the odds of satisfactory operation low. For more information see Nichia Application Note (http://www.nichia.co.jp/specification/appli/electrical.pdf).
Some LED units contain two diodes, one in each direction (that is, two diodes in inverse parallel) and each a different color (typically red and green), allowing two-color operation or a range of apparent colors to be created by altering the percentage of time the voltage is in each polarity. Other LED units contain two or more diodes (of different colors) arranged in either a common anode or common cathode configuration. These can be driven to different colors without reversing the polarity.
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Paul LoIacono is the president and owner of ATX Cases. You can see a wild array of computer case shapes, sizes and designs by visiting http://atxcases.com.
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| Tom's Hardware |
| : Tom's Hardware Guide is the Internet's premiere resource for hardware news and reviews. |
| www.tomshardware.com |
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| HardwareCentral - Your source for in-depth computer hardware info. |
| HardwareCentral is the #1 Hardware Information Resource on the 'Net. Featuring over 600 pages of Hardware information, including advice on System ... |
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| Apple - Hardware |
| Find your favorite Mac, iPod and other Apple accessories. |
| www.apple.com |
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| Ace Hardware |
| Nationwide (United States) hardware and home improvement retailer. Includes products, dealer locator and corporate information. |
| www.acehardware.com |
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| Computer hardware - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| The hardware of a computer is infrequently changed, in comparison with software and ... Personal computers, the computer hardware familiar to most people, ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Hardware - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Hardware is the general term that is used to describe physical artifacts of a technology. ... In a looser sense, hardware can be major military equipment, ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Open Directory - Computers: Hardware |
| Hardware Central - Computing-centric community providing vital information, support, tools and interaction facilities for power computer users and ... |
| dmoz.org |
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| Microsoft Hardware – Home Page |
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| AnandTech: your source for hardware analysis and news |
| Independent hands-on reviews of computer hardware such as motherboards, graphic cards, and CPUs. |
| www.anandtech.com |
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| hardware.com - Routers, switches, firewalls, servers, memory ... |
| Supplier of new and refurbished networking hardware and approved and compatible network accessories. Located in the United Kingdom. |
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| Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters |
| From the article: "Although the news caused barely a ripple of reaction in the audience of software and hardware engineers, there are industry analysts who ... |
| hardware.slashdot.org |
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| InformationWeek HardwareTech Center |
| Our hardware coverage ranges from mobile computers and PDAs to servers and supercomputers, and the infrastructure issues enterprises deal with every day. ... |
| www.informationweek.com |
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| What is hardware? - A Word Definition From the Webopedia Computer ... |
| This page describes the term hardware and lists other pages on the Web where you can find additional information. |
| www.webopedia.com |
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| Google Directory - Computers > Hardware |
| Hardware Central - http://www.hardwarecentral.com/ Computing-centric community providing vital information, support, tools and interaction facilities for ... |
| www.google.com |
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| At Restoration Hardware, you'll explore an exceptional world of high quality unique gifts. Browse our products to find gift ideas & more at Restoration ... |
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| HwB: The Hardware Book |
| HwB provides you with circuits, pinouts, cable/adapter descriptions and other technical information. |
| www.hardwarebook.net |
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| Reg Hardware: Product News and Gadget Reviews from The Register |
| More Gadgets Stuff. 5th December 2006 12:09 GMT. Author: Reg Hardware ... 27th November 2006 15:31 GMT. Author: The Hardware Widow ... |
| www.reghardware.co.uk |
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| red hat hardware compatibility lists |
| hardware.redhat.com/ - Similar pages |
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| TrueValue.com |
| Here's our tip to hang strands of lights with ease. Jeanenne & Jim Tucker Plantation True Value Hardware Richmond, TX ... |
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| A complete illustrated Guide to the PC Hardware |
| A complete illustrated Guide to the PC Hardware, Logic and Architecture. 500 easy-read articles about the modern PC. Understand the basic architecture of ... |
| www.karbosguide.com |
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