iPod Nano Help - If Your iPod Has Frozen

Why have you always thrown out the packaging and instructions when you need them most? OK, The iPod Nano's packaging may well be lost around the house as it was small enough to hide at the back of any kitchen drawer and the itty bitty instruction leaflet has probably been chewed up by the hamster for bedding.

My 2nd generation iPod Nano just stopped working. No warning, it just froze up and stopped playing all my carefully selected playlists. I'd driven to the shops singing my heart out to Bat out of Hell, (showing my age now) got back in the VW and nothing, not a peep.


I can't stand the ads and the chatter on the radio so this was potentially disastrous. Singing along is one thing but singing out loud without the music was likely to get me some very strange looks, especially with my voice, and how would I drown out the kids' whinging on long trips.

Was it time to upgrade or could it be salvaged? The thing was that my Nano, old as it was, suited me just fine. Some might say that the technology was out of date and that I should have the brand new version with all the bells and whistles but all I need is something to keep music on for the camper and if truth be known I'm a bit of a tightwad.

Thankfully Apple knew exactly what they were doing when they minimised the packaging. You'd hope that they would. Easy to find, the 5 R's on their website solved the problem. Reset, Retry, Restart, Reinstall and Restore. Actually you may be lucky and find that only one or two of the steps are necessary.

Make sure you iPod is fully charged before you start and then toggle the hold switch on and off a couple of times. That's the small switch at the top. You may get lucky and that will be all it takes so try your iPod by connecting it to your PC. If everything is back to normal stop there. If you've still had no luck you need to go to the next step and re-install the software.

With your iPod connected to the computer open iTunes, select your iPod, click on check for updates. Once the updates have installed, click on restore. This will erase all the music on your iPod but that just gives you a chance to review the playlists. It may sound a little complicated but if you follow the instructions on the Apple Support pages it is really straightforward.

So, if your iPod Nano has stopped working or seems to have died, don't despair, unless of course you're looking for an excuse for an upgrade...but that's a whole new article!

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Bynoth

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Tips on How to Maintain Your Computer's Performance at Its Best

A computer that is 5 years old or more can still perform like brand new if you only know how to take care of it. Well, taking care of a computer is just simple. Just the basic things, use the computer properly, get some softwares for computer maintenance, and run various programs that are needed to be run to ensure computer's smooth performance.

Specifically, remember to:

* Follow the rule in shutting down computers. Until Windows has shut down, never turn your computer off with the power switch. Doing so will prevent temporary and/or permanent hard drive defects as well as prevent Windows problems.
* Maintain free space of 300 MB in your drive C. If you use Vista or Windows XP then make it 400-600 MB. Be aware that not maintaining enough free space for your drive C will cause the dumping of data to your hard drive that will eventually lead to slow performance.
* Secure Norton Utilities to get access of Cleansweep so you can clean up your drive for good computer performance. There are some other hard drive cleaners out there, so if you don't like using Cleansweep you are free to go for other options.
* Make use of the Add/Delete tool in the Windows Control Panel to get rid of the programs that are not anymore needed from your drive. This will help boost maximum performance of your computer.
* Get a firewall program in case you have a high speed Internet connection. Doing so will keep your computer away from hijackers. You shouldn't want somebody else run your computer.
* Have a virus checker in your computer and run it frequently. Viruses can seriously slow down your computer's performance or worst destroy your hard drive permanently. You can try Norton Antivirus or those free online virus checkers like Housecall by Trend Micro.
* Run the Defragment and Scandisk tools even just once a month. Doing so will keep your hard drive healthy. Be aware that if your hard drive is healthy, your computer will also perform at its best.
* In times like your computer starts to show symptoms for a serious registry trouble like for an instance freezes, hardware malfunctions, slow windows start ups, computer error messages, system32 error messages, and the like, secure a registry cleaner right away. There might be some errors and corrupt files in your registry. These errors and possible corrupt files will seriously compromise your computer's performance.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Addie_Jabat

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How to Choose the Right High Definition Television Set

The world of HDTV is an ever expanding market. Here are some tips to help you Purchase a good HDVT set for your home.

Adding an HDTV set to your home can be one of the most exiting moments for the family especially if you love to watch movies at home. However choosing the appropriate television set can be an overwhelming task if we consider that there are thousands of models out there with prices ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

The first thing that you should consider is planning your budget before hand in oder to avoid compulsive shopping. After your budget is assigned you can start your search. The first thing you should consider is the HDTVs brand. Strange or ridiculously cheap brands usually are a poor investment. HDTVs are not like analog television sets and a bad product may lead to a big headaches in the end.

The display technology can make a huge difference in price. Are you willing to get a smaller plasma with deeper and sharper images? Or do you prefer a huge LCD with 120 Hz refresh rates for the same amount of cash?

It is very important that you compare the screen sizes of HDTVs that you like. Which brand offers the biggest screen for the same price? The difference in prizes between brands in the high definition world is huge but there are sets that have a lower price tag and give even better performances.

Compare their supported resolutions as this is a very important price modifier. High definition television sets that can display resolutions up to 1080p are very expensive compared to sets that can display up to 720p.

Other features that you may or may not need are built in tuners and maybe HDMI ports. Tuners are useful if you are not subscribed to a paid service while knowing a little about connection ports may help prevent wasting additional cash on unnecessary cable adapters.

Like in any area of technologyFeature Articles, having a little knowledge about product specifications helps in having the extra edge when it comes to getting the best value for the money.


Source:ArticlesFactory.com

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Digital Camera Technology - 7 Top Features

The 7 most important features in digital cameras.
Technology seems to evolve and change as fast as the wind and digital camera technology is no different. It seems that every month, if not every week, manufacturers are launching the latest and greatest in digital cameras to entice customers.

It helps to remember that the goal of buying a digital camera is the convenience it offers in snapping pictures and then having quality photos of life's memories. It is a fact that no matter what camera you decide on buying there will always be something new and "better" that will come out, so do not let this distract you. There are certain aspects of digital camera technology that are most important to getting quality pictures. Focusing on these aspects combined with an affordable price is a safe formula for getting the best digital camera.

7 Most Important Aspects of Digital Camera Technology

1. Megapixels: The higher the mega pixels the better and sharper the resolution of the pictures. The resolution of your image is based upon the mega pixel property of your camera. This means that as you enlarge the picture, you would get more detail and less blurry colors.

If you will only be emailing pictures or viewing them on your computer then resolution is not an issue and any number of pixels will do. However, if you intend to print your pictures, enlarge them and perform other editing functions then you will need better resolution and therefore a higher pixel count in order to have quality photos. Digital camera technology offers offers a resolution of at least 5 megapixels, which is enough to make a sharp 11-by-14 print.

2. LCD Size: One of the best aspects of digital camera technology is the LCD screen. These are screens that allow you to see pictures you just shot in real time. The best digital camera will always have a large LCD to help you frame your subject without having to squint to the viewfinder.

LCD screen digital camera technology is also helpful when reviewing your images. Some cameras enable touch up and editing features with its LCD. Some digital cameras offer a histogram on the LCD, a good feature to determine the quality of images taken. A histogram is a graph that will show you highlights that are overexposed to the point of being pure white, and shadows that are underexposed and show as pure black.

A 1.5-inch display is average, a 2-inch LCD display is good, but the best LCD size would be 2.5 inches or higher.

3. Zoom Lens: The zoom capability is one of the most important aspects of digital camera technology. Digital camera technology allows camera to have both digital and optical zoom, but a higher Optical Zoom is always better than a higher Digital Zoom because Digital Zoom merely captures pixels and magnifies those and produces inferior photos while Optical Zoom gives you all the benefits of the camera's maximum resolution, combined with the ability to focus in tight on faraway action.

Digital cameras are usually furnished with optical zoom ranging between 3x to 20x. The higher the optical zoom the better the photos.

4. Image Stabilization: Without image stabilization you need a steady hand or a tripod to avoid blurry pictures at extreme telephoto lengths. More advanced digital cameras, including SLRs, tend to employ one of two methods, Optical Image Stabilization, in which an element in the lens adjusts to compensate for movement or Sensor Movement, in which the camera's sensor moves in order to compensate for the shaking.

5. User Friendly Controls: Another important aspect of digital camera technology is the user-friendliness of the controls. While digital camera's technology are getting smaller and "cuter" using these tiny cameras is not always so cute.

Consider the accessibility of menu options, such as macro mode, resolution, flash and exposure settings while holding the digital camera and taking pictures. Hard to reach buttons and settings will make picture taking more difficult and a hassle.

6. Batteries: Battery capability is an important factor of digital camera technology. Digital cameras suck up a lot of battery juice and this can become a costly part of owning and using the camera. Digital camera technology provides for camera's compatible with either rechargeable or disposable batteries.

Picking a camera that uses rechargeable batteries can save a lot of money over time. Also, many cameras allow the use of both so in the event the rechargeable is charging you can pop in some AA's.

7. Memory/Storage: Memory and storage digital camera technology typically offers digital cameras that come with a 16MB "starter" memory card that at its highest resolution can store six to eight pics.

The standard memory card the digital camera comes with is not very important because you can and will want to buy another oneFind Article, or else you will have to transfer all pictures taken almost immediately after taking them to make room for more.

Digital camera technology is always going to evolve. Ignoring the hype and focusing on getting the best of the above features at a price you can afford is a good solution to getting the best digital camera for you.

Source:ArticlesFactory.com

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How to Multi Task With Your Netbook

Netbooks users use their netbooks primarily for basic computing functions like internet surfing, files downloading, and typing and other office functions (spreadsheet, presentation, etc.). But did you know that you can organize your life with your netbook?

If you are using a Windows XP netbook, you should know that the sized-down XP for netbooks comes handily with a Microsoft Works Task Launcher, which allows you to schedule appointments, plan events and track projects. The task launcher is something that you cannot find in Windows XP for desktops and laptops.

To use Microsoft Works, simply click on the Start menu, go to programs and then click on the program.

Calendar, Forms And Then Some

When you get right down to it, Microsoft Works is really nothing more than a planning suite composed of the following:

* date planner
* templates for different kinds of letters
* ready designs for brochures, cards and databases (like recipes)
* tracking sheets
* journal forms
* travel planning tools
* address finder
* map directions
* car rental finder, and
* room reservations

You can use many of these features without an internet connection, except for the address finder, map directions, car rental finder, and room reservations features. Having all those planning tools accessible under one program may seem heady at first, but Microsoft Works is indeed useful for any busy body.

All About Getting Organized

While netbooks may never be as portable as PDA's, having all those forms and sheets in ready form does make life a lot easier. Now you don't have to create a form, design a greeting card, or write a cover letter, from scratch.

Microsoft Works in netbooks is especially useful for people who like to initiate new projects, love to travel or organize travel groups, or simply like to plan their life. The best things about is that Microsoft Works interfaces with MS Office programs like Word and Excel, so it really IS very easy to use.

This planning tool is one of the many reasons why you should buy a netbook. But, of course, it is not all there is to netbooks. Small, portable and relatively cheap, netbooks are perfect tools for consumers with basic computer needs.

Netbooks And Your Life

From ASUS, netbook manufacturers now include Acer, Lenovo, MSI, Hewlett-Packard, and MSI. Most netbooks operate on Windows XP and different versions of Linux. Still, a few models with hybrid hard drives are using Windows Vista.

Hybrid drives combine the best of Solid State Drives (SSD) and Hard Disk Drives (HDD) in one compact form.

In choosing a netbook, one of the primary considerations is your lifestyle, that is, do you need a lot of storage space? Depending on the kind of hard drive, most netbooks pale against desktops and regular laptops in terms of storage space. SSD netbooks are notorious for having low storage capacities, unlike HDD netbooks that can stores up to 160GB of information. However, SSD netbooks tend to be shock-proof, that is, information is still readable even after an impact, unlike HDD netbooks.

Visit us for more information on netbooks.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Kessler

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