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 Some might say that the technology was out of date and that I should have the brand new version with all the bells and whistles but all I need is something to keep music on for the camper and if truth be known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.

This Author is a Big fan of Reg Defense.
http://www.regdefensereview.com/

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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Sorting Data in Excel

Sorting your data in Excel is important because getting information from the data then becomes easier. We may like to know which employee had the best sales in October or which student in the class got the highest marks in Math. Sorting is one of the most important operations performed by computers. Sorting data in Excel is very simple, and is done with just a few short steps. But before we begin with the sorting let's see what rules Excel uses to sort data in an ascending sort. In a descending sort, this sort order is reversed except for blank cells, which are always placed last.Numbers are sorted from the smallest negative number to the largest positive number.

Dates are sorted from the earliest date to the latest date. When you sort alphanumeric text, Excel sorts left to right, character by character. For example, if a cell contains the text "E10" Excel places the cell after a cell that contains the entry "E1" and before a cell that contains the entry "E11." Text and text that includes numbers are sorted in the following order: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 (space) ! " # $ % & ( ) * , . / : ; ? @ [ ] ^ _ ` { | } ~ + < = > A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z. Apostrophes (') and hyphens (-) are ignored, with one exception: If two text strings are the same except for a hyphen, the text with the hyphen is sorted last. In logical values, FALSE is placed before TRUE. All error values are equal. For best results, the range you sort should have column labels, or headers.

The Colored Cells Sorter for Microsoft Excel allows one to sort cells based on background color or to display only rows with a particular background color.

Troubleshoot sorting: If Excel incorrectly sorts a cell that contains a value, the cell might be formatted as text and not as a number. For example, negative numbers from some accounting systems become text when the accounting data is imported into Excel. You can convert numbers stored as text to numbers. Numbers are aligned right in an Excel worksheet cell and text is aligned to the left. Mixed data in a column that contains both numbers and numbers with text characters must be formatted as text. Dates and times must be entered in correct format. When you type a date or time that Excel recognizes the cell's format changes from the General number format to a built-in date or time format.

You may want to sort by days of the week. If you want to sort the cells by date, format the cells to show the day of the week. If you want to sort or filter by the day of the week regardless of the date, convert them to text using the TEXT function. Removing leading spaces from data is essential before performing a sort. Data imported from databases may show this kind of behavior. Column labels should be in one row. You can use the wrap feature to wrap text if you need multiple line labels. Any hidden rows or columns must be unhidden before sorting data.

Working with protected worksheets: When you choose Tools/Protection/Protect Sheet (Excel 2002 and Excel 2003) or display the Review tab of the ruler and click Protect Sheet in the Changes group (Excel 2007), Excel displays the Protect Sheet dialog box. At the bottom of the dialog box is a long list of check boxes. All you need to do is select what the user should be able to do with the worksheet. One of the options is Sort. If you select this option, then users can sort protected data.

Dinesh K Takyar (Ph. D.) is a corporate trainer since the last 15 years.

http://www.familycomputerclub.com

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Tips on Downloading Registry Cleaners

A Registry is a collection of various references that stores options and settings for operating systems. Before the introduction of registry in operating systems INI files were used. But they were highly scattered and their proliferation led to the need for registry. In layman terms, whenever any changes are made the control panel or the options and settings of the operating system, the registry is edited. This constant editing of the registry leads to it getting error prone. This is why we need to download registry cleaners and use them in our systems from time to time.

The windows registry keeps growing as we use windows. As it grows, obsolete and unnecessary information in it increases, and gradually it becomes more and more cluttered and fragmented. Hence the growth of it can degrade the performance of the system and cause many different software problems. If you download registry cleaners and use them they will scan the windows registry to find incorrect information in it. By fixing this obsolete information in the registry, not only will your system run faster but it also will be more error free.

Download registry cleaner from a site of your choice. Once that is done, install the registry cleaner and run it. Different registry cleaners have different options available. Check to see if your registry cleaner will allow you to set a system restore point and whether it will help you back up all your data. If either of these two options is not available with the registry cleaner then you should try doing the same from your operating system before you decide to clean it. Most registry cleaners don't pose many problems, but it pays to be careful and hence once you are assured that your data is all safe you can clean the registry.

For more advice and review visit this site http://www.pctool-registrycleaner.com

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

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Comcast Cable Triple Play Deals

Get all 3 bills at once with the comcast triple play. This, in addition to the great services available to you, makes this one truly wonderful entertainment package!

When you can fit your budget with 3 services for 1 low price you should try them out. Comcast, which is one of the few providers to offer all three services, is a market leader. Once you try these services you will be astounded by the high quality of your digital tv and the clear crisp sound of your phone.

Comcast offers HD television for your digital television viewing pleasure. On Demand is also included in the services. As long as your television is cable ready, a cable box is not required to access and enjoy the convenience of having standard cable with all the channels you could ever want.

The channels you receive rely upon the package you decided to order. The Digital Starter package is only basic in price. It includes your favorite channels, such as Discovery, Nickelodeon, ESPN and CNN. This package also includes the On Demand channel as mentioned above. Additionally, your local programming is available so you'll never fail to catch a weather forecast or your local news. Different packages offer a variety of channels to choose from. You choose how many channels you want in your package as well as the price that's right for you. Among the issues people have been concerned about is the change that the FCC reports will occur following Jan. 1st of the new year. Comcast already has fiber optics in preparation for the moment that broadcasters are required to begin digital transmission.

The Internet service from Comcast is another plus in the package if you so choose. The service comes with a variety of exclusive options which are offered free of charge with your subscription. Some of these are MacAfee antivirus, Rhapsody, and Photo Show to name a few. The total package is valued at $300 but you will get these services for free while Comcast is your internet provider. Using the latest technology, Comcast's Internet Service is much more better than you old internet connection. Downloading movies, music, games or videos are much faster than ever before.

In addition to cable and internet, Comcast's Triple Play package includes telephone service. The unlimited phone service is their best deal. Paying only one low price allows you the freedom to speak to anyone whenever you like. Along with the US, Puerto Rico, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Saipan Islands are in included. The best part is you do not have to pay any 'per minute' charges and no matter where you call the sound is crystal clear. Who else can offer you great options like checking your voice mail online or using the same number you already have?

Comcast Triple Play provides you the convenience of all your bills being together in one. Integrate this along with the choice of good services that you will be given, and it forms one awsome entertainment package! Web-only exclusive deals are availableFree Reprint Articles, to those who order Comcast Triple Play online.

Source: ArticlesFactory.com

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