The first blog : The first blog

How to Build a Mac Home Network

2009-01-15T20:28:52Z

Most home networks are cobbled together without a lot of forethought about which devices are used to create it. For most, the decision is basically to use whatever their service provider shipped in a cardboard box. Whether they're going for wireless or wired, homeowners often haven't thought through their options. For Mac-using homes, however, the options for a home network are pretty easy, though not exactly always straightforward. So what if someone wanted to build an all-Apple home wireless network from the ground up?

First of all, you should know that the initial cost of an Apple home network isn't the cheapest way to go. Whenever there's an Apple product, you can usually find a similar product that costs quite a bit less. Why Apple, then? Apple products come with legendary ease-of-use and tend to be very reliable.

So, starting with the router: Newer Internet service contracts come with the option to get a wireless router sold or rented by the service provider to the homeowner. Cable comes with a cable modem, DSL with a DSL modem, etc., and newer technologies like Verizon's� FiOS or ClearWire's WiMax come with their own built-in router systems that will broadcast an 802.11-based wireless network.

This is the cheapest way to go, and they pretty much all let you create an 802.11g (fast and new) or 802.11n (faster and newer, up to 5 times faster than 802.11g) wireless network. 802.11b or 802.11a, by the way, are older wireless network specs, but they are still used often.

Almost all the WiFi� routers supplied by ISPs let you attach a different WiFi router to it, letting you simply run the ISP's unit as a wired router. The point is, in setting up your all-Apple network, you'll keep this initial router and use it as your front-line connection to the service provider's Internet pipe. You just won't bother using the built-in WiFi function.

In the Apple world, the WiFi decision really comes down to two base units: an AirPort Extreme or a Time Capsule.

The Extreme vs. Time Capsule

The AirPort Extreme is basically an 802.11n router that's also compatible with 802.11a/b/g networks. The Time Capsule is essentially the same thing, but it includes a built-in hard drive that's created specifically to be used with Apple's Mac OS X-based Time Machine backup solution. But first, the benefits of both units:

Either choice will let you attach an external USB hard drive that anyone on your home network will be able to connect to. This is handy for sharing, storing and backing up files, as well as storing shared iPhoto libraries and the like. If you attach a printer to either unit, you can also enable each Mac in your house to wirelessly connect to the printer and use it for printing. The security and setup is very similar, and the key difference is in setting up Time Machine to use the Time Capsule's disk. (Of course, there are some workarounds and networking gymnastics that experienced pros can implement, but this article is geared for home network newbies that want to stay on the beaten path.)

The Airport Extreme and Time Capsules are also compatible with PCs, so just because you're going all-Apple, it doesn't mean you've got to be an Apple bigot to your PC-lovin' friends.

What's really nice about Apple's "WiFi-plus-external-hard-drive-plus-external-printer" set of options is the series' easy-to-understand walkthrough screens that Apple directs users through as they set up their home networks. A program called "AirPort Disk Utility" gives you the setup options. For instance, you can make a connected hard drive available whenever you connect to your network, or set up password-protected accounts, or allow read-only access to specific files or folders. One word of caution, though: Some USB hard drives (sold by third parties) will power down and go to sleep. What's this mean? Occasionally a drive won't appear to be available ... but it's just sleeping. This isn't exactly Apple's fault, and while it saves on power and drive life, it can be irritating. Some drives will require you to push a button to wake it up. This is one reason, by the way, that the AirPort Extreme doesn't immediately support� wireless Time Machine backups. The Time Capsule, for instance, can wake up its internal hard drive all by itself.

Enter the Airport Express

As if two primary WiFi choices weren't enough, Apple also offers the AirPort Express. This little 802.11n WiFi wonder fits in the palm of your hand and has enough power to run a home network, but it also excels on the road -- take it to a hotel or friend's house, and you can use it to create or extend a wireless network. It's quite handy, but it's also largely unnecessary for most Mac-based households.

Still, it does let you connect to an AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule to stream music from your iTunes-based playlist, which is sitting somewhere on your Mac in your home but is not directly connected to your stereo or speaker system. Say you've got an iMac in your kitchen, and you want to listen to music in your garage. Simply place an AirPort Express in your garage and plug in some speakers. Now the playlists on your iMac can stream to the garage -- or bathroom or wherever you want to put the AirPort Express.

But Wait, It's Way Cooler Than That

If you've got an iPhone or iPod touch -- and odds are, if you want an Apple-based network, you do have one of these touchscreen devices -- you can download a free Remote application from the Apple iTunes App Store. The Remote app lets you choose which iTunes-based library you want to play songs from, and it then lets you choose which speakers you want to stream songs to. The Remote app lets you browse music and movies in Apple's "coverflow" menu system, as well as control the volume of the songs.

But can you just connect your iPod or iPhone to external speakers around your house? You bet. While an AirPort Express is sort of portable, it's not as portable as an iPhone or iPod touch -- and you can't take an AirPort Express to the beach (unless you're home is on beach front property). Still, you've got the option to use it as a streaming music device or extender for a shared wireless printer.

More Decisions?

Apple's three WiFi products will also broadcast in 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequencies. Why is this important? If a close neighbor already has a WiFi network running on one of those frequencies -- or you have phones or baby monitors running on those frequencies -- you can direct your primary WiFi traffic to the unused frequency. It can get even more complicated. What if you have an old Mac laptop that has an old and slow 802.11b wireless card, but you also have newer Macs or PCs that run with 802.11g or 802.11n wireless cards?

The AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule will let you run in mixed modes that accept all traffic, but it can also limit you to the least common denominator of traffic, meaning your Time Capsule might be limited to slower speeds. For most Internet browsing, this doesn't matter, but when your Time Capsule is backing up your Macs via Time Machine and downloading a movie via iTunes, you want your wireless traffic flying invisibly through your home at the fast 802.11n speeds.

Fortunately, Apple provides a PDF-based guide, "Designing AirPort Networks Using AirPort Utility," that can help novices set up more complicated networks that, for example, help you keep a faster WiFi signal for newer Macs while running a slower channel for older Macs or PCs.

Enter the Apple TV

To extend your Mac experience to the living room's HDTV, the Apple TV is the device of choice. It's basically a souped-up media extender. It connects to a Mac (or PC) via iTunes, which is the application that lets you choose which movies, television shows, podcasts, songs, and photos you want to either store directly on your Apple TV's built-in hard drive or stream over your wireless network from a connected Mac to the Apple TV ... and onto your HDTV's glorious screen.

So how do you connect the Apple TV?

It's easy. Connect it via HDMI or component cables to your television, then plug the power cord in. There's no on or off switch, so it just starts up. Follow the on-screen prompts to connect to your AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule -- you need your network name and password -- and boom, you're off and running. The next step is to pair the Apple TV with an iTunes library on your Mac or PC, and that basically entails opening iTunes and running back and forth through your house from your Mac to your living room while you fetch and input a code number. It's not hard, but it does prevent your Apple TV from attaching to your neighbor's iTunes library.

While you're at it, if you're an Apple fan, you can input your iTunes account information and use your Apple TV to buy or rent movies and TV shows -- no getting off the couch required.

As previously mentioned, the iPod touch and iPhone can run the free Apple Remote application. This cool app can also be used with an Apple TV -- and it uses your wireless home network to communicate.

The iPod touch and iPhone, however, don't communicate wirelessly with your Mac or PC ... syncing is still done via a USB cord. Still, you can download apps from Apple's app store, using your WiFi network, without going through a Mac first.

Back to Time Machine

Once your Time Capsule is set up and you connect to your wireless network, Mac OS X will prompt you to set up Time Machine to use the Time Capsule and start backing up.

Generally, you'll want to set up the first backup to run overnight, and while you can do it wirelessly, some people choose to string an Ethernet cord between the Mac and the Time Capsule for optimum speed. Any way you cut it, it takes hours to move 200 GB of data. Once you complete the initial backup, Time Machine automatically reaches out to the Time Capsule and sends over any new or changed data from your Mac.

In conclusion, Apple users who want to network their homes with Mac products have plenty of options at their disposal. An Airport Extreme can serve as the wireless hub, or a Time Capsule can act as both a router and a repository of backup data. From there, you can add Macs, an Apple TV, an Airport Express, an iPhone, an iPod touch, and plenty of cross-device functionality for slinging media and data from room to room.

Recycling Myths: 5 Half Truths about Recycling

2008-11-10T19:33:24Z

Is chucking a soda can in the trash an unforgivable sin? That depends who you ask: You'll find plenty of people on both sides of the great recycling debate, each equally convinced the other side is ill-informed. The truth is that opponents and proponents alike often rely on facts that are outdated, oversimplified or simply untrue. We tackle five of the biggest myths about recycling. For more, check out the December issue of Popular Mechanics.

1. We have to recycle because we're running out of landfill space.
That was the rallying cry for recycling advocates back in the 1980s, when the Mobro 4000 garbage barge wandered up and down the East Coast searching for a place to dump its moldering load. It's a bit of a red herring, though. After all, we have pretty much unlimited space to dump garbage�if we're willing. In practice, for every town that refuses permission to build a landfill, there's often another town eager for the revenues that a landfill site can bring.

According to the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA), the United States has about 20 years of disposal capacity left in existing landfills. There are, however, places where space is getting tight: Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Rhode Island all have less than five years capacity, and the northeastern part of the country in general has the least available landfill space.

These regional variations point to a different motivation for the "recycle to save landfill space" argument. The average tipping fee at landfills in the Northeast region, according to the most recent NSWMA figures, is over $70 a ton, compared to a national average of just $34. In other words, even if the scarcity of landfill space turns out not to be a strong environmental argument for recycling, there can be powerful economic incentives to reduce landfill intake.

2. The trucks that collect recycling burn more energy and produce more pollution than recycling saves.
Collecting recyclables isn't cheap�it eats up about 50 to 60 percent of the budget of a typical curbside recycling program, according to Lori Scozzafava of the Solid Waste Association of North America. And the trucks burn gas and emit pollution as they go. That said, "You're going to collect waste one way or another," points out Jeff Morris, a Washington-based environmental consultant. A recycling program should allow garbage collection to become less frequent (or to use fewer trucks), offsetting the cost and energy involved. Plus, new truck designs can collect both recycling and garbage (at different times), avoiding the huge capital expense of an extra fleet. They can also self-dump specially designed bins, saving time and manpower.

But all that turns out to be pretty much irrelevant to the question of whether recycling makes environmental sense. Scientists have conducted hundreds of "life-cycle analyses" to compare recycling with other options like landfill and incineration, following the entire chain of events from the manufacture of a product (using either virgin or recycled materials) to its disposal. The dominant factor in virtually every case is the enormous amount of energy required to turn raw materials into metals and plastics compared to the energy needed to reprocess products that already exist.

A study by Morris found that it takes 10.4 million Btu to manufacture products from a ton of recyclables, compared to 23.3 million Btu for virgin materials. In contrast, the total energy for collecting, hauling and processing a ton of recyclables adds up to just 0.9 million Btu. The bottom line: We don't need to worry that recycling trucks are doing more harm than good.

3. Thanks to the sky-high prices of raw materials, cities are getting rich by selling recyclables.
In the past year, prices for almost every kind of recyclable have hit record highs, sparking a frenzy of activity in the recycling industry. "If you're wondering where all the used-car salesmen have gone, they're rushing into recycling," says Jerry Powell, an industry veteran who edits Resource Recycling magazine. That translates to profits for many players�in fact, Powell says, "if you can't make money in recycling right now, you should get out of the business."

Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily mean that your local city council is getting a cut of the action. "Some cities are still locked in unfavorable long-term contracts and paying tipping fees," says Ed Skernolis of the National Recycling Council. That means that these cities have to pay to collect and sort their curbside recycling�and then pay someone to take away these now-valuable materials instead of being paid for them.

Given how much the price of recyclables has fluctuated in the past, these contracts made sense for cities when they were signed: Locking in costs allows municipalities to budget properly. But now, global contracts ensure a large fraction of U.S. recycling ships to China, so the recycling market has less volatility as well as higher prices. As municipal recycling contracts come up for renewal, cities like Chicago are finally able to turn their piles of cans, bottles and newspapers into a stable revenue stream.

4. All the paper, plastic, metal and glass dumped in recycling bins has to be painstakingly (and expensively) sorted by hand.
When municipal recycling was first catching on in the 1980s, it wasn't clear how carefully people would sort their recyclables. "Some towns used to have a dozen different boxes for different types of bottles, cans and so on," recalls Richard Porter, a University of Michigan economics professor who authored The Economics of Waste. Not everyone was eager to devote that much effort to sorting up front�but it was either that or pay people to do it by hand at the end of the line, which was prohibitively expensive.

These days, processors are beginning to move toward "single-stream" material recovery facilities, which allow homeowners to dump all their recycling in one bin and rely on machines to do the dirty work. According to Eileen Berenyi, a consultant who studies solid waste management, the number of single-stream facilities in the U.S. jumped from 70 in 2001 to 160 in 2007.

Such state-of-the-art facilities now feature magnets to attract steel, eddy currents to deflect aluminum, infrared spectrometers to identify different types of plastics, and a host of other sorting technologies. These plants are expensive, so they only make sense if 100 to 200 tons of recyclables are being processed daily, and they still require some human sorters to oversee the process. But the collection costs of picking up a single bin, rather than multiple ones, are much lower�and because it's easy for homeowners, the recycling rates are higher�so the overall economics of mechanized sorting pays off.

5. Most of the plastic put in recycling bins ends up in the garbage.
This one is true now, but changing quickly. Sorting plastics is tricky for recycling processors. Bottles can't be separated out with a magnet; small pieces like coffee-cup lids get flattened and mixed into paper bales; bags get caught in the spinning disks of sorting equipment, forcing frequent shut-downs. Trying to decode the recycling numbers on plastic products is also a pain for consumers.

As a result, it's true that most of the plastic we use does end up in landfill sites. Less than 1 percent of polystyrene containers (e.g. yogurt pots) are recycled, and even well-established recyclables like PET (e.g. soft-drink bottles) end up in the trash more than two-thirds of the time. But the problem isn't that recycling programs are dumping recyclable plastic into the trash�it's that they don't accept the plastics in the first place.

That problem is on the way out, though. This spring, San Francisco announced that its pioneering recycling program would begin accepting all rigid plastic, including anything from yogurt pots and clamshell containers to plastic toys and buckets. Other cities are also expanding the range of plastics they accept. New technology makes this feasible: Optical sorters use infrared light to instantly identify the chemical composition of a container, then a puff of air directs it into the right pile.

Recyclers also have to find a market for plastics once they're sorted�and that's starting to happen, too. San Francisco recently signed a deal to sell rigid 5-gal buckets, common in construction, to a company that will turn them into artificial lumber for landscaping.

Article taken from MSNBC.

How to Select HDTV

2008-11-10T19:31:43Z

What are the important factors you should consider before buying your HDTV? Richard Runion�from besthdtvreview.com wrote an�article: How To Select The Best HD TV To Buy. In the article, you'll�find the ways to recognize these factors, and also helps you identify the brand and the model that would best serve your needs.

This is the right time to do so, if you�re thinking of buying a HD TV. A HD TV or high-definition television uses the digital signals broadcast by television networks and stations. As a result it delivers quality image with CD sound that results is every bit as good as a 35mm movie, with CD sound quality.

Connectivity is a factor to be considered before you make a buying decision. Can you have multiple hookups connected directly to your HD TV without special equipment? A HD TV usually has multiple HDMI inputs and at least one PC input. Some are equipped with as many as 4 HDMI inputs. A rooftop antenna that is compatible with HD TV is worth buying, and in the case of a satellite system, one that�s designed for use with HD TV.

What kind of sound package do you want with your home theater system? This could prove to be one of the trickiest components to deal with. Most HD TVs are equipped with great sound quality and are compatible for connection with home theater systems.

There are various types of HD TVs.

One is HD-ready; it displays standard-definition programs on its own, but needs a digital cable/satellite box to get other digital channels.

Another is integrated HD TV which has an ASTC digital tuner built in and, if connected to a roof antenna, it doesn�t require additional equipment.

A third type, Digital Cable Ready DCR-or plug-and-play, can plug a digital card from a cable/ satellite company directly into TV. HD TV-ready sets get their high-definition images either from an external source like a cable box or a satellite receiver, or from a separate digital tuner (these start around $350) that you hook up to an antenna.

There are several levels of HD resolution; 1080p is the high end. The vast majority of HD content, including cable and broadcast programming, will be below1080p for years to come. Normally 720p is acceptable.

An anti-reflective screen is the best option, shiny screens, under normal lighting, will reflect. As far as screen size is concerned consider the recommended distance of viewing before splurging on 84-inch set.

Is your HD TV small enough to be moved? If not, don�t try to move it. Trying to move could cause severe injury to your back, neck, shoulders or legs, as well as compromise the unit itself.

Never move, mount or install your HD TV on your own; let a professional technician do it, for you. That way, you can prevent it from getting damaged in transit.

Richard J. Runion is the President of Geostar Publishing & Services LLC. Rich loves net research & blogging. His new blog on Best HDTV is fast becoming popular, as it is comprehensive and well-researched.

Article from�http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Runion http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Select-The-Best-HD-TV-To-Buy&id=828907

How to Get the New Tech in Your not-so-New Ride

2008-10-25T08:20:38Z

One of the sweetest perks of a new car payment is the latest technology and convenience options available with your new machine. But you don�t need to buy a new car to get the flashiest new functions. In fact, for the cost of a few loan installments, you can add nearly any craved-for electronic feature to your current machine. From GPS to�Satelite Radio, you can get them all. For complete article, visit here: http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=657578&topart=utes

Got Junks?

2008-10-11T22:55:28Z

Stuff; we need it, we want it, and we love it until we hate it, get bored with it, or wear it out. Sure, some of it winds up in the green bin or goes to Goodwill. But chances are, you're sending a lot of things that have a shot at a second life to spend their final days in a landfill. Here are some of the treasures and trash we toss away and the websites ready to snatch them up.

CDs, DVDs

Why: Trashed discs don't decompose, really, ever.

How: Go to cdrecyclingcenter.com (you pay for shipping); it accepts the disc and all its packaging, including sleeves, jewel cases, DVD cases, and paper.

Perks: KOs toxic chemicals

Cell phones, PDAs, and phone accessories

Why: They can be traded in for cash or overhauled and given to survivors of domestic violence.

How: For cash, go to greenphone.com; to help out, go to gooddeed�foundation.org (both offer free S&H).

Perks: offers cash back, helps those in need, free shipping, KOs toxic chemicals

Computers

Why: They're loaded with hazardous chemicals like lead and mercury, and about 133,000 of them are tossed every day.

How: Go to myboneyard.com to junk computers or monitors.

Perks: offers cash back, free shipping, KOs toxic chemicals

General electronics

Why: Americans toss 2 million tons of e-gear annually, releasing toxins into the air and water. Trashing electronics can send metals like gold and silver to landfills, necessitating more mining.

How: Costco members can recycle computers, camcorders, digital cameras, printers, faxes, game systems, monitors, and PDAs for a Costco Cash Card (go to costco.com and click on "electronics"). Office Depot stores take most of the above, plus VCRs, DVD players, TVs, and peripherals, for a fee ($5 to $15, depending on the amount; officedepot.com/techrecycling). Sony provides free drop-off locations for many of its products (sony.com/recycle).

Perks: offers cash back, KOs toxic chemicals

iPods

Why: Most components of MP3 players don't decompose.

How: If you're not keen on �pawning your iPod on Craigslist or it has finally died, return it to an Apple store and get 10 percent off your upgrade. Or ship it for free via snail mail (get the address at apple.com/environment/recycling/ipodrecycling).

Perks: offers cash back, free shipping

Printer cartridges

Why: You can get cash for your empties, and recycling one laserjet cartridge saves three quarts of oil.

How: Go to tonerbuyer.com (free S&H), or go to hp.com to unload HP inkjet or laser-jet cartridges (they don't offer you cash back, but shipping is free).

Perks: offers cash back, free shipping, KOs toxic chemicals

Printers, peripherals, software, and computers

Why: Charities, schools, and public agencies can use them.

How: Find an organization through cristina.org; they'll typically come and pick up your stuff.

Perks: free pickup, helps those in need, KOs toxic chemicals

Rechargeable batteries and cell phones

Why: Toxins from these items can leach into the waste stream.

How: Toss lithium ions into bins at Target, Best Buy, and other retailers (full list at rbrc.org). The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation also refurbishes and sells phones to benefit charities.

Perks: helps those in need, KOs toxic chemicals

Regular batteries

Why: Americans use 3 billion per year, creating 100,000 tons of waste annually.

How: Batteryrecycling.com will take them off your hands for a fee (weight x $0.85 + S&H).

Perks: KOs toxic chemicals

Business attire

Why: Low-income women receive interview- and career-worthy ensembles.

How: Find drop-off locations or mailing addresses at dressforsuccess.org (you pay S&H).

Perks: helps those in need

Formalwear and accessories

Why: Disadvantaged girls in the Chicago area can be Cinderella for prom night.

How: The Glass Slipper Project takes dresses, shoes, evening bags, jewelry, and unused makeup. Go to glassslipperproject.org (you pay S&H).

Perks: helps those in need

Polartec fleece and base layers

Why: Worn-out threads become brand-new duds.

How: Patagonia will take your threadbare items. Drop them off at a retail store or mail them (you pay S&H). Get more info at patagonia.com.

Sneakers

Why: Your cruddy kicks are converted into athletic and playground surfaces.

How: Find drop-off stations or a mail-in address at letmeplay.com/reuseashoe (you pay S&H).

Perks: helps those in need

Books

Why: You can help stock libraries and schools worldwide with textbooks, dictionaries, and children's books.

How: Go to intlbookproject.org for info.

Perks: helps those in need

Carpets

Why: About 3.5 billion pounds of carpeting gets dumped each year, but you can give it a second life as roofing shingles or railroad ties.

How: Find a local reclamation center at carpetrecovery.org.

Perks: KOs toxic chemicals

Home, office, and outdoor furniture, appliances, and supplies

Why: They get new lives at needy schools and nonprofits.

How: Go to excessaccess.com ($5 annually).

Perks: helps those in need

Lightbulbs

Why: Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) contain mercury--one bulb's worth can pollute 6,000 gallons of water.

How: Order a recycling kit at lightbulbrecycling.com/cf_bulb.html; there's also free CFL drop-off at Ikea.

Perks: KOs toxic chemicals

Bicycles

Why: Support people-powered transportation and provide free wheels to needy kids.

How: Find participating community donation programs on ibike.org.

Perks: helps those in need

Outdoor equipment

Why: Your used camping gear (boots, bags, tents) goes to youth hiking programs, park rangers in Afghanistan, and female porters in Uganda.

How: Go to gear4good.com (you pay S&H).

Perks: helps those in need

Workout equipment

Why: Cash for dust collectors.

How: Try playitagainsports.com.

Perks: offers cash back

Toxic leftovers

Why: Anything with a caution label shouldn't go in a landfill.

How: Find takers at earth911.org.

Perks: KOs toxic chemicals

You

Why: Traditional burial sinks tons of wood and thousands of gallons of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, into the earth.

How: Arrange to have your ashes poured inside an environmentally friendly concrete Reef Ball and go under. Fishy kisses for all eternity. (eternalreefs.com)

Perks: KOs toxic chemicals

A Bit of Give and Take

You've got it. They want it. See how this works?

freecycle.org

Join communities working toward landfill extinction. Post things you don't need; scroll for stuff you don't have. Membership is free, as is everything on the site.

swaporamarama.org

Where old clothes become art. Join up, trade unloved duds, and learn from local artists how to make them hip.

throwplace.com

Do good--�without having to do much work. List items you want to "throw" to any U.S. or international charities; interested recipients can contact you about pickup.

Switched Digital Video Will Give Cable Operators a Big HD Boost

2008-08-29T06:28:49Z

Switched Digital Video (SDV) technologies provide an excellent, long-term approach that is helping cable operators keep up the pace with expanding High Definition TV and super-high-speed data services, reports In-Stat. SDV is a new technology that distributes video more efficiently over cable TV coaxial lines, the high-tech market research firm says. SDV will enable cable operators to better compete with rivals in digital broadcast satellite and telco TV.

"Initial deployments will create a strong market for upgrades, which will become dominant in 2012," says Gerry Kaufhold, In-Stat analyst. "The strategic key to success for vendors will be winning early deployments, because follow-on upgrades will be lucrative. World-class professional services, staff training, and the ability to remotely monitor and repair SDV installations will be the winning formula."

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

The market for SDV equipment, software, and services is expected to grow from about US$165 million during 2008, up to more than US$1 billion in 2012.

North America will be the biggest market, with Asia coming on strong later.

Large cable TV systems will drive early growth for SDV.

Medium cable TV systems will become an important segment as early as 2009.

Even small cable TV systems will turn to SDV in large numbers after 2010.

Recent In-Stat research covers the worldwide market for SDV. This report is the first to offer a complete "bottoms-up" market model, estimating the annual costs for new and upgraded Switched Digital Video installations, the number of large, medium, and small headends expected to use SDV, and the annual value of the SDV market in four geographic regions. Cable TV operators, equipment vendors, telco TV (IPTV) operators, and satellite services should all purchase this report because they need to see how the market will develop.

This research is part of In-Stat�s Multimedia Broadband Infrastructure service. TV networks and Pay-TV services are now in a race against the broadband Internet and wireless services to be the preferred provider of digital television. Each industry�s infrastructure has its own unique blend of capabilities to exploit and obstacles to overcome. Addressable Advertising is becoming a vital link in the chain to assure that the TV industry can continue to move forward, even if the value of monthly subscriptions begins to erode.

In-Stat�s MBI service covers the big picture, showing how competing service providers are upgrading their infrastructures, their workflows, and extending their delivery capabilities across wired and wireless "final mile" networks. MBI provides estimates for the actual number of facilities that will be likely to purchase equipment, software, or services, and gives forecasts for the value of equipment, software and services that will be needed to make personalized TV the killer application of the future. The service also provides detailed survey information from potential customers of these emerging digital television opportunities to help subscribers understand end-user markets motivations.

Article taken from: www.communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/110/29841

Tips in Buying Electronics

2008-08-13T06:26:28Z

Buying new gadget is always interesting and exciting, but it also can be tricky. You can always google the electronic review and find thousands of information, but it can be overwhelming, especially if you do not know what to look for. If you are not too familiar with the latest technology of the gadget you are planning to buy, it is advisable to do extensive research before deciding on what to buy. So, if you are in the mood of reading, you can always do a background research about the specs and know how important or unimportant it is for you. There are a lot of websites, like ConsumerReports.org that provides testing result, survey responses, and review of electronics. If you are not into reading hi-tech terms and prefer to get review from regular people, ReviewCentre.com is a good place to go. Lastly, if you are a person type, meaning that you are more comfortable speaking with people than reading a review, you can always go to your closest electronic store, like Best Buy and Circuit City, and ask for help on what type and brand of the gadget is the most suitable for you. You do not have to buy the item there, but the consultation is free there.

Free Tutorials and How-To

2008-07-29T09:05:40Z

Everyone loves free stuff and many people search the net just to check the free stuff. Yes there are lot of resources, links and information scattered around, but the most difficult task is to dig out the information from it. Many sites which sell their products offer some free stuff to attract the customers. It is similar to hanging the banner 'sale' or 'buy one get one free' to increase the sales.

Tutorials.com sells online courses and tutorials. It offers few of the tutorials and how to guides FREE of cost. Here are some of the free tutorials availabe there: Learn2 Adjust a Bicycle (To Fit You) Learn2 Adjust the Sound on Your Computer Learn2 Apply Eyeliner Learn2 Appreciate Beer Learn2 Appreciate Cheese Learn2 Appreciate Gourmet Mushrooms Learn2 Attach Speakers to Your Computer Learn2 Attract Butterflies Learn2 Avoid Frostbite Learn2 Avoid Home Burglary Learn2 Avoid Junk Mail and more.

I hope this information is useful.

iPocalypse?

2008-07-12T09:26:15Z

For those of you who have spent time and money to be one of the first users of the new iPhone, please calm down. I understand your frustation, the device isn't functioning and coulnd't be activated. iTunes server that's used for activation, was having a problem so the iPhone 2.0 could not be activated upon purchase. The official statement from AT&T Inc., the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S., said that a global problem with Apple's online iTunes Store prevented the phones from being fully activated in-store.

I'm sure all the problems are resolved by now, enjoy your new 3G phone.

Do More than Stretching Your Money: Recycle

2008-07-01T00:45:35Z

I am sure we are all aware of environment crisis that our planet is facing now, and you are wondering what can I do to help. You don't have to be environmentalist or EPA member to start reducing bad impact on our planet. From as simple as recycling your trash (paper, bottles, cans, etc), it can help a lot.

How about your old electronics? First of all, if you are sure that it's still usable, you can always sell it to someone else. Remember that one man's trash is another man's treasure. Ebay, craigslist, and many other websites offer service to help you get rid of your old belongings and make some cash. If no one buys, you can always donate it to GoodWill and other non-profit organizations. They will find a new home to your things, you will do a good deeds, and you can get tax return for that.

So now you ask what if your electronics are so old and even Goodwill do not want it? Where do you recycle it? You can contact these following organizations: earth911.org and mygreenelectronics.com. These organizations will help you on eCycling. Some manufacturers also have some programs on recycling electronics, such as: offering to take back, mail-in, or trade-in, supporting local recycling events with cities and municipalities. Ecyclingtools.com provides information on entire of electronics and contains useful information to help you address your e-waste concerns.

For more information, click here.

Some electronic stores, home furnitures, and even supermarkets are promoting recycling program by offering to take in some items to be recycled. For example, IKEA is accepting old light bulbs and batteries for recycle. BestBuy and OfficeDepot accept old cell phones and ink-jet catridges. Some supermarkets provide kiosks for recycling plastic bags.

Want to do more than recycling electronics? You can always recycle�papers, bottles, and cans at your home and office. And you can always do more than recycling. This blog suggest a good idea by not using straw and reducing use of plastic plates and utensils. There are plenty of websites out there that are dedicated for environmental tips, such as: thegreenguide.com and thedailygreen.com.

Happy Recycling!

Energy Efficient Home Electronic Tips

2008-06-06T22:52:16Z

Summer is almost here, and it can mean a lot of things: beach, vacation, road trip, air conditioner. The last one, a/c, is a must-have for those who live in south area. But do you know that a/c can take up as much energy as refrigerator? With gas prices sky rocketing, causing food price to increase too, it is wise to save a couple for bucks on energy bill.

Between cell phones, iPods, computers, DVR's and everything else that we use in our tech savvy lives, we use a lot of energy. Even those kitchen applliances: toaster, microwave, oven, although, they are not used, they still consume energy on�their standy by mode. Over the course of a year that can really add up to�a couple hundred�dollars worth of energy.�Here are a few tips you can use to reduce your energy consumption at home:

Look for the Energy Star label. Those products with the label are specially design to use less energy.

Unplug�cell phone/PDA/iPod chargers when batteries are fully charged or when the chargers are not in use.

When you're finished watching a movie or playing a video game, don't forget to turn off your DVD player or video game console as well as the television or monitor.

Plug electronics, such as TVs, DVD players and audio systems, into power strips, and turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use especially for long periods of time.

Turn off air conditioner on empty rooms.

When in the market for home office products, consider multifunction units combining, say printing, copying, scanning and faxing, instead of a single device for each function. Same goes to kitchen appliances.

Unplug toaster oven after use, and do not open refrigerator doors for too long.

Use technology to save money. For example, save fuel by shopping and banking from home on your computer.

Save Gas, Save Money

2008-05-02T20:26:50Z

This article might not have anything to do with electronics. But since gas prices are affecting everyone, I decide to write it anyway.

Everybody should know by know that the gas price has rising like crazy over the past months. For those who do not watch or read news, they also should know about this when they are filling up their gas tanks. The gas price is breaking everyone, but some people cannot live without it; no matter how much it is, they just have to suck it up and buy it because they need it. But, you can spend less money on gas, when you follow these tips:

1. Use the lowest octane recommended for your car.

It's just as simple as that.� It's cheaper, and most of cars�are engineered to run most efficiently on lower octane fuel. As long as your engine doesn't knock or ping, the fuel you're using is fine. Check your owner's manual for this information. The difference between regular and premium gas are about 20-50cents a gallon, imagine how much you can save by switching to regular.

2. Fill up all the way and do it less

When filling up tanks, it's better to fill it up all the way to full. Don't just fill it up half full in hope that tomorrow might be cheaper. It might be by few cents, but you are going to waste your time and money because you have to take another detour to fill up gas again tomorrow. Also, don't fill up gas when it's still half full, fill up when it's quarter full or less.

3. Pay cash or use membership card.

Some gas stations offer cheaper rate for paying cash. Take advantage of this deal. If you get cash on hand, use it well.

Another�thing that can be done is using membership card like Chevron credit card. Or, use credit cards�that offer gas savings or extra points�when you use the card for gas purchases, like Discover.

4. Commute less

The easiest way is to move closer to work, work closer to home. But then again, this option is easier to be said than done. The next option�is to� take public transportation to your work. If your city provides good transportation service, buy a monthly pass and take advantage of your tax dollars.

Another option is to ride a bike to your job, if they are not too far apart. It's healthy and you can save mileage and money on gas. The same thing with�running errands, if it's possible to be done by walking or bicylcing, do it. You can say good by to the expensive gym membership, because you get all the exercise you need daily.

5. Carpool and combine trips

I know sometimes you envy those who just drive so fast on the carpool lane, while you are stuck in stop-and-go traffic. I know I do. Most of big highways provide carpool lanes during peak hours. So, if you have neighboors or co-workers that happen to live or work nearby, ask them to carpool with you. Make arrangment on whose car to use, how the split the gas money, when to pick up, etc. I know sometimes people have to go earlier or come home later than usual, but compromising is part of living in society.

Combining trips also work when doing errands. Take the shortest and the most efficient routes to run all your errands. This can prevent wasting fuel and wasting time. Also, plan to use alternative routes. Often back roads can prevent you from stopping at traffic lights and more importantly sitting in traffic jams.�If you can do several short trips in one longer trip, you will save fuel and time.

5. Keep your car checked regularly

It is important to keep your car at its optimum condition, because when it runs smoothly, it uses less gas. Here are some of the things to check:

-Have your car tuned up and oil changed regularly

-Use the correct grade of motor oil

-Keep the tires inflated properly

-Use low resistance tires

-Get a better air filter

-Tighten up gas cap to avoid danger and gas evaporating

6. Don't use A/C or lights when not needed

Title says all.

7. Get a better driving habit

Even though two people are using the same exact car, their ways of driving car can make difference in fuel usage. Here are some "good habits" to have to save gas:

-Clear up your cars. Cars that are heavy with items use more gas to accelerate

-Drive slower. This is a tough one, but read this: driving fast will increase the drag (turbulence) and thus increase your fuel consumption. So drive just about the speed limit and you should save good amount of money

-Maintain safe distance and always brake early. You will brake more and accelerate more to keep that unnecessary and dangerous narrow gap. This also gives you a lot more room to play with when you are timing traffic signals.��

-Take it slowly from full stop. Don't throttle your rpm. If you move out slowly, it will help save you money at the pump.

-Avoid idling and long warm-ups.�After start up, allow your car to idle 15-30 seconds, then drive conservatively until it reaches normal operating temperature

-Avoid unneccesary starting up cars. Starting the car used to use a lot of gas, it's now the same as idling for about 30 seconds

8. Get a fuel-efficient cars

This option is simple, but costly. If you are in the market in buying cars, then take this chance to buy good mpg cars. Hybrid cars are the best choice for now, until other fuel-efficient technology starts to catch up.

9. Get a GPS

This option might not be very important, especially if you know your area very well, However, for those who are new in the area or in travelling, GPS can save you money by not getting you lost. Getting lost wastes time, milage, and fuel at the same time.

10. Park at the first space you find, and if possible shady area

Walking a little bit to the store is better than spending time driving around the parking lot to find closer spot. And by parking�in the shade, it keeps your car cool inside, so you will need less A/C to cool off when you get back in the car. This also prevents gasoline evaportating due to exposure to heat.

Lastly, shop online

Many stores are offering online shopping service, why not take advantage of that. It will save you time and money on gas. The items will be delivered right to your door, and you don't have to drive anywhere. Some shops also offer free shipping after you exceed certain amount, which is a very good deal.

Also, you can check the lowest gas price in your area online. So, before you go out filling up the tank, take time to check it out.

I hope this article can save you and me some money on gas. Happy driving.

Appliances Tips

2008-04-13T20:46:25Z

Appliances that we use everyday, we sometimes take them for granted. Actually, they do need some special treatments. Do not worry, the treatements are minor and light. These treatments are done just to make sure that the appliances stay on duty and work properly longer. Below are some of them:

Refrigerator Tips

Make sure the gasket between the door and compartment seals tightly. Close the door on a dollar bill and tug on it in several spots around the door. If there is not resistance, clean the gasket, fix the gasket with glue or purchase a new gasket.

Vacuum the condenser coils once a year.

Place the refrigerator away from heat sources such as stoves and leave a few inches between the coils and the wall for air circulation.

Keep the freezer and the refrigerator relatively full with just enough space between items to allow air circulation.

Keep items tightly wrapped and covered to prevent added moisture.

Keep fresh food compartments between 37� to 40�F, freezers at 5�F, and long-term storage freezers at 0�F.

Check refrigerator temperature by placing an appliance thermometer in a glass of water centered in the refrigerator for 24 hours. For the freezer temperature, place the thermometer between frozen packages for 24 hours.

Regularly defrost refrigerators and freezers.�

Dehumidifier Tips

A 40-pint ENERGY STAR� labeled dehumidifier can save consumers roughly $20 per year or more, depending on how it is used.

Remove as many moisture sources from the basement as possible.

Make sure humidifiers are turned off.

Use bathroom fans during and for several minutes after showering.

Use kitchen fans while cooking.

If water seeps into the basement, mop it up as soon as possible. Don't use a dehumidifier to dry up puddles.

Don't dry clothes on a clothesline in the basement while using a dehumidifier.

Choose a dehumidifier at least one size larger than your moisture removal need. A larger model can dehumidify more rapidly than a smaller model, resulting in significant energy savings.

A dehumidifier can help reduce humidity and odor, but does not solve moisture problems. To eliminate moisture problems, first check gutters, downspouts and grading around the exterior of the home.

Lighting Tips

Use "task lighting" wherever possible. For example, use a small lamp for reading instead of lighting the entire room.

Avoid "long-life" incandescent bulbs. They are less efficient than ordinary bulbs and give off less light per watt.

Use one large wattage bulb instead of several small ones in areas that need a lot of light (one 100-watt bulb actually provides more light than two 60-watt bulbs).

Use compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) when possible. CFLs are four times more efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide the same light.

Use 4-foot fluorescent fixtures with reflective backing and electronic ballasts for workrooms, garages and laundry areas.

Use 4-watt mini-fluorescent or electro-luminescent nightlights. Both are more efficient than incandescent counterparts.

When purchasing new light fixtures, consider buying dedicated CFL fixtures with built-in ballasts.

Consider CFLs with reflectors for spot lighting. The lamps range from 13 to 32-watts and direct light using a reflector and lens system.

If you have torchiere fixtures with halogen lamps, consider replacing them with CFL torchieres, which use 60 to 80 percent less energy and produce more light.

When buying bulbs, check the package for information. You want the most lumens per watt.

Fluorescent lamps contain small amounts of mercury that are harmful to the environment. Please read these important CFL disposal instructions.

I hope with this article can help you use your refrigerator, dehumidifier, and lighting smartly.

Article taken from: http://www.dakotaelectric.com/refrigerator.asp

How to Save Wet Cell Phones

2008-03-23T03:14:40Z

Few months ago, I posted an article on how to save your wet cell phones on this blog. I found another article, and it recaps all the things you have to do.

The Drying Method

1. Get it out of the water as soon as possible.

2. Remove the battery.

3. Remove your SIM card.

4. Dry your phone.

5. Allow the phone to dry.

6. Heat your phone. (2-3 days)

7. Test your phone.

Alcohol Soak Method

Apparantly, soaking your phone in 95% alcohol will draw out water from your phone because alcohol is hydrophobic. Use this at your own risk, do it outside and remember to take out the battery.

Air Condition It

Air conditioners also remove moisture, so place your phone in front of an air conditioner to help remove the liquid from it.

Refrigerate It

A fridge will also remove moisture, so take off all of the plastic parts from the phone that you can and put it in the fridge, leave it open to the air. In the fridge the phone will stay dry (unless something is spilled on it), beware of condensation when you take the phone out. The recommended method by which you can prevent this is immediately wrap the phone in paper towel and zip-lock it when you take it out of the fridge.

Guide to Home Theater.

2008-03-08T22:54:43Z

This article is writen by Chris Chiarella of�Digital Trends. Enjoy!

Home Theater 101: A Buyers Guide

A home theater is a dedicated space in which to enjoy audio and video. From there, the definition becomes far more personal, so to help you make the right choices, you need to ask three questions:

1. What do you want?

What are you planning to watch in your home theater? "Lost?" Sports programs? The latest feature films? And do you intend to watch any of the above in standard quality (the easier, more affordable choice) or in high-definition, which delivers sharper pictures and enhanced sound?

Either way, you will need a display (a standard or high-definition television); a source component (such as a DVD player, Blu-ray player, or digital video recorder, such as TiVo); and a sound system (which can include an audio/video receiver connected to multiple loudspeakers). Once you figure out what precisely you intend to achieve in your home theater, you're ready to do inventory.

2. What do you have?

Let's assume that at the very least you have a sufficiently large TV, and you are pleased with its performance. Thanks to the triumph of DVD in the late '90s, the home-theater-in-a-box or "HTiB" category of products has evolved quickly to become a viable alternative to individually purchased audio-visual elements, for a painless "Just Add TV" approach.

A complete HTiB bundle arrives with a DVD receiver unit, featuring the necessary sound decoding/amplification combined with the DVD player inside a single chassis, along with five loudspeakers for left and right front, left and right surround/rear, a dedicated center channel plus a subwoofer, along with all the necessary cabling. These "5.1 channels" work together to recreate a true theater-style sound experience in the home, only on a smaller scale. Audio-only HTiB solutions are also available, without DVD, and almost all HTiBs offer inputs for connecting multiple source components.

If you already have speakers, how many? Dolby Digital is the audio standard for DVD, requiring the five speakers plus subwoofer to properly reproduce the soundtracks of most modern films. If you already have two speakers, it isn't necessarily as easy as adding three more. Dolby Digital requires full-range speakers - that is the ability to reproduce the highs, lows, and midrange of all five channels. The best surround speakers also dissipate the sound for a more realistic rear soundstage. Under normal use the front speakers handle most of the load, so you will need robust left and right mains, plus a center channel with exceptional clarity (for dialog). Centers are ideally horizontal and tend to be placed directly above or below the screen.

What is currently driving your speakers? If you own a receiver, is it stereo (two-channel) or multi-channel? And does it offer the latest audio decoding formats? The soundtrack data on the disc needs to be decoded, and that decoded signal must then to be amplified for your speakers. In addition to Dolby Digital, does it offer DTS, the outstanding rival multi-channel format? And how much power is at your sound system's disposal? Your sound system (the receiver/amplifier plus the subwoofer, if it's self-powered) should be capable of delivering at least 450 watts total system power for a small-to-medium-size room.

If you are in the market for a new TV as well, keep in mind that American television is changing over from analog to digital, and in less than a year ATSC will officially be the new standard. So make sure that your new TV contains an ATSC digital tuner. All new HDTVs have it, so savvy consumers will make the extra investment and stave off obsolescence by making their next purchase an HDTV. You'll gain widescreen display, best for movies and an increasing number of television shows (the black bars you see on the top and bottom of many programs will go away) as well as outstanding picture quality and the latest inputs.

Size matters in more ways than one, as you need the right size screen for your room. The popular 42-inch widescreen TV, for example, has an ideal viewing distance of about 5 to 10 feet. Any closer will reveal imperfections in the image, while too far minimizes the impact. About 1� times the diagonal measure of the screen is the minimum distance for the viewer, and three times is the maximum. So measure not just the space in your shelving unit but also the layout of your room before you begin shopping.

If your current television is several years old, your DVDs will probably look significantly better on most new TVs. Look for progressive scan and component video input, just make sure that whichever DVD player you use - traditional or as part of an HTiB - offers progressive scan component video output. DVD is not true high definition however, so if you plan to rent or purchase movies on disc, Blu-ray is the way to go. A Blu-ray deck will not only play Blu-ray high-definition movies but will make your current DVD library look better than ever.

3. How much can you spend?

What you get is largely determined by what you can afford to pay. In the world of displays, more money nets you a larger screen size and the latest technology, all the way up to 1080p, the highest-available resolution on consumer monitors. One point not to be compromised on is HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) input, the gold standard for connectivity, which assures the transfer of full-quality HD video and multi-channel audio from the latest source components.

As little as $500 can buy a respectable HTiB, designed around standard-definition DVD. If you insist upon buying a new standalone DVD player, don't spend more than $100: That price will bring you outstanding features and performance at this point in the product's life cycle, and you won't feel badly when you inevitably upgrade to Blu-ray.

Performance is the key factor when purchasing loudspeakers, as you will simply want the best sound that you can afford, as defined by the "performance envelope" of frequency and dynamic range. A speaker's ability to reproduce lower bass (even in addition to a dedicated subwoofer) and higher trebles is critical, along with the range across which it can enjoyably reproduce soft to loud audio. Proper demos can be difficult to find at retail, so it's wise to find out if you will be able to audition the speakers at home and return them if necessary.

Of course, your speakers need to be a good match for your amplifier/receiver, and not too piggish in their power demands, noting their nominal impedance rating. Speakers with 8-ohm impedance are extremely common, and lower ratings will mean the speaker is drawing more electrical power. More discerning listeners lean toward separates, that is a dedicated decoder/preamplifier box that then passes the prepared signal to an outboard amplifier, vs. a single, integrated audio/video receiver. The performance of receivers - which can function as control centers and switchers for all of your home theater gear, with HDMI ins/out - now approach the level of separates, while their value and versatility can't be beat. Recent receivers also support the most sophisticated audio formats available on Blu-ray, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

So, in conclusion: do your research, and be sure find a comfortable chair, because your audio/video system will bring you years of enjoyment.