Buying a New Hard Drive - 4 Important Tips

As HD home video and digital music and photo collections grow increasingly common, there is an explosion in the need for hard drive storage capacity. Sometimes all the options out there can be a bit overwhelming. Here are some great tips for buying a hard drive that will provide you with reliable data storage and performance for years to come.

1. Speed - when looking at information about the drive, look for a number indicating RPM, which stands for Rotations Per Minute. This is the speed, or Transfer Speed, of the drive. It is very important to your efficiency (and sanity!) that the transfer speed is adequate. Otherwise, you'll find yourself getting frustrated as your drive bogs down while copying big blocks of photos from your camera, moving video clips around, or dealing with other operations that involve large amounts of data. If possible, try to buy one that has a transfer speed of 7200 RPM or higher.

2. Drive Type - SATA vs IDE vs USB-If you've purchased your computer within the last ten years or so, it will likely have the correct hardware for a SATA drive. Don't worry too much about understanding what this means. For the purposes of this article, it's enough to simply make sure that your computer is set up to accept SATA-type drives.

USB drives are external drives that connect to your computer via a USB cable. With the advent of USB 2.0 and the upcoming USB 3.0 standard, these drives provide remarkably fast data transfer speeds and are very convenient. I and many of my friends use multiple external USB drives for working on photo and video projects. These are especially handy if you spend some or all of your time using a notebook computer. Notebooks tend to have smaller internal drives. Having one or more external USB drives can give you the flexibility to travel with all the data you want without worrying about running out of space on your internal hard drive.

3. Reliable Brand - We recommend only the best brands in our reviews. We also deal only with the most trustworthy retailers. By sticking with reputable vendors and with quality brands like Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba, and Iomega, you are assured of the highest quality products and the best prices.

4. Assess Storage Needs - When purchasing hard drives, less is rarely more. Typically, you want to buy device with enough capacity not only for your current needs, but also for your needs into the near future. Do you already have a 500MB drive that is 90% full and you just bought a HD camcorder? Odds are you'll want to purchase a drive that has at least 1TB of capacity to store those big video files capturing those priceless memories. You want to buy a big enough drive to give you room to grow, rather than worrying about whether you should delete some of your files because you are running out of disk space. We hope these tips have been helpful to you in making your buying decision.

Stick to these tips and you'll end up with a great hard drive that will serve you well into the future.

Embedded Systems PIC Microcontrollers

Read More

Expanding and Extending USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a low cost interface connection. It is now the most common computer connection with many devices such as keyboards, printers and digital cameras using it as standard.

As the number of compatible devices has grown the need to easily access them has also increased. This has meant many users now need to expand and extend the USB connectivity of their laptop or desktop computer.
 
Expanding allows devices to be shared, split and accessed by more than one computer or enabling a computer to connect to multiple USB devices at the same time. Expanding overcomes the problems of the limited number of USB ports often supplied with modern computers, especially smaller laptops and netbooks. Extending increases the distance USB signals can be sent so a computer doesn't have to be closely situated to the peripheral. This combats one of USB's major limitations in that the standard maximum recommend length for a USB cable is 5m due to performance restrictions. However, for some applications for example interactive whiteboard installations, 5m is not always enough so signals need to be extended. 
 
USB Hubs and Switches
 
The most common method of expanding USB is through the use of simple USB hubs. Hubs allow multiple USB peripherals to be connected to one USB port. Hubs in turn connect to a host computer transmitting all connecting signals to it. The problem of port congestion is then solved as hubs generally have anything from 2 to 8 ports. Hubs are commonly free standing but are also built into devices such as monitors.
 
USB switches expand peripheral connectivity by allowing them to be shared with multiple computers. They are a cost effective solution especially useful for devices which need to be accessed by more than one computer, such as printers. They eliminate the need for duplicate devices and multiple cables. Switches alternate between computers as the users decide who has access to the equipment at that particular time.
 
USB sharing hubs combine the functionality of both a hub and a switch and can serve multiple USB devices between a number of computers at the same time. Just like switches, sharing hubs are ideal for larger, more expensive equipment that needs to be accessed by more than one person at a time, but with the capability that allows users to do this simultaneously. 
 
USB Extension Cables
    
As with expanding, extending USB can also be achieved using a number of methods. A simple way of extending USB is by using extension cables. USB extension cables are useful for extending devices over shorter distances and typically max out at around 3m in length. The 'plug and play' capability of extension cables makes them a simple and easy to use solution. They work with both smaller and larger devices such as card readers and printers. USB extension cables are ideal for use with wireless dongles or with products that have built-in USB cables.
 
USB over Cat.5
 
A simple, cost effective way to extend USB over very long distances is by using Cat.5 USB Extenders. As their name implies, these devices use standard Cat.5 Ethernet patch cable to make the long distance connection. A transmitter is connected to a computer via its USB port while a receiver connects to the USB peripheral at the opposite end. The two units are then connected using Cat.5 cable.
 
Commonly used with devices such as interactive whiteboards, extenders are a great solution for connecting devices further away from a host computer than an extension cable would allow. Distances of up to 50m can be achieved; however, USB 2.0 is not usually supported so devices are limited to USB 1.1 performance of up to 11Mbps. Cat.5 USB Extenders are probably the cheapest and easiest solution for connecting a USB device and host computer over great distances.
 
USB over IP
 
Perhaps the ultimate form of USB extension is USB over IP servers which allow USB devices to be connected to a network. Equipment such as a standard USB printer can be transformed into a shared network device as the server provides an interface between the device and a network. It simply connects the device to a network via Ethernet so the device can be used by anyone on the network wherever they are in the world!

WireLess BGN Router

Read More

Mbox 3 Pro by Avid

Digidesign has long been hailed as the "best in class" in terms of home and conveyable recording. Recently the brand was purchased and rebranded as "Avid." So has this had any influence on the potential or reputation of the Digidesign brand? We assessed this by evaluating the Mbox 3 Pro, the top-of-the-line Mbox model. The '3' series of Mbox products are the first to carry the Avid branding.

Digidesign fans will be happy to know that the Avid rebranding has not had a negative impact on the potential of the Mbox audio interface and recording products. In fact, it could be argued that the Avid takeover has resulted in an improvement in the potential of the Mbox line. The Mbox has had a radical make-over, with a sleek, modern finding streamlined design. A considerable correction on the "boxy" Mbox 2 design.

In expanding to this, Avid have improved the compatibility of the gadget significantly. It still ships with Pro Tools, Digidesign's flagship recording product, but unlike old iterations of the Mbox, the Mbox 3 is compatible with many recording software (now along with Reason, Cubase and many more). Previously the gadget would Only interface with Pro Tools. This is a considerable correction and will make upgrading to the Series 3 line worthwhile, even for those that use and are happy with their '2' series devices.

Previous Mbox'ers will be happy to know that the '3' series carry on the tradition of ultra-high potential sound, gift 24-bit 192kHz sampling, FireWire, potential soft-limiters on inputs and built-in guitar reverb & tuner. The excellent Midi hold from the '2' series is also carried through to the Mbox 3 range.

The Avid Mbox Pro is very solidly constructed. It has an aluminum enclosure (instead of plastic one, like the Mbox 2) which makes it slightly heavier than the old model. This may be an issue for those that want to use the gadget as a conveyable recording solution.

The range of I/O options on the gadget is impressive, with 4 analog input channels gift Di, Line and Mic inputs. The gadget also supports digital I/O via coaxial cable. The gadget has it's own power supply, which may break the deal for those that want a clarification powered over Usb / FireWire.

All-in-all, it's safe to say that Avid have done the Digidesign range justice with the '3' series. The sleek design, great features, awesome sound and allembracing compatibility options will keep recording artists of all expertise-levels and recording backgrounds happy. Long live Avid.

Mbox 3 Pro by Avid

Wireless Network Detector

Read More

Changes in Internet Delivery

While the Internet is frequently dissected and discussed in terms of its capacity, the evolution of the delivery of Internet services is also ongoing. Over the years, consumers have seen their Internet connections delivered straight through their phone lines, straight through their cable television links and, in some cases, straight through their satellite television connection. All of these technologies were wired, to a large degree. While satellite links may have been transmitted by radio signals, the association was puny to the reach of the satellite system's receiver and other hardware. This is in the process of changing.

Since the early 2000s, there has been a concentrated effort to deliver broadband services via entirely wireless networks. The 4G wireless Internet technology known as WiMax is among those technologies that are being put toward these ends. There is a working group associated with 4G Internet, and they have some specific goals for the system. Among them is the eventual creation of a global wireless network that would allow any computer user to go between way points with no noticeable changes in service. This, of course, is an eventual goal, and is still many years in the future.

Broadband Internet revolutionized the content available on this global network. The download speeds made it possible to watch television, listen to radio and download large files over one's connection. The idea behind 4G wireless Internet is to deliver that level of aid on a city-wide basis. This technology also makes use of the expanding compactness of technological devices. While a modem was once a device that required a large amount of desk space, the modems used for 4G are easily-transportable and are hooked up via the computer's Usb connection, in the case of the mobile versions of the technology.

Internet services, though they have made resources placed colse to the world available from most anywhere, have been puny to structure that contained the essential wired infrastructure to keep a network. Though you may not think it, Internet delivered straight through your phone or cable line relies on an whole web of wiring that spans your whole city. Part of the motion of wireless technologies is that broadband providers don't have to rely on existing infrastructure or engage in leasing arrangements to use the infrastructure of other companies. This convenience has proven to be far more essential than a uncomplicated selling point, however, and this is in line with the vision of 4G wireless Internet proponents.

A great deal of technology is truly developed with the intention of enhancing the capability of life of the mean population rather than as a uncomplicated consumer product. Wireless Internet services that use the 4G WiMax technology have already been used in disaster areas, where a network could be set up without a functioning telecommunications infrastructure. While it's an piquant consumer product, this is the essential goal behind delivering Internet over wireless connections: manufacture communications easier. As this technology evolves, it will likely continue to decrease in price and growth in availability.

Changes in Internet Delivery

Wireless Speakers Home Theater Faster Wireless Router

Read More