Archive for the ‘How Stuff Works’ Category
My New Phone!
Filed under: Electronics, Gadgets and Gizmos, How Stuff Works, Technology | Tags: android, hearing aid, miracle ear hearing aids, smart phone
Comments (1) Guest post written by Allen Harding
After years of getting by with the most basic cellphones out there, my eldest daughter convinced me to look into a new smartphone. At first I was kind of resistant to the technology. I love the internet and use it for a many things every day, but I always thought it was a superfluous thing to have on a phone. My daughter is really well versed in smart phones, and she gave me the run down on all of the things it was capable of and why it would be handy in a variety of out-of-the-house situations. I finally caved on the premise that the phone would make texting easier. I never cared for texting, but everyone is doing it and I need something that can help me out a bit.
After having a smart phone in my possession for a few weeks, it’s really grown on me. I’ve been able to access information at times when I’ve needed it, and it’s turned out to be a life saver. I have found everything from restaurants to a new hearing aid by finding more info on MiracleEarHearingAids while I was in the store. I think I really sold this thing short.
iOS 4.1 Bug – DST Alarm Problems
Filed under: Computers, Electronics, Gadgets and Gizmos, How Stuff Works, Internet, Technology, Telecommunications | Tags: alarm, alarm clock, AlarmClock, apple, bug, daylight savings time, DaylightSavingsTime, DST, DST Bug, iPad, iphone, video
Leave a Comment Australia switched between Daylight Savings Time a few weeks ago and over the weekend, Europe followed suit and switched to their Winter Time. Twitter is getting got a slew of complaints related to iphone alarms going off an hour later than usual. Apple had acknowledged this bug and promised to resolve it, according to ZDNet Australia. So far the problem is yet to be fixed. I hope they get a fix before North America switches time on Sunday November 7.
Look at this news from the Financial News Network:
There’s been a series of articles all over the web testing the proposed fix that all alarms should be deleted and reset. While this initially looked like a fix, it isn’t.
The problem appears when using a repeating alarm for anything other than “every day.” So for example, your alarm will go off an hour late if it’s set for “weekdays,” or “weekends,” or every “Monday.” The following alarms are not affected by the bug:
* An alarm that doesn’t repeat (repeat set to “never”)
* An alarm set to repeat “every day”
You can test yourself by creating a repeating alarm (but not every day) to go off one minute in the future and 59 minutes in the past.
Investing in Gold Three Ways
Filed under: Business, How Stuff Works | Tags: bullions, gold coin, gold investment, ingots, US gold bureau
Leave a Comment The most obvious and easiest way is buying physical gold, such as gold bars, ingots, gold bullion or gold jewelry.
The second way is to buy ownership contracts that relate to the actual gold price. In Chicago and New York, there are opportunities where you can buy the contract and you don’t have to physically be in possession of the item. The companies will store it for you thereby keeping it secured and safe from thefts and calamities.
The last option is to buying shares in gold mining companies. This can be quite risky depending on how the portfolio manager takes care of your investment.
Depending on what you pick, you can select the type of gold investment you can get yourself into. Of course as with other forms of investments, investing in gold can possess some risks. The United States Gold Bureau will have more direct and accurate information for you. Please consult with them.
iOS 4.1 Critical Bug – Placing Calls While on Locked Mode
Filed under: Computers, Electronics, Gadgets and Gizmos, How Stuff Works, Internet, Technology, Telecommunications | Tags: 3g, 3gs, 4, 4.1, apple, bug, emergency call, EmergencyCall, glitch, ios, ios 4.1, Ios4.1, iphone, iphone 3g, iphone 3gs, iphone 4, Iphone3g, Iphone3gs, Iphone4, lock screen, LockScreen, pass code, PassCode
Leave a Comment I recently discovered a bug with the new iphone operating system (iOS) 4.1 version. This bug enables users to make phone calls while on locked mode. While on the “Enter Passcode” screen users can select “Emergency Call” on the lower left hand side, dial in some random number, hit send, and press the hardware lock button on top. This will gain you access your phone contacts and calling features. You can place a call, check your voicemail, etc. But it doesn’t take you anywhere else.
To get out of this mode, you will need to place at least one valid call end that and you will be taken to the original screen where you started and you can enter your pin and fully unlock the iphone.
For more information, look at the video I found below:
Preparing Your Nursery
Filed under: Electronics, Gadgets and Gizmos, How Stuff Works | Tags: baby furniture, baby monitor, crib, diaper genie, nursery
Comments (1) So you are having your first baby and excited about preparing your baby’s nursery. Here’s a list of essentials to make the ultimate nursery that will be comfortable, soothing and functional for parents, babies and siblings.
While parents can be way excited in selecting everything in blue if having a boy or pink if having a girl, picking nursery furniture that has a more neutral palate such as white, beige or natural wood color so that you can pass it on to the next sibling, therefore avoiding re-buying the safe stuff over.
Also it is wise to select furniture that they can grow with, for example, the Madison changing table system below can be used for it’s primary function now, but can easily be converted to a book case & entertainment system combination or function as dresser and bureau once you add a mirror in the center.
Another example of furniture that your baby can grow in is what they call a three-in-one crib. Which starts as a very sturdy crib. Once the baby is older, you can remove the gate and convert to a toddler bed. And once the child outgrows it, can convert to a twin size bed.
Another furniture that is very useful in a nursery is a glider and ottoman or a rocking chair. This makes feeding time a breeze, and allows parents to relax, put their feet up while rocking their babies to sleep.
You also need a night light, table lamp, baby monitor, a mini fridge is optional but very useful to store baby milk, medication, teethers and food. And don’t forget to baby proof your entire house.
So now that you have your nursery is all set, time to shop for strollers, walkers, high chair and other baby gadgets.
What Makes a Good Web Hosting
Filed under: Computers, How Stuff Works, Internet | Tags: affordable hosting, colocation, dedicated server, superb.net, web hosting, web server
Leave a Comment 
You probably had been hearing some of your blogger friends complaining about their web servers and are scouting for a good web hosting.
So what makes a good web hosting?
To me an well managed hosting service should be fast, easy, affordable, maintenance free, reliable and offers colocation
There are some websites that are “heavy” on scripts and images that it seems like you can try to type the web url to your browser, make coffee, have breakfast, clean your plate, before the page finish loading. Sometimes yes, this is brought about by bad web design. But a fast web hosting with load your pages faster than the competition.
I am not a web developer so I don’t know much about website coding. But I definitely want those bells and whistles on my site. A hosting that have pre-made script installer and easy site builders will save my life. I can have links to my social networks, or have a comment box, or a message board.
Fees, Fees, Fees – set up fees is just annoying. Why would company do that? I am already paying for my hosting plan, so a company that would offer me the most affordable and offers discounts will win my heart.
Superior servers is also necessary for providing a good web hosting service. That is why I said colocation is a must. It provides a the it’s users security, environmental control, reliable power and affordable bandwidth.
Like all things in the world, sometimes, sites to break down. When things go wrong, I want to be able to connect with a knowledgeable technical support or get to a knowledge based site to fix my problem.
All of those I mentioned above plus more is provided superb.net. They have dedicated web servers and focuses on small and medium size business. Look them up, perhaps you can use them in the future.
How to Start Your Own Blog
Filed under: Computers, How Stuff Works, Internet, Technology | Tags: blogger, blogging, domain hosting, domain transfer, fast website loading, how to blog, livejournal, superior server, technical support, web hosting, wordpress, xanga
Comments (1) Blogging can be a fun and interesting medium to share your insights and thoughts to readers across the internet. A lot of people have started with writing on paper journals, but since typing can be faster than writing plus it enables you to share your thoughts with a much larger crowd, blogging is new modern age journaling.
How to start your own blog? There are a lot of free sites out there, such as wordpress, livejournal, blogger, xanga, etc. All you have to do is sign up and get assigned your free blog space on the web. You can start by selecting from pre-fabricated templates, and you can writing there and then. Most bloggers have an ongoing theme to their blogs, could be a technology blog, health and beauty, cooking, or a fusion of 2 or more related topics. As you go along learning the basics, soon you will need to know how to upload pictures, videos, others even do a podcast on their blogs.
Then eventually people move away from free blogs and try their hands on hosted site domains. Domain is your personal address or URL on the web. Web Hosting is an allocated space on the web where you house your domain. Consider it the land your house sits on over the internet. There are a lot of companies out there specializing in providing the fast loading websites. That’s what Ultra Website Hosting do. They also have Superior Servers and knowledgeable team of tech support in case you run into problems.
I Record and Channel Surf at the Same Time
Filed under: Electronics, How Stuff Works, Technology, Telecommunications, Television Shows |
Leave a Comment Guest post from: Natalie Walter
I really enjoy two television shows that are on at the same time on different channels. If I’m home, I’ll watch one and record the other. If I’m out, I’ll record both of them. The great thing about DVR service is the capability to record two different things on two different channels. Sometimes I’ll be watching something I’ve already recorded on the DVR while two other shows, on two separate channels, are recording.
I really need my DVR from www.tvbydirect.com/directv-deal/NORTH-CAROLINA-NC-direct-tv.html in order to get the most for my money. There are a lot of channels to choose from with so much programming that it is easy to get lost in so many choices. With my DVR, I can record one show while channel surfing. If I find something interesting, I’ll watch it. If not, I can start watching what I was recording from the beginning even before the show is over. I tell you what, DVR service is a remote control commander’s dream come true.
I also like it that DVR is intuitive. No longer is it necessary to have a degree in rocket science just to operate the TV set. If I see something I like in the guide, I just press the record button. The DVR system will even prompt me if there are any conflicts with other stuff that I have set to record and give me options that are just a click of the remote away.
Composition of Gold Alloys
Do you know that what you buy as gold jewelry is not pure gold? It is rather an alloy or a composition of different metal components. The most common metals used to alloy gold for jewelry making are silver, copper, and zinc. The closest jewelry at it’s purest state is 24 karat gold 24K or 24 kt, which contains over 99.7% pure gold. Which is why it is gold fine gold. There is an even higher quality which contains over 99.95% pure gold known as Proof gold. This is not used for jewelry but only for standardization and is sold in forms of gold coin, bullion or gold bar.
Investing in gold is getting popular these days as the dollar is losing it’s financial market strength. United States Gold Bureau provides a comprehensive guide for new investors in the gold market. They provide lots of useful tool and information to help you better understand gold’s performance and how you can financially gain while investing in gold.
Electronic Pest Control
Filed under: Gadgets and Gizmos, How Stuff Works, Technology | Tags: bait, madre de cacao, mosquito magnet, pest control, trap, ultra sonic pest control
Comments (1) Pest Control technology had evolved over time. Back in the days, smelly and possibly hazardous chemicals are applied to household to control pest, such as ants, termites, mosquitos and small rodents. Other forms of pest control may include traps, sprays, bait system, insecticide spray and sometimes other organic pest control resources such as homemade mosquito coil from Gliricidia sepium or madre de cacao leaves. With our family home in Houston pest control was installed using electronic devices that sends off ultra-sonic sounds that repels and disables pest, but pose no danger to human. This method is better and safer than commercial plug-in devices that may have harmful odors or chemicals and less cumbersome than installing baits or traps.