Laptop Screen Inverter

The small piece of circuit board, which is usually located underneath the plastic shell of your laptop's screen casing, is probably the cause of one of the most common problems related to screen failure and, more specifically, dimness, or darkness to the screen itself.

The main purpose of the inverter is basically to give power to the backlight. The way it works is simple, it takes power from the laptop itself by a small inverter lead that runs from the motherboard of the laptop, sometimes it is a direct lead on it's own, other times this lead can be connected into the inverter through the LCD cable (the lead that runs from the motherboard to the back of the screen itself), giving the screen its visual display.

At one end of the inverter, usually the left end, the lead that gives it power is plugged into a small white socket and from the other end, usually the right side, the backlight lead from the screen is plugged into another white socket. The backlight is a very small, thin, long, very delicate light bulb that runs along the very bottom or sometimes the side of the screen.

The problems related to the inverter is dimness or darkness to the screen in most cases or flickering of the backlight. Sometimes it can stop the screen form working at all but not usually. A common fault with laptop screens is a dark or dim screen, generally it is assumed that it is the backlight that is at fault, sometimes this may be correct, however more often or not it is simply the inverter not working, or not giving the backlight the power it needs. The inverter is usually cheaper to replace than the backlight, as the backlight is very fragile and can be easily broken. On some occasions a repair of the inverter is possible, although usually labour charges on fixing the inverter can sometimes lead up to being more expensive than simply replacing it.

When it comes to purchasing an inverter most companies will require the part number which is usually printed on a bar code on the outside of the inverter but sometimes you may need to look carefully to find it. If your lucky then you may get away with just stating what your laptop make and model is, for example 'I have an IBM Thinkpad T22 and I need an inverter', we try our hardest to locate the inverter with just these details, however sometimes you will need to provide the part number; here is an example of a part number from the inverter for an IBM Thinkpad T22, (10L1402). This inverter is also compatible with the IBM T21, and T20 all three laptops as a whole are basically the same apart from the processor.

How to choose a right PDA

There are a few questions before buying a new PDA. You should consider them carefully and choose a right product as there are too many products in the market.

Question 1
Budget?
How much you are willing to spend will also be an important question. The more you spend, the more that your PDA will act like a laptop. That is not to say that if you spend little, that you cannot get much. The $99 PalmOne Zire 22 is capable as a replacement to the paper planner, as well as has the ability to play MP3s and carry large reference materials via the SD (secure digital) memory card slot.

As a general rule, spending $100 will get you a basic PDA; up to $200 can get you a PDA with a camera, MP3 player, or included document editing abilities; up to $350 will net you a midrange PDA that can have wireless connectivity (wifi or Bluetooth) along with cameras, MP3 players, and full document editing; over $400 will get you enhanced screens (higher resolutions than lower models), dual wireless capabilities on some models, more included software, and much more memory (up to 128MB internally on some models) than lower priced models.

Question 2
What to do with the PDA?
When looking to purchase a PDA, you will want to figure out what you want to do with the PDA. Most people look at PDAs first because they help you to organize your calendar, tasks, and phone numbers. All PDAs do this well, and so other tasks should be looked at such as: carrying large references, mobile email and Internet, gaming, music play, or one that does all those things well. Once you have figured out what you will do with it, you should analyze your budget.


Question 3
Need it as a mobile phone?
Some people do not like the idea of carrying around a PDA and a mobile phone. They may like the functionality of a PDA, just in the form of a phone; or, the functionality of a phone in the form of a PDA. If you need to access the internet and would find getting email on the go as making things easier, then a smartphone or wireless PDA would work best for you. Many mobile phone companies offer smartphones with a discount if you get a contract with it.

Question 4
need a keyboard built in?
When purchasing a PDA, deciding how one wants to input data is very important. Though all PDAs have some form of handwriting recognition and a virtual keyboard, if you plan on sending a lot of email or editing documents, then you may want to look at the PalmOne Tungsten C, Treo 600, etc..(included accessory).

All PDAs can also accept input from keyboard attachments.



Question 5
battery life?
Acceptable battery life is anything in over four hours of continuous usage. That will translate to 3-5 days of intermittent usage. Many PDA models will do this and better.

There are different factors that go into getting the most out of your battery, such as: the screen resolution (the higher the resolution, the more power that is needed to keep the screen on); how bright you keep the screen; are you using the multimedia functions (they drain the battery faster); are you using wireless technologies (bluetooth uses battery power at a lower rate than wifi, though both drain the battery more than not using them). How you will be using the PDA you choose will determine how much of the battery that you will be using. Some Windows Mobile PDAs use removable batteries. You could use one battery while charging the other.

Question 6
Does your business support using a PDA with a camera?
These days, data security is very important within many organizations. If you are looking to purchase a PDA to use within a work setting, make sure that your organization authorizes its use, especially if the PDA you want has a camera. Many government agencies, and some health clubs, do not allow you to carry devices with cameras on them. Make sure that you do clear it with the IT and senior personnel of your organization.

Hoping these few questions can help you choosing a right PDA

Types of Lexmark Inkjet Cartridge

Did your printer run out ink? This could have been a major setback in the past especially if you were printing something that was urgently required. But thanks to the introduction of printer cartridges that we can relax and carry on with our work by simply changing the cartridge.

Lexmark Inkjet Cartridge understands the quality of your printer and gives you best output. It works efficiently with your printer and maintains its quality. This cartridge is especially recommendable for you Lexmark printer model. Lexmark Cartridge delivery systems utilizes comparatively less water and concentrated inks in order to provide more intense colors by sharpening the text. Its ink features comparatively less paper distortion. As it is one of the best competitive brands it is rich in its qualities.

• Inkjet Lexmark Printer Z517:


Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi on photo paper
Up to 2400 x 1200 dpi on all other paper types
Up to 12 ppm on black print outs
Up to 7 ppm on color print outs
It irtually eliminates paper jams while handling a wide range of media from envelopes to paper stock up to 150 lbs.

• Lexmark Z23 Inkjet Cartridge


Lexmark Z23 Inkjet Lexmark cartridges generate optimum print quality using pigment-based ink for text that is water resistant and fade resistant for document storage.


• Lexmark Inkjet Printer Z715

1. Photo-quality resolution! Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi on photo paper in best mode
2. Up to 2400 x 1200 dpi on all other paper types
3. Quick Printing: Up to 17 ppm black, up to 10 ppm color
4. Print Border-less 4" x 6" and 8.5" x 11" photos that look just like traditional photographs.
5. Print a 4" x 6" photo image in normal mode on photo paper in about 60 seconds
6. Six-color printing with optional photo cartridge (sold separately) produces professional quality output

Colocation Facility Cooling System Considerations

Most companies know to find a colocation facility that has good Internet service and Internet provider and carrier options. However, cooling systems are often overlooked. Most servers now are made to operate at normal office conditions, which mean that two environmental factors should be met:

• The temperature should stay between 72° F and 76° F
• The humidity should be between 45% and 60%, with 45% ideal
• Cooling units must be on continuously, so servers will not overheat (this precludes standard HVAC units).

If the cooling system goes down, it can cause the equipment to overheat, causing the network to go down and even damaging equipment. Colocation facility cooling systems include three areas: the facility layout, chillers, and computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units.

Facility Layout
Servers generate heat as they run. This is generally blown out the back of the server by fans; cool air is taken in through vents at the front. Server racks and rows should be laid out to manage hot air coming from the servers and conditioned air going to their intakes by designating "hot rows," which face the server fans, and "cold rows," which face the intakes. Designated hot and cold rows keep air circulating in the best directions to keep servers from overheating.

Facility Design
There are two kinds of building design for colocation facilities: raised floor and solid floor. Raised floor was the preferred structure when servers were towers because the mesh flooring allowed air conditioned air to blow from the bottom directly across their intakes. However, since servers are stacked in racks, cold air must reach the tops of the racks to cool machines. Solid floor facilities are a better option. The facility should take into account the following:

• Solid floor designs must have mesh front and rear doors for th server cabinets to allow hot air to escape.
• For raised floor designs, cold air must have enough air pressure to force air to the top of the server cabinets. Ideally, special duct work will be in place to force the airflow upward.
• For raised floors, server cabinets should not have vents in the doors that would let cool air escape.

Chiller Systems
Chillers pipe water or water/glycol coolants through the CRAC units. Chiller systems include pumps, pipes, and the chillers themselves. The following points should be considered to make sure that the system is adequate to cool the facility:

• Sufficient capacity
• Backup units for the pumps and chillers which switch over automatically
• Regular maintenance

CRAC Units
CRAC units are massive, dedicated air conditioners which manage temperature and humidity. They have many parts and are complicated – meaning failures can be common. The CRAC units should be well maintained, but the most important thing is redundancy. Redundancy is determined by the overall capacity of the CRAC units; there should be enough units that even with a failure, the facility will still be adequately cooled. As with chillers, capacity for CRAC units is determined by tons per square foot.

Verify Capacity
Capacity is determined by the ratio of tons per square foot. To determine whether a system has sufficient capacity, divide the total tonnage of the units by the square footage of the building. If there are four 30-ton CRAC units in a 4,000 square foot facility, then the CRAC capacity is .030 tons per square foot (120 tons / 4,000 square feet). The ideal ratio of tons to square feet for the CRAC system is .030 ton/square foot or higher; the ratio should not be below .025 tons/square foot. This same formula is used for chiller systems, with the same ideal ratios.

It is important to look for a colocation facility that has Internet provider options and backup power systems. Equally important is a facility with the right design, chillers, and CRAC units to cool the server room. Keeping equipment from overheating will keep networks up and makes equipment last longer. Like Internet connections, network uptime, and power backups, cooling systems signify a quality colocation facility.

Realtones and Nametones, The Next Mobile Entertainment Hype?

A long, long time ago in a Nokia factory far far away the first mobile cell phone was build. And with the birth of that cell phone the first ringtone was born: The Nokia Tune. This Nokia tune was the first ringtone of them all, and who could have guessed that it would create a multi billion dollar business in the next few years...

The first ringtone was the nokia tune, this ringtone was a simple one-melodic monophonic ringtone. And it created a huge product to a -then- small market. But the market grew bigger and soon everyone had a mobile cell phone. And then the ringtones became a big business because everyone wanted his/hers own ringtone to personalize their phone. The monophonic ringtones were a big blast in the music industry and the follow-up polyphonic ringtones were even bigger then those monophonic ringtones. The polyphonic ringtones market grew and grew as there came more and more mobile cell phone users. And soon it was time for a new product to introduce to the market: realtones...

Realtones are now the biggest hit in Europe and Asia and will soon be in the USA as well. The newest mobile cell phones support realtones and mp3 sounds. Realtones are based on mp3, and other music formats. They're no longer simple midi files. But real songs! From the real artists! The realtone is hot at the moment and is only getting hotter and hotter. Because a lot of phones still do not support them. Only the newest high-tech phones support realtones. But in a few years when there are no new mobile cell phones available that don't support realtones everyone will focus on the realtones. And this business niche will only grow in the future of mobile entertainment. Realtones are already available all over the globe, realtones websites are popping up on the Internet like crazy. And the customers keep buying new realtones for their mobile cell phones. But the realtones still are quite expensive, they're even more expensive then the full songs bought on Itunes or other online download shops. In fact for the price of one realtone you could easily buy the whole song, and the realtone is only 30 seconds of the song. Also a realtone costs twice as much as the polyphonic ringtone or the monophonic ringtone. But there are still a lot of people buying them.

A different sort of realtones are the nametones. Nametones are realtones where you get called by your name. It isn't a real song of a popular artist but it's a standard song but with your name in it. Something like: Hey Pete your cell phone rings, pick it up!

You have different sorts of nametones, there are pop nametones, bubblin nametones, hardcore nametones, r&b nametones and a lot more genres to choose from. But these nametones are mp3 based so your mobile cell phone has to support realtones to play them on your mobile cell phone. Also the nametones are mostly the same price as the realtones.

So if you look at the past when the monophonic ringtones were a huge hype in the mobile entertainment business, and later on the polyphonic ringtones became huge. The realtones and nametones will probably be the next huge mobile entertainment hype.

Computer Peripherals

When purchasing a computer you must consider not only the quality of the internal components, but also the external ones that make the entire multimedia experience possible.

Computer peripherals, from keyboards to web cams, are an important part of our activities whilst on the computer, if not the most important one, depending on our needs and habits. When you are faced with the situation in which you have to choose peripherals, consider a few things before making your move.

When we buy a printer we must think of our needs before buying it. For instance, if it is meant to be an office printer and it will be used to print out contracts and objectives, then the best choice is an all-in-one printer that can print, scan and have the functions of a fax machine at the same time. If we want a personal printer mostly to get copies of our digital photos then considering a color printer is a must.

The keyboard and the mouse are two very important components of a computer as they are used most often. There are several mouse/keyboard packages that are value for money and are feature packed. You can buy them in any color you can think of and even get wireless ones.
Communication with friends and family is done online quite often. This is why you will need the right equipment to make that communication more enjoyable. Equipment such as a web cam. A web cam will allow you to see the person you are speaking to. A headset to be able to have a conversation through the use of software such as Skype.

There is a vast array of computer peripherals that allow us to do amazing things. Peripherals such as speakers, webcams, headsets, card readers, digital cameras, USB flash drives etc. The main thing to remember is to make sure that the peripherals meet your wants and needs.

What To Do When Your Keyboard Fail

Do you think the keyboard is important?Try using your computer without it.Your computer will be almost useless without the keyboard.And like all other PC peripherals,the keyboard can and will put you down.

The keyboard is a simple peripheral and when it does go on the blink,you will be much better off pyrchasing a new one rather than considering repairing it,unless the problem is something simple like a stuck key.

TROUBLESHOOTING BASICS

As we look into problems with the keyboard,remember the check the obvious first and as with all problem solving procedures,don't be tempted to take shortcuts. Follow these procedures to resolve common keyboard problems.

KEYBOARD WILL NOT RESPOND

1st. Restart the computer. This sometimes will resolve a computer that has froze or locked up during the first boot up.

2rd. Look behind the system unit and check to see if the cable is fully inserted into the connector. Check to see if it is in the keyboard connector and not the mouse connector.

Shut the computer off and remove the cable from the system unit.Check to see if any pins or connectors have been bent or broken.

If all pins and connectors are good.Try connecting another keyboard and restart the computer. If the new keyboard works,replace the old keyboard.

CHECK FOR KEYBOARD ERROR IN WINDOWS

If the new keyboard should fail as well,check the resource conflicts if your operating system is Windows 98 or Me.Click on Start,Settings,Control Panel,System, and Device Manager Tab in System Properties.

Windows displays your devices attached to your PC. Click the plus sign and scan the list for the keyboard. If you notice an exclamation point or a red X beside the keyboard,the keyboard has a problem.

Now highlight the keyboard,click the remove button, and click OK in the confirmation window. Close the Device Manager and restart the computer. The operating system will reconfigure the keyboard.

WINDOWS DID NOT FIX THE KEYBOARD

You have restarted the computer and the keyboard still does not work.Its now possible you have a faulty keyboard port.This may prove true if the second keyboard failed to work on your computer as well.

Though it rarely happens,an error message will appear if the keyboard get hot.Stuck keys are also causes of error messages appearing on your monitor at bootup.

POOR KEYBOARD PERFORMANCE

Keeping the keyboard free from dirt and dust,is essential to good keyboard performance. Liquid spills are common and can be cleaned with a can of compressed air.

Your settings in Windows may also be the culprit in poor keyboard performance.To check your keyboard performance,click on Start,Settings, Control Panel,and double click keyboard.

On the Speed Tab,you have the option to control the Repeat Delay,Repeat Rate,and the Cursor Blink rate.The Repeat Delay is the delay between the time you press a key and when it responds. The Repeat Rate controls just how fast the key repeats after it begins repeating.

Windows give you the ability to control features of your keyboard which will boost its performance, allowing you to perform your tasks quicker.

While the keyboard is replaced rather than repaired, it is imperative that you learn troubleshooting steps to correct most keyboard problems.You may have problems with the keyboard late at night and you may need to get it working to complete a document you may need for work.Know how to correct problems and help others that may experience keyboard failure.