So what the heck is SSD any way?

I write these articles when I've been asked more than a few times about a particular subject in the tech field. It still never ceases to amaze me when someone asks me about things I think of as common knowledge, but then I remind myself that I'm the one who works in the tech field, not everyone else. Which is why I started this blog to begin with. That being said, lets move on to this article.

You may recall my previous post about Flash (or Thumb) Drives. That memory technology is the leading reason why we even have this great new device. It's read and write speed capabilities, it's ease of use, and it's long term storage capabilities all play a big roll in SSD technology.

SSD stands for Solid-State Disk. Essentially its a newfangled modern version of a computer hard-drive. Its called Solid-State because it has no moving parts. The term SSD has been adopted to distinguish solid-state electronics from electromechanical devices. Since there are no moving parts, solid-state drives are less fragile than regular traditional hard disks and are also silent (unless a cooling fan is used).

There was a few previous versions of SSD's that I should point out. Basically it was a device that used regular everyday computer RAM chips to create a RAM Disk. It would combine all of the total ram chips sizes to create one large storage unit and it would emulate a hard-drive interface to the computer. They were nice because using SDRAM or DDR Ram is extremely fast compared to Flash memory. There are a few drawbacks to this type of SSD though. The biggest one is that because its not flash memory, once the chips loose power, everything that was stored on it is lost, making it completely useless for long term storage. Another is its total capacity is greatly limited. If the largest ram chips on the market are 2gb and there are only 4 slots on the board, then the total drive size will only be 8gb, not a very large drive. Great for the operating systems virtual memory space, but not for data storage. These have been used mostly by specialized computer needs such as enterprise level servers and military systems that move large amounts of data.

The SSD's that is all the rage now is based on Flash memory. Not quite as fast as the volatile memory in RAM chips, but still much faster than its mechanical counterpart. Flash based SSD's have a faster start-up because no spin-up is required. They have fast random access time because there is no read/write head. They have Consistent read performance because physical location of data is irrelevant for SSDs, which also means that file fragmentation has negligible effect. Because they have no moving parts, they are quiet and have a high mechanical reliability, as the lack of moving parts almost eliminates the risk of "mechanical" failure. They have Ability to endure extreme shock, high altitude, vibration and extremes of temperature, lower power consumption, and create less heat, this makes them useful for laptops, mobile computers, and devices that operate in extreme conditions.

On the down side, SSD's are more expensive per GB than traditional hard-drives, but the price of flash memory is dropping drastically making them more affordable to the consumer market. There capacity levels are lower than traditional hard-drives, but flash memory maximum capacities are increasing as fast as the prices are dropping. The physical size of the SSD gets larger as the capacity get larger, so the higher capacity SSD drives are physically larger then traditional hard-drives of the same volume. But I predict that they will overcome this size issue soon as they had to many times in the past with traditional hard-drives.

No your computers NOT trying to hitch a ride with a USB Thumb Drive!

I cannot believe it. I would have thought that everyone would know all about these handy little gadgets by now, but I still keep getting asked what a USB Flash (or Thumb) Drive is, whats it for, and why do I need one. Hence the reason for this post in the "Todays Technology info for those Not in the Know" blog.


Well first a little background info.

The term "Thumb Drive" derives from the first Flash Drive made by a Singapore company back in 2000 who dubbed it the "Thumb Drive", and the name stuck for a while. IBM was really the first company to market in the US the same year with its Flash Drive dubbed "DiskOnKey".

I'm sure you remember the days of saving files to a floppy disk at a maximum storage of 1.44mb, then for a short while we got a larger version "Zip Drive" holding a whopping 100mb of storage.

(Just for reference for those who don't have a clue about digital storage space:

1000bytes = 1kb (kilobyte): 1000kb = 1mb (megabyte): 1000mb = 1gb (gigabyte): 1000gb = 1tb (terabyte)

The average generic text file is usually at least a couple KB in size. The average Word Document file is usually at least 1 MB in size. A Digital Photo can vary from a couple hundred KB to a few MB depending the picture resolution. The average Music File can vary from 2-20MB depending on the saved file format. The average digital home video clip can range from a couple MB to nearly a GB in size. The average full length DVD movie is usually around 2-3GB or an HD movie is at 4-7GB in size.)

Next came the Writable CD-Rom (CD-R) drive giving us 650 - 700mb of storage, but you can only Write on them once, so then we got the Re-Writable CD-Rom (CD-RW) Drives that gave us the ability to Re-Write a CD that you can fully erase and re-use approximately 1000 times or you can format it so you can keep it in the drive and delete individual files and write new ones without erasing the entire disk, but formatted it only held 350mb, but still more then a Zip Drive.

Then we got the Writable DVD-Rom (DVD-R) drive giving us 4GB of storage, then the Dual Layer DVD-Rom (DVD-R_DL) drive giving us 7.5GB of storage, again only to be written on once. Not so handy to grab a bunch files and take to work or a friends then re-use again.

That was the main problem with the larger capacity Optical Rom Drives, they held quite a bit of storage, but mostly to be used once for data backup (or maybe more times for long term storage), but to just grab a couple larger files from work or from home and take elsewhere was quite a pain, and wasteful.

Next we got the USB External Harddrives giving us much more storage capacity (today up to 2TB) that we can re-use over and over, great for entire system backups, and of system file storage, but still not to great to grab a few files and take elsewhere. Sure you can unplug it and just go, but the problem is that you have to be very careful not to drop it or jar it (especially when powered up) or you can damage the mechanical moving parts or even the disk itself where the data is stored. Not to mention its still a little big and bulky to be carrying around, and you have to have somewhere to plug in the power cord to use it.

Now we have the USB Flash Drive. Currently not quite as much storage capacity as the USB external harddrive (capacities range from 1mb - 256GB), but very portable. there small enough to put on a keychain, do not require a power plug, and they have to mechanical or moving parts to damage. All the data is stored on a chip, and the transfer rate at which the computer can read write files to and from the newest USB 2.0 (and soon USB 3.0) drive is much faster than any other drive to date. Not to mention the cost per MB is really inexpensive. Simply plug the drive into a free USB port, the computer sees it as yet another storage drive, copy files to it, unplug it, stick in your pocket and go.

I keep all of my all of my handy dandy computer repair utilities on one flash drive and personal or work related transfer files on another.

Having PC problems, and think you can't fix it yourself?

Has your PC been running really slow, or maybe barley running at all? Has is been locking up frequently, or programs take forever to load when not too long ago they ran just fine?

Aren't you just dreading taking your PC in to be fixed when you know it cant be that hard to fix? Don't you wish you knew how to do it yourself without screwing it up even more?

Well it might be easier than you think. Have you noticed that a lot of the time when you take your PC in for repair or a tune up, it comes back with nothing you had on it is there any more and you have to setup all your favorite stuff again, unless you pay a premium price for keeping all your favorite stuff on it or backing it up for you before fixing it?

You are about to learn the easy way they fix up most modern PC's factory built today and save you a lot of time and money.

First off, have you noticed they always ask you for your disks that came with your computer?
Did you know that most factory built PC's six ears old or newer don't even need all those disks, and usually don't even come with them? That's because the hard drives in todays computers have gotten large enough to store all of the info from those disks in a special hidden partition and still leave plenty of room for the operating system and all of your favorite programs and personal files.

Before you begin any PC fix, make sure you have backed up all your personal files on an external source, weather it be on cd's, usb flash drive, tape drive, external hard-drive, or even the online backup sites like Carbonite or Mozy. Also make sure you have driver disks for all of the devices you have installed since you purchased the system. If you cannot find a disk, you can always download the drivers for your version of windows from the device manufactures websites and save them along with your personal files backup.

This first fix only works if you can get into Windows and it only has minor problems. You may need the proper Windows CD available if required.

Click on the start button then click Run. In the text box type "sfc /scannow" (without the quotes) then hit the Enter key. The built in Windows "System File Checker" will check the important system files to make sure they are ok and replace them with fresh copies if needed. All personal files will remain in tact.

The next two fixes are known as NON-Destructive Restore. This is where important Windows system files are replaced with fresh copies and Windows Registry entries are updated or restored accordingly. Your private files will remain in tact, but the programs they rely on may not. For example a saved excel spreadsheet file will remain, but the Microsoft Office/Excel Program may need re-installed.

First, if your PC is just not running right or suddenly acting a little goofy, you might be able to easily fix it by using Windows built in "System Restore" which you can find in the start menu, or if you hit hit the F8 key a few times when the computer is first booting up (when the screen is still black and showing white text or the manufactures logo screen) then choosing safe mode. Then when the computer boots into safe mode it will ask if you want to run system restore or go ahead and run in safe mode, choose system restore. Once the system restore programs comes up, choose "restore my computer to an earlier time" and then pick a date a couple days prior to when you noticed the computer acting funny, then click next to start the process. Once its done,d the computer will reboot and hopefully its running better.

Second, if your computer is not booting into windows at all, or the Windows built in system restore just did not do the trick, then you can use the manufactures built in system restore feature. To access it, if your computer came with system restore disks, then put disk 1 into the cd drive then reboot the PC, if not, then as soon as you power on your computer and it shows the POST screen (either the black screen with white text, or the manufactures boot logo screen) you should see some text that says press f10 for system restore (all makes and models are different, some say f9, f10, f11, or f12) press the button that it tells you. Just keep in mind that you only have a couple seconds to catch it, and you may have to press it many times durring that time for it to acknowledge that you even hit it. Now it should boot into a special manufactures system restore software and then you can choose to restore/repair the PC. Most of the time you can just pres the next button through the screens untill the process begins. Once the process is complete the computer will reboot and hopefully the computer is running smoothly.

The final fix is known as a Full Destructive Restore. This will completely wipe out the entire system and replace it with a fresh new copy of Windows and extra software, and it will be just like the day you purchased it. Your private/personal files will not be saved. Back up First. I recommend doing this once a year just to keep the computer fresh.

To access this fix is same as the last fix. When you first power on the computer, press the f10 or what ever key is says then when it comes up, instead of just pressing next, you will either choose Full/Destructive restore, or you may need to choose the advanced option then choose the full restore. Once you get the process started, it will take a while and the system will reboot a few times, and it will more than likely ask you a bunch of questions, but once it is complete, it will be completely restored and ready to re-install all your favorite programs and restore your personal files from backup. Keep in mind you may need to re-install drivers for hardware or devices that you have installed since you purchased the computer. If you do not have your driver disks for the devices, you can always download them from the device manufactures websites.

I hope this has helped you as it has helped me for many years.

Having a hard time getting a Paid TV account?

If you are having a hard time getting a paid TV account because of past indiscretions on you credit history, or maybe you live at a place that can not get satellite signal, or what ever the reason, there is a way to still get to watch your favorite channels.

Now I'm not referring to one of those hacked boxes or anything illegal. That would just be immoral to even mention it. No, what I'm referring to is something completely different. With this technology, you can even watch your favorite channels while your out of the house. You can watch at your office desk, on your couch, even while in the bathroom. And the really cool thing is that it will only cost you $20 or $40 with DVR function, for over 250 channels for an entire year and you will even get a second connection so you can watch one show while others in your house can watch another.

Not only will you get over 250 TV channels, you will also get live radio channels, weather in your area, movie channels, City view web cams from around the world, Video Chat, Social Networking and so much more. There are even Money making opportunities with this system. That's the beauty of IPTV-BROADCASTING By Matrix Inc. Watch on your TV, PC, Laptop, and coming soon, even your other web enabled mobile devices.

So how do I get this program you ask? Well, first you need a High Speed Internet connection of at least 1.5 mbps or higher (recommended to view any Hi-Def Channels, 256 kbps for most non hd channels), and a PC or Laptop with at least a 700 mhz processor or better and recommended minimum of 512 mb of ram and Windows XP or newer. At this time if you want to watch on your TV you'll have to have a TV output card installed in your PC or Laptop. A new stand alone TV set-top box is in the works and is slated for release summer of 2010. A new version for the MAC and other web enabled mobile devices is also in the works.

If you meet the requirements and are ready to get started, simply head over to http://www.iptv-broadcasting.com and sign up to get started watching your favorite channels and making money on top it.

How to get around Satellite Service Requireing a Credit Card for New Customers

Have you been denied satellite service because of no credit card? Have you turned down Satellite Service because you do not want to give them your credit card info? If you answered yes to either question, then I will show you how to get around that issue.

First of all, a little background info on the reasons that the satellite companies require a credit card.

First they use it as a secondary form of ID. A CC number along with your SS number will give them a positive ID match. After all they are potentialy putting up to $1500 worth of equipment in your home, plus paying an installer a good chunk of change to install this equipment. They want to make sure that you are who you say you are.

Second, they use the pos id match to do a soft pull of your credit report to make sure your credit worthy. Don't worry about the credit pull damaging your credit score, the soft pull does not mark your credit score. What they look at is your past dealings with other TV service providers as well as telephone/cell phone and internet providers to see if you pay your bills on the NON-Necessity items.

Third, they want some sort of guarantee that your bill will get paid. After all you are signing a contract for service. If you fail to fulfill your contract they will simply attempt to pay off your contract with your credit card.

Now to get around giving them your cc info, or if you do not have one, then all you have to do is get a prepaid credit card. But not just any pre-paid cc, it has to be a bank issued pre-paid cc, and not a Debit Card either. Simply go to your bank that you have an account with, and ask them for one. It may cost a couple dollars to purchase one, most banks dont charge if you have an account with them, then put fifty dollars on the card to cover any sign-up fees, or shipping and handling fees for promotional gift items that may be available through the satellite retailer you choose to do business with. A Walmart or Walgreen purchased pre-paid cc will not work because they cannot verify name or address info with the cc. Only the bank issued cards attach your name and address info with the cards. Dont forget to activate the card before attempting to give out the cc number. To play it safe you should make sure its been active for at least a couple of days before calling to place your order.

After the order has been placed, your service has been installed, and any fees have been taken from the card, you can then use what ever money is left on the card to get gas or what ever.sate

You can save your lost data without a backup

Got a HDD (Hard-Disc-Drive)(AKA: Harddrive) with all of your important data that just crashed? Have you given up on your lost information? Did you forget to backup? Well don't give up just yet! I have a tip that may just get you data back.

This may not work in all cases, but in many it does. If your drive just died and you have not continuously tried to get it to boot over and over, even if its making the clicking noises, or if its making a lot of noises, but still runs, then there is hope.

The answer is simple. But first you will have to get a new HDD. After all, your current drive is either dead or really close to it, and you need somewhere put the data that you are about to retrieve from the old drive.

Remove the old drive from the computer/laptop. Install the new drive and get your OS (Windows/MAC/Linux...) installed and running. Then put old drive into a freezer bag and put it into the freezer for at least 12 hours. This is not a joke, it really works. Just remember that you must work quickly and get the files while the drive is still frozen, so make sure that you have the computer ready to transfer files. You may only get one chance at this. It does not always work a second time.

When you are ready, pull the drive out of the freezer and freezer bag and either install it as a slave drive in your tower or install it into a external USB HDD encloser while still frozen. boot up the computer/laptop and make sure that the OS can see the HDD and has assigned it a drive letter. If not, and you are sure everything is connected correctly and settings are correct, then you may be out of luck. If your computer does see it, then your good to get some files, maybe not all, depends on the drives condition. As quickly as possible, browse the drive and copy the needed files to your new drive. I would suggest getting the most important files first then on to the least important ones because your are running on borrowed time and who knows how long the drive will continue to run.

I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me out through the years.

did you know

did you know you can get you can get $500 in free groceries and $500 in free Gas just for signing up for satellite TV? http://www.dishnetwork.ws or http://direct-tv.ws.

Can your freezer save your lost data?

Got a HDD (Hard-Disc-Drive)(AKA: Harddrive) with all of your important data that just crashed? Have you given up on your lost information? Did you forget to backup? Well don't give up just yet! I have a tip that may just get you data back.

This may not work in all cases, but in many it does. If your drive just died and you have not continuously tried to get it to boot over and over, even if its making the clicking noises, or if its making a lot of noises, but still runs, then there is hope.

The answer is simple. But first you will have to get a new HDD. After all, your current drive is either dead or really close to it, and you need somewhere put the data that you are about to retrieve from the old drive.

Remove the old drive from the computer/laptop. Install the new drive and get your OS (Windows/MAC/Linux...) installed and running. Then put old drive into a freezer bag and put it into the freezer for at least 12 hours. This is not a joke, it really works. Just remember that you must work quickly and get the files while the drive is still frozen, so make sure that you have the computer ready to transfer files. You may only get one chance at this. It does not always work a second time.

When you are ready, pull the drive out of the freezer and freezer bag and either install it as a slave drive in your tower or install it into a external USB HDD encloser while still frozen. boot up the computer/laptop and make sure that the OS can see the HDD and has assigned it a drive letter. If not, and you are sure everything is connected correctly and settings are correct, then you may be out of luck. If your computer does see it, then your good to get some files, maybe not all, depends on the drives condition. As quickly as possible, browse the drive and copy the needed files to your new drive. I would suggest getting the most important files first then on to the least important ones because your are running on borrowed time and who knows how long the drive will continue to run.

I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me out through the years.

Thinking about getting Satellite TV for the first time?

If you are thinking about getting Satellite TV for the first time, but you are not sure what to get, Dish Network, or DirecTV, then read on.

If price is your main concern, then the choice can get pretty tricky. Package to package comparison, regular everyday price without promotions, Dish Network is the better choice. Looking at the everyday price is very important. It will tell you what you will pay after the promotional period is over. After all, the promotional prices usually only last for 3-6 months, and you have to sign a 2 year contract. When its all said and done, after 2 years, you will pay less with Dish Network. To view a Side By Side comparison of the packages offered by both providers, click here.

If the channels offered are you you main concern, then your options are pretty close to the same. Over all, both Dish Network and DirecTV offer the same channels. The only real difference is specialty channels like NFL Sunday Ticket. Only DirecTV offers that. To view all the channels offered by Dish Network, click here. To view all the channels offered by DirecTV, click here.

If the Hardware is your main concern, then there is a major difference between the two providers. To simplify things, if you are technically savvy, then you will enjoy what Dish Network has to offer. They have really cool receivers that can do some really neat things, such as record 2 different shows at once while allowing you to view another recorded show all at the same time, and record in one room and watch in another. DirecTV is more for the easy goer's. People who like things more simplified tend to prefer DirecTV over Dish Network. People who like more options and features in hardware tend to prefer Dish Network to DirecTV. DirecTV does have one cool hardware advantage over Dish Network, they have the Sat-Go receiver. A portable receiver, antenna, and TV all in one convenient breif case style package.

Add more income potential to your Cellular Store front.

Do you or someone you know own a traditional Cellular Store? Has your previously profitable Business become a non-profit hobby? It's time to add some more income potential to your store.

I know the state of the economy and the changing cellular market has brought your bottom line down. Profits are dwindling and you might even be thinking of closing the doors, such as many others have done recently. If you are at that pivotal point where you either do something to turn the business profitable again or just close it down, then you must read this post before you make that decision.

Do not stop selling or change your current brand. Simply add more to it. If you do not have a brand loyalty contract, then you could expand your store to include other brands. But if you are in a contract with your brand that states you cannot sell any other brand out of your store, then that idea is out of the question. I'm sure you have already contemplated this move. If you are able to, then do it. Diversification and Expansion are a great way to increase your profit potential.

Weather your in a brand loyalty contract or not, you can simply add another niche market to your store, and it is not against your contract. Try adding Satellite TV and Internet to your stores products and services line. If you are at this pivotal turning point in your business, then signing a contract with the satellite companies as a retailer and paying all of the up front retailer fees to get started does not make much sense. Signing up as an affiliate under another retailer makes much more business sense.

As a DishNetwork, DirecTV, and Hughes Net affiliate, you still get a descent commission per sale, and you do not have to carry any inventory. All you need is some knowledge of the products and services, a little employee training, and you are on your way to adding profits to your business.

Also you can add promotional gifts to entice the sale of a new contract to your patrons. There is no contract to carry these promotionl gift cards either.

Try out these new products and services and watch your business profits grow.