News and Tips

Acer announced two new 3D LCDs.
ZoomBoth monitors run at resolution of 1920x1080 and support 3D via HDMI or DVI-DL to PCs as well as Blu-ray players, game consoles, cameras and 3D TV programming via a set-top box.

The 27-incher (HN274H) supports Nvidia 3D Vision and comes with a pair of Nvidia's 3D vision glasses by default. The 23.6-inch model (HS244HQ) does not include Nvidia 3D vision support and instead ships with Acer's own 3D glasses. The Nvidia transmitter is not required as the transmitter is built into the displays. According to Acer, any other type of active shutter glasses works with its new displays.

The 27-inch version provides a dynamic contrast ratio of 100 million:1, while the smaller display is rated at 12 million:1. Both displays use LED backlights and offer a response time of 2 ms, Acer said. Prices start at $449 for the 23.6-inch LCD. the 27-inch version carries an MSRP of $689.   

 

5 Alternative Fuel Ideas That Never Made It Out of the Lab

by Ed Grabianowski

Rising energy prices are taking a chunk out of everyone's budget, and the economic effects have pushed "green" technology into the mainstream. To reduce our d­ependence on expensive, polluting fossil fuels, a lot of new energy sources are being explored. Wind energy, electric cars, hybrid cars, hydrogen fuel cells, biodiesel, ethanol -- the world of alternative energy can often seem strange and unpredictable.
It turns out there are energy sources out there that are much more bizarre than corn and sugar. For the most part, almost anything that can be burned can be used as a fuel source, but to really work on a large scale, an alternate energy source has to meet certain criteria. It has to produce more net energy for less money than current technologies, it must be widely available in large quantities and it should produce minimal pollution.
Which bizarre energy sources fit the criteria? You might be surprised by some of the alternative fuel solutions mentioned here, but which of these ideas are pure crank science, and which have a real chance of changing the world?
Let's begin by getting one of the more wacky ideas out of the way first -- an energy source that will most likely never catch on.

 Alternative Fuel 5: Dead Cats

Michael Blann/Getty Images
No cats were harmed during the writing of this article.

Could you use cat corpses to fuel your vehicle? If you could, would you want to? A German newspaper reported in 2005 that an inventor had developed a fuel system that could be powered by garbage, including deceased felines. The story, soon picked up by Internet news sites, included the gruesome fact that a full tank of fuel would require 20 cats. The article even offered some comments from an outraged animal rights supporter [source: Ananova].
Like many bizarre stories, this one had a grain of truth. Dr. Christian Koch did indeed invent a machine that can convert garbage such as paper, plastics and yard waste into biodiesel fuel. There was no mention of cats, however. The whole dead-cat angle was apparently invented by a ghoulish, but creative reporter. Koch's KDV 500 device can supposedly turn trash into gas at a steep discount compared to prices at the pump [source: Deutsche Welle]. Like many claims of revolutionary energy sources, we're still waiting to see the results -- dead cats excluded.
Up next, an idea for an alternative fuel that some people may find difficult to part with -- especially on a hot summer day.

Alternative Fuel 4: Beer

Well, it's not exactly beer, but this is a fuel you can brew yourself. Ethanol can be made by fermenting sugars, similar to whiskey. It is possible to run a car on pure ethanol -- in fact, all of the race cars in the Indy Racing League use it. So why not buy some sugar and set up your own backyard gas pump?
The idea itself isn't inherently bad. It may be a good answer for certain individuals, and improvements in technology are making ethanol easier to produce at home; however, there are still a few reasons why this won't work on a large scale. The economics just don't work out. Using the United States as an example, the sugar that's available is just too expensive to make this a worthwhile endeavor. In addition, distilling ethanol in your yard requires special permits, and it isn't currently legal to run a car on pure ethanol in the U.S. -- home distillers are required to make a fuel blend to stay on the right side of the law [source: Fitzgerald].
The biggest problem might actually be the effort involved. A certain segment of the population is highly motivated and technically skilled, and they'd love the thought of brewing their own fuel. But for this energy source to go mainstream, the average soccer mom has to be willing and able to tackle the process, too. We're not picking on soccer moms here, but any fuel source that requires more effort than plugging-in to a wall outlet or filling-up at the pump is going to face an uphill battle for widespread acceptance.
Despite what you may be thinking, there are a few alternative energy sources that have a real shot at changing the world -- they're just a little unusual. But then again, that's why you're reading this
article, right?

Alternative Fuel 3: Sawdust and Wood Waste

This idea might sound outlandish - how could we generate enough sawdust to generate a useful amount of energy? The average U.S. saw mill processed 7.1 million board-feet of lumber in 2001 alone [source: Bowe, et al]. Multiply that by the number of mills worldwide, and we're talking about a lot of sawdust. All the waste material from industrial wood processing is generally discarded, and we're talking tons of wood waste here. Some of it is reprocessed into particle board or into wood pellets for stoves, but there's still a lot of unused waste wood out there. When left to rot, wood waste is actually an environmental hazard that generates methane, a harmful greenhouse gas.
One solution is to ship the sawdust to a power plant designed to burn it. The heat is used to generate electricity. The idea is more than feasible, it's already in practice -- a 14-megawatt wood waste power plant is being built in Nigeria. Sawdust from nearby mills will be shipped to the plant, and the electricity generated will in turn be used to power the wood mills, with enough energy left over to sell to the national power company [source: Energy Resource].
The next alternative fuel idea will probably make you wrinkle up your nose, but Canada is willing to give it a go. Why shouldn't you?

Alternative Fuel 2: Dirty Diapers

This one sounds almost as gross as dead cats, but used diapers could be an excellent fuel source -- not that anyone would want to live downwind of the power plant. It is possible for garbage to be turned into fuel gas and fuel oil with very little pollution by using a process called pyrolysis. It differs from incineration in that the material is heated in a sealed, oxygen-free environment, which breaks down the molecules inside to create useful byproducts.
Why do diapers make such good candidates for pyrolysis? There are several reasons. For one, we have a lot of disposable diapers, and we (as in, babies) constantly generate more. The second reason is that
it would be relatively easy to use special recycling bins to separate them from other garbage. The third and final reason is -- and really, this is the biggest reason it would work -- consistency. Pyrolysis works best when it has been fine-tuned to the material being heated. Mixed garbage is full of all kinds of random materials, and you never know what sort of mix you're going to get from one day to the next. We know exactly what's in diapers, that is, in terms of the plastics and fabrics used in their manufacture, as well as what's in diapers, in terms of what babies put there.
So what's the end result of taking in dirty diapers for finely tuned pyrolysis? Fuel products, of course. A power company in Quebec, Canada is planning a plant to test the technology [source: Hamilton].

Alternative Fuel 1: Solar Paint

If someone suggested you could power all the electric devices in your home with paint, and then you compared the price per-gallon of paint to fuel, you might think this idea is short-lived. But this isn't paint you burn as fuel -- it's a special solar paint that captures the energy of the sun.

Swansea University engineers are working on what is essentially a paint-on solar panel that can be applied to the steel panels used to cover many buildings. The interaction of the sun with the paint and the underlying steel surface creates a current that can be captured and diverted. Taking into account the huge amount of square-footage available, and using a relatively modest 5 percent conversion rate for available solar energy, the scientists calculate that annually the solar paint could produce the energy of 50 wind farms in Britain alone. And that's even considering the level of sunlight Britain receives -- not much compared to places like Arizona or Kenya [source: Science Daily].
For more information about alternative fuels and other related topics, follow the links on the next page. You may be surprised by what you find.


Source: Howstuffworks

Top 10 Car Winterizing Tips

by John Fuller

On a cold Monday morning after a snowstorm, you hop into your car and drive of­f to work. The engine's a bit sluggish today, but you shrug at the stop sign before moving on -- i­t usually is during the winter, but the old heap's never let you down, right? What could possibly go wrong?
Before you know it, you're sliding over an ice patch. You test the brakes, but this only makes it worse. Then -- slam! -- you hit a snow bank, covering your car with snow and creating your own makeshift igloo. You try to start the engine again after it stalled, but it looks like the battery is dead. After several minutes of trying to force the door open, a quick look in your backseat lets you know you're stuck in the worst way. No food, no gloves, no boots, no blankets.


­

Although the chances of this terrible chain of events ever happening are slim, many of the problems described above can give you a headache during the cold months if you don't properly winterize your car. Just as it's necessary for us to put on a coat, hat and gloves in cold weather, our cars need a similar kind of attention if they're going to function at their best potential.
In this article, we lay out the top 10 tips for getting your car through the winter and staying safe out there during tough road conditions. What should you keep in the car with you? What parts should I check before driving? How important is gas and oil during the winter? Is there anything I can do with the tires? For answers to all these questions and more, read the following pages.

Tip 10: Keep an Emergency Kit Inside Your Car

The simplest thing you can do to combat the cold weather is to keep a few essential supplies and tools with you as you drive. You'll obviously want a spare tire and the tools to change out a flat, but it's a good idea to keep some extra material in the trunk as well. Bottles of engine oil, washer fluid and coolant all come in handy, and we'll touch on those in greater detail later on. An ice scraper is a necessity, since you and your car won't be going anywhere with frozen snow blocking your view.
Flashlights and flares are helpful if you're stuck on the road late at night when visibility levels are low. Even if you're wearing a coat, an extra pair of gloves, boots or even a blanket can keep you warm and dry if your heating unit isn't working properly.

Tip 9: Make Sure Your 4-Wheel Drive Works

Thomas Cain/Getty Images
4WD in an SUV will help get your car moving, but it won't improve braking at high speeds.

Unless you go off-roading all year long, chances are if you own an SUV you don't use your four-wheel drive (4WD) during the summer. That's why it's important to make sure everything is working correctly before the winter starts, even if 4WD doesn't take too much maintenance. A functioning system can improve tire traction on snow and ice, decreasing the possibility of getting stuck. 4WD varies depending on the vehicle, so check the owner's manual for the best environment in which to use it and how to engage the system.

Remember, having a 4WD system doesn't mean you can drive figure eights around icy parking lots or drive faster than you normally would in a regular car. 4WD can improve your SUV's traction on snow and ice from a stationary position, but it doesn't make your tires grip the pavement any better when you brake.

Tip 8: Check Your Car's Belts and Hoses

The belts and hoses under your car's hood are typically checked when the car is due for a tune-up (usually every 30,000 miles). Even if you're not getting a tune-up this winter, it doesn't hurt to have a mechanic take a look at how everything is holding up around your engine. Cold temperatures can weaken belts and hoses, and if something snaps or breaks while you're out on the road, a tow truck will be the only way to get moving again.

2008 HowStuffWorks
Check to make sure your belts and hoses are in good condition.

Tip 7: Replace Windshield Wipers and Wiper Fluid

Imagine driving down the road at night, and all of a sudden a storm of freezing rain passes over, beating your windshield with sheets of water. You click your wipers on so you can see better, but nothing works -- pieces of rubber flap uselessly against the glass, and the blades' scraping doesn't make the view outside any clearer.

Jose Luis Roca/AFP/Getty Images
Clear out any snow above and below your windshield wipers -- the weight of snow can damage the wiper mechanism and make winter driving dangerous.

­ Low visibility can make driving in cold weather extremely dangerous, so it's important to make sure the wiper blades are up to par. Your wiper blades are made out of rubber, and with time they'll crack, split and deteriorate. It's suggested that you replace your windshield wipers every six to 12 months. Keeping your wiper fluid filled up is also a plus, as fluid can assist in breaking up snow and ice on the windshield.
The countdown continues on the next page with more winterizing tips.

Tip 6: Check Your Defrosting and Heating Units

When our windshields fog up in the winter, it's because moisture from inside the car condenses on the glass and makes it very difficult to see. Water vapor coming in from an open window -- or even from your own breathing -- can fog up a window. Defrosters solve this problem by blowing warm, dry air over the glass. If you're sure your defroster unit is functioning properly but there's still a problem with too much fogging, have your car checked for air leaks around the doors and windows bringing in extra moisture.
It's also important to stay warm and comfortable while driving, since shivering makes it difficult to steer or pay attention to the road. If your heater isn't working, you may have a faulty heater coil. Although heater coils are expensive to replace, it will be worth it during cold winter mornings if you don't want to freeze behind the wheel.

Tip 5: Keep Your Fuel Tank Full

Do you ever let your gas tank run on fumes until the very last moment, only to fill it up with about $15 worth of gas? Although it's never a great idea to do this any time of the year because you run the risk of getting stranded, the damage you might inflict on your car with a near-empty tank during winter is much worse. Cold and constantly shifting temperatures can cause condensation to form on the walls of a gas tank in the red, and soon water will drip down and into the gas. It will eventually sink to the bottom, since water is heavier than gas, which is bad news -- if water finds its way into the fuel lines, it will freeze up, blocking any flow of gas to the engine and effectively halting your travel plans. Any repairs that have to be made can be costly, too, so despite high gas prices, keeping your tank full will help both your car and your wallet.

Tip 4: Put in the Right Amount of Antifreeze

Antifreeze protects your engine from both freezing in cold weather and heating up on hot days, and it also cuts back on corrosion. It's important to keep equal parts antifreeze and water in your radiator -- a 50:50 ratio is considered the norm and will keep fluids from freezing at temperatures as low as -34 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, you won't have to stand over your engine with a measuring cup -- you can buy pre-mixed bottles of antifreeze and water at gas stations. If you don't pay attention to the amount of antifreeze, the coolant can freeze, and the engine will get extremely hot. Chances are you'll blow a gasket or two, and the cost of replacing them with labor can be expensive.



 2008 HowStuffWorks
It's important to keep equal parts antifreeze and water in your radiator
For the top three of the most important tips for winterizing your vehicle, read the next pages.

Tip 3: Check Your Oil and Oil Viscosity

Oil lubricates the metal surfaces of your engine and stops them from grinding together and causing a lot of damage. The viscosity -- or thickness -- of the oil greatly affects your engine's performance. If the oil is too thick, it will flow too slowly between parts and your engine will get too hot. In the winter time, cold temperatures cause oil to thicken, but you can overcome this problem by filling your engine with an oil of a lower viscosity. Your owner's manual should tell you the ideal type of oil you should use, and it also might specifically suggest a thinner oil type depending on the season. Remember, most technicians recommend that you change your oil every 3,000 miles or once every three months.

Stockbyte/Getty Images
A woman checks the oil level of her car with the dipstick.

Tip 2: Check Your Battery

Car batteries last for about three to five years, so it's best to keep track of how old yours is. If it's time to get a new one, you can replace it in the fall when batteries typically go on sale. Winter months are tough on your engine and cause it to work harder, and this puts more pressure on the battery.
If your battery isn't that old, it's still good to take a look and make sure nothing's wrong. Check the battery cables and clamps for fraying or corrosion. If there's a white, powdery substance around the clamps, that's corrosion from battery acid -- you can clean it off easily with baking soda, water and a toothbrush. Your battery is also filled with fluid, so make sure it has enough inside. Most batteries have caps on top, and you can check the level by removing the caps. If it's low, fill the holes with distilled water, being careful not to fill past the bottom of the cap.

Greg Ceo/Getty Images
Someone didn't properly winterize his or her car battery.

 

Tip 1: Check Your Tire Pressure and Consider Snow Tires

Wet or icy roads can cause dangerous accidents in the winter, so it's very important to make sure your tires are equipped to handle adverse weather conditions. If you choose to use regular tires on your car, check the air pressure on each tire. Deflated tires close up the tread and significantly decrease traction, increasing the likelihood of sliding on icy patches. Many gas stations have the tools available for you to check tire pressure, and it costs nothing or next to nothing to fill your tires with the right amount of air -- again, the owner's manual should list the suggested pounds per square inch. Here are some other tire tips and suggestions:

2008 HowStuffWorks
If you have a car, chances are you also have a tire-pressure gauge.

• Some people also keep salt in their cars -- if your car is stuck in snow or on ice, sprinkling salt in front of your tires can offer some more traction and get things moving.

• If you ever find yourself skidding on an icy road, don't put on the brakes, even if your instincts tell you to do so. Instead, take your foot off of the accelerator and guide your car to safety by turning the wheel in the opposite direction you're skidding.

• If you live in an area that gets hit particularly hard in the wintertime, purchasing snow or winter tires and replacing regular tires can be helpful, as they offer improved traction, braking and control.

Source : Howstuffworks

Change The Standard Search Engine In Internet Explorer 8

    Search Engine in Internet Explorer 8 is Windows Live. If you're not familiar with it's search engine, you can change with another search engine. The method is:

1. Run Internet Explorer 8.
2. In Main Menu, click tools>Internet Options.
3. In automatically, tab "General From Internet Options" can opened. Press (Settings) button which is below search line.
4. A new menu, who the title "Change Search Default", will appears. A various of search engine will showed in "Search Provider" list. Select your favorite search engine in these lists.
5. And then, click "Set Default" to make a standard search engine.
6. Now, save it's settings with press button "OK" and "OK" again. 

Source: PC Plus

AMD Restructures Entire CPU Lineup

5:50 PM - February 11, 2011 by Kevin Parrish -
source: X-Bit Labs

AMD is nuking the current processor brands and splitting its entire CPU portfolio into three classes.
AMD may halt processor branding once the company completes its Llano and Zambezi processor lineup. The reason is that AMD reportedly wants to emphasize its corporate AMD Vision trademark and focus consumer attention to its corporate brand.
The news arrives by way of a mysterious document received by X-bit Labs. Although the site didn't provide a scanned copy for all to see, the document supposedly reveals that AMD will divide its processors into three different classes of its Vision platforms including FX-Series, A-Series and E-Series. That means we may not see another Phenom, Athlon or Sempron-related branding on our AMD CPUs ever again. Really, it will be ok.
The AMD document supposedly indicates that the FX-Series will consist of "Zembezi" processors based on Bulldozer micro-architecture with four, six or eight cores. These will be sold using the AMD Vision Black and AMD Vision Ultimate labels.
The A-Series processors will consist of the "Llano" APUs (accelerated processing units). These will have two or four cores and an ATI Radeon HD 6000-class graphics core. These will be sold on AMD Vision Ultimate and AMD Vision Premium platforms.
As for the E-Series, this group will serve the low-end market with APU's using one or two cores and a basic Radeon HD 6000-class "Zacate" graphics core. This series will be sold simply as AMD Vision.
"What you saw AMD do with APUs on the 'Brazos' platform is get component-level branding out of the way so that our OEM partners can imbue their products with branding of their choosing without sub-brands cluttering things up," said Damon Muzny, a spokesman for AMD, in a previous statement. "Vision is AMD's contribution, which comes with the intention of simplifying the purchasing for folks who know what they want to do with their PC and don't care to learn the intricate sub-component technical nuances to make a buying decision. Will we do the same with Llano and Zambezi? You'll have to wait and see."
Currently there's no indication of when this re-branding will take place.

Source: Tom's Hardware 

Salingsapa.com Islamic social networking sites

 

Salingsapa.com Quite Social networking sites now widespread in the enthusiast created by the virtual world, one of the successful social networking site is FB , And yesterday the work of city children koprol.com Also already in the acquisition by Yahoo, and now present a social networking site created by young people Indonesia www.salingsapa.com address at the which the site is equipped with a variety of different features of Islamic

John Harlan youth is the birth July 25, 1998 are still sitting on the bench smp is the inventor of this salingspa.com site, On this social networking site, John Harlan made a feature Khazanah and the Koran. Two recent feature was much loved by its users. Within two weeks after launch Until today has reached 5400 users.

"On the features of Khazanah, the user cans listen to the lectures darai many Cleric. While the features of the Quran, the user cans read Al-Qurang from Juz 1 to 10, complete with its translation as well. Or just to listen to The verses of the Koran, cans Also be clicked on this feature, the "bright students WHO like tinkering with computers and play this guitar.

Besides these two features, Yahya Also features radio lists several cans That Played for 24 hours. That and other features are similar to general social networking Such as wall (wall), photo , friends, and others.

However, John said, he Had to work extra with the father to monitor social networking as well as delete user tries to insert content into Salingsapa.com-negative content.

"Another constraint is less powerful servers. Server We Were kids once, but must accommodate more users to join in Salingsapa.com," said the student WHO intends to make games Islamic education is nuanced.

For those Interested please just register on the site www.salingsapa.com

Source: Sugengsetyawan 

Toyota, Honda, Nissan Close Factories After Quake

4:00 AM - March 12, 2011 - By Jane McEntegart -
Source : Tom's Guide US

Zoom
Japan today experienced one of the most powerful earthquakes in its history. Though the extent of the damage is still not known, companies with factories based in the country are starting damage assessments and some have opted to shut down operations as a result of the destruction.
Bloomberg reports that  Sony, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries) have stopped production in several of their factories after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake. Sony has stopped production and evacuated six of its facilities, Toyota has closed three, Honda has shut two, Nissan has closed four, and Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru cars, has closed five factories.

Many other companies are still busy assessing the damage from the earthquake. Panasonic reports that several of its employees sustained minor injuries, while one man working for Honda was killed at the carmaker’s R&D facility when a wall fell on him. Two workers at Nissan suffered minor injuries. A Toyota spokesperson told Bloomberg that all workers were safe.
Google today launched a Person Finder to help people in Japan locate missing friends and relatives.

Read more about the effects of the eatherquake, the 7.1 magnitude aftershock and and tsunami on Bloomberg.