IT DEVICES: Computer Peripherals

How to Assign a Static IP Address in Windows and OS X

By default, most computers and 
devices on the network get their IP addresses via DHCP. DHCP is 
basically a system whereby a host, like a router or server, gives out IP
 addresses to devices so that they can communicate with the host and 
with each other over the network.
Each device on the network has to have a unique IP address. The IP 
address for a device may change over time depending on several factors. 
This usually doesn’t cause any problem, but there are situations where a
 static IP address is required.

For example, if your computer is being used as a media server in your
 home, you might want the IP address to remain the same if you have to 
connect to the computer via its IP address. In other instances, you need
 to change the IP address to match the subnet of another device so that 
you can connect and configure it. There are two ways to set a static IP 
address on a device.

One way that I’ve already written about is logging into your router and <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/assign-fixed-static-ip-addresses-to-devices-on-home-network/" target="_blank">reserving an IP address</a>
 for a particular device. The advantage to this method is that all the 
changes are being made in one location, so it’s easy to see which 
devices have static IP addresses and what the addresses are. Also, you 
can easily assign static IP addresses to Windows, Mac, Linux machines or
 any other device easily.

The disadvantage to this method is that it requires logging into your
 router, which isn’t the easiest thing to do for some non-techie folks. 
Secondly, figuring out how to assign static IP addresses on routers can 
be complicated and there is no one way to do it.

The second way to assign a static IP address is to change the 
settings on the device itself. The advantage here is that the process is
 a little bit more straight-forward, but the downside is that each 
device might have a different method for assigning a static IP.

Either method will work, so choose whichever option is more 
convenient. This article will explain the second method, but only for 
Windows and OS X.

Note: When assigning a static IP address, be 
sure you are not choosing an IP that is in the DHCP range, otherwise you
 might get a message about an <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/ip-address-already-in-use/" target="_blank">IP address conflict</a>, which is what happens when two devices have the same IP address on the network.

The best way to avoid this conflict is to log into your router or 
whichever device is acting as the DHCP server and change the IP address 
distribution start address.

If you start the address at something like .10 or .11, then you’ll 
have several IP addresses free that you can use to assign as static IPs.
 It’s a little complicated, so I only suggest this option for someone 
who knows what they are doing.

<h2>
Assign Static IP Address – Windows</h2>
The following procedure will work for Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10. The first thing we want to do is to open the <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/windows-7/network-and-sharing-center-overview/" target="_blank">Network and Sharing Center</a>. You can do that by clicking on the Start button and typing in network and sharing.

In the Network and Sharing Center window, click on Change adapter settings on the left-hand side.

This will open the Network Connections window where you will see a 
list of all physical and virtual network devices. Here you will want to 
right-click on the network connection that is currently being used to 
connect the computer to the network and choose Properties. If it’s WiFi, use Wireless Network Connection. If you are connecting via cable, use Ethernet.

Now click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) to select it and then click on Properties again.

Finally, this will bring you to the settings screen where you can assign a static IP address.

You’ll select the Use the following IP address radio
 button and then type in the IP address, subnet mask and default 
gateway. By default, when you type in the IP address, it fills out the 
subnet mask for you. The Default gateway and Preferred DNS server should both be set to the IP address of your router.

I would also check the Validate settings upon exit 
box to make sure that the new values will work on your network. Click OK
 and your computer will now have a static IP address assigned to it.

<h2>
Assign Static IP Address – Mac (OS X)</h2>
If you’re using a Mac, you have to go to System Preferences,
 which is basically the equivalent of Control Panel in Windows. To get 
there, click on the Apple icon at the top left of the menu bar.

Next, click on the Network icon.

This screen is similar to the Network Connections dialog in Windows. 
You will see a list of network connections on the left. If the 
connection is green, that means it is active. Click on the connection 
and then click on the Advanced button at the bottom right.

This will bring up all the advanced settings for the network connection. Click on the TCP/IP tab and you’ll see a dropdown next to Configure IPv4.

In the dropdown, you have several choices: Using DHCP, Using DHCP with manual address, Using BootP, Manually and Off. In OS X, you can choose from either DHCP with manual address or Manually. Manually is basically like the default option in Windows where you have to type in all the values yourself. DHCP with manual address will allow you to type in an IP address, but will automatically determine the subnet mask and router (default gateway).

Even though it looks fairly complicated, changing the IP address for 
your computer is a simple task. The harder part is knowing what IP 
address to use so that you don’t run into any conflicts, but can connect
 to the network at the same time. If you have any questions, feel free 
to comment.

Computer Peripherals TIPS How to Assign a Static IP Address in Windows and OS X

By default, most computers and devices on the network get their IP addresses via DHCP. DHCP is basically a system whereby a host, like a r...

Mac vs. PC Pros and Cons List

12:51 PM Unknown 0

Can’t decide if you should buy a 
Mac or PC? It’s a tough decision because both platforms have different 
advantages and disadvantages. It really also depends a lot on external 
factors like what other devices you own and what kind of software you 
use.
For example, if you own an Xbox One, a Windows Phone, a Surface 
tablet and all the other computers in your home are Windows PCs, then it
 might be more convenient to stick with a PC. On the other hand, if you 
own an iPhone, an iPad, an Apple TV, and an AirPrint enabled printer, 
then a Mac would fit in really well with those other devices.

Additionally, even if you end up with a mixed environment with Windows and Mac devices, it’s pretty easy to <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/free-software-downloads/share-files-and-folders-across-computers/" target="_blank">share data across devices</a>. It’s also fairly easy to access <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/how-to-access-mac-files-on-a-windows-pc/" target="_blank">Mac files from a Windows PC</a> and vice versa. You can even connect a <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/view-mac-files-on-windows-pc/" target="_blank">Mac-formatted drive to a Windows PC and view the files directly</a>. If you’re new to Mac, you’ll be happy to know that <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/mac-os-x/mac-equivalents-of-windows-software-and-features/" target="_blank">OS X has an equivalent for pretty much every feature in Windows</a>.

So, without further ado, let’s go into the pros and cons for each 
platform, which includes the hardware and software. Obviously, this is a
 very biased and opinionated article, so feel free to share your 
thoughts if they are different.

<h2>
Mac Pros and Windows Cons</h2>
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/macs.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-59637"><img alt="macs" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59637 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/macs.jpg" height="236" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/macs.jpg" style="display: block;" width="680" /></a>

<ul>
<li>Macs have a built-in program called BootCamp, which allows you to <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/mac-os-x/run-windows-on-mac/" target="_blank">install Windows, Linux or other operating systems in addition to OS X</a>.
 Setting up a dual boot system in OS X is infinitely easier than it is 
in Windows. It’s also super easy to switch between the two operating 
systems. </li>
</ul>
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/bootcamp.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-59638"><img alt="bootcamp" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59638 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/bootcamp.jpg" height="322" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/bootcamp.jpg" style="display: block;" width="661" /></a>

<ul>
<li>Macs work better with other Apple 
products in terms of software. This includes features like Handoff, 
iMessage, iCloud, iCloud Drive, iCloud Photo Library, iCloud Keychain, 
Find My iPhone, etc. Microsoft has tried to copy this, but only 
partially. </li>
</ul>
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/icloud.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-59639"><img alt="icloud" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59639 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/icloud.jpg" height="396" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/icloud.jpg" style="display: block;" width="680" /></a>

<ul>
<li>Macs are less complicated and more 
intuitive to use. This is a very debatable point and the reason why I 
also list it as a con in the section below. If you’ve always been a 
Windows user, it can initially be counter-intuitive to use, however, 
I’ve found that it’s more logical once you get used to it. </li>
<li>Even though Macs can get viruses or 
malware, the number of threats is still significantly less than for 
Windows just because the Windows base is so much larger. </li>
<li>Almost all new <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/how-to-automatically-remove-unwanted-pre-installed-software-from-your-computer/" target="_blank">PCs come installed with loads of bloatware</a>
 from PC manufacturers, which requires manual removal. Mac computers 
have pre-installed software, but only from Apple and they don’t slow 
down your system. If you’re technically savvy, this is a non-issue, 
otherwise it can be a major nuisance. </li>
<li>Apple has excellent customer support, 
AppleCare warranty programs, and exclusive Apple Stores where you can 
take your Mac or other Apple products for repairs, training or other 
issues.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/apple-care.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-59640"><img alt="apple care" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59640 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/apple-care.jpg" height="363" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/apple-care.jpg" style="display: block;" width="650" /></a>

<ul>
<li>Macs are sleek and visually appealing.
 To get something close from PC manufacturers usually ends up negating 
the higher cost factor for Apple products. </li>
<li>Speaking of cost, Macs are more expensive than PCs, but they also hold their resale value far better than PCs.</li>
<li>Apple computers have some of the 
highest customer satisfaction rates in the industry. When you purchase a
 Mac, you are getting a high-quality machine. This can be true for PCs 
also, but with so many manufacturers and configurations, getting the 
best quality can be more difficult. </li>
<li>Macs tend to be a bit more innovative 
in design and features. For example, Macs include Thunderbolt, USB Type C
 ports, multi-touch trackpads, force touch, keyboard backlighting and 
more. </li>
</ul>
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/force-touch-mac.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-59641"><img alt="force touch mac" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59641 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/force-touch-mac.jpg" height="326" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/force-touch-mac.jpg" style="display: block;" width="547" /></a>

<ul>
<li>Macs can read NTFS or FAT formatted hard drives. Windows cannot read
 Mac formatted drives unless you install a third-party program.</li>
<li>The iMac, the only Mac desktop other than the Mac Pro, is an 
all-in-one computer that you can get with a 4K or 5K display, something 
that really doesn’t exist in the Windows market at all unless you get an
 ultra-expensive custom rig. There is the HP Envy, but it isn’t as good 
as the iMac.</li>
</ul>
<h2>
PC Pros and Mac Cons</h2>
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/windows-10-laptop.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-59642"><img alt="windows 10 laptop" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59642 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/windows-10-laptop.jpg" height="475" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/windows-10-laptop.jpg" style="display: block;" width="680" /></a>

<ul>
<li>PCs are manufactured by many different
 companies, resulting in a huge selection of devices with a wide 
variation in prices. With Apple, you have only a few choices with set 
prices. In terms of desktops, Apple has only one geared towards 
consumers, so if the cost is prohibitive, a Windows desktop will be a 
much better choice. </li>
<li>PCs are more up-gradable and 
configurable. On Macs, you can usually only upgrade the RAM or hard 
drive and that’s it. Pretty much every component on a desktop PC can be 
switched out. When purchasing PCs, you also have a lot more options that
 you can configure including processors, cases, memory, hard drives, 
ports, displays, etc. </li>
</ul>
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pc-components.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-59644"><img alt="pc components" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59644 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pc-components.jpg" height="359" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pc-components.jpg" style="display: block;" width="668" /></a>

<ul>
<li>Overall, there is a lot more software available for Windows than for
 PC. The opposite is true when you look at smartphones, but we’re 
talking about computers here. There is usually an equivalent Mac program
 for every Windows app, but they are not always as good.</li>
<li>Windows based PCs may have greater backwards compatibility. A five 
year old PC can easily run Windows 10 without any issue. A five year old
 Mac can run the latest version of OS X, but half the features will be 
missing and things don’t run as smoothly. For some reason, you always 
need the latest Mac in order to utilize all the new features in OS X.</li>
<li>PCs are the absolute best option when it comes to gaming. Macs 
simply do not come with as powerful graphics cards, even high-end 
machines like the Mac Pro.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pc-gaming.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-59643"><img alt="pc gaming" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59643 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pc-gaming.jpg" height="316" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pc-gaming.jpg" style="display: block;" width="572" /></a>

<ul>
<li>Worldwide, most computers are PCs and Windows is the most popular 
operating system by far. This means the community is much larger and you
 can get more support for software and hardware.</li>
<li>In terms of accessories, PCs have a lot more options and those options are usually cheaper.</li>
<li>Though OS X is simpler, that’s not always the best for some people. Windows is more complex and powerful than OS X.</li>
<li>PCs can be configured with hardware that Apple considers obsolete. 
Some newer Apple machines don’t even come with CD/DVD drives. 
It also seems Apple keeps reducing the number of ports on each newer 
machine. The new Macbook has one USB port and one headphone jack and 
that’s it.</li>
<li>PCs work great with a whole slew of other products too. For example, you can stream your Xbox or PlayStation games to Windows.</li>
</ul>
These are some of the major pros and 
cons when it comes to Mac and PCs. There are a ton of other smaller 
pluses and minuses, but I don’t think those warrant that much attention 
when discussing this topic in general terms. Obviously, if you’re a 
professional graphics designer, then looking at specific compatible 
hardware and software would make more sense.

The point of this article is not to say one platform is better than 
the other, because that is simply not true. If you are a college student
 and the only thing that matters to you is your budget, then a Mac will 
probably not be best choice, regardless of the other benefits. In my 
opinion, if you have never tried a Mac, you should ask a friend or 
family member to loan you a device to see how you feel about it. Just 
about everyone has used Windows, so you pretty much know what you are 
getting in terms of software.

Let us know your opinions about why Mac or PC is better for you in the comments

Can’t decide if you should buy a Mac or PC? It’s a tough decision because both platforms have different advantages and disadvantages. It r...

Use a Smartphone as a Remote for Your TV, Set-Top Box or Console

12:50 PM Unknown 0

If there’s one thing I hate using
 nowadays, it’s the ancient remote control. You’d think it would be 
obsolete by now, but it still lives on and won’t go away anytime soon. 
Thankfully, if you have a device that is fairly new (a couple of years 
old), then you can use your smartphone to control it.
I’m talking about controlling HDTVs, streaming set-top boxes, cable 
boxes, game consoles and the likes. I’m simply too lazy and cheap to 
configure and purchase a universal remote. It works for some people, but
 I’ve never been able to get any universal remote to control everything,
 meaning I still need several remotes.

I also tried purchasing an adapter that plugs into my phone, which 
can control multiple IR devices, but all of them were flaky and couldn’t
 control all my devices. Finally, I just decided that I’m going to 
download an app for every device I have and control things that way. 
Surprisingly, this has worked out well.

In this article, I’m going to talk about the different apps you can 
use to control all of your different devices. Some apps are definitely 
better than others, but all pretty much have the same basic remote 
functionality.

<h2>
Control HDTVs via Smartphone</h2>
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/hdtv.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-59658"><img alt="hdtv" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59658 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/hdtv.jpg" height="467" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/hdtv.jpg" style="display: block;" width="680" /></a>

If you have a cable TV box, you probably don’t use your HDTV remote 
other than to switch the input. If you have a smart technician come out 
to your house when getting cable installed, they might even be able to 
configure that on the cable TV remote.

Luckily, most major TV manufacturers have remote control apps for 
their HDTVs, which makes it easy to control the volume, change the 
channel and switch inputs. One major exception is Vizio. They have a 
SmartCast app, but it only works with a SmartCast HDTV, which they are 
starting to sell in 2016. It’s ridiculous they don’t have an app for 
controlling all of their other TVs.

Still, there are many third-party developers who have written apps to
 control TVs that don’t have official apps from the OEMs. I’m going to 
list out the different apps for some of the major brands. If you have a 
different TV, just search the app store for the manufacturer of your TV.

Computer Peripherals Mobile Gadgets Use a Smartphone as a Remote for Your TV, Set-Top Box or Console

If there’s one thing I hate using nowadays, it’s the ancient remote control. You’d think it would be obsolete by now, but it still lives o...

Review – iClever Portable Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker

12:46 PM Unknown 0

Looking for a quality Bluetooth 
speaker that sounds good, supports the latest tech and isn’t super 
expensive? Well, the team over at iClever sent me several of their 
gadgets to test out and the one I’m probably most impressed with is the 
Bluetooth wireless speaker.
It should be noted that I have been given a review unit by iClever, 
but this is not a sponsored post nor have I been paid to write it. I 
will list out the pluses and minuses of the device and give my general 
opinion based on my own usage.

The exact model I am reviewing is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/iClever-Enhanced-Portable-Bluetooth-Playtime/dp/B00PU3YI50/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">iClever Bluetooth IC-BTS02</a> speaker. If you own one of these and have anything to add, feel free to leave a comment. Now let’s review it!

<h2>
Size & Design</h2>
The first thing that struck me about the speaker was the size. It’s a
 tiny little speaker that fits easily into your hand. It was also small 
enough to fit into my jacket pocket, which was convenient when I took it
 for walks in the forest with my kids. The exact size is 2.75 inches 
tall by 2.5 inches (length & width).

For review purposes, the size will make it very easy to take with you
 anywhere. The other big plus is that it looks really nice. It’s all 
black with a blue band through the center. The sides have some kind of 
glossy surface, which makes it a bit shiny.

The only problem with the glossy sides is that your fingerprints 
remain on the unit and you will need to constantly clean it if you have 
oily or clammy hands. The speaker is on the top of the unit, so all the 
sound comes out from there.

On the front of the unit is one button, which controls Bluetooth and 
phone calls. If we flip the unit over, you’ll see the rest of the 
controls. You have three buttons to control music and volume.

In addition, you have an On/Off switch, which helps save battery 
life. In terms of weight, the unit is definitely less than a pound. 
According to the documentation, it’s close to 9 ounces. The only other 
small issue I noticed in terms of design is that the bottom uses a 
rubber material, which collects a lot of dust and dirt. Luckily, you can
 just take a wet paper towel and wipe it to clean it off.

<h2>
Functionality & Ease of Use</h2>
So what can this little speaker do? Well, it’s main function is to 
connect to any device that supports Bluetooth and act as an external 
speaker. When I got the speaker, I wanted to see if I could set it up 
without having to read the instructions.

That’s usually my test on how intuitive a company makes their 
products. After flipping the switch to On, I figured I would have to 
press and hold the button on the front to enter pairing mode. 
Thankfully, that’s exactly how it works. The button will begin to flash 
and then you can go to your tablet/smartphone/device and connect to the 
speaker.

Above, I connected the speaker to my iPhone 6S Plus by simply tapping
 on it. The nice thing about the speaker is that you don’t need to type 
in any password or anything else to connect via Bluetooth. Once 
connected, audio from your device will now come through the speaker.

Depending on your device and what level of Bluetooth it supports, all
 audio may be routed through the device. For example, when using my 
Nexus 6 and iPhone 6S Plus, every sound generated on the phone was piped
 through to the speaker. This included all audio from any app that I 
used, phone calls, FaceTime calls, music, etc.

In addition, on any kind of call, you have to talk to the speaker and
 not your phone. The speaker has a built-in mic and the speaker on the 
phone would deactivate automatically when connected to the Bluetooth 
speaker. This actually works out well because you can listen and talk 
directly to the speaker rather than having to talk into your phone and 
listen via the speaker.

I was able to leave my phone on my desk and walk around the house 
with the speaker while on a phone call. Obviously, you can just do that 
with your phone too, but this speaker is definitely louder than a phone 
speaker. The only downside here is that you have to keep the speaker 
within about 2 feet of your face, otherwise no one can hear you clearly.

In terms of specs, the speaker supports Bluetooth version 4.0, A2Dp, 
AVRCP, HFE and HFP. It’s also worth noting that you can only connect one
 device to the speaker at a time. Once connected to a device, it will 
automatically reconnect to that device when you turn the speaker back 
on.

If you do not use the speaker for a certain amount of time (15 
minutes), it will automatically power off, which is definitely a 
required feature for a device of this type. However, this only occurs 
when the device is on, but not paired with any other device. If you 
leave it on and it remains paired to your phone, etc., then it seems to 
remain on and the battery will run out much faster.

Luckily, the buttons on the bottom are also designed intuitively. For
 example, if you are listening to music and you press the next song 
button, it will load the next song. However, that button is also the 
increase volume button. Well, I tried holding down the button instead of
 just pressing it and sure enough, I started hearing beeps and the 
volume getting louder.

In terms of the battery, which is a 500mAh lithium-polymer battery, 
the device lasts a surprisingly long time. I wasn’t able to test it from
 full charge to dead while continuously playing music, but the device 
lasted for several days on one charge with a few hours of usage per day.
 It should be noted that I always turned the device off manually when I 
was not using it.

In terms of charging, the battery takes several hours to charge, 
which is to be expected. The speaker comes with a USB to micro-USB 
cable, which you can connect to your computer for charging. You can also
 just purchase a power adapter if you want to charge it faster from a 
wall outlet.

Other useful features include the Line-in or AUX port on the back. If
 you have a music player or want audio piped from a device that doesn’t 
support Bluetooth, but has a 3.5 mm audio jack, then this feature comes 
in really handy.

<h2>
Sound Quality</h2>
Lastly, but not to be forgotten, is the sound quality! Obviously, 
when you’re spending $25 for something, it’s not going to blow you away 
like a Bose speaker would, but it’s also not costing you a fortune.

The speaker has a 5W driver, which delivers pretty decent sound for 
such a tiny little device. I was quite impressed with the quality of the
 sound overall. According to the manual, the frequency range is 90Hz to 
18Khz, which sounds about accurate.

Depending on what kind of music you listen to, the sound quality will
 vary. For example, music with a lot of highs sounds excellent, but 
music with more mids doesn’t sound as good. The bass is good, but 
obviously with any speaker of this size, you’ll get some of that 
“muddied” sound.

Outside of that issue, the speaker is VERY loud. I blasted this thing
 at full volume on the speaker and on my phone and I literally had to 
step away because it was hurting my ears. The sound was also not as 
distorted as I thought it would be at such a high volume.

<h2>
Conclusion</h2>
Overall, I would give this Bluetooth speaker a 9 out of 10
 when comparing it to other similarly-priced speakers. The size, 
build-quality, sound-quality, sleek design and features make it one of 
the best portable speakers for this price.

I’ve only used the speaker for about 3 weeks, so I will update this 
post if I run into any issues later on. For example, one person wrote on
 Amazon that the battery stopped holding a charge after several months. 
It could have been a defective unit because I didn’t read any other 
similar reviews, but I’ll check the claim out myself too.

Computer Peripherals Mobile Gadgets Review – iClever Portable Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker

Looking for a quality Bluetooth speaker that sounds good, supports the latest tech and isn’t super expensive? Well, the team over at iClev...

How to Stop an LCD Monitor from Flickering

9:09 AM Unknown 0

Compared to older displays, LCD 
monitors are an excellent low-cost, low-power solution to our need for a
 computer display. Unfortunately, some monitor settings can make an LCD 
screen appear to flicker.<div class="entry-content" itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="KonaBody">
A flickering LCD monitor is more than just an annoyance. It can cause
 eye strain, headaches, and a host of other ailments, especially if you 
spend a great deal of time in front of your computer. Luckily, there are
 some steps you can take to stop the flickering and avoid these 
problems. In this article, I’ll show you how to stop your LCD monitor 
from flickering.

<h2>
What Causes an LCD Monitor to Flicker</h2>
Although your computer monitor may appear to be a still image when no
 one is using it, it is actually being updated constantly. Much like a 
film strip is just a bunch of static images displayed quickly, your 
monitor updates at a fast rate to make it look like things are moving 
smoothly on the screen.

The rate at which your monitor updates is measured in Hertz. One 
Hertz is equal to one cycle per second. If your monitor is set to update
 at a rate of 100 Hertz, then it is refreshing 100 times per second. The
 Hertz used to measure monitor refresh rates is similar to the Gigahertz
 used to measure the speed of your CPU, except that Gigahertz is a 
measure expressed in billions of cycles per second.

If the refresh rate on your LCD monitor is set too low, it can appear
 to be flickering since there aren’t enough updates per second. While 
some people are comfortable with around 30 Hertz, others can see the 
flickering and require a higher refresh rate. The most common refresh 
rate is 60 Hertz.

There are other factors that can cause screen flickering and I have mentioned those at the bottom of this post.

<h2>
Setting the Refresh Rate for an LCD Monitor</h2>
The refresh rates that you can set for your LCD monitor are largely 
determined by the capabilities of your monitor. While some LCD monitors 
can take advantage of several different refresh rates, others are 
confined to just one or two.

To choose a new refresh rate for your LCD monitor in Windows, begin by clicking on Start > Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Display.
 If you are on Windows 8 or 10, just right-click on the Start button and
 choose Control Panel. If you’re in icon view, you can click directly on
 Display.

On the left hand side of the window, click on Change Display Settings.

Finally, click on Advanced Settings at the bottom right of the window.

Click on the Monitor tab and you will notice a few things. First, notice the setting labeled Screen Refresh Rate.
 This is the current refresh rate for your LCD monitor. Click the drop 
down menu and Windows will display all of the refresh rates possible for
 your monitor.

It is likely that your monitor can only use one or two refresh rates,
 so this list may not be long. Some manufacturers build monitors that 
can display anywhere from 30 Hertz to 200 Hertz. Normally, monitors with
 higher refresh rates will be more expensive. A common refresh rate for 
gaming monitors is 144 Hertz. If the price of a monitor seems too cheap 
to you, it’s probably because it has a low refresh rate. For example, 
some new 4K monitors are cheap, but are only 30 Hertz, which can make 
everything look choppy on the screen.

Also, a lot of monitors will show 59Hz and 60Hz and you can pick 
between the two. So what’s the difference? It’s basically something to 
do with rounding and it really doesn’t matter. You can read the exact 
details on <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2006076" target="_blank">59Hz vs 60Hz</a> here.

From here, you can try a higher refresh rate and see if the 
flickering stops. Usually this does the trick. If it doesn’t work or 
there is only one refresh rate listed, there are two things you can try.

First, make sure you are using the latest driver for your LCD 
monitor. If the driver is outdated or Windows is using a generic driver,
 the number of refresh rates available may be limited. Visit the 
manufacturer website and download the latest driver for your version of 
Windows.

If that doesn’t work, you can force Windows to use a refresh rate 
that is not technically supported by the monitor. Be careful, though, 
because it is possible to damage your monitor hardware if you do this.

On the Monitor tab shown above, there is an option that is checked by default called Hide Modes That This Monitor Cannot Display. By unchecking this option, you can force Windows to use any refresh rate for your monitor that you want.

Notice that right underneath this option, Windows warns you about an 
unusable or damaged display. Uncheck this option and set your monitor to
 an unsupported refresh rate at your own risk. Depending on your version
 of Windows, this option may be grayed out, meaning you can only pick 
from the refresh rates listed in the box.

For Mac users running OS X, you can go to System Preferences and click on Display. Here you can change the refresh rate for an external display connected to your Mac.

<h2>
Other Screen Flickering Causes</h2>
If changing the refresh rate doesn’t fix the flicker on the screen, 
it could be related to other factors. Here is a list of other items you 
should check:

Cable – If you can, change the cable connecting your
 monitor to your computer. In some cases, a defective cable can cause 
the signal to break while being transmitted across the wire.

Input Port – Another solution is to use a 
different port on the monitor, if possible. For example, if you are 
connecting using HDMI, try DVI or DisplayPort or VGA instead and see if 
that fixes the problem.

Surroundings – In addition to hardware issues, 
electromagnetic fields can also cause screen flickering problems. If you
 have something else plugged into the same power strip like a heater, 
fan, etc., try removing it.

Video card – If there is an issue with your video 
card, it will obviously effect the output on the screen. Update the 
drivers and open your computer to ensure that the video card is properly
 seated in the slot.

Monitor – Lastly, the monitor itself could be 
damaged or defective. Try connecting the monitor to another computer to 
see if the problem goes away or remains.

Hopefully, this will help you figure out what’s causing the 
flickering issues with your monitor. If you have any questions, feel 
free to comment. Enjoy!

</div>
</div>

Computer Peripherals Softwares TIPS How to Stop an LCD Monitor from Flickering

Compared to older displays, LCD monitors are an excellent low-cost, low-power solution to our need for a computer display. Unfortunately, ...

Prevent a Mouse or USB Device from Waking Windows from Sleep Mode

9:09 AM Unknown 0

One of the best power management 
features in Windows is sleep mode, a convenient way to save power and 
reduce the wear and tear on your PC hardware while it isn’t being used. 
Normally, your mouse and keyboard are set by default to wake up Windows 
from sleep mode.
This isn’t a problem for most people, but can be troublesome for 
certain people with a very sensitive mouse. Even slight vibrations can 
cause Windows to wake up from sleep. Luckily, you can easily disable the
 mouse or any other USB device from waking Windows up.

In this article, I’ll show you how to change the power settings for 
your mouse or USB device so that it won’t interfere with Windows 
sleeping. For me, I just use my keyboard to wake up the computer, so I 
don’t have to worry about pressing the power button.

<h2>
Stop Mouse from Waking PC</h2>
To start, go to Control Panel and click on Mouse. If you are in category view, click on Hardware and Sound and then click on Mouse under Devices and Printers. 
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/mouse-settings-1.png" rel="attachment wp-att-59063"><img alt="mouse settings" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59063 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/mouse-settings-1.png" height="243" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/mouse-settings-1.png" style="display: block;" width="629" /></a>

In the Mouse Properties window, click on the Hardware
 tab and select your mouse from the list of devices. Normally, there 
will only be one mouse listed here, but that will depend on the hardware
 you have connected to your computer. When you have selected your mouse 
from the list, click the Properties button.

In the second Properties window for your mouse, click on the Change Settings button on the General tab.

Finally, click the Power Management tab and uncheck the Allow This Device to Wake the Computer box. Click the OK
 button and click OK on all the other open windows too. From now on, you
 cannot wake up Windows from sleep mode by clicking a mouse button or 
moving the mouse around.

Some high-end mice, like gaming mice, have high polling rates and 
high DPI, which means even the tiniest of movements will be detected and
 cause your computer to wake up. Fixing this setting will prevent that 
from happening. Note that you can also get to this setting by clicking 
on Start and then typing in Device Manager.

Expand Mice and other pointing device and then right-click on the mouse and choose Properties.

This will get you to the same dialog with the Power Management tab as
 shown above. To prevent other USB devices from waking your computer, 
just right-click on them, choose Properties and go to the power tab. For
 example, you can also prevent the keyboard from waking your computer or
 the network card too.

If you have a wireless keyboard/mouse and there is a USB transmitter 
attached to your computer, you will also need to disable this option for
 that device too. It should show up under Keyboards. If nothing else other than HID Keyboard Device shows up, then just disable it for that also.

<h2>
Missing Power Management Tab</h2>
In some cases, you might not see a Power Management tab for some or all of your USB devices. In addition, sometimes the Allow this device to wake the computer box is grayed out and you can’t check or uncheck it.

If you are missing the Power Management tab or the box is grayed out,
 you need to go into your computer BIOS and make sure it supports wake 
over USB. You can usually tell this if there is an option to enable USB Wake Support or enable a sleep state higher than S1 (normally S3). The option in the BIOS may be called ACPI Suspend Type.

You might also see some options under Wake Up Event Setup related to resuming from S3/S4/S5 by mouse/keyboard/USB device. Make sure these are all enabled.

If you’re having other sleep issues, make sure to check out my post on <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/windows-10/windows-10-will-not-sleep/" target="_blank">troubleshooting Windows not going to sleep</a>. If you have any questions, feel free to post a comment. Enjoy

Computer Peripherals TIPS Prevent a Mouse or USB Device from Waking Windows from Sleep Mode

One of the best power management features in Windows is sleep mode, a convenient way to save power and reduce the wear and tear on your PC...

4 Free/Cheaper Rosetta Stone Alternatives

9:08 AM Unknown 0

If you’re trying to learn a new 
language, you have most likely heard about the popular language learning
 software Rosetta Stone. Rosetta Stone comes in a wide variety of 
different languages, allowing you to learn another language via 
specialized training software on your computer or mobile device.<div class="entry-content" itemprop="articleBody">
<div class="KonaBody">
However, the software is a bit on the expensive side. For 
example, most languages on the site are currently selling for $209, 
which gets you either online access, a download or a CD-ROM.

Although expensive, $209 is probably worth it if Rosetta Stone can 
actually help you master a foreign language. The thing is, the way 
Rosetta Stone teaches languages may not be that effective for some 
people. Rosetta Stone focuses mostly on being able to speak quickly and 
not as much on grammar, sentence structure, etc. For many, classroom 
learning is a better method, as it involves more interaction with an 
actual person who speaks the foreign language, the teacher.

If you want to get started learning a foreign language without buying
 Rosetta Stone or paying for classes, there are some decent free 
alternatives out there that you can try out.

<h2>
Babbel</h2>
<a href="https://www.babbel.com/" target="_blank">Babbel</a>
 is an online tool for learning how to speak, read and write in a new 
language. The site mostly has lessons for European languages like 
French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Dutch, etc. In 
addition, it has Russian and Turkish.

The lessons are interactive and allow you to practice speaking also. 
The software has voice recognition so you can make sure that you are 
pronouncing the words correctly.

If you create an account, it will sync all your lessons to the cloud 
so you can move from your computer to your phone and continue from where
 you left off. In terms of pricing, they have some free lessons, but if 
you really want to learn a language, you’ll have to sign up for their <a href="https://www.babbel.com/prices" target="_blank">subscription plans</a>.

Overall, it’s a cheaper solution to Rosetta and they have a community
 that lets you connect with native speakers of the language you are 
trying to learn.

<h2>
Busuu</h2>
<a href="https://www.busuu.com/" target="_blank">Busuu</a>
 is a language learning tutorial website that offers many helpful tools 
for learning English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, French, and 
more. Busuu has a <a href="https://www.busuu.com/enc/video" target="_blank">short video</a> that quickly reviews the features of the website.

Busuu is a fairly good language learning software and it provides 
several different ways to learn a foreign language: everything from 
vocabulary and writing to punctuation and grammar. Busuu also features 
quizzes, which give you a classroom like learning style.

They have lots of lessons and just about all of them are free. If you become a <a href="https://www.busuu.com/n/en/subscribe" target="_blank">premium membe</a>r,
 you get access to grammar, voice recording and review exercises, faster
 correction from a native speaker, travel and business course and level 
tests.

The pricing is pretty close to Babbel and it follows the same monthly
 subscription model. Overall, it’s very well done and has a lot of 
resources for each language beyond just being able to speak it. They 
also have mobile apps for easy learning on the go.

<h2>
Duolingo</h2>
<a href="https://www.duolingo.com/" target="_blank">Duolingo</a>
 is the first tool mentioned here that is completely free. They don’t 
have a huge number of languages, but they have all the popular ones that
 we have already mentioned above.

When you start a new language, you start at the top of a path and 
work your way down. If you already know some of the language, you can 
take placement tests to skip the lessons.

The lessons include different kinds of interactive questions which will help you read and write the new language.

You can also hear how words and sentences are pronounced so that you 
can speak it yourself. In addition, you can add friends from Facebook in
 case you want to learn with someone else. They also have discussion 
forums and even real world articles that you can translate once you 
become proficient in the language.

<h2>
LiveMocha</h2>
<a href="http://livemocha.com/" target="_blank">LiveMocha</a>
 is a website that is owned by Rosetta Stone and is basically their 
lower-level cheaper option. It’s still not free, but basically lets you 
purchase lessons in small bits and pieces. They also give you some free 
credits to start with that will basically get you about 5 free lessons. 
After that you have to spend about $1 per lesson.

Some languages have more lessons and courses than others, obviously, 
and they do have quite a few languages available. If you are looking for
 something bite-sized, this is a good option.

The lessons are pretty basic in that they include a short intro video
 and then some vocabulary flash cards. They also include audio 
recordings for each word. Overall, it’s a different take on learning 
than the way it is done in Rosetta Stone.

So these are a couple of good options you have when trying to learn a
 new language. They are especially good for popular languages like 
Spanish, French, German, Italian, etc. If you have any other tools you 
use, feel free to mention them in the comments. Enjoy!

</div>
</div>

Computer Peripherals Softwares TIPS 4 Free/Cheaper Rosetta Stone Alternatives

If you’re trying to learn a new language, you have most likely heard about the popular language learning software Rosetta Stone. Rosetta S...