Laptop Profiling: Why Your PC Holds You Up at Security
Q: Why do I have to take my laptop out of my carry-on luggage at the airport security check? I don't have to remove any of my other electronics. A: Ann Davis, public affairs manager for the Transportation Security Administration, says that ... [... more]
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Unbox on TiVo
Able to store a terabyte, Vudu's high-end box has the most space for data-heavy HD. And its use of peer-to-peer technology makes for speedy streaming. TiVo taps into Amazon's Unbox movie rental service, which boasts a large library. But fans of ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
How to Configure Wireless Routers With IP Addresses: ...
The address you're seeing is a "private network" address, not designed to be seen by other computers out on the Internet, and therefore able to be used on other private networks like your neighbor's. In the current system of IP addressing ... [... more]
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Support Tech Education
You haven't found any takers on eBay? Well, some retailers offer discounts on new equipment if you trade in your old stuff for recycling. For example, Apple retail stores accept broken iPods; shoppers receive a 10 percent discount on a new ... [... more]
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Tech Clinic
Hogging the Party Line My local cable provider is offering access speeds of up to 15 megabits per second (Mbps)-five times the speed of my existing broadband account. If I buy that plan, does everyone else's access suffer? All cable modem users ... [... more]
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How to Fix Your Broken AV Sound System Receiver: Tech Clinic
A: It's possible that your receiver is toast, but don't give up hope yet. There are two things to check. Many modern receivers have "protection circuits," bits of specialized hardware that recognize dangerous levels of volume and shut your ... [... more]
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How to Make High-Res Photo Slideshows on DVD
Q: I burned my vacation photos to a DVD, then played the disc through a DVD player on my HDTV, but the resolution looked far inferior to the same photos on my computer screen. Why is this? A: The native resolution of the DVD format is 720 by 480 ... [... more]
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The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
There's no reason movies shot on 35-mm film can't look great in HD; their native resolution is actually far higher than Blu-ray's. (Remember: These movies were shot to fill huge theater screens.) And when films are scanned into digital, they are ... [... more]
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Idle Gadget Fix: 7 Electronic Vampires Defanged
Power switches can only do so much. Even if they're turned off, your electronic devices are still likely pulling a charge as long as they are plugged in. And while the trickle of electricity consumed by so-called electrical vampires is often just ... [... more]
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* ANALYSIS: The Problem With Traffic Cameras Tracking You
While FCC rules require that phone companies provide all handsets with some way of tracing 911 calls, whether or not your cellphone has a true GPS inside it depends on the carrier. While AT & T; and T-Mobile most often determine a 911 caller's ... [... more]
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How to Cool Down Your Computer: Tech Clinic
Q: A computer-enthusiast friend of mine operates his PC with the case open. He claims that it helps cool the computer. Is he right? A: An open case can make things a lot cooler — if you put a full-size box fan right next to it. Otherwise, your ... [... more]
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Top 10 HDTV Myths: Fact vs. Fiction, Hi-Def Style
High-definition television (HDTV) has evolved from an early-adopter indulgence to a mainstream technology in less than a decade. Enthusiasm for HD everything is driving the sales of flat-panel TVs and has inspired a next-gen DVD format war. It's ... [... more]
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