What is SS USB?

What is SS USB?

SS USB is an acronym that means "SuperSpeed USB" where USB means "Universal Serial Bus".

USB is a type of interface the is used to connect computers to storage devices and digital cameras to transfer data.  SS USB designates USB 3, which is not only faster than USB 2, but can provide more power.  SS USB can provide power for storage drives and even computer monitors through the SS USB port.

SS USB ports are labeled with "SS" in front of the USB logo.  In some cases, SS USB ports are colored blue.  A new row of pins is added in the SS USB interface to support the higher speed data rates.

How Fast is SS USB?

SS USB supports a data transfer rate of up to 5 Gigabits/second.  This is 10x faster than USB 2.0.  SS USB supports full duplex communication (simultaneous transmit and receive), where USB 2 supports only half duplex communication- this provides the potential for SS USB to actually be 20x faster than USB 2.

How Do I Know If I Have SS USB?

If your look closely at the USB ports on your computer, you'll notice a USB logo.  If the USB logo has the letters "SS" in front of it, you have a SS USB port.  Another indicator is if blue plastic is used in the USB port.  Close inspection of a SS USB port will show that it has an extra row of pins compared with a "regular" USB port.

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What is HDMI?

What is HDMI?

HDMI is an acronym that means "High Definition Multimedia Interface".  HDMI  is the interface that carries digital video and digital audio signals for digital television and monitors.

HDMI ports are found on High Definition (HD) television sets and provide a means to provide a HD digital video source to the TV.  For example, a blu-ray player is connected to a digital TV through its HDMI interface using an HDMI cable.  The HDMI output port on the blu-ray is connected to one end of an HDMI cable and the other end of the HDMI cable is connected to the digital TV. Both digital audio and digital video signals are supported on HDMI.

Another example of connecting an HDMI media device is using the HDMI port on an Xbox to get high definition video for video games.  Just connect an HDMI cable between the Xbox and your High Definiton TV.

What is an HDMI cable?

An HDMI cable is the type of cable designed to carry HD digital video and digital audio from a  media source to a TV or monitor.  HDMI cables are available in a variety of lengths and start at about $5.

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SD vs SDHC vs SDXC Memory Cards

SD vs SDHC vs SDXC Memory Cards

There are 3 types of SD cards available: SD, SDHC, and SDXC.  These cards are the same size, but support different memory capacity and file system options.

SD

SD stands for "Secure Digital" and is a type of flash memory card for cameras and tablet computers.  This type of memory card is also known as SDSC which means "Secure Digital Standard Capacity".  SD cards are available with memory capacity up to 4GB.

SDHC

The SD standard was updated in 2006 to define the SDHC format which means "Secure Digital High Capacity".  SDHC cards support a capacity up to 32GB and are preformatted with FAT32 file system.

SDXC

SDXC means "Secure Digital Extended Capacity".  This update to the standard was released in 2009 and supports cards with up to 2 TB memory capacity.  SDXC cards are preformatted with Microsoft's exFAT file system.

SD Card Speed Classes

SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards are available in several speed classes.  Faster cards support faster read/write times and support real-time high definition video recording and high resolution digital cameras.

Class 10 SD cards

Class 10 is currently the highest speed class.  Class 10 SD cards support data rates of at least 10MB/sec.  Most class 10 cards available today support read/write speeds of 30-45 MB/second.

Below are some Class 10 16GB SDHC cards.  These cards support fast data transfer for high definition video and digital pictures.  Some of these 16GB SD cards are less than $10!


   

Recommended Reading:
64GB SD cards
32GB SD cards
16GB SD cards

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16GB SD card

16GB SD card

The price of 16GB SD cards has dropped significantly as larger capacity SD cards are becoming more popular.  You can get some great bargains on 16GB cards- some are under $10!

The memory capacity of a 16GB SD card can store a lot of pictures and files.  For example, if your digital pictures are 6MB each, a 16GB SD card can store over 2600 pictures.

The storage capacity is not the only thing to consider when selecting an SD card- speed is also very important.  The read/write rate of the SD card determines how long it takes to read and write files from the card.  If you are selecting an SD card for a digital camera or video recording, you will want a fast class 10 card.  Class 10 SD cards support data rates of at least 10MB/sec.  Many Class 10 SD cards available now support speeds of 30 to 40MB/sec or more.  This means less lag when taking pictures or recording video.

Below are my favorite 16GB class 10 SD cards.  These are all fast cards and work great for digital cameras and video recording as well as tablet computers.




Recommended Reading:
How to Get a Digital SLR camera cheap!

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64gb sd card

64gb sd card

There are lots of choices available for 64GB SD cards for your digital camera or tablet.  The main considerations when selecting an SD card are the memory capacity and the read/write speed of the SD card.

A 64GB SD card has lots of capacity.  For example, if you use a 64GB SD card in a digital camera, and each picture takes 6MB of storage space, a 64 GB SD card can hold over 10,000 pictures!  That is an incredible amount of storage.

Speed of the SD card is also important, especially for digital cameras and digital video recording.  Class 10 SD cards support data rates of at least 10MB/sec.  Many Class 10 SD cards on the market have a transfer rate of 30 to 40MB/second or more which is great to avoid lag.

Below are some of my favorite 64GB SD cards.  All of these are class 10, which are high speed SD cards-great for digital cameras and digital video recording.





Recommended Reading:
How to Get a Digital SLR camera cheap!

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32gb SD card

32gb SD card

There are some great options for 32GB SD cards for digital cameras.  Memory capacity and read/write speed are the main considerations when selecting a SD card.

A high capacity 32GB card will hold lots of pictures.  For example, the pictures I take with my Digital SLR camera are about 6MB each, so a 32GB card will hold 5,300 digital pictures.

Another important consideration for choosing an SD card is speed.  Faster SD cards will allow you to take pictures faster with less delay between pictures.  If you are using an SD card for a tablet, a faster card will allow you to run with less lag.  I use a fast class 10 SDHC card.  Class 10 SD cards support data rates of at least 10MB/sec.  Class 10 SD cards selling today may have a data transfer rate of 30 to 40MB/second which can keep up with recording photos or digital video.

Below are the best 32GB class 10 SD cards.  I got the SanDisk Extreme card with my digital SLR camera, but the Sony SDHC card looks like a good value.



Recommended Reading:
How to Get a Digital SLR camera cheap!

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Flash Drive Recovery- Image Rescue 4 Recovered My Pictures!

Flash Drive Recovery

Flash drives and SD cards are very convenient for saving and transferring files, and the prices have come way down lately.  It is amazing how much memory you can get on a tiny flash device.  If you want the best performance from your camera, you want to choose a flash memory with fast read/write times such as a SDHC Class 10 Flash Memory Card .




But what do you do if a flash drive or memory stick is corrupted and your files are lost?

I recently lost all my Christmas pictures from my digital camera! The 32GB SDHD card was corrupted, and I could not see my pictures with the camera, with a Mac, or with a Windows PC.  Of course, I was disappointed and almost reformatted the card since I could not find my pictures after trying many times.

But I decided to try to recover the pictures first.  It turned out to be quick and easy to recover files from a corrupted flash memory.

Image Rescue 4 Flash Drive Recovery

I downloaded and installed Image Rescue 4 from Lexar.  I found an offer for a free download of Image Rescue 4 in my SDHC card package.  You can also download a free trial version that might get the job done.

Image Rescue 4 has tools to scan for lost image, picture, and video files on corrupted flash devices.  You can also recover deleted files from a flash memory.  Image Rescue works with all kinds of flash memory devices, SD cards, and USB flash memory sticks.

Flash Drive Recovery- Image Rescue 4
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Image Rescue 4 found all of my images on my corrupted flash device.  I simply selected my corrupted flash memory from the menu and selected "Start Scan".  After Image Rescue recovered my files, I saved them to my hard drive and reformatted my SDHD card after saving the files to my computer hard drive.

Image Rescue 4 offers FAT32 or NTFS flash fomatting options- I used FAT32 for compatibility with my digital camera.






Recommended Reading:
Use a Cheap USB Flash Memory Stick to Speed up Windows 7

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What is ReadyBoost?

What is ReadyBoost?

ReadyBoost is a feature of Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista that allows computers to use a flash drive as a memory cash to make the computer run faster.  Since flash drives have faster random access read and write times than a hard drive, Windows uses the flash drive as a high speed memory cash to make your computer run faster.

Flash drives, also known as thumb drives or USB memory sticks, are available for under $10, so using ReadyBoost is an inexpensive way to get more performance out of your older computer.  I use the SanDisk Cruzer Fit USB Flash Drive in my laptop for ReadyBoost- it doesn't stick out like a full-size flash drive and works great with ReadyBoost.




This link has detailed instructions on using ReadyBoost and a cheap USB memory stick to speed up your computer.


Recommended Reading:
Use a Cheap USB Flash Memory Stick to Speed up Windows 7

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What is an iPod?

What is an iPod?

An iPod is Apple's brand of portable MP3 player.  These devices store digital music files and play them through headphones.  Some iPod models can also store and play videos on the small iPod screen.

iPod Touch features a touch screen and runs iOS like iPhones.  You can run iPhone apps and play games on an iPod Touch.  You can think of an iPod Touch as an iPhone without the phone.

What is the Difference Between an iPod and an MP3 Player?

iPods are a type of MP3 player.  MP3 describes the file format used to store digital music files.  iPods differ from other brands of MP3 players in that many people think they are easier to use.  Apple has integrated music downloading from iTunes to make it easy to download and manage songs.

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What is PayPal?

What is PayPal?

PayPal is an on-line money transfer service that replaces checks and money orders for making payments. PayPal users put funds into their PayPal account with a funds transfer from their bank or credit card.  The PayPal account can then be used to transfer the funds to someone else's PayPal account to make a payment.

Using PayPal eliminates the risk of getting a bad check since the funds are confirmed immediately.  If you receive funds into your PayPal account, you can transfer these to your bank to access the money.

PayPal is the main method of payment for eBay items.  PayPal charges the seller a transaction fee of about 3% for sales on eBay.




Recommended Reading:
What is eBay?

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What is eBay?

What is eBay?

eBay is an e-commerce site where visitors can buy and sell items.  All kinds of items are offered for sale on eBay.  Individual sellers can sell household items and electronics that are no longer wanted to make money.  Some eBay sellers buy large quantities of imported items and sell them individually at a profit.

eBay is a good place to look for rare or unique items since millions of items are for sale from around the world.  eBay is a good opportunity for sellers to reach a large market to get the best price for their items.

What Selling Formats are Available on eBay?

eBay started off selling through an auction format.  Items were listed at a starting price, and buyers could bid in an auction by offering a price higher than the current high bid.  The person with the highest bid at the end of the auction wins the auction.



eBay has added other selling formats, such as "Buy It Now" (BIN) where buyers can instantly buy an item by offering the BIN price.  Buyers like this format since they do not need to wait until the end of the auction to find out if they will get to buy the item or not.

Another option is "Best Offer" where buyers can make the seller an offer and the seller can accept or reject the offer.  This is a good selling format for items that are difficult to price.

How Much Does it Cost to Sell on eBay?

The final value fee from eBay is 10% of the final price.  If you accept PayPal for payment the PayPal fee is about 3% of the selling price.




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What is Etsy?
How to Ship Sold eBay Items
Avoid the Nigerian eBay Scam

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IP Security Cameras: Monitor Your House Over the Internet

IP Security Camera

An IP Security Camera is the name for an "Internet Protocol" Security Camera that can be accessed from anywhere in the world over the Internet.  With an IP Security Camera in your home, you can monitor the video feed over the Internet using a computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.  A password is used to restrict access to the video feed to authorized users.

Wireless IP Security Camera

A wireless IP Security Camera uses a wi-fi network to transmit the video to the Internet, so no Ethernet cable is needed.  This makes placing IP security cameras in your home or business very easy.  Most IP Security cameras do require a power outlet.

IP Security Camera Features

• One key feature is wireless vs. wired IP security cameras.  Wireless cameras are very handy if you do not have Ethernet jacks near your camera locations.
• Motion detection is another useful feature in an IP Security Camera.  Some cameras use the same type of IR (infrared) motion detector that is found on motion sensing lights.  Motion detection can be used to trigger recording of the video stream to a memory card in the camera and even to trigger the camera to send an e-mail notification.
• Security software is another feature of an IP Security Camera.  Some software allows you to draw a box on the video frame to define an area to generate alerts if motion is detected in the video within the defined area.
• Some IP Security Cameras allow you to listen using a microphone on the camera and even to speak over a speaker on the camera.
• You can get an IP Security Camera with night vision capability.  These IP Security Cameras use IR LEDs and a sensor that can detect IR.  This allows the camera to produce video in total darkness.
• Some cameras have pan and tilt motors to allow you to position the camera to view the desired area.

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What is a UPS?

What is a UPS?

UPS is an acronym that means "Universal Power Supply".  This is a back-up power supply for computing equipment that allows computers to keep running through a brief power outage.

During thunderstorms, it is not unusual for the electric power supply to homes and businesses to go out for a few minutes due to lightning strikes on utility equipment or tree branches falling and damaging power lines.

A UPS has a battery and an a DC to AC converter to supply 120 volt A/C power to run equipment.  The capacity of most UPS can run a computer for an hour or so when no power is available.  The main purpose is to allow users to save their work in an orderly fashion and power down their computer without losing their work.  Most UPS also include surge protection to protect items plugged into it from power surges.

Do you need a UPS?

If you have a desktop PC, you may benefit from a UPS.  A UPS will protect you from losing your unsaved work when power outages occur, and can allow you to continue working for some time without electric power.  You can also power peripherals such as printers using a UPS.  You will also benefit from surge protection which protects your computer equipment from power surges.

If you have a tablet computer or laptop, you do not need a UPS since these devices have a built-in battery and are not immediately affected by power interruption.  You may want to consider a surge protector to protect your equipment from power surges.

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What is VoIP?

What is VoIP?

VoIP is short for "Voice over Internet Protocol".  VoIP is a way of making a phone call using the internet to send the data instead of using a phone network or cellular telephone network.  The advantage of using VoIP is that you can make free long distance phone calls using your existing internet service.

How Do You Make Free Phone Calls with VoIP?

You can download software that allows you to make VoIP calls from your computer.  Skype is one example of free VoIP software.  Skype also allow you to do videoconferencing if you have a webcam connected to you computer.

You can also buy devices that allow you to use VoIP to make free phone calls using your existing phones.  Ooma Telo Free Home Phone Service is one example.

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What is Retina display?

What is Retina display?

Retina display is an Apple brand of display technology used in iPads, iPods, iPhones and Apple MacBook laptop computers.  The display is designed to have high enough resolution so that the human eye cannot see pixelation at normal viewing distances.  In other words, if a curved line is displayed on a Retina display, the individual square pixels that are used to render the curved line should not be visible.

What is the Resolution of a Retina display?

The third and fourth generator iPad and iPad Air have a Retina display with a resolution of 2048×1536 pixels.  The display density is 264 pixels per inch.  This works out to a pixel density of 69 pixels per degree at a viewing distance of 15 inches.



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What is wi-fi?

What is wi-fi?

Wi-Fi is short for "wireless fidelity".  Wi-fi is a wireless networking technology that is commonly used in homes and businesses to provide wireless internet access.  Each computer, laptop, tablet computer, printer, game console, or other device on a wireless network has a wi-fi module installed.  The wi-fi module can be a card that is installed, or wi-fi capability can be integrated into a device.

How Does wi-fi work?

Devices with wi-fi capability communicate with a wireless router using radio signals to transmit data.  The wireless router provides access to the internet and allows devices to communicate with each other on the wi-fi network.  For example, you can stream video from your smartphone to your TV using a Chromecast and your home wi-fi network.  Game consoles can update their firmware and install games using the wi-fi network to access the internet with no need for an ethernet cable to be plugged in.

What is the Range of a wi-fi Network?

Most home wireless routers have a range of about 100 feet.  This means that you should be able to access your wi-fi from all areas of your home and even from outside in your yard if you wish.  In residential areas, you can usually pick up signals from wi-fi routers within a few houses of your location.  You can add encryption to your wi-fi router so that only people who know your password can use your wireless router.

How Do You Install a wi-fi System?

It is easy to install a wi-fi system in your home or business.  You need internet access, typically a DSL line with a modem or DSL router.  Your internet service provider will install this part.  You then simply connect a wireless router using an ethernet cable.  You can buy a high speed wi-fi router for under $100 and install it in a few minutes to provide wireless internet access.

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Can You Get an Android Tablet Keyboard?

Android Tablet Keyboard

When I ordered my 7 inch Android tablet, I ordered a case that has a built-in keyboard to go with it.  I knew I would have trouble typing on the on-screen keyboard in Android.  I type a lot and wanted to use my Android tablet as a laptop substitute.

USB Android Tablet Keyboard

The keyboard plugs in to the USB port on the tablet.  You can set the Android tablet to use the external keyboard rather than displaying the on-screen keyboard- this saves a lot of space on the screen.  You can use the entire screen for what you are viewing, rather than having the on-screen keyboard take up half of the screen.

I would estimate that I can type more than twice as fast using the external keyboard than I can type using the Android on-screen keyboard.

Wireless Bluetooth Android Tablet Keyboard

If your tablet has Bluetooth, you can get a wireless keyboard instead of one that plugs into the USB port on your tablet.



Recommended Reading:
This article describes how I found a cheap Android tablet and added a keyboard to use it as a laptop substitute:  Find an Android Tablet for Under $100

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Can you get a stylus for iPad?

Stylus for iPad

If you want a stylus to use with your iPad, you'll need to find a capacitive stylus.  Some of the older touch screen devices like Palm Pilots used resistive touchscreens- all you needed for a stylus was anything with a point on it make of plastic so it wouldn't scratch your screen.  Now iPads, Android tablets, and smartphones use capacitive touchscreens.  Luckily, you can find a high quality capacitive stylus for under $15.

How Does a Capacitive Stylus for iPad Work?

A capacitive stylus transmits electric charge to your hand to mimic touching the screen with your hand.  The stylus has a special tip that is flexible, about the size of a finger, and is conductive.  This allows the stylus to be sensed by the iPad touchscreen.  A capacitive stylus for iPad will also work with Android tablets and smartphones.




A stylus for your iPad will allow you to use handwriting and to draw much more accurately than you can using your finger.  A stylus can also give you better control for gaming on an iPad.


Recommended Reading:
Find an Android Tablet for Under $100

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What is Google Chrome?

What is Google Chrome?

Google Chrome is an internet browser with versions that run on computers, laptops, tablet computers, and smartphones.  With Google Chrome, you can view web pages and surf the world wide web.

How Much Does Google Chrome Cost?

Google Chrome is available free.  You can download Google Chrome in the internet or from Google Play on your Android device.

What Are Alternatives to Google Chrome?

There are a number of popular web browsers that compete with Google Chrome:

• Internet Explorer
• Safari
• Firefox
• Android Browser

Recommended Reading:
Android Browser War- What is the Best Android Browser?

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What is a Tablet Computer?

What is a Tablet Computer?

A tablet computer is a computer with a touch screen that does not require a keyboard or mouse.  Unlike a laptop, a tablet computer does not have a screen that opens and closes.  A tablet computer is a single rectangular piece.  You use a tablet computer by using the touch screen interface to click icons to start apps.  You can type on a tablet computer by using an on-screen keyboard and clicking on the keys shown on the tablet's touch screen.

The most popular types of tablet computers are Android tablets, iPad Tablets from Apple, and the Surface from Microsoft.

What are Common Features in Tablet Computers?

Tablet computers typically have touch screens, built-in wi-fi, and a slot for a flash memory card for memory expansion.  Tablet computers typically have 4GB or more of internal flash memory built-in.  You will usually find a headphone jack on a tablet to connect headphones and a USB port to connect accessories to the tablet computer such as an external keyboard.

How Much Do Tablet Computers Cost?

You can get a cheap Android tablet with a 7 inch screen for under $100.  An iPad with a large screen can cost over $400.

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