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When shopping for handheld technology, it can be confusing when you come across industry terms like “PDA” and “smartphone.” What is the difference and which type of device better suits your needs? There are no standard definitions that completely separate the two; in fact, they are becoming more alike as the technology evolves. To best understand what differences do exist, you can examine the origin of the two terms and what roles they have played in the industry....

The “atomic” clocks on the consumer market are in fact radio-controlled clocks that take a time signal from an actual atomic clock, usually operated by a government agency. A consumer atomic clock will always be at least as good as an ordinary clock, because it uses a traditional quartz clock as a backup. However, any potential extra benefits from the atomic aspect can be limited by geography and atmospheric conditions....

Part of Tumblr’s plethora of customization options is the ability to change your blog’s URL. Tumblr enables you to change your URL as many times as you wish, but certain things change every time you do so. While you don’t lose your blog’s design or any of your followers, there are certain effects to take into consideration before changing your URL. Writer Bio

Pidgin is a useful program in many ways: it offers easy instant messaging over multiple services, including Facebook, in one lightweight multi-platform client. The caveat is that the user interface leaves something to be desired. The default theme is utilitarian and a bit drab. Fortunately, Pidgin supports custom themes, whether that means building a theme yourself or downloading a theme. Writer Bio

Computer users who wish to move data between multiple computers, and have no storage device, can create a simple network with a USB data transfer cable and the provided software. This network can also facilitate the sharing of an Internet connection. Writer Bio

The decision to use Access 2010, Microsoft’s Office-level database product, instead of another database, depends on your specific database needs as well as the expected size of your database. Maintenance and licensing costs also have to be taken into consideration for large, multiuser databases. Writer Bio

You can resolve some computer memory loss problems with a simple restart, but others will require a more in-depth look for the causes of the memory loss. Loss of memory will cause your computer to run slowly and crash as the computer tries to keep up with the demands you place on it. Failure to find the cause of the loss render your computer inoperable so it is imperative that you locate the problem as soon as you notice the loss....

Facebook has a language all its own and if you don’t know it, you might not understand references on and to the site. Deciphering certain Facebook posts or pages is like trying to read a book in a different language, because the words are being used differently than you’d expect. After you learn the meaning of a Facebook term, though, you can participate in the discussion with everyone else. Writer Bio

The Sony Reader is just one of dozens of e-readers available to consumers; the most recent model supports several types of document files, as well as image and audio files. With e-ink presentation, a touch screen, expandable media, and a backlit screen, the Reader may pick up in popularity as the ebook market grows. Writer Bio

To reduce weight and size of laptops, manufacturers are always looking for ways to make laptops smaller and lighter. An ExpressCard slot allows various ExpressCards, each that serve a different function, to be inserted into the slot when needed and replaced with another card when another type of port or function is needed. Multiple ports, in essence, can be combined into a single ExpressCard slot. Writer Bio

Gaming console modification allows consoles like the Microsoft Xbox to perform tasks that are outside the scope of its original programming. Softmod stands for software modification, modification by installing new software over the original operating system. Although softmods are not available for all gaming consoles, the Microsoft Xbox series of softmods make the console a multimedia powerhouse and emulator for classic games. Modification can be dangerous to your system. It also voids your warranty, so modify at your own risk....

A fiber optic cable is a thin glass strand used for transmitting light. Fiber optic cables are used primarily by telephone companies and electric companies. They are typically either single mode or dual mode, also called multimode. Writer Bio

While it’s true that numbers don’t lie, they may conceal, disguise, camouflage, veil and obfuscate the information on which you need to evaluate and base decisions. It can be especially difficult at times to glean knowledge from reams of raw, Excel spreadsheet data. You can, however, take advantage Excel’s chart functions to help you quickly visualize data and gain insights buried deep within the rows and columns of raw worksheet data....

Computer monitor flicker, which is often caused by a faulty setup or defective hardware, can be a subtle nuisance that puts strain on the user’s eyes and disrupts the computing experience. A bad setup can usually be resolved through adjusting the monitor settings and updating the computer’s video software. However, defective or failing parts have to be repaired or replaced to stop the screen from flickering. Writer Bio

Hulu is a free online video service that streams television shows from network and cable channels like NBC, Fox and SyFy. To play the videos on your computer, you must have the correct plugins installed that are compatible with Hulu. Along with the plugin, specific browser settings will keep Hulu running at optimal speed.

The Xbox 360 console allows you to store music, movies, game saves and full digital copies of games on its hard drive. If you wish, you can also connect an external USB drive to the system, in order to add a maximum of 16GB to its existing storage space. Only certain types of drives, however, are compatible. Writer Bio

Apple’s iPhone comes with a built-in camera to take pictures on the go. First-, second- and third-generation iPhones featured one camera on the back of the phone; the iPhone 4 features not one, but two 5-megapixel cameras on the front and back of the phone’s body. The iPhone allows you to share photos with family and friends through email or multimedia messaging. If your iPhone is sending small pictures, you may need to adjust the settings in your external photo applications or email....

Wiring a 12-volt DC circuit requires a working knowledge of electronics and circuitry. It is important to note that when working on any electrical system, there is an inherent risk of shock and even electrocution. Knowing the standards for wiring a system can help to prevent shorts in the wiring, reducing the overall maintenance required. Usually, a 12-volt system in a home implies the installation of a renewable energy (RE) system such as solar panels....

Pages is part of Apple’s iWork suite. It is a hybrid word processor and page layout application, making it ideal for desktop publishing and other layout-heavy documents. As you would expect from an application that emphasizes page layout, adjusting the margins is a simple, straightforward task. Tips Writer Bio

Apple computers (also known as Macintosh or Macs) and Windows computers (commonly referred to as PCs) have long remained on opposite sides of the fence as far as file compatibility goes. Although these different platforms are still unable to share actual programs, we have come a long way in bridging the gap between the two. Today, many of the files created on Mac are compatible with PCs, and those that aren’t can often be converted without spending too much time and energy....