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Archive for the 'Computers' Category

Sleek laptop stand for non Macs? O.C. start-up gets noticed

November 11th, 2009, 8:27 am by

AViiQ portable laptop stand from Costa Mesa startup AViiQ.Most laptop stands aren’t very interesting, especially ones for PCs. But a new one from Costa Mesa-startup AViiQ, which launched this week, manages to look nice, offer an innovative design and win a national award. Plus, the stand is not just for higher-designed Macs.

The company’s plain-named Portable Laptop Stand is made from a thin slice of aluminum that folds up like an accordion when done. Last night, it was named an International CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering honoree, joining a bunch of other companies.

You really have to see how it works to understand why a laptop stand is getting noticed by the tech industry. Here’s the YouTube video:

YouTube Preview Image

The stand works with all laptops, up to 17 inches. The company says it also decreases screen glare because of the 12-degree angle. Like most laptop stands, this props up the computer to dissipate heat. When folded, the stand is a mere 1/4-inch thick.

AViiQ was founded by Alan Yeung and Chris Bryce, who came up with the idea because they traveled a lot and needed something portable. Yeung, a producer at Costa Mesa’s CRISP brand agency, brought in the agency’s senior product designer, Cezanne Farris-Gilbert, to help create the product.

While no electronics are inside the stand, this is really a gadget’s gadget. Also interesting to me is that this reinforces Orange County as a hub for gadget companies, with leaders like Targus and Mobile Edge calling Anaheim home.

AViiQ laptop stand

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Windows 7 part II: How to upgrade

November 5th, 2009, 3:55 pm by

This is a special Windows 7 edition of Stump the PC Club, the OCRegister’s  weekly free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club. Since Windows 7 has arrived and there have been many questions about it, these articles are devoted to answering some of those questions.

Earlier in the series:


How to upgrade to Windows 7

Once you decide to take the plunge, users must choose how to upgrade to Windows 7.

The majority of Windows users out there can opt for the Windows 7 upgrade, rather than paying the full-version price. But there’s more work for Windows XP users than Windows Vista users. XP users must use the Custom Install rather than the easier In-Place Upgrade. As long as you have a licensed copy of XP or Vista installed, you can purchase the upgrade version of Windows 7 and avoid the more expensive full version.

There are two ways to move to Windows 7:

Read the rest of this entry »

All your Windows 7 questions answered, part I

November 3rd, 2009, 3:17 pm by

Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org. And don’t forget to stop by the Gadgetress’ home for the PC Club, at ocregister.com/link/pcclub, to find out how to ask a question and read past answers.

This is Part 1 of a multi-part article about the new Windows 7 operating system. Since Windows 7 has arrived and there have been many questions about it, this article is devoted to answering some of those questions.

Let’s start with this: What is Windows 7?

Windows 7 is the new operating system Microsoft released on Oct. 22, 2009. It’s the successor to Windows Vista. You can buy the software in stores on a DVD and upgrade older PCs or buy a new computer with Windows 7 pre-installed.

This is the third version of Windows since Windows XP launched on Oct. 25, 2001. Windows Vista arrived on Jan. 30, 2007 but software issues led many users to switch back to XP. Microsoft put development on the next operating system in fast forward. Enter Windows 7. Read the rest of this entry »

What does a PC guy think about the new Microsoft store?

October 29th, 2009, 4:22 pm by
Ed Schwartz, Stump the PC Club contributor

Hi, I'm Ed

Gadgetress’ weekly Stump the PC Club answer guy Ed Schwartz ventured into the crowded new Microsoft store that opened in Mission Viejo today. We already know what Apple fanatics think about the store and we saw that many of the folks in line overnight were just waiting for the free rock concert (watch the opening video).

Now, Schwartz, he’s a loyal PC guy. I was curious to know what he thought about the store. He’s not anti-Apple, by the way. He admits to venturing inside the Apple store occasionally to see what’s new

Schwartz stopped by the large, bright store around 11:30 a.m. today because, “Oh, curiosity. That’s my thing. I just want to know what’s going on,” he said.

Plus, he said, any store’s first day is likely to be full staffed. He immediately went to find help to get some readers’ Windows 7 questions answered. This is where he learned the difference between the blue shirts and the red shirts. If you have a tech question, ask someone wearing a red shirt.

“It took me three employees before I found one who could confirm some Windows 7 questions. They all had blue shirts until I got to the guy with the red shirt,” he said.

Microsoft opens first store in Mission Viejo. Photo by Ed SchwartzApparently, the red shirts work in the back and help out when tech questions get too hard.

Schwartz couldn’t help but compare the Microsoft store with the Apple store, starting with the shirts. There’s also Microsoft’s Answer Desk, which is very similar to Apple’s Genius Bar. Anyone can bring in their Zune or other Microsoft-related device and get help. There are also free lessons and there are special one-on-one sessions where for $99, you can get one hour of face time with a Microsoft expert every week for one year (that’s the same price as Apple’s One To One sessions).

He spotted laptops from HP, Dell and Lenovo, but that’s it. There were netbooks from Asus, Samsung and others, and all-in-one PCs from Sony. But what about Fujitsu, the brand he uses? Read the rest of this entry »

Windows 7 — Do you really need it?

October 22nd, 2009, 7:02 am by

Windows 7Microsoft’s latest version of Windows — Windows 7 – launches today.

But after 2007′s ill-fated upgrade from Windows XP to Vista, consumers have reason to be wary. That bloated new operating system was released before it was really ready. Should consumers bother with Windows 7?

Since my focus shifted to TV services this year, I’m leaving it up to the rest of the tech world to offer consumers advice. The answer: Yes. Windows 7 is so much better than Windows Vista. But should you upgrade today? Only if you cannot stand Windows Vista. You’ll upgrade eventually, anyway.

Do you want to read more? Ed Schwartz, who answers readers’ computer problems in the Stump the PC Club column has been playing with Windows 7 for months. Here is his experience, plus some technical details and reviews from around the web:

Ed’s Windows 7 highlights: Read the rest of this entry »

Will Windows 7 force you to change your e-mail program?

September 29th, 2009, 4:03 pm by

Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org. And don’t forget to stop by the Gadgetress’ home for the PC Club, at ocregister.com/link/pcclub, to find out how to ask a question and read past answers.

QUESTION: I currently use Windows Vista and consequently Windows Mail for e-mail. I’d like to upgrade to Windows 7 when it’s available and would like to know what my choices for e-mail will be?

PC CLUB: It’s unfortunate that Microsoft is abandoning many of its customers by discontinuing e-mail programs that millions have been using for quite some time, Outlook Express and Windows Mail.

With the advent of Windows 7, which launches October 22, Microsoft is now pushing its Windows Live Mail program which will work with XP, Vista or Windows 7. Before discussing your options you may want to review the previous article “How to move your E-mail to a new computer” (link: http://bit.ly/nex0N), which discusses Internet Mail versus Web Mail.

Here are your options if you choose to upgrade to Windows 7 or just stay with your current Windows version: Read the rest of this entry »

Can my computer handle more memory?

September 22nd, 2009, 5:05 pm by

Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org. And don’t forget to stop by the Gadgetress’ home for the PC Club, at ocregister.com/link/pcclub, to find out how to ask a question and read past answers.

QUESTION: Is there a reputable website or way to find out if I can add any memory to this newer computer? It is running a bit slow. (I have Norton 360 on it currently.)

PC CLUB: This is not always the answer to a slow PC. If you have at least 1 gigabyte (GB) of memory on an XP PC I’d look elsewhere for the solution. Vista can get by with 1 GB but 2 GBs are better.

Sites like Crucial.com analyze how much memory your PC can handle.The best way to see if your system can have memory added is to go to a web site such as www.crucial.com or www.4allmemory.com and let them interrogate your PC. They will actually recommend what you should purchase. The image on right is from Crucial.com. It shows how many memory slots are available in a Gateway FX 530 desktop computer.

Another possibility is that Norton 360 is slowing you down. You may want to do a little research and switch to an anti-virus program that is less obtrusive than Norton 360. There are a number of good free programs in this category. Just remember to uninstall your current anti-virus program prior to installing a new one.

A previous article from Stump the PC Club addressed slow PC’s at “Speed up a slow computer in 4 steps” (link: http://bit.ly/N8thE). ~Ed Schwartz, NOCCC member. View his blog at www.edwardns.com/blog.

Visit the Gadgetress’ PC Club page at ocregister.com/link/pcclub. To get this answer delivered to your computer automatically, sign up for the e-mail update HERE. Recent PC Club answers:

Is it safe to download screen savers?

September 15th, 2009, 6:00 pm by

Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org. And don’t forget to stop by the Gadgetress’ home for the PC Club, at ocregister.com/link/pcclub, to find out how to ask a question and read past answers.

QUESTION: I recently traded out my older PC with a newer one from my daughter who went off to college.  I have tried numerous times to add a screen saver, but to no avail.  Do you know of any sure fire screen savers that I could easily download without having to worry too much about cookies or malware? Any help is certainly appreciated.

Changing screen savers in Windows.PC CLUB: Let’s tackle your screen saver question first. Downloading screen savers is one of the most frequent ways users infect their PCs. It is very easy for an unscrupulous person to embed malware in a screen saver.

I know that the screen savers that are included with Windows can be boring but at least they’re safe. To add one of the built in screen savers using Windows XP, right-click the Desktop and select Properties. Next, select the Screen Saver tab at the top. By clicking the drop-down box in the middle of the window labeled “Screen saver” you can select from the list of available screen savers.

You can also adjust the wait time and other settings using this window. Just as a reminder to those who still believe that you need a screen saver to protect your screen, it’s a myth that is just not true with today’s technology. For Vista, right-click the Desktop and select Personalize. Click Screen Saver, 3rd from the top. Read the rest of this entry »

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