TheBolt

Spring Clean your PC for National Clean Out Your Computer Day

We’re nearing the point in the year when it’s time to start thinking about up around the house. But while you’re making plans to clean out the garage and downsize your belongings, consider doing some virtual cleaning as well. Today is National Clean Out Your Computer Day, a reminder to be proactive with the organization of your computer. Keeping your computer “clean” can help it run more efficiently, making it quicker, safer, and more enjoyable to use. In recognition of the day, here are 5 easy ways to clean up your computer.

Run an antivirus program

Computer viruses and malware get more and more sophisticated every day. Recent stats suggest nearly a half-million new malicious programs are recognized every day. Thankfully, antivirus software is better than ever as well. PC users with Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 have access to a built-in antivirus program—Windows Defender—that’s better than any Windows anitvirus programs before. It runs automatically, keeping you defended against attacks you may never realize are happening. Still, it’s never a bad idea to be more proactive with your virus protection, which you can do without spending a cent. There are plenty of great free antivirus programs that are just a download away. PC Mag recently reviewed a dozen options, and their top pick was Avast Free Antivirus. Regardless of what program you choose, make sure to keep its virus library updated, and remember to scan your PC regularly.

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A major trend in technology is its (potential) positive benefits towards the environment and a sustainable future; products are running cleaner and having less environmental impact than ever before.  At Abt Electronics we believe the industry should follow the trend of the products and continue to move towards a sustainable future. Our Green Program includes an E85-ready delivery fleet, the elimination of paper catalogs, and even provides bicycles to employees who leave for lunch as an alternative to driving. A proactive program will lead us towards the future but what about all the “dead technologies” of the past and the waste they’ve left behind?

As televisions and monitors improve in performance in size, we are left with the remains of wide-bodied and bulky screens of technology’s past. A main component of these products was CRT, or “cathode ray tube” glass. When this technology was current, old screens were recycled into new ones, and the CRT glass recycling market flourished.  Now, in the age of LCD and LED displays, we find ourselves without a responsible solution for the removal of this legacy technology. We ask ourselves, “How do we responsibly and cost-effectively recycle billions of pounds of lead-heavy CRT glass?”

As part of the eCycling Leadership Initiative, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and InnoCentive, sponsored a contest to address the issue. Contestants were challenged to develop compelling economic and environmentally preferable solutions for CRT televisions and monitors and the winners were recently announced.

The Eco-Challenge received 57 solutions and three were chosen as winners. Robert Kirby, a mechanical engineer from New Mexico suggested incorporating the CRT glass into tiles and brick.  Another winner, Nulife Glass Processing Ltd., based in Manchester, U.K. proposed a solution already being implemented across the United Kingdom that involves extracting the lead from the glass without hazardous waste or emissions.

The most impressive solution was sent in by Mario Rosato, a Spanish environmental engineer and winner of four previous InnoCentive Challenges. Rosato proposed a closed-loop chemical process that separates the lead, in the form of hydrated PbO , from the glass. The hydrated PbO in then thermally decomposed to yield PbO, a lead commodity of high value in a variety of industries.

Each solution solves the growing problem of useless CRT glass and helps create, and promote a sustainable technological future. For more information on Abt Electronics’ green initiatives click here!

-Scott H.

It’s hard to separate yourself from your computer.  Chances are, it is filled with photos, movies, songs and more, but sometimes it just can’t keep up with current technology.  If you are a stickler for getting the most out of every electronic you buy, here are some suggestions on when enough might be enough for your computer…

If your computer is out of warranty and needs any type of major hardware replacement.  For example a motherboard, screen, video card etc.  Hard drive repairs are traditionally fairly inexpensive.

If you are running an operating system older than Windows XP.  Windows 7 is now out and Windows 8 is due out this fall.  Windows XP is still used by many businesses, however it was released in 2002 so it is very old.

If it is going to be just as expensive to repair your computer as it is to purchase a new computer.  In some cases software and hardware repair can cost just as much as a new computer.  In today’s computer industry sometimes it is just better to purchase new, since the cost of technology has come down so much.

If your computer is too old to upgrade to the latest version of the most current operating system.  Some older computers cannot handle the advanced features of today’s operating systems.

If you have cracked your LCD screen.  In most cases LCD screens and the labor to install them can be considerably expensive.  Screens can run anywhere from $200-$700 depending on the brand and if you use original or aftermarket parts.  Labor rates also range from $149 to over $200.

If you have damage to your computer caused by liquid.  Liquid damage can be very harmful to computers and cause most components to fail.

For more information on computers visit us online at abt.com or call us at 888-228-5800.

-Chad Taylor

With the internet widely available on almost all sorts of electronics, you don’t have to be on your computer to surf the web.  More often now, computers take a seat next to phones and tablets when consumers want to check their e-mail, shop online, navigate etc.  Shipments of internet-enabled consumer electronics devices will soar to exceed those of the computer for the first time in 2013, according to a new IHS iSuppli consumer platforms report.

According to a marketing firm, ISH iSuppli, shipments of connected consumer electronics devices, a category including a wide range of products — from televisions to video game consoles, to Blu-ray players- will surge to 503.6 million units in 2013, up from 161 million in 2010. In comparison, computer shipments during the same period will amount to 253.3 million, up from 222.3 million.

I just setup the New Belkin N600DB router at my house the other day and I have to tell you I was a little skeptical about the promises that were made to me.  Well here is what I will tell you about the N600DB.  First of all, the router was the easiest router I have ever setup ever:  I just opened the box and plugged it in.  The router already had the power cable and network cable plugged into the correct ports for me, so all I had to do was plug it into the wall and  my modem.

As far as setting up the encryption well it was easy as well so easy in fact that it was already done for me.  Belkin pre-configures this router with an SSID and WPA2 encryption so it takes the guess work out of it for you.  So if you want a great router with plenty of power check out the Belkin N600DB

-Chad Taylor

Now this is an interesting PC product. Samsung Slider PC appears to be a tablet at first glance but unveils a keyboard and a tiltable screen. The Slider has 2GB DDR RAM, 32 or 64GB SSD drive. The resolution is 1,366 x 768 wrapped in a 10” screen. Connectivity can be obtained via its built in 3G and Wimax features. The battery life is expected to last 9 hours and weighs in at 2.18 pounds. Samsung says the Slider PC is targeted for release March 2011.

Image courtesy of RIM.com

Research In Motion (RIM) the company best known as the developer of the BlackBerry cellular phones, recently announced their newest product: The PlayBook. Attempting to tackle the iPad in tablet sales, the PlayBook will use an operating system called BlackBerry Tablet OS. This system will offer full world wide web surfing and other features used with BlackBerry phones such as Push technology, and BBMTM. While the screen size is about 2 inches smaller than that of an iPad, the PlayBook has more RAM, weighs less and even supports Adobe Flash 10.1.

Sporting a 7” LCD display, the PlayBook will be capable of 1080p HD video and comes equipped with an HDMI port. A camera lens built in both the front and the back of the unit lets users take photos, videos and even live video conferencing.

The release date is set for early 2011. For full information as well as detailed specs and other features, visit RIM’s site.

FULL SPECS

• 7-inch LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support
• BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• 1 GB RAM
• Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording
• Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV
• Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA
• HDMI video output
• Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts
• Open, flexible application platform with support for WebKit/HTML-5, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, POSIX, OpenGL, Java
• Ultra thin and portable:
  • Measures 5.1″x7.6″x0.4″ (130mm x 193mm x 10mm)
  • Weighs less than a pound (approximately 0.9 lb or 400g)
• RIM intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future.

Nick E.

People ask me all the time how can they transfer music from the computer without being complicated. Look no further than the Audioengine W1 wireless adapter. It is as simple as plugging it into your desktop or laptop computer.

Rather than using Bluetooth technology, this unit uses a locked 802.11 wifi network to connect your laptop to your receiver or speakers from up to 100 feet away. It can wireless send your mp3’s or favorite internet stations by just pressing play. You can also use this set up with your mobile phone, game system, Flat Screen TV, and CD/DVD player. I like to bundle this with Audioengine’s A5 premium powered bookshelf speakers for amazing sound that I can take anywhere in the house. They’re crisp, clear and have great definition.

For more information on the Audioengine line, please contact an Abt Sales Specialist today.

-Walter O.

It’s that time of year again, summer is winding down and the return of the school year is just around the corner.  All students know to have the essentials ready: a backpack, writing supplies, and books.  But there’s one school supply everyone loves to have: a new computer.  Here at Abt Electronics we have a large supply of laptops, desktops and computer accessories in our Connect store.  To make shopping a bit easier for you, we’ve narrowed down the best of the best.

Laptop: Boasting a 16” TrueBrite HD screen, the Toshiba model A665S6056 is our favorite laptop.  With a Dual-Core processor, this computer allows you to multi-task with ease.  Other features include a web-cam built in the monitor, a CD/DVD reader/burner and an HDMI port for easy connectivity to TVs and monitors. For those eco-conscious students, it’s Energy Star compliant and will adjust settings automatically getting the most out of your power consumption.

Desktop: If you plan on doing most of your work in a dorm or an office, you may want to invest in a desktop computer.  For our selection, we prefer the Hewlett Packard Pavilion Elite HPE210F.  With a powerful 3GZ AMD Phenom quad-core processor, 8 GB of RAM, 1 Terabyte of memory, Blu-ray player and an impressive 512 MB ATI Radeon HD graphics card, you can multi task your work while blasting away aliens or watching your favorite movie.

Software: The most popular computer software is Microsoft Office: Home and Student.  This software has everything a student needs: Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Entourage.  All are important tools for writing documents, keeping spreadsheets and creating presentations.

Accessories: Our salespeople couldn’t come to an agreement on just one favorite accessory, which is why they settled on both the Kenneth Cole laptop bags and any size External Hard Drive.  We carry a wide selection of fashionable Kenneth Cole laptop cases for students to protect their investment.  The external hard drives are also an important accessory when it comes to backing up important documents, projects and even keeping a library of music safe and secure.

For more information on our favorites or, to ask about our entire line of computers and accessories, call us at 888-288-5800.

-Nick E.

Did you know that not only does Abt sell computers & computer accessories, but we also offer a full array of services for your new or existing computer? We offer 2 start-up packages for your new computer to help you get going right away. Our Connect Techs can install software, operating systems, hardware, and upgrades to personalize your computer. Need a wireless network in your house? We can do that for you too!  All of your computer needs are coupled with the best customer service you already know from Abt. For more information, please contact the Connect Store at Abt.

–Walter O.