Unfortunately......

So my computer messed up on me. After work I'll do some more troubleshooting, but at the moment it seems like maybe one of the VRM's on my GTX 570 busted. So I'll probably have to RMA it and I'll be up and running again. Until then the blog has to take the back burner but I'll still try to keep it up to date as possible off my phone!

I have thought of a new topic to cover... "Troubleshooting Your Computer and Other Devices" :-D

I may be down but not out, so stay tuned folks!

Computer 101: The PSU

The PSU (Power Supply Unit) is what gives the entire computer the electricity it needs to run. There are many different kinds of PSU’s made by a variety of manufacturers. Usually, after determining what amount of wattage you will need, you will select a PSU based on that amount….and give a little headroom as the amount of voltage your computer will require can vary under load. Also, PSU’s are labeled under an 80 PLUS standard, which determines how energy efficient that PSU is under 20%, 50%, and 100% of the rated load. To put it simply, the better the 80 PLUS level (n/a, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, or titanium) the less amount of total power it will draw.

 Any questions, comments, or see something you would like explained more? Just shoot me an email at jcm2755@gmail.com, or comment below, and let me know!

Science Tech: LASERS!!!!!

The world’s most powerful laser has been created and can melt probably about anything, heating objects up to ~2 MILLION degrees! In one test they were even able to create actual plasma (well heated to plasma degree levels) out of a piece of aluminum foil….now that’s hot! Primarily its going to be used to “understand the most extreme matter found in the hearts of stars and giant planets, and could help experiments aimed at recreating the nuclear fusion process that powers the sun.” Hopefully, in some way, this will help create a universal/infinite energy source.

For more info on the project, as well as an explanation on how it works follow the link!

Source: PHYSORG.COM

Next-Next Generation Xbox?

So various sources are reporting on a supposed leak of the next Microsoft console’s (dubbed the Xbox 720) hardware. In it, they’re saying that the console will have the equivalent of an AMD Radeon 6670….giving it the ability (this is of course what that card can do) to play games in DX11, 3D, along with multidisplay and 1080p output, giving it approximately 6x the processing power of the current 360. The likelihood of all those features is very slim....but we can always hope! It would be awesome if console players got some of these same features as PC players have now. True 1080p is amazing, and it would also be great to have the 3D and multidisplay support as well. What all it will incorporate is to be seen, this could change at any time as well. Given what we know….or think we know, this is definitely going to be a promising console to look forward to!

It seems that development kits will be available to developers as soon as August. So I would say there’s a possibility of a 2013 release....but if anything it would be later that year at the absolute earliest.

Nifty Tech: Fujitsu Lifebook Concept

Wow, I saw this yesterday and it about blew my mind. This is one of the coolest things I’ve seen so far this year! It’s a laptop, tablet, phone, and laser pointer all in one….and each (except the laptop) can all be as individual gadgets. The tablet seems to become the keyboard when docked, the laser pointer doubles as a camera, and the phone seems to be like an HDD/media drive. I really hope this is created in the near future, because this is what I call INNOVATION!

Source: Phone Arena

What’s New? The Cooler Master Cosmos II

A beauty among cases, the Cosmos II is an improved design from the original Cosmos. It features a unique look and style not seen in any other case out there. With impressive cooling, 4 channel speed control, an advanced control panel with USB 3.0 ports, and expandability to boot this is definitely a must have case for anyone wanting to show off their rig! It will set you back ~$350 though….worth it? Eh, if you have the money go for it definitely but there’s always an alternative.

Source: Cooler Master Website
Where to buy? Newegg

Computer 101: The Motherboard

The motherboard is kind of like the central nervous system of the computer. It provides the electrical connections to all the parts of a computer so that they may communicate with each other. Each motherboard contains a BIOS built in which controls all the basic I/O in a computer. Generally, most people don’t tinker with this part of the system (aside from troubleshooting problems), but with overclockers it gives the tools needed to push systems further. Just like processors, motherboards come in various shapes and sizes (also called form factors), with some models only having the necessities and others having various bells and whistles.

I will definitely be covering the topic of overclocking later on, as it’s a hobby of mine, as well as more on the types and differences between mothersboards. So make sure to stay tuned!! J

Any questions, comments, or see something you would like explained more? Just shoot me an email at jcm2755@gmail.com, or comment below, and let me know!

What To Look For in 2012: Ultrabooks

What’s an Ultrabook you may ask? Basically, it’s a super-slim, light, and highly portable notebook. The first type of incarnation of these being the MacBook Air (personal opinion), but there wasn’t really a classification of them until around late last year as Intel claimed the trademark to the name “Ultrabook”.

Why do you want one? It has about all the awesomeness of a laptop but with a light weight, slim and stylish look, and totes ~5-9 hours of battery life. Perfect for your on the go lifestyle!

Besides phones, both Ultrabooks and Tablets are really showing improvements and great refinements in the mobile market. With the way things are looking, most people are going to have one or the other (or both….why not?) by the end of this year.  I’ll make sure to cover tablets in a later post. ;)

Any questions, comments, or see something you would like explained more? Just shoot me an email at jcm2755@gmail.com, or comment below, and let me know!

*I think I might make this like my signature after my posts….because even though it sounds generic it really is true.*

Nifty Tech: Wi-Fi Enabled Cufflinks

Yes…you heard me right folks Wi-Fi CUFFLINKS! Wow, never would I have ever thought or dreamed of such a device. Not only do they enable Wi-Fi, they also double over as 2gb storage drives. Now that’s what I call unique. The only drawback? A $250 price tag.

Source: Brookstone

Computer 101: The CPU

The CPU (Central Processing Unit/Processor) is the brain of the computer. It carries out instructions from software programs and sends it to various parts of the computer, whether it be to open the CD/DVD drive or tell the motherboard to draw more power from the PSU (Power Supply) for more dedicated tasks. Processors come in a range of shapes and sizes, and have come a long way from only having ~100MHz clock speeds back in 1995 and now having clocks speeds of 3.6GHz out of the box!

There are two primary companies who create consumer level processors, Intel and AMD, both of which have their own competitive line of processors. Currently, at the time of this blog post, the processor line for Intel is their “Sandy Bridge” line; and AMD’s is their “Bulldozer” line. In each line there are different levels of processors ranging from cheaper/lower clock versions to expensive/higher clock (generally referred to as the “Enthusiast” level) versions. Which is right for you? It all depends on what you want out of your PC (or Mac for some) as well as deciding how deep you wanna dig in your pockets.

I do want to do a in depth look as to what each company brings to the table….but that will come later on. For now we will stick with the basics and general information! So, as always, stay tuned for more!

As always you can email me at: jcm2755@gmail.com for any questions or comments. See something you would like explained more? Just shoot me an email and let me know!

It's All Coming Together Now

In between major "segments" I’ll be placing intermissions of various things throughout the tech world. Whether it be something new, or something being updated. Also I’d like to touch on the various subjects you can expect to see from me as well! These include:

1. Computers (desktops/laptops)

2. Computer Hardware and other peripherals

3. Overclocking

4. Smartphones (particularly Android as that’s what I’m most familiar with)

5. Tablets

6. Various software (this one is up in the air atm….we shall see)

I’d also like to possibly create some buying guides, how-to guides, and maybe some computer mythbusting in the future, but let’s get all the down the basics first! J

Computers….huh?

Computers are one of the biggest things since the wheel, honestly. They’re incorporated into our everyday lives in almost every way possible. Yet, hardly anyone knows (or cares) what exactly makes these marvelous machines tick. What are the parts in them? What does each part do really? Well though the next few posts I’d like to answer these questions and go into detail about each one.

 LET’S START NAOOOWWW!!!!!

What are the parts of a computer?

There are multiple parts to computers:

1.       CPU – Central Processing Unit

2.       GPU – Graphics Processing Unit

3.       PSU – Power Supply Unit

4.       Motherboard

5.       HDD/SSD – Hard Drives

6.       CD/DVD Drives

7.       Case

8.       RAM

Now one question (I know I asked myself this at first) is: why is the case on that list? Well a proper case will definitely make a difference to a computer….but more into that later.

For now I leave you with this little tid-bit of information, more to come later everyone!

Any questions or comments you can contact me at: jcm2755@gmail.com

Here I Start! =D

The world of technology is such a vast world that many people just barely scratch the surface. With this blog I hope to bring that knowledge to any readers that may come across it. Sure there's plenty of websites that you can visit, but I hope to bring lots more to the table as well as tie in all those websites as one. My goal is to update this twice a week (if not more) at first....as I get used to things hopefully it'll become daily! So stayed tuned to the beginning of All Things Tech!