One of the most practical and cost-effective ways to speed up your PC is by gradually upgrading its parts. The first thing that usually goes whenever your computer slows down is the motherboard. Storage issues also pop up after a year, forcing you to add another one that’s bigger and faster.

Whenever you upgrade, always make sure that you use everything that’s included in the package. Many commit the mistake of using their old peripheral’s wires and cables whenever installing a new component. While there may seem to be nothing wrong with this, especially if the old cables are still functioning well, a considerable number of PC parts now use specialized connectors.

Take for example a hard drive upgrade. Many PC users junk their old hard drive with new ones that support UDMA. While they totally discard their old storage device, they usually retain and use its old cable. This may seem practical. But take note that old hard drives use IDE cable. Using an IDE cable on a hard drive that supports UDMA will create a bottleneck. Using a DMA cable would definitely allow you to take advantage of the new technology’s speed and benefits.

Don’t take cables and connectors for granted whenever you’re upgrading hardware components. They can make a huge difference in your system’s performance.

Re-Tweet This Post

OCZ made a radical change into its solid-state drive family thru the release of the new Apex Series. The Apex Series have 2.5-inch slots and can be categorized between Solid models and speeder Vertex line.

Obvious enough, OCZ launched the product to give something that carries speed of flash based storage devices without needing to put a price tag that will make them greedy. The SATA-II based SSDs use RAID stripe that allows it to have a read / write speed of 230 MB / 160 MB per second.

The drives will be available in three variations: 60GB, 120GB and 250GB. These storage devices are built with an effort to lower power consumption.

OCZ also made into consideration the use of lightweight alloy housing to improve security and data stability particularly when moving the hard drives.

There is no word on the price as of this writing, but it will be available in the market very soon.

Source: Electronista

Re-Tweet This Post

I’m sure many of you would want to start 2009 with a clean slate. May I then suggest that you start the new year with a clean and secure PC. There are many ways by which you could accomplish this.

Delete Unnecessary Files

If you’ve worked and traveled a lot last year, then your desktop or laptop may be filled with pieces of evidence of your industriousness and restlessness.  The proofs that I’m referring to are the countless files that you’ve saved and sent to your boss, and the equally innumerable multimedia files that you’ve compiled during your weekend getaways.

If you do not intend to open or access these files anymore at the start of the first working day of 2009, then I suggest that you either delete them or transfer them to an external hard drive. Delete old files that you don’t use or need anymore. While they may take up only a few kilobytes of your enormous hard drive, they can still slow your computer down. You’ll feel their weight during system scans or when you conduct an automatic search of files or programs on your computer. Search engines will scour every data on your hard drive, including ones that you’ve already forgotten. Hence, the more files you have on your hard drive, the longer the searches and scans will take.

Reformat Your Hard Drive

If you really want to forget any memory of last year, then you might want to consider performing the ultimate purge by reformatting your hard drive. While this would surely eliminate any malware residing in your primary storage device, your hopes for a virus-free new year would largely depend, though, on the data that you would reintroduce to your computer. Make sure that the storage device which contains your backup files is free from viruses and spyware. You may have unintentionally backed up copies of some or all of the malware that were saved in your hard drive.

Clean Your Registry

Whether you choose to perform a selective purge or nuke everything in your hard drive, your PC’s performance might still not improve if you have an infected Windows Registry. Everything that runs on your computer almost always involves or requires the participation of the Registry. It’s therefore imperative to keep the Registry free from the influence and control of any malicious application. A healthy Registry can efficiently manage the flow of traffic inside your computer. An infected or defective Registry, though, could clog your system with needless instructions or processes, thereby putting a strain on your computer’s resources.

Invest in a good registry cleaner. While you may have an efficient antivirus program, it’s not designed to handle Registry infections or problems. If you’ve experienced a system slowdown last year despite negative reports by your antivirus or anti-sypware software, then your Registry might be the culprit. RegCure can free your new year from the ghosts of the previous one. Start your new year right. Install all the essential programs and delete the unnecessary ones.

Re-Tweet This Post

NewerTech released their own quad-interface SATA HDD dock that aims to provide supreme protection to traditional hard disk drives.

Dubbed as Voyager SATA hard drive docking station, NewerTech’s latest product voyages into the untapped market of people caring for their computer’s storage device.

The new dock carries pretty much the same capabilities like its predecessor. The original hard disk dock was made by Brando. The product did not received a very warm welcome, particularly to tech bloggers and analysts who found that such device goes unneeded and only fitting to “hardest hardcore” users. But as a surprise, variations of the first product emerged momentarily, moreover, here’s another brand marketing their own version of the product.

The Voyager SATA HD dock works with any standard 2.5- or 3.5-inch SATA I / II hard drive. It turns any traditional HD, without memory limit into a portable external power memory storage device. It also works with FireWire 400 / 800, USB 2.0 and eSATA sockets so connectivity should be the last thing of your concern.

It is currently tagged at $99.95.

Source: Thomas-PR

Re-Tweet This Post

Samsung is done drive testing its newly made 256GB SSD. The company announced earlier that they will be mass producing the hard drive, therefore stirring excitement among tech enthusiasts.

Earlier, the announcement of 256 SSD raised speculations about its supposed price once it hits mainstream market. Experts are worried that 256 GB SSD might not simply be affordable, considering that current 128GB SSD is already tagged at $400.

This won’t really be the case as a few tech blogger noted that mass production of the hyped SSD will “bring the price down dramatically.”

Cnet predicts that the new SSD drive will be tagged at between $1,000 and $1,400, a price that many should find “affordable.”

The improvement of SSDs is a big step as it is the same hard ware that is currently being used by popular netbooks. An increase in SSD capacity equates to a future increase in the most celebrated mobile computer’s capcity as well.

Source: CNET

Re-Tweet This Post

SanDisk announced that they have advanced a new technology that enables solid state drives to run a lot faster than its current speed. The company utilized a flash memory file system that allows data to be written on SSDs at an improved speed.

The company calls the technology ExtremeFFS. Products that will be shipped starting 2009 will carry this technology. ExteremeFFS will replace the current technology in reading and writing SSDs called TrueFFS. TrueFFS has been the standard protocol in drive writing since its development in 1994.

ExtremeFFS uses NAND flash memory channels, which makes reading and writing possible and efficient at the same time. Rich Heye, senior VP and general manager for SanDisk’s SSD business unit said that because of the new technology succeeding SSDs will be at least 6 tiems faster today’s 2.5-inch hard drives.

The company also introduced a new metrics for evaluating the performance of SSDs. This is called RPM or vRPM that compares performance between an SSD and a HHD. The comparison is based on factors such as lifespan, endurance, speed and other key elements in hard drive management.

Source: InformationWeek

Re-Tweet This Post

If you’re in the habit of using your Web cam as a mirror (through the Web cam window, of course), this worrying piece of fact might encourage you to go back to the more traditional way of looking at your reflection.

PC security analysts have confirmed that it is possible for a third person to take control of your camera and see everything that it’s focused on. While this fact may seem quite far-fetched, it isn’t exactly a scene taken out of Star Wars or Star Trek.

As Long as it’s Connected

Many harbor the misconception that hackers cannot access the peripherals that are appended on a PC. Indeed, many malicious attacks mainly centers on taking over one’s unit by injecting various forms of malware into the hard drive or altering the system registry so that the operating system would perform functions or instructions that could seriously compromise the performance of the system.

The erroneous perception may seem illogical, considering that a device attached to the PC is very much a part of the PC. Hence, one should not be surprised if a college geek could print out his report on his dean’s printer located a few buildings away from his dormitory. Peripherals are the limbs of a computer. Hence, if you’re able to control central nervous system of a PC, then every device that is connected to it is at your every beck and call.

Building Gates

Securing your system from external threats is not that difficult. The task of barricading your PC with barbed wires is easier than trying to form a commando unit of malware for the purpose of attacking a computer. This is probably the reason why many are not aware of the possibility that their Web cam could very well become another man’s eye. Spy software such as those which exploit Web cams are easily crushed by antivirus and anti-spyware software. Hence, malicious program authors don’t devote that much time and attention in getting themselves a third eye.

Isolating the Problem

For those who are not comfortable in entrusting their privacy to security suites, the easiest way of protecting your PCs from external threats is by disconnecting it from the outside world. An isolated PC is as safe and secure as a house built on top of the moon. However, this drastic approach to PC security is impractical and unproductive. Unless you intend your computer to be just a mere household furniture for display, it wouldn’t be wise to divorce it from the rest of the world.

Everybody should know by now that PCs are portals to every perceivable nook around the globe, and maybe even beyond. To shut it out by castrating the LAN port or wireless Internet antenna would be a sin that is too unforgivable in an era where information is vital and interdependence is necessary for survival. The malware problem that everybody’s experiencing is not that insurmountable. In fact, the odds are against those who are trying to barge through the gates that we’ve set up against them. Just make sure that you have a registry cleaner and antivirus installed in your system. These sentinels are usually enough to thwart any attack that could compromise your PCs security and privacy.

Re-Tweet This Post

There used to be a time when hard disk real estate was a prime but very scarce PC resource. During the mid 1990s, hard drive manufacturers were hard pressed in keeping up with the growing size of applications. The only safe solution to lack of space at that time was to buy another hard drive. But this is a very expensive remedy. Hence, many resorted to DriveSpace.

DriveSpace doubles up hard drive space by compressing files in the disk. While this program effectively frees up 30%-40% of disk space, it slows down file access and even endangers the integrity of many applications. Take note that DriveSpace increases breathing room by squeezing files and not expanding space. Hence, any error on the manner by which files are compressed and decompressed could very well mean the corruption of the file.

DriveSpace has long been extinct. It was still recognized by Windows 98, but the utility was entirely scrapped in XP. At present, hard drives is as cheap as any other media storage device. Well, not really, but it’s very affordable nonetheless.

Re-Tweet This Post

Great advances have been made or achieved in hard drive design and architecture over the past 10 years. In case you haven’t noticed, hard disks are one of the few PC peripherals which you can immediately use without having to go through its manual. Of course, installing it can be quite tricky, but everything’s definitely smooth sailing after that.

As with any other PC component, hard drives will eventually reach that point when it won’t be able to retrieve or save data as efficiently as it used to be. This is especially true for data storage devise that are used in laptops. Laptop hard drives are more susceptible to damage or wear and tear because they are constantly being exposed to stress, such as shocks and jolts.

The Old Fashion Way

So how could you prolong the life of your hard drive? If you’re going to ask your parents or grandparents about this, chances are is that they’ll just give you a shrug. For old timers who know a thing or two about PCs, they might suggest methods or procedures which would seem logically sound, but is actually unnecessary and outdated already.

Take for example the common practice of leaving the computers on so as to protect the hard drive. Sounds absurd, huh? I mean, how could letting your hard drive spin needlessly for long number of hours be actually beneficial for your primary storage device?

Believe it or not, this was a sound and even necessary practice in order to stretch the mileage of the component. Subjecting the hard disk to frequent starts and stops back then actually meant exposing it to unnecessary and damaging stress. Hence, many were constrained to leave their computers on for long periods in order to prolong the lifespan of their disks.

It’s Safe to Turn It Off

This wasteful practice of having to leave your hard drive spinning even if you’re not using it is already a thing of the past. Hard drive manufacturers, such as Seagate and Samsung, already guarantee that their products would last around 5 years of more, regardless of whether you leave it spinning constantly or turn it on and off occasionally.

While storage makers can guarantee that constant shut downs would not affect the longevity of their products, other factors can definitely affect its mileage and performance. Heat is a problem that affects every computer component, especially hard disks. The longer your computer is turned or kept on, the greater the heat that it produces. Hence, it is definitely unwise to needlessly keep your computer on, especially when you’re not using it. Not only is this practice wasteful, but it is also damaging to your unit as well.

At Your Every Beck and Call

At a time when everything needs to be done at a heartbeat, it’s not surprising when users would opt to just leave their computers on so that they could immediately use it. Boot up time has tremendously improved over the past several years. However, one would still waste around 3-5 minutes on the start up stage alone. If you don’t want to be wasteful but would want your computer to be immediately available at just a second’s notice, then you might probably opt to just set your PC in standby mode whenever you’re not using it. You would still be wasting electricity on this mode, but the consumption is greatly reduced since power is cut to almost every computer component except the RAM.

Re-Tweet This Post

If you’ve been following the entries in my blog since its inception, you would notice that I couldn’t seem to emphasize enough the importance of defragging your hard drive. I guess any computer analyst or aficionado, both budding and established, shares the opinion that this method of optimization is sometimes the only option as far as improving the performance of your disks is concerned.

The hard disk is the most important storage device in your PC. It houses the most important application in your system (the OS), and the other programs that you frequently access. Windows also frequently resort to it in case your actual physical memory is too small. I have no reservations then in saying that the hard disk is an indispensable PC component.

You may contend though, that your DVD drive could easily take the cudgels for your hard drive in case the latter decides to take the day off and conks out on you. Indeed, the capacity of current optical drives could already rival the size of a standard fixed disk. However, it cannot match the role or functionality that hard disks offer. For one thing, the capacity of their latest models is exponentially larger than that of their optical counterparts’.

A disk cannot be considered as a primary storage device if it doesn’t have the size and speed to store and read all the applications that you’re using or may want to use. Sure, other disks could match the fixed ones in this category by adding numbers. The numbers here don’t refer to their capacity though, but to their quantity.

I was fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to have been able to live during the time when it was a luxury to have a drive. Old PCs didn’t automatically come with hard drives. All they usually have is a floppy drive slot. The applications weren’t that large then, so shuffling floppies to load and run programs were not so frustrating or impractical. Everything changed when programs bloated. DOS was dethroned as the OS king, and Windows paved the way in making hard drives a staple in every PC package.

While a DVD disk is fairly large enough to house several software, it cannot conveniently serve as the primary storage device because it’s simply just not big enough. You may contend that you could always imitate the disk shuffling of old, but this is inconvenient and time-consuming. The fact that multi-tasking is the order of the era makes that old practice impossible. Doing several things at the same time would then require you to have several optical drives. People just don’t have the time or the patience for this.

I don’t see the hard drive being replaced by a new type of storage media anytime soon. I know it’s an old technology. But then again, so is the monitor. Of course, there will definitely be new innovations as far as its architecture is concerned. However, the concept would still be the same. The primary storage devices of the future would still be more or less permanent. It would still remain fixed no matter how big or efficient other portable media would become.

Re-Tweet This Post