This week's tips and tricks
A column full of tips and tricks for you today.---My computer shop often is full of computers that shut off for no good reason. One great toy around the shop is the Thermohawk 200, a small touchless infrared thermometer. You aim the little beam at the processor or whatever and wham, an instant readout of the temperature of whatever you’re pointing at.
This is, in the vernacular of long ago, wicked cool.
This $50 gizmo is no larger than a penlight, fits on a keychain and works in a second. Point, aim and shoot. It’s great for overclocking processors (how hot is too hot?)
It’s from Q3 Innovations (www.Q3i.com) and available in many computer stores.
---If you’re ever tempted to buy one of those $25 mini vacs to clean out dust from your PC, forget it. Not enough suction, I found out after a couple of vacs. Instead I am out about a billion of those little cans of air that I hope don’t harm the ozone layer.
---Speaking of dust, you are periodically opening your PC and blowing it out, right? Right? Well, if you’re like most people, you’re not. If your PC is in an enclosure or other tight space it’s even worse. Investing $5 a can of compressed air and 10 minutes of work is time well spent.
Unplug everything, take it outside and unscrew the two thumbscrews or the slide (unless it’s a Dell) and open the side. Then blow the dust out of the CPU fan, the case fan and the video card fan. Then blow the dust out of the power supply fans and vents too.
Make sure all of the fans spin freely and the dust is all cleaned out before buttoning it all back up.
---I got a great set of Sears/Craftsman screwdrivers (#41711) including some hard to find small Torx screwdrivers to open some odd computers and media players. My only issue prior to finding these was that tiny screwdrivers were tiny. (Opening some Apple Powerbooks were nearly impossible.) So there was very little leverage while using them. These have been a great tool in the repair arsenal. The only trick is not to misplace them.
---If you own an Apple Mac, make sure you run Software Update. There are some critical software patches that have been released for the Mac. If you run a Windows XP machine also run Windows Update for a couple of patches released in September.
---I have received several e-mails with feedback about Ubuntu, a version of Linux offered free on the Internet. It’s not only free on the Internet for download but free on CD (even free postage.)
All of them who have written me so far like it, saying it has given new life to old hardware that otherwise wouldn’t have been used for anything. I agree. It’s just the answer for day care centers and K-4 classrooms who don’t need the latest and greatest stuff, either.
WEEKLY WEB WONDER: One of the first sites I found on the Web is still one of the best. Check out Chateau Meddybemps with your kids at www.meddybemps.com
James Derk is co-owner of CyberDads, a computer repair firm, and computer columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. His e-mail address is jim@cyberdads.com
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