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Archive for the ‘Computer Hardware’ Category

Z Corporation and Its 3D Printers

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Introduction

Z Corporation is a company which develops, manufactures as well as markets the fastest three-dimensional printers in the world. This company produces machines which are handheld models and it does so speedily, easily plus inexpensively from the CAD or computer-aided design, the BIM or building information modeling.

The 3D printers of Z Corp. are utilized by various companies to build prototypes varying from different toys for purposes of market feedback to the fan blades meant for the functional testing.

Just as the regular desktop printers supply a computer user with the paper output for their documents, the 3D printers provide the 3D CAD as well as BIM users with physical prototypes of the actual objects like mobile phones, the engine manifold, different cameras or even scale-model building.

Technology benefits of Z Corp.

The clear-cut product interface of Z Corporation supplies the users with resources to mechanically build the appearance prototypes. This it does from their three-dimensional CAD plus BIM designs rapidly and economically as oppose to the alternative expensive and labor-intensive techniques. For instance, the design of any mobile phone may be transformed from its screen image into one prototype within an hour’s time for up to $10.

By employing appearance prototypes initially in the development cycle of a product its design engineers are able to get a critical feedback fairly early during the process of design. The prototypes of Z Corporation corroborate market approval of the new designs prior to even the beginning of the production process. This leads to elimination of the costly final changes and also enables the companies to be first ones to promote using their products.

Z Corporation’s 3D printers apply customary inkjet printing expertise to build the segments layer-by-layer by means of depositing one liquid binder on top of thin sheets of powder. In place of feeding the paper under its print heads as 2D printer, the 3D printers move your print heads above powder-beds on which they print all cross-sectional information from your CAD file that has been divided into suitable build layers.

The different models of Z Corp 3D printers include-

- ZPrinter 310 Plus

This is the entry-level 3D printer for the beginners, the professionals plus those who want cost efficient solutions for 3D printing. ZPrinter 310 supplies build area of 8″ x 10″ x 8″ build and its resolution is 300 x 450 DPI XY.

- ZPrinter 450

This model is a full Color three-dimensional printer which helps its users in developing color prototypes and that too at a pace which is 5 to 10 times quicker than other such 3D printers. This line of color printers are needed in sectors like education, architecture, health, GIS, electronics, in arts and product design etc.

- Spectrum Z510

They develop prototypes which are full-color and high definition very quickly and at reasonable cost. Spectrum Z510 3D comes with a resolution of 540 X 600 DPI XY contending with competitor machines which are 5 costlier.

- ZPrinter 650

The Spectrum Z650 is a full color and automated system of 3D printers which has been engineered particularly to fulfill most demanding needs in sectors of engineering, education, the AEC and GIS plus in entertainment. Having the biggest build volume this 3D printer makes it possible for its users to take out prints of very large and high-resolution plus multicolor models.

This Article is written by John C Arkin from PrintCountry the contributor of PrintCountry Articles. More information on the subject is at PrintCountry, and related resources can be found at Printer Ink Cartridges.

Refurbished Computers – Are They Worth the Risk?

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Surfing across the internet I have somehow come across many people who wouldn’t really think of or even imagine themselves using computers that are used, second-hand or refurbished as you may call it. They often have doubts in their minds regarding as to “why the computer was returned in the first place? “

To some extent I would agree on the fact that when you buy a refurbished pc, I too would simply have some repercussions because there is no certain proof as to if your purchases are going to be as delighting as you saw in the pictures, or might be holding some kind of problem already. There is no such possibility for you to be sure of such a fact. This is the exact reason why some people fail to get what they desire. They never tend to look for proper, reliable sources for buying but simply because “eBay” or “froogle.com” had provided them with people selling products for cheap appealed to them they would opt for it. Conclusion “you blow your whistle”. You get dissatisfied with a piece of junk rolled up in frills for which you had given $200-300 bucks through PayPal.

Now tell me is that your fault or the person selling it. Unless the seller possesses a physical “brick-and-mortar” abode as people would say, or for individuals that you recognize it is very stupid indeed to spill money on them. Otherwise they could simply fade away into cyberspace, leaving you with a smaller bank account and another headache.

Refurbished computers as the name states does not necessarily refer to other people’s junk. Many a times I have found that friends & colleagues who are passionate about computing or just want a more faster/ trendier computer simply try to get rid of their older models. Their computers are many a time in mint condition, and not obsolete, these would be ideals to buy if you know someone like that. In cases where online stores and other marketplaces where people sell used stuff are often affiliated with multinationals or other contracted agencies who reposition their firms by doing away with old PCs for new ones. Such computers are often termed as off-leased rather than used.

Why I posted this topic was that this is a matter of great concern for everyone these days. People around the internet seem to be very hesitant when it comes to making decisions such as purchasing a computer for their own home. These stressful decisions just tend to add on when they start worrying about the performance.

Few Tips for Making Smart Purchases:

1. Always opt for vendors or sellers that give a minimum of 30-day warranty
2. See to it that you deliver your desired specifications to the seller
3. Give preference to those products that give you more details about the product such as size, color weight condition etc.
4. Opt for a known and reputable brand
5. Check all devices installed such as graphics, sound cards for consistency
6. See all applications boot quickly and correctly
7. Seek for after sales services such as troubleshooting etc.

Keep these tips in mind while making purchases and you’ll definitely stand to see that a refurbished deal was worth saving lots of money after all!!

The author covers a variety of topics pertaining to science & technology. Other topics of interest include: Link Building, SEO, computers, copywriting etc. For more ingenious piece of this author visit IngeniousMinds blog

How to Repair No Power Sharp PC-MJ720R Laptop

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Problem: This laptop came in with a complaint of no power.
Laptop Brand: Sharp
Model: PC-MJ720R

Diagnosis, Cause and Remedy: The first thing I did was testing the power adaptor with a multimeter in order to verify whether the power adaptor is the one that’s causing the no power problem or not. The supply voltage indicated on the power adaptor is 19v, when I tested it, the supply voltage is just normal. Since the power adaptor is just okay, our concentration now is on the laptop itself. In order to ascertain whether the motherboard of the laptop or other peripheral devices which is connected to the laptop causes the no power problem, we have to disassemble the laptop piece by piece. After unscrewing all the laptop parts, I individually pull out each peripheral devices. After completely taking out all devices which is connected to the laptop. I now separated the motherboard in order to be tested. But first I clean out all the dust from the motherboard for this is also a one factor which causes the motherboard electronic components to be shorted. Because when dust gets thick it will become a conductor.

So you need to be aware of this, every time you disassemble a laptop motherboard you need to free the motherboard from all dust, to be sure not the dust is the element causing the motherboard’s electronic component parts to be shorted. After cleaning all the dust from the motherboard, I scan all the components to see whether there are any dry joints or not. Dry joints means loose or poor solder connections. Poor solder connections on a laptop motherboard usually occur when your laptop is already well-advanced in years. I did not find any poor solder connections on any part of the motherboard, but for contentment I just carefully resoldered all the SMD components especially on the power section.

Note: All laptop nowadays is designed on a Surface Mounted Device or SMD mode, and this is rarely have dry joints. But for satisfaction I cautiously resoldered all the SMD components particularly the SMD components near the dc power jack.

After resoldering all the sections that needs to be resoldered, I inserted the dc power plug adaptor to the dc power jack and see whether the power comes up. Unfortunately, the condition of the problem remains the same. I now tested all the electronic parts on the motherboard to find out whether there are any shorted electronic element parts which causes the no power problem. After testing all the components that could be tested merely with a multimeter, I could not find any shorted parts. The only parts that I still not checked was the dc power jack and the fuse.

The final step that I did was testing power jack from input to ground for short. When I tested it, voila! the problem found because it is really shorted. I used x1 range of my multimeter to see the fault and either way there’s a deflection. When I go on testing the fuse, I found that the fuse was also open, the rate of the fuse is 5.5 amperes and upon further inspection I found a shorted diode.

The reason why the power jack terminals were shorted is because of the shorted diode that is connected to the power jack. Replacing the diode and the fuse brings the laptop to life. Hope this article helped you get some ideas about solving laptop no power problem.

Did you find this article helpful? If you did, you may visit the blog site for more info.
http://www.compunics.blogspot.com

Winston John C. Badon is a computer and electronic technician. If you find this article helpful, you can visit his blog site at http://www.compunics.blogspot.com for more laptop repair tips and other related computer information and repair.

Biometrics Technologies

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Biometrics refers to the technologies which can uniquely identify human beings for the purposes like attendance system for staff in colleges, airport security and many others.

Status of biometric industry

For years, people have been looking forward to the arrival of biometrics technologies. Biometrics industry watchers knows that it is about to burst into the public consciousness and will begin to be used in many applications. The following indicator shows this:

The government and industry led effort to set up a uniform application programmers interface so that different Biometric systems can connected with each other.

The purchase of Biometric devices has increased significantly over the past couple of years.

Characteristics of Biometrics

They can be divided into two factors:

1. Physical:- These are related to the shape of the body.for example IRIS recognition, palm geometry, face recognition etc.

2. Behavioral:- These are related to the way of acting, behaving of the person. For example vocal tract, way of speaking, typing rhythm, gait etc.

Applications of Biometrics

1. Biometric time clocks:- These are the attendance systems,which are increasingly used by organizations. Biometric information reveals an inherent reliability whether it is collected openly or closely.

2. Biometric safes and locks:- Biometric safes are used for security purposes at home or for office usage.for example security of lockers and personal documents which can be administer by only an individual.

3. Biometric Airport Security:- Identity fraud at Airports are the most common crime in the current environment. So to mitigate these kinds of identity frauds Biometric airport cards are deployed at major airports in the different countries. These cards includes finger print scan,photos and personal information and a lot more.

Helpful Tips When Choosing a Home Office Printer

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Choosing the right printer, multipurpose paper and best ink and toner is easier for those who follow these guidelines

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – It wasn’t too long ago that consumers looking for a home office printer didn’t have many choices. Fast forward to today when those looking for printers have a vast array of possibilities, and that choice has to made before selecting the best ink and toner, and multipurpose paper to go with it.

At first glance the task can be daunting. Choosing the wrong home office printer won’t ruin a business, but it can leave the professional constantly asking themselves, “How did I make this mistake?”

People who choose the wrong home office printer often do it for the right reason: the price was right. While price should play an important role in the printer selected, it should not be the sole factor, especially if it means failing to consider the best ink and toner, and multipurpose paper to go with that printer. Sometimes the printer is cheap, but the accessories and supplies are more expensive.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the factors that go into choosing the right printer for a home office.

The first seems obvious, yet it is frequently overlooked. How will the printer be used?

If it is simply going to be for limited purposes like printing emails, short papers or receipts, a basic ink jet printer will suffice. Such printers can be found at close to $100, though they do tend to go through even the best ink and toner cartridges quickly.

The next step up is a laser printer which, when combined with the best ink and toner cartridges, produces professional looking documents at a relatively inexpensive price.

Most home office printer needs, however, require a little more versatility. One small office can need a scanner, printer, fax machine and copier, and all the papers and ink cartridges that go with them, or it can have one machine that does it all. Multipurpose printers, combined with multipurpose paper and the best ink and toner cartridge can provide functionality while usurping a limited amount of physical space.

Once the primary function of the home office printer is determined, consider how frequently it will be used. Printers that will be used often are more convenient if they can hold large stacks of multipurpose paper, keeping them from having to be loaded for every print job.

Think about the amount of color that will be needed if the documents are to look their best. Ink and toner cartridges can be bought in bulk to save money, but printers that hold larger cartridges, including color cartridges, will be more convenient because they don’t have to be constantly replaced.

Finally, consider how the home office printer will be linked to the computer. Nowadays, not all printers have to be connected via a printer cable. While there’s nothing wrong with cables, printers that offer wireless network connections are nice because they allow multiple computers to be connected to the printer at once. Wireless users also gain convenience because they can print documents from places outside the home office.

Printer, multipurpose paper and ink cartridges combine to form the home office document center. Considering all the above factors before purchasing a home office printer will help ensure that the printer that’s purchased can fulfill the tasks that need to be performed.

http://www.restockit.com/Selecting-Home-Office-Printer.html