Well it’s here…the ultimate upgrade from Windows Vista.  Lots of cool new features, higher performance, and hopefully less headache.  So what’s it gonna take to upgrade?  Well anyone who has purchased a new computer recently can get a free copy of Windows 7.  We’ll be going over more of the details soon to come.

For anyone who has upgraded, feel free to post your comments about Windows 7 in the comments section of this post!

The
Invisible Shield is a pretty incredible military grade plastic that protects nearly any portable electronic device (cell phones and mp3 players). They go on completely invisible (no airbubbles or dirty finger prints) and stay on really secure. They are great because they really don’t ever scratch. We have tried cutting different Invisible Shields to fit other products and even with a box cutter knife they wasn’t even a scratch. We really do recommend having one for mp3 players and cell phones escpecially so that your device always looks brand new! Click on the picture to visit their website and pick out one for you phone or mp3 player. Get the invisibleSHIELD

If you want a quick and easy way to listen to music on your Mp3 player without using headphones the best thing to do is plug them in to your computer speakers. Most computer speakers use a 3.5mm audio jack that is the same size as headphone jacks. All that you need to do is unplug your speakers from the computer, and plug in the cable into the headphone jack on your Mp3 player (or iPod).

Bluetooth is a pretty awesome wireless capability, primarily used on cell phones. You can “pair” a bluetooth cell phone with a bluetooth device by
1) going into the bluetooth menu (usually found in the “connections” menu) and turn bluetooth on
tip: if you’re pairing the phone with a headset then all you must do is hold down the main call button to activate it
2) then in the same menu there should be a “search for devices” which will find all of the bluetooth devices in your area.
3) once the device that you’re looking for comes up than select that device and select “pair”
4) most times it will ask for a password so enter that.
tip: usually the password is “0000″
5) now you’re ready to use the bluetooth device.

Bluetooth headsets are becoming very popular because of the convenience of driving in your car and being able to talk on the phone (in many states it is illegal to talk on the phone while driving if you’re not using a bluetooth headset). This technology also has great uses for sending information to a computer, or using a bluetooth home phone with your cell phone, to eliminate the need for a home phone service. If there are any other questions or comments about bluetooth and what it can do, or how to use it, post a comment!

With so many different services available for internet it is hard to know if you’re getting the best speed for your dollar. In some cases your computer itself can be a cause to the internet running slow, so it’s best to test your speed. Use speedtest.net to find your speed, and if you’re running a bit slow maybe it’s time for a change in service provider, or time to finally get high speed internet if you’ve never had it before. You can Get Blazing Fast Internet with Qwest Fiber Optic Technology to finally get the boost in speed that you want.Get Qwest® High-Speed Internet starting at $14.99!

It’s true that technology is always changing and there is a lot of fear about learning anything new because it is bound to change right away. However, there are some easy ways of staying on top of technology and overcoming that initial fear. First off, good technology is made to be easy to understand and use. Don’t be afraid with playing around, clicking buttons, changing settings, and see what happens. There is usually not too much harm that can be done by playing around (that is what technology is made for). The more you submerse yourself with technology the easier it is to understand. This is not hard to do. Shop around and explore what is on clearance vs. what looks like it was just put on display. Also, it is good to read blogs like EnGadget to see what the “techies” are saying about the newest technology, even if you don’t understand it. And of course the best thing to do is always check iKnowElectronics.com for technology advice and various resources. Ask questions, play around, and explore. Even if this doesn’t give you a complete understanding with how things work you will at least feel more comfortable with the latest technology.

If your computer is running slow there are a few possible causes. One problem may be that you have filled up too much of your hard drive (you have too much stored on your computer). To check if this is the problem and you are using a Windows computer, simply open up “my computer” and then right click on the image that says “(c:)” and select
“properties”(this is your hard drive). For Apple users just “control + click” on the hard drive icon and select “get info”. In the window that opens up it will show you the amount “used” and the amount “available” if over 80% of your hard drive is “used” than your computer will run slow and it is very likely for it to crash. In this case get an external hard drive (a hard drive that plugs in to the USB slot on your computer) and move all of the files that you don’t use on your computer to the external hard drive.

If this is not the case than the most probable cause of your computer running slow is that you do not have enough RAM. RAM, or random access memory, is what allows you to do multiple things on the computer at once. With newer computers running Windows Vista, or older computers that you’ve added a lot of programs to, you most likely do not have the RAM necessary to make your computer function properly. The best way to check if this is the case is visit Crucial.com
where you can do a “memory scan” of your computer and it will detect what type of RAM that you need and how much you should get. Crucial offers very good prices on RAM and is a great website to upgrade your computer to get what you need to make it function properly.

The one other thing that can make your computer run slow is if you have a Virus or Spyware. These are serious issues that can cause pop ups, allow others to view your private information, and slow down your computer. If you don’t have a virus program, or haven’t updated your virus program in the last year than it is very likely that you have a virus. One of the best anti-virus programs that we recommend is Trend Micro Internet Security 2009.
It is a great value and will protect your computer without slowing it down like many other anti-virus programs.

After you have checked your hard drive space, your RAM, and your virus protection than your computer should be running better than ever. Don’t forget to check out our computer page for more information.

Welcome to the new iKnowElectronics.com! Along with a new look and ease-of-use, we will be updating content more frequently and adding lots of new information to keep you up-to-date with the constantly evolving world of technology!