Battery UK

Portable music, players, digital cameras and cell phones are typically powered by rechargeable batteries. You would normally charge these items through a USB cable connected to your computer or a wall adapter, but if you are on the road without your computer, you will need other methods to charge your USB devices. With the right accessories, you can charge your USB-capable devices right in your car.

Charging USB Devices:

1.USB to 12-Volt Adapter

This type of USB charger will plug into your car’s cigarette lighter slot. USB chargers have one or more USB interfaces on the other end. You can then connect your music player or other devices via the USB cable.

2.DC-to-AC Converter

Electronics are designed to use either alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power sources; plugging into the wrong source without a converter can damage your USB device. If your USB device requires a specific charger which requires an AC outlet, you can plug in through a DC-to-AC converter. This converter provides you with an AC outlet and converts the DC power from your car to AC power.

3.USB Interface Cable

Some USB devices require an interface cable which transfers data as well as power. An interface cable will usually have a USB adapter on one end, with the interface connector on the other. If your vehicle features a USB port on the car stereo or through the glove box, you may be able to plug in an MP3 player or other USB audio device. You can then listen to music on the device through your stereo.

4.USB Power Adapter

Laptops and other USB devices can also charge via a power adapter. One end can plug into your USB device charger – which is connected to your car – and the other end will fit the USB device’s power slot.

Device-Charging Tip

Avoid charging USB devices in your car while the engine is not running, as this will drain the battery. If possible, leave your USB device plugged in while you drive. You will be able to power your device without letting the car idle this way.

 

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Video entertainment should be just as portable as music, and a portable DVD player goes a long way toward making your movie library available almost anywhere. The ability to play DVDs frees you from the need to manage digital movie files, and the larger screen on a portable DVD player is a big improvement over smaller digital video players. These frequently asked questions about portable DVD players will give you a better idea of their features and your portable video options.

Portable DVD Player Questions:

What forms do portable DVD players come in?

Two major types of DVD players are commonly available: fold-up models and car DVD players. The difference between these two types is how your portable DVD player is connected to your vehicle. Regular portable DVD players are stand-alone devices with the player and folding screen in the same unit. Portable DVD players for cars may have one or more screens installed in car seats or the ceiling, with a separate player in the dash or beneath the seats. A normal portable DVD player has the advantage of going with you anywhere, while the portable car DVD player is easily integrated with your vehicle’s sound system. Another, less-common, portable DVD player type features a viewing screen built into a boombox or bookshelf stereo design.

Can I play Blu-ray discs on a portable player?

Some do. Portable Blu-ray players will play both Blu-ray and DVD. If the name of a product doesn’t clarify whether it plays Blu-ray, you can check the product description for the initials “BD” which stand for “Blu-ray Disc.”

How can I get better sound from my DVD player?

A separate set of speakers can really improve the sound you get from your player, usually plugging in through the headphone jack. Your portable DVD player may also come with adapter cables for your car stereo, allowing you to use car speakers for sound.

What if I want to use headphones?

Nearly every portable DVD player has at least one headphone jack; many have two. If you want to use two sets of headphones but don’t have two jacks, you can always use an adapter cable with a splitter.

 

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The AC adapter is an important component of any laptop. Without it, it would not be possible to recharge the laptop’s battery, which is essential for portability. The AC adapter also makes it possible to use the laptop without draining battery life, helping extend battery life on long days. Laptop AC adapters are not all created the same, however, and one of the distinguishing characteristics of different AC adapter designs is their polarity.

The polarity of an AC adapter refers to the way that power flows through the cable and into the laptop itself. The power coming from a wall outlet is what is known as alternating current (or AC power), but the power needed by the laptop is known as direct current (or DC power). The AC adapter converts the AC power into DC power at the correct voltage for the laptop.

The polarity of the adapter happens in the connector that is inserted into the laptop directly. The connector is comprised of a tip and a barrel. The tip is essentially the hole in the middle of the connector and the barrel is the larger area surrounding this hole. Power can only flow in one direction, either from the tip to the barrel or from the barrel to the tip. This is what is meant by polarity.

An adapter with a positive polarity means that its tip is positive and its barrel is negative. An adapter with a negative polarity means that its tip is negative and its barrel is positive. There is no standard design, so adapters and devices are often marked with a symbol to show their polarity. The side connected to the center dot is the tip, and the side connected to the symbol shaped like a C is the barrel.

It is important not to plug an adapter with the wrong polarity into a device. It will not supply power, and in some cases can cause damage to the device or the adapter. Visit uk-online.co  to find a compatible adapter for your laptop, or view specific sections, such as Sony Laptop AC Adapters and Toshiba Laptop AC Adapters to find adapters specific to your laptop’s manufacturer.

Many computer users experience slowdowns over time with any desktop PC. Unfortunately, as a computer gets slower, many of these users decide that it is time to purchase a new PC, but with just a few simple steps, it may be possible to regain much of this lost performance and speed, making your PC more enjoyable to use. Here are a few steps you can try to speed up your desktop PC.

The main cause of a computer slowing down over time is the amount of software installed on it. Many of the programs in your computer may be running in the background, consuming resources. Go to Control Panel, then Add/Remove Programs to see if there are any unused programs that can be uninstalled.

Viruses, spyware, and other malware can often cause a computer to run much slower. If you have antivirus installed, make sure it is up-to-date and then do a full scan of your PC, removing any malware it finds. There are many good free antivirus programs such as AVG antivirus available if you do not already have one installed. Many programs start automatically whether they need to or not. Check the Startup folder in your Start menu and remove any unnecessary programs. Also, you can right-click any programs in your taskbar and look for a setting to disable automatic startup. Remember that you can always open these programs manually when you actually need them.

If your desktop PC can support more RAM than it currently has installed, it is a good idea to upgrade the RAM to the maximum amount. This can have a significant impact on performance, as it allows more programs to be run at once with less slowdown. You can find out maximum amount of memory your computer holds by contacting a parts locator service. Defragging a hard drive will often not have a significant impact on performance, but a computer that has been in operation for a long time can sometimes have a very fragmented hard drive, which can hinder performance. Use the Windows defrag tool every few months or set it to run automatically for a little better disk performance.

If you try all of the steps above you should notice increased performance from your desktop PC. It may just be enough to save you from a costly upgrade or new computer purchase.

One of the most frustrating problems many users face is that random seeming event when your computer simply will not connect to the internet. You can’t tell why, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong, but no matter what you do, your computer just cannot seem to get online. There are however, a few common culprits that can get between you and the great wide world of web, and luckily they’re pretty easy to remedy as well.

First, do a quick cable check. If you are using a desktop computer, check the cable connections from the back of your tower, to your router (if you have one), to your modem, and finally to your wall. All connections should be tight and secure. If you’re using a laptop on a wireless connection, you should still check the cables from your router, to the modem, and finally to the wall. Also, while you’re checking your modem, check its status lights. Is it sending and receiving information? If it isn’t, you may need to contact your internet service provider.

Another simple cause of connectivity issues that happens more frequently than you’d think is actually having the wireless card enabled. Most laptops will have either a button or switch right near the keyboard to toggle the wireless card on and off. Check that this is in the “on” position. If this doesn’t fix the problem, go into your computer’s device manager and check the status of the wireless card. It may not be functioning properly, or may have been disabled manually while your wireless switch remained in the “on” position.

When in doubt, restart your modem and your router. Sometimes, they just get stuck. Routers are notoriously sensitive machines, and the tiniest thing can throw them off. Usually, unplugging either of these devices for about 10 seconds and then plugging them back in gets them to refresh themselves, which in itself can sometimes fix whatever problem you may be having.

If none of these things work, contact your internet service provider. Many times their technicians will be glad to assist you in checking everything over, and they can double check and confirm the status of your internet service as well.

One of the most common issues with laptop batteries is overheating. Not that the batteries are designed poorly or improperly but due to, in most cases, user wear and tear. While the laptop is using the AC adapter for power the battery acts as a backup in case of a loss of power or accidental unplugging. During this AC power use the battery becomes hotter than it would if being used independently. To lessen the chances of this overheating, which leads to a shorter life expectancy of the battery, keep the AC power adapter plugged in only if you need to charge the battery while using the device.

If the battery is consistently hot to the touch, remove it and allow it to cool down making sure it is close to room temperature before reinserting it. Should the battery continue to overheat or get too hot it will probably need to be replaced. Always replace a defective battery as soon as possible as it could cause irreparable damage to the laptop in question. In addition to overheating, failure to charge or hold a charge is another very common issue with laptop batteries.

First check to see if the AC adapter is securely plugged into the device; the tightness of the connection will vary from laptop to laptop but it should be held in place well. To check for a good connection look for the battery charging LED if one is present on your laptop.

If it is not on wiggle the cord to see if the connection makes and breaks contact. If you notice a flickering LED light then the solution is a new adapter which is far better than needed to purchase a new battery or a new DC power jack which can be repaired by a common user with a little instruction and help.

Laptop computers, like their desktop counterparts, typically contain a CMOS, or complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor, battery. This battery is mounted on the mother board, and retains the BIOS information of your machine when it is completely powered down, as well as maintains the date and time information, and backs up what is on your RAM in the case of a power interruption.

A CMOS battery typically lasts between four and seven years in a computer before it begins to die, however system trauma or a defective battery can, rarely, cause a battery to malfunction well before its time. You’ll know when your CMOS battery has gone bad when you see messages that mention something like “CMOS checksum error” or a similarly described problem. Oftentimes, you will see this error reporting infrequently on boot up, indicating that the battery is dying but not yet completely gone. This is the ideal time to replace the battery. However, if you get the error every time you boot, the battery is likely completely dead, and you may have lost your BIOS settings along with some other system information.

Before removing a CMOS battery for replacement, be sure to enter set up mode on your computer, and copy down all of the settings in your BIOS menus. This is what is stored on that battery, and when you remove that battery, that data will be erased. After replacing with a new battery however, you can go into BIOS and restore those settings from your copy. Also, some programs will back up your BIOS settings to an external disk of some sort, allowing you to reload them at any time.

In laptops, CMOS batteries are typically found beneath the keyboard. This can pose a challenge, as the keyboard on a laptop can be difficult and delicate to remove. It is also important to note that on some models, the CMOS battery is actually soldered to the mother board, in which case you will not be able to remove the battery without professional assistance, either through a repair company or the manufacturer. In laptops with removable batteries, there will typically be a tension clip holding it in place. Simply open the clip, remove the battery, and replace it with a new one. Make sure however that the new battery matches the replaced battery. Consult your computer’s hardware manual or a local or online retailer to be sure you get a direct replacement that will function with your mother board.

An overheating laptop can not only damage the laptop and its internal components, leading to costly repairs, but in extreme cases, it can even cause burns and other safety concerns. For these reasons, it is a good idea to take a few precautions to keep your laptop or notebook running as cool as possible. Here are a few of the top causes of overheating in laptop computers, and a few ways to prevent or resolve them.

Dust

When a laptop overheats, it is most likely caused by dust or other obstructions preventing air from flowing in and out of the laptop. Laptops generally have a cooling system that relies on a fan circulating air into and out of the laptop, and taking heat with it. When there is dust, dirt, or another obstruction blocking the vents, the heat can collect and cause the machine to overheat. Use a can of compressed air to gently blow the dust out of any vents you have access to, or have a repair shop clean out your laptop professionally to resolve this issue.

Malfunctioning Fan

As mentioned above, the fan is responsible for circulating cool air into the laptop, and blowing hot air out. If the fan starts to malfunction, heat can collect and cause the laptop to overheat. If you suspect your fan is malfunctioning, search for a replacement part and instructions online, or take it to a professional repair shop to have the fan replaced before it causes more damage to your laptop.

Poor Heat Sink

In many cases, the heat sink for the CPU of the laptop can become dislodged, no longer providing adequate cooling. In other cases, poor design provides inadequate cooling for the laptop. If you suspect your CPU is overheating, check with the manufacturer as many have implemented recalls of laptops due to design defects which caused overheating. You may be eligible for a free repair or replacement.

Taking a few moments to prevent overheating in your laptop can save you costly repairs and downtime in the future. By following the suggestions above, you can help your laptop to run cooler and more efficient for many years to come.