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Home > Understanding Tech
Understanding Tech

Get the facts you need to build your own computer or learn about new technology. Find free downloads of product guides, tech glossaries and multimedia demos here.

Tech Word

Spyware
Similar to a virus in that it targets a system's resources and slows or locks up processes. It can enter a system through downloading an nefarious program that appears to be innocuous (trojan horse) or through browser plug-ins (adware). Spyware can monitor a user's activities by utilizing a keylogger program that tracks keystrokes.
Learn more »

Understanding Tech

BYOPC

Reference:

• BYOPC Checklist (PDF)
• BYOPC Glossary
• Choosing a PC Case Guide
• Computer Component Demo (Flash® Movie)
• CPU Cooling
• Heatsink Installation
• IDE Hard Drive Installation
• Intel Desktop Cooling
• Overclocking
• POST Inside of System Case
• POST Outside of System Case

Tech Articles:

• Art Nouveau Case Mod, Part 1
• Art Nouveau Case Mod, Part 2
• BioShock Deco Case Mod
• BYOPC Chapter 1: In Pursuit of a Processor
• BYOPC Chapter 2: Storage and Video
• BYOPC Chapter 3: The Final Pieces
• BYOPC Chapter 4: An Ounce of Prevention
• BYOPC Chapter 5: Case Prep
• BYOPC Chapter 6: SATA Drive Setup
• BYOPC Chapter 7: Special Effects
• BYOPC Chapter 8: Lighting Technologies
• BYOPC Chapter 9: Adding components to a motherboard Part 1
• BYOPC Chapter 10: Adding components to a motherboard Part 2
• Comic Challenge Case Mod: The Stark IMD
• Dualing Video Cards
• Egyptian Mod Case
• Extreme Case Modding Part 1: In The Beginning...
• Extreme Case Modding Part 2: The Outer Hull
• Give Your Old Hard Drive New Life
• Intel Dual Core Pentium Processors
• Intel Goes by the Numbers
• Introduction to Overclocking
• Make Your PC Into a Gaming PC
• OS Assimilation
• Put Water In Your Case
• The Quetzal Case Mod, Part 1
• The Quetzal Case Mod, Part 2
• Two Brains Are Better Than One - Intel Core 2 Processors

Communications

Reference:

Tech Articles:

• Introduction to Handhelds
• Understanding GPS
• VoIP FAQs

• Around the World with GPS
• Expanded Cell Phone Memory
• Geocaching - Find Treasure with your GPS
• Get More Out of Your PDA
• Discover Bluetooth
• VoIP

Digital Audio

Reference:

Tech Articles:

• CD Burning Terminology
• Digital Audio Glossary
• Digital Music Player Guide
• Ripping & Burning with iTunes
• Ripping & Burning with Windows Media Player

• Create your Own Podcast Studio
• Discovering the Podcast Nation
• Disassembling the Surround Sound System
• DIY - iPod Battery Replacement
• Get The Most Out Of Your Music
• How to Set Up a Home MIDI Studio on the Mac, Part 1
• How to Set Up a Home MIDI Studio on the Mac, Part 2
• Name That Song
• Retro Music Capture
• Setting Up iTunes Music Sharing

Digital Imaging

Reference:

Tech Articles:

• Be Your Own Movie Producer with iMovie, Part I
• Be Your Own Movie Producer with iMovie, Part 2
• Camera Tips
• Capture Old Movies
• Color Profiles in Photoshop
• Copyrighting your Photos using Photoshop
• Digital Camcorders Go from MiniDV to DVD
• High Definition Video Capture under Vista
• Image Editing in a Cinch: Using Photoshop Actions
• One Lens To Shoot It All
• Photo Printing 101
• PVR
• Sony Alpha 100 DSLR
• Take Better Photos of Smiling Faces
• TV + Laptop = Multimedia Fun

• Digital Camera Features
• Digital Camera Demo (Flash® Movie)
• Digital Camcorder Demo (Flash® Movie)
• Digital Image Processing Glossary
• Import Images into iPhoto
• Photo Printing for Macintosh
• Photo Printing for Windows
• Sharing Pictures with Macintosh
• Sharing Pictures with Windows
• Storing Pictures with Macintosh
• Storing Pictures with Windows

Displays/Monitors

Reference:

• HDTV Glossary

Tech Articles:

• Blue-ray vs. HD DVD
• Comparing LCD Monitor Specs
• Digital TV is coming. Are you ready?
• Expand Your HDMI Connections
• Flat Panel Blur- Begone
• Flat Screen Envy
• Get the Most Out of HDTV
• HDTV and Monitor Basics: A Screen Odyssey
• KVM: Attaching multiple computers to one monitor
• Multi-Touch Computing
• TV Alphabet Soup
• TV Anywhere with Slingbox

Gaming

Reference:

Tech Articles:

• 80's Flashback with Activision's Hits Remixed
• Be A Guitar Hero
• "Black" Preview
• Bring Out The Dead - Capcom's Dead Rising for XBOX 360
• Deathmatch, Frag and Respawn
• DirectX Gaming
• Doom 3
• Gaming Mice and Keyboards
• God of War
• Rock Band Rocks!
• The 411 on PSP

Macintosh

Reference:

Tech Articles:

• Adding Fonts
• Automate Your Mac
• Coding Your Mac
• Create a Mac OS X Guest Account
• Importing Addresses into Mac Address Book
• Mac OS X - Learning the Terminal
• Multi-Boot, the Apple Way
• OS X Defragmentation
• Software Updates
• Using your iPod for Calendars, Contacts and Notes in Mac OS X

• Mac OS X Overview

Networking / Internet

Reference:

Tech Articles:

• 802.11n - Tomorrow's Wireless Network Today
• Ad-Hoc Wireless Networking
• Does Open Mean Free?
• Firewall Defined
• Optimizing Microsoft Internet Explorer 6
• Anywhere Computing: Remote Desktop
• Sharing a Wireless Internet Connection
• WAR Driving
• Why Wi-Fi?
• WiFi Hotspots
• Wireless Networking with Windows® Vista

• Broadband Demo (Flash® Movie)
• Windows XP Network Setup
• Wireless AdHoc Networking
• Wired LANs Guide
• Wireless Networking - Additional Notes
• Wireless Security

Operating Systems / Software

Reference:

Tech Articles:

• Accessibility Tools
• Adding a Whitelist to Outlook
• Antivirus, Antispyware & Firewalls: What's the Difference?
• Blogging Tools
• Budgeting Chaos: Options for Organizing Your Personal Finances
• Changing Your Default Browser
• Create an email template in Microsoft Outlook 2003
• Dreamweaver Templates
• Formatting Excel Data
• Global Domination... Using Maps
• Highlights of Adobe Acrobat Professional
• Import XML into Excel
• Introduction to Linux, Part 1
• Introduction to XML, Part I
• Introduction to XML, Part II
• Introduction to XML, Part III
• Multi-booting - The Hard Way
• Multi-booting Vista® Step-by-Step
• Networking with Windows® Vista
• OpenOffice.org
• Photoshop Clipping Paths Made Easy
• Photography Workflow With Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
• Spring Ahead: Be Ready For Daylight Savings Time
• Tax Time
• Top Ten Vista Tricks
• What are browser cookies?
• What is Firmware?
• What is a MAC address?

Security

Reference:

Tech Articles:

• Blaster Virus Reverberations
• Encrypting email messages in Outlook
• Keylogger HRD
• Parental Controls for Browsers
• Safe Shopping on the Web
• What are Digital Certificates?
• What is a Worm?
• Wireless Security

• Internet Pests

Support / Troubleshooting

Reference:

Tech Articles:

• Battery Care
• Data Backup and Archiving
• Data Recovery and Securing Your Personal Information
• DVD - R +RW = Confusion
• Hard Drive Wiping
• Lost Product Key
• USB Keyboard Comparison
• PC Troubleshooting Part 1: 5 Steps to Solve Common Problems
• PC Troubleshooting Part 2: A Real-world Example
• PC Troubleshooting Part 3: Network Troubleshooting
• RAID & NAS
• Recovering from an iPod Crash
• SD Cards, Hard Drives, Servers, Sleep Mode & DDR
• Spring Cleaning
• System Performance
• Understanding System Processes
• Using Windows Safe Mode

• Backup and Archiving Guide
• Cable Reference
• Troubleshooting Guide
• Troubleshooting Worksheet (PDF)

Windows

Reference:

Tech Articles:

• Adding Fonts
• Are You Ready For Vista?
• Disabling Startup Items in Windows XP
• How to Map a Missing Drive
• Software Updates
• Windows Vista™ Preview

• Using Windows Backup
• Using Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard ("FAST Wizard")
• Using XCOPY to Backup Files
• Windows Character Sets

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