Blu-Ray Vs HD DVD

The goal to improve upon DVD technology brought about a surprisingly fierce battle to produce ‘the product’ that would replace DVD technology. This race was run primarily between HD DVD technology which was being developed by Toshiba and Blu-ray technology which was being developed by a conglomerate of contributors known as the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA).

What is Blu-Ray?
Blu-ray technology was developed by a group of developers and contributing companies so as to improve, and ultimately replace DVD technology. A major feature of Blu-Ray technology is that it uses an optical disc and so is not starkly different in appearance to a DVD. It also uses a blue laser to read the data on the disc. This blue ray allows for greater accuracy in accessing data and therefore allows data to packed much closer and tighter together. This means that Blu-ray discs can potentially hold more data than the original DVD.

What is HD DVD?
HD DVD or High-Definition/Density DVD is a technology that is no longer being developed. Like Blu-ray and DVD, it uses an optical disc which is capable of storing very large amounts of data. HD DVD technology made use of a blue laser as opposed to the red laser used in original DVD technology. Although HD DVD was a promising format, over time, it did not manage to gain popular support. This was true especially among manufacturers and retailers, the place where it needed it most. When the majority of the market chose to work with Blu-ray, the development of HD DVD was discontinued.

Blu-ray technology continues to increase in popularity and it is now positioned to be the technology that ultimately replaces the popular DVD format that we have become used to. Other benefits of Blu-ray technology are that it is backward compatible with DVD and CDs. This is excellent because users will be able to avoid having to re-format or re-record their entire CD and DVD collections. It also means that recording older discs over to the new technology will be much easier than has been with previous replacement technologies.

The Future of Computing: Cloud Computing & What it Will Mean to the Home User

Over the past year the term Cloud Computing has been thrown around more and more. What exactly is Cloud Computing and how is it relevant to you, the every day computer user? Cloud computing refers to a way of providing computer resources remotely through an Internet service rather than housing them on the computer itself or even in the local area network (LAN). What this means is that not much data will be housed or stored on your computer. Instead, the computer platform will be provided via the Internet as a service along with the infrastructure and software that you need.

Cloud computing has influenced the popularity of netbook type computers that require very little storage memory. Instead they focus on speedy access to the Internet with an emphasis on accessing remote services and resources rather than housing them. Resources are usually provided by 3rd party providers and ultimately, they save users huge amounts of money because they do not maintain or develop these resources themselves.

There are many benefits to the cloud computing concept. Using remote resources allows for agility and flexibility. It allows for competition, which ultimately leads to lower prices. Another characteristic of resources provided in a cloud are that they are web-based and accessible from any web browser. This means that resources can be shared and accessed from anywhere. Cloud resources are often very reliable because their providers focus on that resource alone and build in huge amounts of redundancy.

Looking forward, home computer users can expect their computers to get much smaller and to require less storage memory than ever before. Already many thousands of people store their photos and videos on sites like Facebook and rely on their services to store and preserve those files. In the future, users will most likely maintain user accounts or profiles for the various services that they use with some of them even requiring a paid subscription.

Cloud computing will probably also continue to provide us with major online brands that home users will recognize and trust. Brands like this do already exist in the form of Google, MSN and other major online providers.

A Brief History of Home Computing

Anyone that has been around for the past 30 years has no doubt seen some phenomenal changes in home computers. Massive changes have taken place not only in what computers can do but also in the way that they look. I personally can not help but laugh when I see computers from as recently as the 1980s. They just look funny!

It really was not until the 1990s and the development of the Microsoft Windows operating system that computers literally became a household item. There were definitely families that had computers in the home during the 1970s and ‘80s. These computers were very bulky and rustic in comparison to today’s sleek, slimline computers and they really didn’t serve much of a purpose comparatively either.

Home computers were introduced to the market in 1977. It is safe to say that at that time, we only had the tiniest glimpse of the potential of home computers, and the ways in which they could be used. In fact, I would go so far as to say, we have still only captured just a tiny glimpse of what is possible with the home computer. 1970s home computers came without monitors but had ports that allowed them to be displayed through the television. Games were played on them and very basic calculations were performed.

During the 1980s, manufacturers saw the potential of merging the sale of personal computers and computer games. Up to that point, they were sold as separate devices. Home computers in the ‘80s were mostly used for education, games, and at times, for spreadsheets, and personal tools. Often computers were purchased as kits and needed to be put together before they could be used. In addition to this, they often had no software which meant that anyone that used them had to actually learn to write programs first.

The 1990s ushered in the mass demand and usage of the home computer. The ease-of-use ushered in by Windows software changed home computing forever. Suddenly computers were easy enough to be used by anyone. Microsoft Windows operating System revolutionized the world, literally!

The early 2000s has expanded on the platforms and ideas that began in the ‘90s. The fact that computer use became so widespread meant many companies were willing to invest in writing programs and games for home computers. Things have moved at an unbelievable rate since then.

These days, computers are used for everything imaginable and projections for home computer use see the integration of almost every electronic device in the home with the PC. Already the telephone, TV, VCR, radio and cable TV can be part of your home computer.

Securing Home Networks …How to stop your neighbours leeching

There is no doubt that a wireless network is the best way to set up a home network and to make the Internet available to every member of your household. In most cases when using a wireless network, family members can be in any section of the house and still pick up the wireless signal to access the network or the Internet. Wireless networks offer networking convenience and quick access to the world via the World Wide Web.

One of the downsides to having a wireless network at home is that there is the potential for neighbours to leech off of your signal. Anyone living in close proximity to your home is likely to be able to detect and use your wireless network. That is unless you go the extra step of securing your network.

Since most people buy their network router and rush home to plug it in and try it out, they very often fail to follow the appropriate steps needed to set the network up for optimal security. The most basic way to protect your home network is by setting up a network key. A network key is basically a password that you require people to use when they want to gain access to your network.

Another way to protect your network and your data is to make use of the data encryption technology that is available on your router. Depending on the age of your computer and your router, you will have a series of encryption options: WEP, WPA, WPA2, etc. Encrypting your data ensures that it can not be stolen in transit should anyone gain access to your network or to any information you send through the Internet.

Unless you have unusual circumstances, it is advisable to always secure your home network. Many people are relaxed about this issue, stating that they have nothing worth stealing. If you use your computer for online banking, you run the risk of having your passwords stolen on an unsecured network and thus funds stolen from your account. Even worse, you could find that your identity has been stolen just by way of the sensitive information that can be found once an individual gains access to your online account. Securing your home network is vitally important. Therefore, always be sure to follow the instruction manual that comes with your router when setting up your home network.