What Are LED Christmas Lights

Stringing up Christmas lights has traditionally been one of the most tortuous of holiday tasks. Untangling wires, balancing on a ladder and attaching them to the house are all chores associated with this endeavor, but the biggest problem for many people is finding that mysterious broken bulb. Hours are lost and tempers flare, but this is where LED Christmas lights can show their true benefit.

LED Christmas lights use light emitting diodes rather than the traditional miniature incandescent bulbs. LEDs are much like incandescent bulbs except that they do not have a filament inside that can burn out and take the entire string of bulbs with it. Instead, they are illuminated by the movement of electrons in a semi-conductor material. Another benefit of this light source is the absence of excessive heat and wasted electricity.

LEDs have been around for a long time, but only caught on for use as Christmas lights in recent years. One reason is that older LEDs originally came in only red. Incandescent bulbs, on the other hand, emit only white light but are encased in colored glass. Another problem was a lack of brightness of LEDs. The potential was there however, and advanced LEDs solved these problems. Today you can find LED christmas lights in all kinds of shapes and sizes. They can blink just like the regular incandescent varieties and come in a wide range of colors.

The end result is a string of lights that use about one-tenth of the electrical current of the more commonly used incandescent lights. They are also encased in thick plastic rather than flimsy glass, so broken bulbs and mistakenly stepping on one won't result in a holiday tragedy. As mentioned, the life of LEDs are extremely long-they are used often in the dashboards of jet planes-so burn out after one season is highly unlikely. One last benefit is the relative thickness of the wires used for these lights, making wires less likely to get tangled in the closet or garage.

Caring for LED lights is simple with such a long life and tough casing. Users can simply roll them up and store them at the end of the holiday and fully expect to come back next year and find them still functioning.

What Is a 4G Network

A 4G network is the fourth generation of wireless communication. While still in development, the foundations for the replacement of the present network is currently being researched and constructed by the cellular phone industry and other technology developers. The overall goal for the network is to provide a comprehensive and secure Internet Protocol solution with much faster data speeds than previous generations.

The first wireless network, known as 1G, was founded during the 1980s. 2G was introduced in the early 1990s as a way of allowing more transmissions to occur per communication channel. The foundations of 3G were established in the late 1990s and have been implemented throughout the majority of the world as of the early 21st century. While the 3G network was the first to allow for multimedia applications, 4G promises to take this basic technology and amplify its usage.

The specifics of the 4G network are geared towards a higher quality of service. Better reception and less dropped data and information exchanges are a priority. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the organization that oversees the standards of the present wireless networks, has stated that it requires substantial improvements to multimedia messaging services, including video services, in order to approve a new generation. It wants a data speed transfer rate of at least 100 megabits per second while a user is physically moving at high speeds and a one gigabit per second data rate in a fixed position. The ITU also requires interactive roaming between networks.

A variety of working groups have been established to help develop the 4G network. Proposals from these organizations include implementation of WiMax, a faster version of wireless data transfer than WiFi networks. The groups also plan to utilize packet-based information exchange based on standard IP technology. This promises to be the fastest mobile communication method without cables ever devised.

In order to make the 4G system work, the concept of smart antennas must be developed and implemented. With the establishment of the 2G and 3G networks, a number of different methods of data transmission were created. Many of these technologies can be rolled into the 4G network, however, the working groups and ITU prefer a standardized antenna system that can communicate across company lines. 

One of the proposed technologies to make this happen is known as spacial multiplexing. Spacial multiplexing uses a series of antennas linked into a single transmitter and receiver. These antennas are capable of functioning simultaneously, speeding up the space-time data exchange rates.

Overall implementation of the 3G network around the world took nearly a decade. The ITU plans to have the 4G network rolled out to the global market in a much more effective and timely manner. With the speeds and video technology, the possibilities for wireless communication will revolutionize the global communications network. However, concerns over stability and security are also prime factors in the development.

What Is BD Wise

BD Wise is a new technology from Samsung™ that seeks to add a new level of resolution to the home entertainment market, especially in the DVD market. The technology uses interactivity of other electronic products, most notably a Blu-ray™ disc player. The BD portion of the BD Wise name actually refers to the abbreviated term for Blu-Ray™ disc. Though the technology is seen as more of an enhancement to DVDs, it may also help provide some enhancement to the Blu-ray™ format as well. 

In order for BD Wise to work, both the BD Wise DVD player and the television set must be Samsung™ products. If one or the other is not, the inter-connectivity will not work, and the feature will be useless. Therefore, if you are in the market for a new player and considering Samsung™ for the BD Wise feature, then you need to make sure that your television set is compatible. In addition, the television set must be a high definition set that is capable of adjusting its own resolution. 

The main benefit of the technology is that it seeks to find the best resolution setting possible for viewing DVD products. Most DVDs were created before high-definition televisions became extremely popular. Therefore, the resolution of the DVD, while better than the old-style VHS tapes, is not set to a level where it can take advantage of the resolution available on a high definition television. The BD Wise system helps by not only providing an enhancement, but also setting the television in way that can take advantage of that enhancement most effectively. 

In some cases, user may wish to rely on their own settings rather than the automatic settings that the automatic process may use. The automatic settings may be better most of the time, but there could be times when the system does not adequately set an optimum resolution for a particular disc. In those cases, users can turn off the BD Wise feature and proceed to come up with their own settings. While this may take a little more time to set up and get right, it may be the better option for some discs. 

The BD Wise feature does not come standard on all Samsung™ Blu-ray™ players. Most of the newer, higher-end models do include the technology, but you should check the features on the box or product to make sure. The higher-end models also include other features such as BD Live, which allows users to connect to the Internet and download content.

What is a Ten Key

Ten key can refer to either the number pad on a keyboard to the right of the letters, or to adding machines or calculators. Acquiring skills in ten key is sometimes necessary to gain entry into certain fields where either a large amount of data entry, number listing, or accounting is acquired.

Learning ten key is a little bit different than learning to type. For example, the home row contains the numbers 4,5,and 6, and is typed by the index finger, middle finger and ring finger respectively. The right hand is used, though there are left handed people who modify ten key for the left hand. There are also some keyboards with the ten key pad on the left side of the keyboard.

Instead of measuring speed of ten key proficiency with words per minute (wpm) measurements as in typing, ten key is measured in either keys per minute (kpm) or strokes per minute. Most use the kpm designation when seeking employees and set a minimum kpm for applicants. Minimal proficiency in ten key is considered at least 140 kpm, though some companies which require only a little data entry might accept less.

Employment agencies frequently ask for applicants to take typing and ten key tests so they can pass this information along to interested employers. Usually most people gain proficiency in a short period of time, since there are fewer keys to learn. If you claim a certain kpm rate, however, you must be certain you can prove consistent error free ten key typing at this rate.

Few traditional ten key classes exist for those who wish to become proficient. However, there are some excellent software based courses that can easily help one acquire the skills to perform proficient ten key work. Many consider one the best of these to be Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, which teaches not only traditional keyboard typing but also ten key fingering. The software is available on both PC and MAC platforms and tends to be fairly inexpensive, usually about 20 US dollars (USD). 

With a few weeks of practice, you can usually learn all the keys of ten key and demonstrate proficiency. If you are already an accomplished typist, the skills may take less time to acquire.

What Are Polarized Lenses

Polarized lenses are transparent pieces of material, usually glass or plastic, that block certain types of light waves. Sunglasses and camera lenses are often polarized to reduce glare from surfaces, such as light reflecting off a lake or the hood of a car. Somewhat like the way Venetian blinds control the amount of sunlight passing through a window, polarization blocks as much as 50% of the light passing through a lens. The person looking through the lens can still see clearly in most cases, but it reduces the brightness and glare of light.

How They Work

When light bounces off of a surface, its waves tend to be strongest in a particular direction — usually horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. This is called polarization. Sunlight bouncing off a surface like water, a road, or metal will usually reflect horizontally, striking the viewer's eyes intensely and creating glare. Most polarized lenses in glasses are laminated with tiny vertical stripes that only allow vertically angled light to enter the wearer's eyes. Glare is eliminated because the horizontal light waves cannot bypass the vertical filter.

Lenses can be polarized to different degrees and in different ways. Most inexpensive polarized sunglasses have a thin film applied on one side of the lens. Many higher quality lenses have film laminated between two layers of lens material, preventing it from being scratched or rubbed off. In addition, the more dense the film is, the more polarization it provides. 

In most cases, polarized sunglasses don't look any different from regular sunglasses. While denser films tend to be darker, the color of a lens does not determine how much polarization it provides. A very dark pair of sunglasses with a light film will not block more glare than a lighter shade of glasses with a denser film. The color of the lens is also variable; although they cannot be made clear, polarized lenses can be made in gray, brown, green, or other colors.

Uses

Drivers, fisherman, and photographers were some of the first to use polarized lenses. Reducing glare can ease the eye strain drivers feel from long hours on the road. Fishermen can often see under the surface of water using the lenses, which helps them to see fish or other objects. Photographers use polarizing filters on camera lenses to enrich the images they capture by giving them more contrast, and to increase the range of effects they can produce.

Using horizontally and vertically polarized lenses together makes one type of three-dimensional (3-D) movies possible. Two images are projected onto a 3-D movie screen: one is polarized vertically and one horizontally. The lenses of the glasses that moviegoers wear are also polarized, one vertically and the other horizontally, so the user sees one image in one eye, and the second, slightly different image in the other. The brain is able to combine both of these images in a way that produces a realistic sense of depth.

Limitations

Polarized glasses do not provide universal protection from glare. If the wearer tilts his or her head past 45° or so, more of the horizontal light can enter and cause bright spots. In addition, these lenses do not usually work with snow glare because snow tends to reflect light equally in all directions, rather than the mostly horizontal reflection off of liquid water. It is strongly recommended that downhill skiers in particular not wear polarized sunglasses; ice does reflect horizontally, and these glasses can make dangerous icy spots less visible.

Because the polarizing stripes reduce the amount of light entering the eye, these lenses should not be used at night or in other situations where clear lenses are required. It is not possible to make such lenses truly clear; even those with low levels of polarization have a slightly gray hue. Some people find that looking through the lenses for too long a period of time can cause headaches and eye strain.

Polarized lenses can cause distortions in the way wearers see liquid crystal displays (LCDs), rendering some cell phone screens, clocks, and other displays unreadable. The texture of laminated or heat-treated glass, like a windshield, can be made more prominent by looking at it through a polarized lens, making the glass difficult to see through. Pilots should not use polarized glasses because they can make flight instruments difficult to read and other objects in the sky — including other airplanes — less visible.

Is It a Good Idea to Buy a Refurbished Mobile Phone

Is it a good idea to buy a refurbished mobile phone? It all depends. A refurbished mobile phone is one that has been returned to the factory from a cell phone company and rebuilt, usually to new specifications. Sometimes, a favorite model will no longer be manufactured new, but a customer can get a refurbished one.

A refurbished mobile phone should, in all respects, work exactly as a new phone. This is probably more likely to be the case when the refurbished mobile phone does not have many complex features, such as a camera, personal digital assistant and Bluetooth® capabilities. Cell phone customers routinely upgrade their mobile phones every couple of years or so, and the old ones have to go somewhere. Some are discarded, if they are no longer compatible with the cellular system, but many are sent back to the factory to be refurbished. This is also the case for phones that malfunction.

Whether buying a refurbished mobile phone is a good idea depends greatly on the manufacturer. Reputable makers usually produce a good product, but this may not be the case with "off" brands. A consumer should also always ask his or her cellular service provider if they have many refurbished phones returned for malfunction. Sometimes, the manufacturer will provide a warranty of some description, but the consumer should insist on one from the service provider. 

The question of getting a refurbished mobile phone may be crucial for someone who needs a phone at a moment's notice and cannot afford to risk having a refurbished mobile phone malfunction. On the flip side of that coin are elderly customers who have a good phone that they like. Many elderly customers don't want to have to learn how to use their phones all over again, and if a refurbished mobile phone in their preferred model is available, they may want one.

Price is another consideration. No customer should be asked to pay top dollar for a refurbished mobile phone. This is not fair. Even if a phone has many features, if it is refurbished, the customer should not have to pay what she would for a new phone. However, cellular service providers are aware of this, and they often offer a refurbished mobile phone as one of the free models for upgrade or for signing a service contract.

The main things a customer needs to consider when thinking about a refurbished mobile phone, then, are quality, warranty and price. If these are resolved to his satisfaction, then buying a refurbished mobile phone may be a sensible purchase.

What is an Unlocked Phone

An unlocked phone is essentially a phone that can be used with any SIM card from any network. Most cell phone companies install special “locking” software on their phones that prevents the phones from being used with any other network’s SIM card. However, there are ways to unlock a cell phone so that it can be used with any network.

One of the ways that cell phone companies attract new customers is to offer free or inexpensive phones when the customer signs a contract. In addition to charging a high termination fee if the customer cancels their phone line before the contract is up, cell phone companies protect themselves by locking all of the phones they sell to their network. This keeps them from losing money on customers who would buy a phone for a good deal from their company, then activate it with another network for a better rate.

Cell phone companies are able to do this because every modern cell phone has a tiny card in it called a SIM card. The SIM card is what identifies a cell phone as a certain phone number. In other words, a cell phone user can move their SIM card from one phone to another and still keep the same number. In addition, the SIM card is coded with the network’s identification information.

A locked phone essentially has software that prevents it from working with a SIM card that has any other carrier’s information coded into it. Unlocking a cell phone therefore enables the phone’s owner to leave one cell phone company for another. With an unlocked phone, a person can use whichever cell phone company is offering the best rate or the highest quality services.

Another advantage is that an unlocked phone is worth more money. Many sellers on eBay and elsewhere sell cellular phones. Since an unlocked phone appeals to a wider audience, instead of only those with a certain carrier, it is often worth the minimal expense to unlock the phone.

Unlocking a phone can be done online for very little money, usually under twenty U.S. dollars. Some phones require a special code to unlock them, which can be purchased online. Other phones can be unlocked by downloading software online and hooking the phone up to the computer. Unlocking a phone is generally not difficult, and since an unlocked phone gives users more options, the time and money it takes is usually considered worthwhile.