History

The blu-ray formats head companies are Sony and Philips with Toshiba and Hitachi heading up the HD-DVD format. This situation isnt the first time where these two sides have gone at each other with opposing formats. The DVD format was born from the co-operation of the Multimedia Compact Disc from Sony/Philips (MMCD) and the Super Density Disc (SD) from Toshiba. Though it ended well for the consumer with the DVD format being widely adopted and becoming the new standard, it was Toshibas camp who came out on top in regards to royalties.
This led to the work on new formats by both sides with Sony aiming to regain some of its lost market. The two projects though had been in production but not really going anywhere at the time. Sonys Professional Disc for Data (PDD) became the blu-ray format while Toshibas Advanced Optical Disc becoming HD-DVD. This leads us back to the original situation where there are two competing formats with a unification looking a lot less likely.

Technical

Both blu-ray and HD-DVD use a wavelength of 405nm however the smaller track pitch on blu-ray (see Blu-ray Disc) allows more information to be squeezed on and so gives the larger capacity. However it is the differing track pitch that makes these two formats incompatible. The surface layer of the two is different also as HD-DVD uses a 0.6mm layer similar to DVD whereas blu-ray uses a 0.1mm clear plastic layer.
This difference is the main reason why costs are higher with blu-ray. Costly production methods are needed to be able to make the discs and a hard coating must be applied to make the discs suitably resilient to dust and fingerprints.

Capacity

Blu-ray currently offers discs in 25gb for single layer and 50gb for dual layer. However TDK has started work on a 200gb disc which is 6x33gb layers.
HD-DVD comes in 15gb for the single layer and 30gb for the dual layer. Best tests so far have achieved 45gb but 60gb is the theoretical limit. This shows that the maximum for HD-DVD is only 10gb more than what blu-ray can already offer.

Codecs

Both formats use the same codecs to play video as they are both able to play standard and high-definition. This means that MPEG-2, Microsoft Video Codec 1 (aka VC1, WMV HD, etc.) and H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC are all supported on both formats.

Security

Both blu-ray and HD-DVD have to make use of HDCP encrypted output and the Advanced Access Content System (AACS). Both HDCP and AACS are mandatory for any discs with HD video.
Blu-ray also incorporates ROM-Mark watermarking technology and BD dynamic crypto which generates special keys for batches of discs.
HD-DVD uses a similar system in the Volume Identifying technology.

Support

Both formats are heavily supported in both the Consumer Electronics (CE) and Information Technology (IT) industries. However blu-ray has a better portion of the big name movie and game studios supporting it which is essential for there to be a ready amount of content at launch. See below for the list of Supporting studios:

Blu-ray

20th Century Fox
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Electronic Arts
MGM Studios
Paramount Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment
The Walt Disney Company
Vivendi Universal Games
Warner Bros.

HD-DVD

Buena Vista Home Entertainment
New Line Cinema
Paramount Pictures
The Walt Disney Company
Universal Studios
Warner Bros.

Josh Biggs is the founder of Blu-ray-review.co.uk which gives the visitor a resource for all the latest blu-ray news and product reviews with community discussion.

Blu-ray vs HD-DVD – The lowdown on the warring formats is a post from: Techno And Science News | Dirtybitsoftware.com

The advantage with the Blu-ray technology is that the laser beam can be focused much more tightly at the surface of the disc. Tight focus means that a smaller spot will be produced on the surface on the disc, and when the spots become smaller there will naturally be room for more information on each disc. The minimum spot size of any laser depends on a naturally accruing phenomenon called diffraction. The narrow beam of light sent out from a laser will always diverge into a wider beam eventually, due to the natural diffraction of waves. Diffraction will also occur the waves meet an obstruction. By reducing the wavelength of a laser, we can affect the diffraction.

In Blu-ray technology, the diffractions is also affected by the fact that the lens used to focus the light has a higher numerical aperture than the lenses found in ordinary DVDs – 0.85 instead of 0.6. Blu-ray technology based appliances are also equipped with a dual-lens system of supreme quality, and the cover layer has been made thinner in order to prevent unwanted optical effects. All this makes it possible for a Blu-ray laser to focus on much smaller spots. The optical improvements are accompanied with a new method for encoding data which makes it possible to store even more data on the Blu-ray disc.

The standard for Blu-ray technology has been developed as a joint venture between several major manufacturers of PCs and consumer electronics, including Sony and Philips. The group is called the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA). The first Blu-ray recorder was launched in Japan in 2003, by Sony. Today, Samsung, JVC, Matsushita (Panasonic) and LG Electronics are all examples of companies using Blu-ray technology in their products. Hewlett Packard has announced that they will release desktop PCs equipped with Blu-ray technology in late 2005.

The main competitor for the Blu-ray technology is the HD DVD format which is also capable of storing more information than a normal DVD. The Blu-ray technology does however allow for more information per layer than the HD DVD format 25 GB compared to 15 GB. The Blu-ray technology will on the other hand most likely be more expensive to support, at least initially, which can make the HD DVD a tempting alternative. In a Blu-ray disc, the data is stored extremely close to the surface. This made the first Blu-ray discs extremely vulnerable to scratching and many users preferred the tougher HD DVD discs. Since 2004, all Blu-ray discs are coated with a clear polymer called Durabis which makes them much more durable. According to the developers of Durabis, the TDK Corporation, a coated Blu-ray disc will work even after being attacked with a screwdriver.

Blu-Ray set to take the world by storm! is a post from: Techno And Science News | Dirtybitsoftware.com

There are laptop computers intended for home users, multimedia, business and gaming. You can spend from $500 to $5,000.

The very first step you need to do is to determine your needs.

If you spend a lot of time traveling, your best option is a light laptop with a long battery life.

If you are an average home user, you can easily select a low-range laptop that will cost you about $500.

If you use the Internet a lot or store photographs and videos, you choice should be a mid-range laptop that will cost you from $1,000 to $1,500.

But if plan to purchase a gaming laptop, be ready to pay at least $3,000.

Look at the following categories:

- Processor is the most important thing to take into consideration. Intel Pentium M, Mobile AMD Athlon 64 and AMD Turion 64 Mobile are high-powered processors. Intel’s Celeron M and AMD’s Duron and Sempron are processors found in low-end laptops.

Avoid desktop processors in laptops because they need a lot of power and will quickly exhaust your battery.

- Screen sizes range from 12 to 19 inches. A laptop computer with smaller screen is great option if you do not plan to use laptop too much. A larger screen is perfect for extensive use.

- Your new laptop should have at least 1 gigabyte of memory. Also, your machine should come with a dedicated video card with 128 megabytes of memory.

- Choose a faster hard drive with at least 60GB of space. This is sufficient for the majority of users. Gamers should get at least 100 GB hard drive.

Best Buy for Laptop: How to Buy a Laptop Computer is a post from: Techno And Science News | Dirtybitsoftware.com

Before making the final decision to purchase a PDA, have you thoroughly researched what they can do, and if you really need one or are you just intrigued by having a new gadget like your friends? Lets start with this question. One of the first and still major uses for a PDA is an appointment book or calendar. If you are currently using an appointment book like a Franklin Planner, the PDA can certainly replace this. One advantage of a PDA over an appointment book is that changes dont require constant erasing and re-writing. A PDA is usually backed up on your PC, so there is always a back-up.

A new PDA does not have to be purchased every year like a Franklin Planner, so in the long run it will be cheaper. This plus the previous mentioned advantages may be enough to make the switch. Of course there are many other features and uses for a PDA besides an appointment book, among which are:

Address book
Calculator
Internet Access
Notes and document management
Games
GPS

Given that you are ready to go forward with the purchase, your choice of a PDA model will depend on what you need it forwhat you want it to do. Following are some of the important considerations:

Memory If you plan to use your PDA for storing large documents and other reference works, then youll need the corresponding amount of memory. Also check to see if the memory can be expanded. Youll need to consider the other software that you might want to run on your PDA.

Size All the features do you no good if you dont bother to bring the PDA with you due to its bulky size.

Input Options If you plan on using the PDA to take notes with, a compact external keyboard is essential. The built in stylus input is designed for small amounts of data only.

Battery Life Again, dictated by your specific needs.

Finding the best place to purchase your PDA can be done easily with online shopping portals. Ebay of course always has offers. One thing to consider for a PDA is a buyers protection plan that is offered by many local retailers. Normally these end up costing more than they are worth, but just one drop of your PDA onto a hard surface can destroy it. If you are buying a high end PDA and will be running around with it daily, a buyers protection plan may be worthwhile.

Beginners Guide To Buying A Pda is a post from: Techno And Science News | Dirtybitsoftware.com

If you did, you would quickly realize what a difference computer keyboards can make to a typing experience. It took me a couple of years to realize that there were actuallly a lot of options when it comes to computer keyboards and that I didn’t have to be satisfied with a computer keyboard that didn’t fit my hands.

I have probably made my way through at least eight or nine computer keyboards in the past ten years. I have learned what suites my body and my needs better and that has often caused me to go on the hunt for a newer and better computer keyboard. I have learned that there are a huge variety ofAs computer keyboards and that if you search for them, they do not have to be too expensive or hard to find.

If you are about to purchase a computer for the first time, or if you are simply looking for a computer keyboard that fits your body and your needs better, then don’t rush into a purchase until you have done some research to learn about your options. A great place to begin the search for computer keyboards or any other part of computers is by visiting a computer store where the employees are knowledgable about all things computer. Stop into a local store or two and see what you can learn about choosing computer keyboards that are right for you.

Another great way to do research on computer keyboards is online. That is, if you can manage to use your current keyboard for a few hours to do the research! Look through many websites until you find the deals that are in your budget and that match your needs. Finding a computer keyboard can be a tedious process, or it can be easy if you look in the right places. The bottom line is that if you are going to be using your computer a lot, then it pays to have the best possible computer keyboard.

Be Picky About Computer Keyboards is a post from: Techno And Science News | Dirtybitsoftware.com

CMYK is the color description representing printed material, short for the colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. Mixing these 4 colors together in different amounts give you the millions of colors that reproduce the colors in printed material. These are actual inks used in printing the images you see in color magazines and books. RGB is the color description for images viewed on your computer monitors, short for Red, Green, and Blue. RGB color is actually light, and mixing different levels of these light colors
creates the millions of colors that come from your computer monitor. All websites and nearly everything you see on your computer monitor is RGB unless the images have been converted to the CMYK color space.

When you print your images on your ink jet printer from your computer, your printer prints the image using CMYK inks. Viewing your image in RGB and then printing it out in CMYK may not yield the results you want. Programs such as Adobe Photoshop will convert your image from RGB to CMYK or vice versa. Some printers require the image to be CMYK before you can print the image correctly. Some printers don’t print the image correctly if the image being printed is in RGB space.

A good reason for printing with a CMYK image is to see your image in CMYK color before printing. When an image is converted to CMYK from RGB, there may be some color changes that are noticeable in the image. The reason for this is because many colors in RGB cannot be reproduced using CMYK inks. That is why it is always a good idea to convert your image to a CMYK color space before printing. You could notice significant color changes to your image, especially in the very intense color areas of your image. Some of these intense color areas may appear less intense or very dull once converted. With photo editing software, you can go in and fix these trouble color areas to your liking.

Many ink jet printers on the market today actually print directly from an RGB color image. And converting the image to CMYK may cause it to print incorrectly. You will need to determine what color space your ink jet printer supports. The packaged software usually will give you a hint regarding color spaces. If there is no option to convert the color space from RGB to CMYK, most likely, the printer will print directly from an RGB color source. Usually, the higher end ink jet printers deal with the CMYK color space as consumer level enthusiasts don’t even know these color spaces exist. New higher end ink jet printers, however, are now printing directly from the RGB color space as there is a wider spectrum of color that can be reproduced in RGB compared to CMYK color.

If you visit the website, Instantimagers.com, the ‘Framers’ and ‘DVD Cover & Disc Art’ designs are provided in both RGB and CMYK color spaces. Comparing the RGB and CMYK images side by side, you’ll notice there are color differences. This is due to some RGB colors not being available as a CMYK converted color. Both versions are provided because not all printers are alike. Some tend to print better with one color space. Many of CMYK printed designs have been manipulated further after conversion to match more closely the colors from the RGB color space as many of the colors in some designs did not covert seamlessly.

If all this seems confusing, not to worry. The key thing to remember is to print using RGB color if your printer and software support it. Let the software and the printer worry about getting the colors right. If you are more experienced with photo color correction and want more control over the color of the image, print in CMYK. You’ll actually be manipulating and printing the image in the color space your ink jet printer’s inks are using. You will be able to see the limits of the CMYK printing color spectrum right on your monitor. Getting color right with RGB and CMYK is totally different from calibrating your printer to match the colors on your monitor. That is actually the second step in getting the best color out of your prints. Understanding the difference between RGB and CMYK is the first step in getting the best print outs on your home ink jet printer.

Basics of RGB and CMYK for ink jet printing at home is a post from: Techno And Science News | Dirtybitsoftware.com

Barcode ribbon and fax ink film are just some of the office supplies that make it possible for you to do your work properly. It is of high importance, when you work in an office to be able to transmit information in different ways. When information has to be sent from one place to another, under a form that has to be put on paper, fax ink film and barcode ribbon are essential to you. Contacts, pictures, deeds or many other valuable papers are now sent by fax in just a few seconds time. But to be able to do this properly, fax ink film must not be missing from your desk. And not only that, but these supplies also have to be the best.

Modern man has come a long way since the times of ancient papyrus and mural paintings. In today’s time and world, we tend to have lot facilities that we have made for our selves to better cope with all the standards that we have put up. Modern technology and ingenuity has helped us develop a lot of useful things to help us with the modern day life and problems that we encounter in our lives. Having to sustain the society that we have created one must develop certain ways to do that: this days we benefit from a lot of things like modern manufacturing. To further increase the productivity and the results of office work people have developed a way to speed things up. Besides the normal very used computers, a lot of expendables have to be used for a proper work to be done. One of the most expendables is barcode ribbon (or better known as bar code ribbon). Some of the branded names available in the supermarket stores are Prinzet, Sonoroll, Sono-roll, Sonofilm and Sono.

Some of the best on the market today are wax and resin ribbons. It has been proven that they are the most reliable and practical on the market. Wax ribbon has been made in such a way that they contain a lot of wax based materials in their colorant substance. It has been made this way because the wax has a lower melting point thus the energy required to print the ink being lower. Waxes have been showed to be more efficient than resins in the usage of bar code. On the other hand the down side would be the fact that the durability of wax is smaller than in the case of resins. This is because wax is softer than resin and the fact that it is made with only one layer of colorant. Testing and a lot of using of wax ribbons has shown that they are best used at general purpose labeling, and other general activities that do not require coated substrates, matte coated substrates and other film based tagging. The best usage for this kind would be in the situations where the time needed to print the image on the label is very small and also if the life of the label is of short term.

Barcode ribbon employs a newly system designated RibbonRation. is a post from: Techno And Science News | Dirtybitsoftware.com

Crib Design

Dispose of antique baby cribs with decorative cutouts, corner posts or lead paint. The space between the slats should be no more than 2-3/8 inches apart to prevent infants from getting their head stuck between them. Cribs manufactured after 1974 must meet this and other strict safety standards. The corner posts should be the same height as the end panels or less than 1/16 of an inch higher than the end panels.

No cut-out areas on the headboard or foot board so a baby’s head cannot get trapped. The top rails of crib sides, in their raised position, should be at least 26 inches above the top of the mattress support at its lowest position.

As soon as the child can pull himself to a standing position, set and keep the mattress at its lowest position. Stop using the crib once the height of the top rails is less than three-fourths of the child’s height.

Mattress

The mattress should fit snugly next to the crib so that there is no gap. If two adult fingers can be placed between the mattress and the crib, the mattress should be immediately replaced. Do not use plastic packaging materials, such as dry cleaning bags, as mattress covers. Plastic film can cling to children’s faces and should never be in or near the crib.

Put your baby to sleep on his or her back or side in a crib with a firm, flat mattress and no soft bedding underneath. Talk to your pediatrician about which sleeping position is best for you child.

Crib Hardware

The drop side(s) of the crib should require two distinct actions or a minimum force of ten pounds with one action to release the latch or the locks to prevent accidental release by the child.

The crib hardware should be checked for disengaged, broken, bent or loose pieces. Special checks should be made of the mattress support hangers and brackets so they cannot drop. The hardware and the crib should be smooth and free of sharp edges, points and rough surfaces.

Crib Accessories

Bumper pads should cover the entire inside perimeter of the crib and tie or snap in place. Bumper pads should have at least six straps or ties and any excess length of straps or ties should be cut off. Bumper pads should never be used in lieu of proper spacing between the slats and should be removed from the crib as soon as the child can pull himself to a standing position.

Teething rails that are damaged should be fixed, replaced or removed immediately. To prevent possible entanglement, mobiles and crib gyms, which are meant to be hung over or across the crib, should be removed when the child is five months old or when he begins to push up onto hands and knees or can pull himself up. Keep the crib clear of plastic sheets, pillows, and large stuffed animals or toys. These can be suffocation hazards or can enable youngsters to climb out of the crib. Any cloth or vinyl items that are loose or torn should be replaced or repaired immediately.

Crib Environment

Do not place crib next to a window. Drapery and blind cords pose an entanglement hazard and window screens are not intended to keep a child in, only insects out. Install smoke detectors. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for placement. Check at least once a month to make sure battery and smoke detector are in good working condition.

Baby Cribs Safety Tips for Young Moms is a post from: Techno And Science News | Dirtybitsoftware.com

Following measures can be taken to avoid buying a stolen computer:

One of the safe measures while buying used computer is to buy through a credit card or check payment rather than making cash purchase. If the seller insists on cash payment, the purchaser can be very sure that the computer may be a stolen one. Also stolen computers are sold at very low prices. If the buyer has good knowledge about the price trends of computers in the market, he can for sure find out if the computer sold as a used computer is of a genuine kind or not.

The place of buying used computer is of outmost importance as a reputed dealer or seller will have a well-established location. They do not sell on the streets. Hence, it is better to avoid buying used computers from the street side shops, which may be fly by night shops. Such sellers attract the buyers with the pricing or heavy discounts or even freebies along with the computers. If the buyer is not sure about the computer, he can very well ask for the documents pertaining to the computer or can find out if receipts are issued for the purchase. The best method of finding out is to check the serial number of the used computer that can be done with the help of the local law enforcement personnel.

The buyer has all the rights to ask the seller about the reason for the sale of the used computer, where it was purchased and nature of payment made initially. If the buyer is satisfied, he can go ahead with the purchase, else should move on to the next seller. Normally, one can find out if the seller is genuine or not through his body language.
A person selling illegal things will show frenzied movements, will agree even for a rock bottom price with even a small amount of profit for him, mostly will not have a decent language, will try to sell in haste, will always be looking around to find out if someone is watching him and will not have an eye contact while selling and so on.

Such kind of illegal sales of used computers happen as the illegal seller has the facility to advertise free of cost. Also posing as a private seller there is no need to provide a VAT receipt, which makes him free of any legal action being taken against him. Hence it is not advised to buy a used computer without a cash receipt provided by the seller.

Avoiding Purchase of Stolen Computers is a post from: Techno And Science News | Dirtybitsoftware.com

ComputerBatteries is ensuring the fastest, most convenient and cost-effective solutions to clients who have experienced a data loss and they advise that companies should adopt anti-melt down measures for PCs and servers. The advice is following the many cases of data loss the vendor is dealing with lately due to the high temperatures and thunderstorms in the UK.

The risk is the same for PCs, servers and laptop batteries and it is coming from power surges and blackouts if they become overheated by direct or indirect lightning strikes or the hot climate.

There are some rules that should be followed when arranging the computers in an office. The computers should be placed in cool and dry areas to prevent overheating. It is also highly recommended that not too many computers to be running off one power supply, via an extension cable. It has become almost a necessity to have a surge protector installed between the power socket and the computers power cable. The protection devices should be check regularly. IT equipment should not share power with air conditioners and fans but dedicated circuits should be used.

These are general rules to be followed in order to protect the IT equipments but there are some tips that ComputerBatteries is offering for special cases such as thunderstorm and blackouts. During thunderstorm the power cord of IT equipments should be turned off and disconnected and the telephone lines from modem jack should be unplugged. This is due to the fact high voltages can enter a computer through a phone line connected to the modem. The best solution to avoid losing data during a blackout is to invest in some form of uninterruptible power supply, which cleans the power supply and features backup batteries to keep servers running during power outages. This is highly recommended especially for the offices that have network servers.

Avoid Data Loss During Thunderstorms and Blackouts is a post from: Techno And Science News | Dirtybitsoftware.com