Posted by Nirav Ashara in How to Unlock a Cell Phone on Saturday, April 25, 2009
How to Unlock a Cell Phone
Chances are, your cell phone is tethered to one particular service provider. If you try to leave that company, your phone won't work. It's locked. If you travel to another country and try to use another company's cell phone service on your old phone, that won't work either. Locked again.
It doesn't have to be this way, though. Depending on what kind of phone you have and what company you purchase cell phone service from, you might be able to unlock your phone. Then, you'll have the freedom to use the same phone with different companies, or switch phone numbers and service accounts.
f you've ever wondered what the difference between a locked and an unlocked cell phone is, or if you've ever wondered if your phone can be unlocked, or how you can do it, we'll explain it to you in this article. Plus, we'll tell you why having an unlocked phone can be a good thing, and whether or not it's legal.
Cell Phone Unlocking: Can your phone be unlocked?
There are two cell phone technologies that are used by the majority of the world's mobile phone service providers: Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). If you have a CDMA phone, then your phone is not unlockable. En
d of story. However, if your phone operates on a GSM network, then it might be unlockable.
What's the difference? GSM phones use subscriber identity module (SIM) cards. A SIM card is a small card that's inserted into the phone. It contains all your contacts and settings, and it's linked to your account. You can take the SIM card out, put it into another phone, and if someone calls your number, the new phone will ring. You can also put a different SIM card in your unlocked phone, and your phone will then work with whatever phone number and acco
unt is linked to that card. CDMA phones have no SIM cards and must be authenticated by the service provider, which makes unlocking a phone impossible.
If a phone is locked, the service provider has installed some software on the phone that ties the subscriber ID number on the SIM card to the serial number of that particu
lar phone. If the SIM card and phone serial number don't match, the phone simply won't work. The SIM card won't work in other phones, and the phone won't work with other SIM cards.
If you live in North America, you can usually determine whether your phone is GSM or CDMA based on the service provider you use. T-Mobile and AT&T use GSM, while Verizon and Sprint use CDMA. In Europe, almost all phones are GSM.
How can you tell if your phone is already unlocked? In Europe, unlocked phones are more common. In fact, many countries have cell phone portability laws that make it illegal for a company to lock a phone to a specific account (though these laws seem to change frequently). In North America, fewer phones are sold unlocked. If you received a phone for free or at a very low price when you signed a contract for your cell phone service, your phone is almost certainly locked.
There's an easy way to find out for sure: Find a friend whose phone is known to be unlocked. Have your friend place his or her SIM card in your phone, and then call your friend's number. If your phone rings, you know your phone is unlocked. If your phone simply generates an error message, then it's locked.
Next, we'll explain the advantages of having an unlocked phone, and explain how to make it happen.
How to Unlock GSM Phones
There are two reasons to unlock a phone. First, it gives you the freedom to switch between service providers. Assuming a long-term service contract doesn't stand in your way (along with the contract termination fees that come along with it), you can change service providers as often as you like and never have to buy a new phone. Just put in a new SIM card supplied by your new service provider and your old phone will work just fine. You will have to go through the effort of migrating your old phone number to the new account, however.
The other reason involves traveling to Europe or Asia. If you use your North American phone while traveling, you will rack up enormous roaming fees. International cell phone companies don't all rely on the two-year contract business model favored in the United States. You can buy a SIM card for your phone that's pre-loaded with a fixed number of minutes that will work in whatever country you'll be spending time in. Some European companies even offer SIM cards whose accounts work across much of the continent, not just in one country. Frequent travelers or even those taking occasional vacations will enjoy significant savings with an unlocked phone.
The process of unlocking a phone is actually quite simple, and doesn't require any technical knowledge. For some phones, you just have to enter a numeric code into the phone. For a fee, some service providers will even give you the proper unlock code for your phone. There are also third party companies that provide cell phone unlock codes for a fee that ranges from $5
to about $25, depending on the model of phone you have.
Some phones need to be connected to a special device through the phone's data port to be unlocked. Again, a few service providers offer this service, but most phone owners will have to turn to third parties to accomplish this. You pay them a fee, send them your phone, they unlock it and send it back.
But what if you want to unlock your iPhone? I'll explain that in the next post.
Posted by Nirav Ashara in How Zippers Work on Wednesday, April 22, 2009
How Zippers Work
The zipper is one of the simplest machines of modern times and arguably one of the least essential, but it is an immeasurably useful device in our everyday lives. Think how much easier it is to close a pants fly, a suitcase, the back of a dress, a sleeping bag or a tent flap with a zipper than with buttons or cords. The zipper is so effective and reliable that in less than a hundred years, it has become the de facto fastener for thousands of different products.
In this article, w e'll examine the various parts that make up a zipper and see how these components lock together so easily and securely. The system is ingenious in its simplicity.
Hook and Wedge
Zippers can only be manufactured using modern machines, but they are built around two of the oldest and simplest tools in the history of civilization: the wedge and the hook.
A wedge is just an object with a slanted (inclined) surface. If you push a wedge forward against an object, it will push the object to the left or right. In other words, the force exerted by a wedge is always perpendicular to the direction in which the wedge is moving. A door stop is a good example of this principle: When you shove it under a door, it applies an upward force on the bottom of the door. A plow is another common wedge -- when you drive it forward, it pushes dirt or snow to the sides.
A hook, of course, is a curved piece of material that can be used to grab onto another piece of material. Hooks have been used as fastening devices for thousands of years because they are simple and generally sturdy. When used as a fastening device, a hook is generally coupled with a loop, eye or hollow area, which receives the hook.
The Track
A zipper track is made up of dozens of teeth, each of which combines a hook and a hollow. The idea is to latch every hook on each of the two tracks into a hollow on the opposite track. The latching mechanism, called the slide, is just a collection of wedges. You can see how this system works in the diagram below.
As the slide moves up the zipper, the two teeth strips must enter at a specific angle. As the strips move through the slide, the slide's inclined edges push the teeth toward each other. The strips are offset from each other, so each hollow settles onto a hook in sequence. For this to work properly, each tooth must be exactly the same size and shape, and they all must be perfectly positioned on the track. This would be all but impossible without modern manufacturing technology.
In a well-made zipper, the interlocking teeth form an incredibly secure bond -- it is very difficult to separate the teeth by pulling the two strips apart. But the slide can easily separate the teeth, using a simple plow-shaped wedge. When the slide is pulled down, the wedge pushes against the slanted edges of the hooks, pivoting each tooth off of the tooth below it. Just like that, the zipper tracks are detached.
Posted by Nirav Ashara in How Black Holes Work on Friday, April 17, 2009
How Black Holes Work
You may have heard someone say, "My desk has become a black hole!" You may have seen an astronomy program on television or read a magazine article on black holes. These exotic objects have captured our imagination ever since they were predicted by Einstein's Theory of General Relativity in 1915.
What are black holes? Do they really exist? How can we find them? In this article, we will examine black holes and answer all of these questions!
What is a Black Hole?
A black hole is what remains when a massive star dies.
If you have read How Stars Work, then you know that a star is a huge, amazing fusion reactor. Because stars are so massive and made out of gas, there is an intense gravitational field that is always trying to collapse the star. The fusion reactions happening in the core are like a giant fusion bomb that is trying to explode the star. The balance between the gravitational forces and the explosive forces is what defines the size of the star.As the star dies, the nuclear fusion reactions stop because the fuel for these reactions gets burned up. At the same time, the star's gravity pulls material inward and compresses the core. As the core compresses, it heats up and eventually creates a supernova explosion in which the material and radiation blasts out into space. What remains is the highly compressed, and extremely massive, core. The core's gravity is so strong that even light cannot escape.
This object is now a black hole and literally disappears from view. Because the core's gravity is so strong, the core sinks through the fabric of space-time, creating a hole in space-time -- this is why the object is called a black hole.
Types of Black Holes
There are two types of black holes:
- Schwarzschild - Non-rotating black hole
- Kerr - Rotating black hole
The Schwarzschild black hole is the simplest black hole, in which the core does not rotate. This type of black hole only has a singularity and an event horizon.
The Kerr black hole, which is probably the most common form in nature, rotates because the star from which it was formed was rotating. When the rotating star collapses, the core continues to rotate, and this carried over to the black hole (conservation of angular momentum). The Kerr black hole has the following parts:
- Singularity - The collapsed core
- Event horizon - The opening of the hole
- Ergosphere - An egg-shaped region of distorted space around the event horizon (The distortion is caused by the spinning of the black hole, which "drags" the space around it.)
- Static limit - The boundary between the ergosphere and normal space.
If an object passes into the ergosphere it can still be ejected from the black hole by gaining energy from the hole's rotation. However, if an object crosses the event horizon, it will be sucked into the black hole and never escape. What happens inside the black hole is unknown; even our current theories of physics do not apply in the vicinity of a singularity.
Even though we cannot see a black hole, it does have three properties that can or could be measured:
- Mass
- Electric charge
- Rate of rotation (angular momentum)
As of now, we can only measure the mass of the black hole reliably by the movement of other objects around it. If a black hole has a companion (another star or disk of material), it is possible to measure the radius of rotation or speed of orbit of the material around the unseen black hole. The mass of the black hole can be calculated using Kepler's Modified Third Law of Planetary Motion or rotational motion.
Posted by Nirav Ashara in How to Clean Your Computer's Registry on Thursday, April 16, 2009
How to Clean Your Computer's Registry
The Windows Registry is an enormous batch of files containing information about almost everything that occurs on the computer, from a visit to a Web site to a program installation. The registry also contains information about drivers and other essential programs, like DLLs -- small helper programs that often work with more than one application. This information is stored in the form of "keys" that help programs run. It's like a big blueprint for where everything goes on your computer and how it all fits together. Only computers running Windows operating systems have registries, and despite rumors to the contrary, Windows 7 will have a registry.
A registry may have hundreds of thousands of entries, and new entries are created all the time. As it fills with information, the registry may cause a computer's performance to suffer. One problem is that Windows almost never removes registry entries, even if a program is uninstalled, as most uninstallers aren't able to effectively remove their own registry keys. And as files are moved around and programs are uninstalled, some registry keys point to programs or files that no longer exist or are located elsewhere.
Fortunately, these errors don't have to be tolerated. The registry can be cleaned up, though not completely. And for your troubles, you may get better performance and decreased boot time. Some satisfied users report fewer instances of lag or Windows hanging (when the computer isn't responding). The exact performance boost varies depending on the state of the registry and the effectiveness of the cleaner program employed. You may also free up disk space, although most registry entries are very small.
Registry cleaning is not without risks. This is a very sensitive area of your computer, and if you're happy with how your computer is running, don't go digging around. Trying to manually edit your registry can create errors in the registry that make it impossible to load Windows. Some registry-cleaning programs have been known to delete important registry keys or essential DLL files. And the performance improvements may be negligible, while running the program and approving each recommended deletion could take hours. In addition, reliable data on how registry cleaners affect performance are almost impossible to find. Most "performance tests" are actually produced by the developers of registry-cleaning tools.
Despite these concerns, it is possible to clean out some of the registry's gunk, and your computer may be better off for it. On the next we'll take a look at how to go about this delicate job.
Cleaning the Registry
Before you mess around with the registry, it's best to to create a backup copy of the registry and to also save any important data to an external hard drive or disk. Some registry-cleaning programs have a feature to back up a copy of your system's registry. If not, a simple Internet search should lead you to a free backup program.
Windows has a built-in program for editing the registry. It's creatively titled regedit.exe and can be accessed by going to the Start menu, clicking Run and typing in the program name. While this program is easy to access, it's difficult to use. Registry entries have long, oblique names that don't say much about what they represent. Even savvy computer users may have no idea what a particular entry points to. So unless you have specific instructions for how to alter or delete a clearly defined entry, it's best not to experiment with regedit.exe.
Third-party registry-cleaner programs are plentiful and remove a lot of the confusing grunt work of parsing and deleting registry entries. To find a program that suits you, check reviews on sites like ZDNet, CNET, PC World or PC Magazine. Some of these programs are free or only fix a few entries at a time, which can be quite laborious when a registry may have 2,000 broken entries. Others may cost $20 or more and may come as part of a package of system utilities.
It's not necessary to clean a registry more than once a month. Using a disk defrag program may provide additional performance boosts.
Before you run the program you've chosen, make sure you close all other open programs, as well as those running in the system tray, next to the clock in the bottom right corner of your screen. Follow directions closely: Most of these cleaner programs are intuitive, first scanning the registry for errors and then offering choices to fix broken entries, but you may miss an important step or warning if you click madly and try to speed through the process.
Some experts recommend against using programs that automatically delete registry errors [source: Bass]. Instead, it's better to approve deletions manually. The cleaner will likely offer a list of registry entries that it's safe to delete because they are certainly obsolete. It may also provide an option to "repair" an entry. Going deeper and deleting borderline entries could affect a program's ability to function, such as by deleting a DLL that the cleaner doesn't realize is shared by more than one program -- or you may irreparably damage your installation of Windows. When in doubt, let the entry stay.
And that's about it. Hopefully you managed to clean up a few hundred entries without bricking your computer. If not, well, then you probably can't read this anymore. Thank You.
Posted by Nirav Ashara in Limousine Facts and Figures on Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Limousine Facts and Figures
You might be surprised to find out that you may need a special license in order to operate a limousine or that manufacturers have to pay a "gas guzzler tax" --"intended to discourage the production and purchase of fuel-inefficient cars".The facts and figures below can help sort out gas mileage, safety and costs associated with owning or renting a limo.
Licensing
There isn't a standardized licensing requirement for chauffeurs from one state to another. Some states require chauffeurs pass a specific test to become licensed, while others simply require the applicant to fill out a form. Many states don't require anything more than a standard license, though some might require that the chauffeur apply for a commercial license if the limousine is going to carry large numbers of passengers at one time.
Safety
Limousines have to meet the same safety standards as other vehicles. In theory, every conversion shop has to put every vehicle variation through a battery of tests, including crash tests, to ensure the safety of the driver and passengers. The government periodically inspects vehicles and requests proof from limousine companies that their vehicles have been tested.
Gas Mileage
In general, limousines get lousy gas mileage, though it varies from vehicle to vehicle (and even a Lincoln stretch limo from one company might get vastly different mileage from a different company's stretch Lincoln). Limousine companies have to pay a "gas guzzler tax" on each vehicle. Essentially, this is compensation to the government for all the pollution the limousine will create over its life of service.
Cost
In a similar vein, the cost of limousines range from bargain buys to extravagant purchases. A custom-built Arnage limousine might be more than $300,000, while a used stretch Lincoln might go for less than $30,000. Conversions can range almost as much depending upon the base vehicle, the length you want to stretch it, and the amenities you choose to include.
Services and Dealers
There are hundreds of limousine services in the United States that rent limos and provide drivers to the general public. There are also hundreds of private operators who either hire themselves out to anyone or become a personal driver for a wealthy person. Before you rent a limo -- or purchase one for yourself -- it pays to do some research on the limousine company. Make sure the company tests its vehicles and, if possible, find out what the certification process is for its drivers. Reputation in the limousine industry is very important, so try to pick a company with a good one. That way, when you're riding in the back with several of your friends, all you'll have to worry about is what everyone wants to drink.
Posted by Nirav Ashara in 11 Stupid Legal Warnings on Monday, April 13, 2009
11 Stupid Legal Warnings
Our lawsuit-obsessed society has forced product manufacturers to cover their "you-know-whats" by writing warning labels to protect us from ourselves. Some are funny, some are absolutely ridiculous, but all are guaranteed to stand up in court.
1. Child-size Superman and Batman costumes come with this warning label: "Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly."
2. A clothes iron comes with this caution: "Warning: Never iron clothes on the body." Ouch!
3. The instructions for a medical thermometer advise: "Do not use orally after using rectally."
The warning on pepper spray
reads "May irritate eyes."
4. The side of a Slush Puppy cup warns: "This ice may be cold." The only thing dumber than this would be a disclaimer stating: "No puppies were harmed in the making of this product."
5. The box of a 500-piece puzzle reads: "Some assembly required."
6. A Power Puff Girls costume discourages: "You cannot save the world!"
7. A box of PMS relief tablets has this advice: "Warning: Do not use if you have prostate problems."
8. Cans of Easy Cheese contain this instruction: "For best results, remove cap."
9. A warning label on a nighttime sleep-aid reads: "Warning: May cause drowsiness."
10. Cans of self-defense pepper spray caution: "May irritate eyes."
11. Both boys and girls should read the label on the Harry Potter toy broom: "This broom does not actually fly."
Posted by Nirav Ashara in How to Remove a Computer Virus
Introduction to
How to Remove a Computer Virus
We all know malware is out there. Malware includes applications that spy on you, corrupt your data, destroy your hard drive or give control of your machine to someone thousands of miles away. No matter what form it takes, it's bad business. And since there are a lot of examples of malware in the wild, it may only be a matter of time before you become the victim of a malware attack.
The most important advice we can give anyone who believes he or she has a computer with malware on it is this: Don't panic. Also, don't assume that you need to wipe your computer clean and start from scratch. Often you can remove malware without having to erase everything else. You may lose some data in the process, but you probably won't lose everything.
First you need to determine if your computer has a virus at all. You might suspect your computer of having a virus if it seems to be sluggish. If your Web browser suddenly looks different or automatically goes to a site you don't recognize, that's a good indication that you've got some malware. If your computer is unstable and crashes fairly often, you may have a problem. And if you try to access files but receive a message saying they're corrupted, that's another sign.
If you do think your computer has a virus, you need to run antivirus software to weed it out. Some viruses disable antivirus software -- they're clever that way. If you don't have any antivirus software, now's a good time to purchase or download an application. A few malware variants will try to block you from downloading antivirus software. If that's the case, you may need to download the software on another computer and transfer it to disk or a flash drive.
Advanced Computer Virus Removal Tips
If you can't access your antivirus software or you keep seeing the same malware pop up scan after scan, you may need to try and start your computer in Safe Mode. Many computer viruses will store files in your Windows registry folder. This folder acts like a database of instructions and tells your operating system important information about the programs you have on your computer. It can also tell viruses to activate as soon as the operating system loads. Starting your computer in Safe mode allows you to work with your machine using only the core elements of the Windows OS.
Try running your antivirus software in this mode. If you see new malware pop up, you may have hit upon your solution. Some malware exists only to download other kinds of malware and install them on your machine. If you can remove all of these applications, you'll be in good shape.
If for some reason your antivirus software can't remove the virus on its own, it's time to do a little more research. Remember when we said you should write down the names of all the malware applications that your software discovered? Here's where that comes into play. You'll need to research each of those files online using the appropriate Internet security firm. Make sure to use the same firm that produces the antivirus software you're using. That's because different firms sometimes give the same virus different names. Not all firms will refer to the same virus the same way.
Most Internet security firms will list all the files associated with a particular virus and tell you where you can expect to find those files. You may have to do some digging to find each file. Before you delete any files, you should save a backup copy of your Registry folder. If you accidentally delete the wrong file, you may make it difficult or impossible to run your computer properly.
Delete all the files associated with the malware on your list. Once that's done, you'll need to reboot your computer and run your antivirus software again. Hopefully nothing else will pop up.
You may want to update your login information for your various accounts online. Some malware has keylogging software that can send your passwords and information to a remote user. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Posted by Nirav Ashara in 20 Ways To Increase Laptop Battery Life on Saturday, April 11, 2009
20 Ways To Increase Laptop Battery Life
Now you can avoid carrying an extra set in the back-pack - here are several ways to keep the juice flowing through your laptop’s batteries:
1. Defragment drive to make things efficient
2. Kill the resource gobblers using CTRL+ALT+DEL
3. Pause the scheduled tasks for when you’re on electricity
4. Unplug external devices
5. Empty the CD/DVD Drives
6. Go local with no data from drives
7. Dim the screen
8. Kill the sounds
9. Rid the screensaver
10. Visit Power Options and tune settings
11. Turn off the looks like Aero Glass (Vista)
12. Hibernate is better than Sleep
13. Open few applications
14. Have enought RAM
15. Keep airvents clean
16. Undue heat kills battery slowly
17. Avoid constant recharge on old Ni-MH batteries
18. Update software and drivers
19. Use the right adapter
20. Pack batteries if you don’t intent to use for long durations.
Posted by Nirav Ashara in Trim Down And Speed Up Windows
Trim Down And Speed Up Windows
There are a lot of reasons you might be interested in lightening up and streamlining a Windows installation. And there are several applications that allow you to do just that.
1. nLite: This freeware Windows application goes directly into the Windows installation disc and selectively rips out all the features and software you don’t want.
2. GameXP: Designed to optimize your system settings and speed up your computer to maximize your gaming experience, Game XP can also stop unnecessary processing and boost the overall performance of your PC.
3. Flite: This software rips selected components out of XP post-installation. It comes in a demo version that provides limited removal features and a shareware version that is even more powerful.
Posted by Nirav Ashara in 5 Most Famous American Fast Foods, Top 5s on Wednesday, April 8, 2009
5 Most Famous American Fast Foods
5: Wendy's Frosty
Not many fast-food restaurant founders have been as visible as Wendy's Dave Thomas was. In a bold marketing move, Thomas became the face of the franchise on TV commercials in 1989, and continued doing so until he passed away in 2002. The first Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers restaurant was opened by Thomas and co-founder John Schuessler in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio. It was important for Dave from the beginning that Wendy's be a cut above its competitors in terms of food quality. If you look closely at the famous logo, you'll see the words "Quality is our Recipe" above the red-haired pigtails the company's mascot "Wendy" wears.
You won't find a heat lamp with a rack of burgers sitting beneath it at a Wendy's. Each "single" hamburger is made-to-order. The classic burger is a 4-ou nce, square patty served on a bun with your choice of toppings -- lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and whatever condiment you fancy. Wendy's ranks third on the burger chain list behind Burger King and McDonald's, with more than 6,500 locations worldwide. In 2006, Wendy's had total revenues of almost $2.5 billion and employed 57,000 people.
The chain is also famous for its chocolate version of the milkshake, the Frosty. It was one of the original five menu items and remains a top seller. Dave Thomas wanted to make a milkshake so thick you had to eat it with a spoon and he was pretty successful -- Wendy's sells about 300 million each year.
4: Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich
Each category of fast-food chain restaurant has its "best in show." There can be only one best selling sub sandwich, one best burger, one best taco. In the middle of the hamburger craze in 1964, Arby's found its niche in the land of roast beef. The Raffel brothers opened the first Arby's Roast Beef Restaurants in Boardman, Ohio. Beef was a big hit with the burger chains, so the Raffels decide that instead of grinding it up, they'd slow roast it and slice it thin. The name Arby's comes from spelling out the initials R.B. -- for Raffel brothers, not "roast beef."
Arby's operates more than 3,500 restaurants in the United States and Canada, and the chain's most popular sandwich is still the signature roast beef sandwich. The beef is sliced fresh for each sandwich and customers can top it themselves with the famous Arby's and Horsey sauces. In 2008, Arby's purchased Wendy's for $2.34 billion, forming the third largest fast-food company in the world.
3: Taco Bell Tacos
Just like Arby's cornered the roast beef market, Taco Bell has carved out a spot as the number one Mexican fast-food restaurant chain. If you've ever stopped and wondered just what the heck a "taco bell" is, you'll be glad to know that a man named Glen Bell started the franchise and named it after himself. He started the chain in 1962 in California at a time when Mexican food was pretty out of the ordinary in America. The first franchis e opened in 1964 and now, the company boasts more than 5,800 restaurants in the United States, Canada, Guam, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Asia, Europe and the Philippines.
The popular chain serves about 2 billion customers a year and perhaps not coincidentally, also sells roughly 2 billion of its signature tacos. The franchise plows through 3.8 billion tortillas, 62 million pounds of pinto beans, 106 million pounds of cheese and 295 million pounds of ground beef a year. It made revenues of $6.8 billion in 2005, part of that coming from the million burritos it sells each year. Add in quesadillas, nachos and some signature spins on Mexican classics, like double-decker tacos (a soft flour tortilla wrapped around a hard shell corn tortilla taco) and odd items like the "Crunchwrap Supreme" and you've got a gut plea
sing late-night drive-thru destination.
2: Burger King Whopper
Burger King isn't quite the king -- that distinction resides with McDonald's. But BK has a solid grip on the number two spot, with 11,200 franchises. You can find Burger King franchises in the United States and 69 other countries around the world. Burger loving entrepreneurs James McLamore and David Edgerton started BK in Miami, Fla., in 1954. The Whopper became their signature burger in 1957. One thing that distinguishes Burger King from its competitors is the fact that the burgers are flame broiled instead of cooked on a griddle. The idea was to give the meat that home-grilled taste.
The Whopper is a one-quarter pound beef patty between a sesame seed bun with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup and sliced onion. Of course, it is Burger King, so you c
an always "have it your way." This is the advertising slogan from 1974 that the chain is still most well-known for. The BK Web site claims that there are actually 221,184 possible ways you can have it your way. Even though it's a distant second place to McDonald's, total sales of all the Burger Kings are still massive; BK restaurants in 2007 surpassed the $13 billion mark.
1: McDonald's Big Mac
There can be only one. One top dog, one that stands head and shoulders above the rest. One that transcends the mundaneness of a mere fast-food chain to become something else altogether -- the symbol of a country, the face of an industry: McDonald's. If you're American, the name itself conjures up an embarrassingly high number of familiar images and memories.
The McDonald brothers started the franchise as a hot dog stand in 1937 and changed things up in 1948 by making the switch to burgers and fries made using a speedy and efficient assembly line system. Things took a fortuitous turn when the McDonald brothers met a milkshake machine salesman named Ray Croc. Croc was impressed with the operation and asked to be included as a franchise agent, splitting profits with the brothers for growing the chain. Croc opened the first franchise in 1955 in Des Plaines, Ill., and the rest is fast-food history. He bought the brothers out for $2.7 million in 1961, and the franchise has grown to operate more than 31,000 stores in over 100 countries.
The Big Mac is the most popular fast-food item on Earth. The famous jingle from the 1975 TV commercial taught Americans the ingredients for the Big Mac -- two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onion on a sesame seed bun. In 2004, Mickey D's celebrated the fortieth birthday of the iconic burger. The company sells an astonishing 560 million Big Macs each year, even though they're only available in 13,700 of the franchises. People love the Big Mac, some so much that it's become almost an obsession. A man in Fond Du Lac, Wis., claimed he ate two Big Macs a day, every day since 1972. That makes 21,292 Big Macs as of August 2004. And, how many trips to the cardiologist?
Posted by Nirav Ashara in Top 5 Home Repairs You Should Never Do Yourself, Top 5s on Monday, April 6, 2009
Top 5 Home Repairs You Should Never Do Yourself
5: Plumbing Repairs
One thing can be said about water -- if there's a way out, water will find it. The very smallest leak can lead to thousands of dollars worth of damage if it's not caught in time. If you're a capable do-it-yourselfer and there's existing plumbing in place, you can probably manage some minor repairs like changing a shower head or replacing a faucet. Even installing a new toilet is within the realm of a capable DIY-er (just make sure you have a tight seal). Where you can get into trouble is if you try to modify your plumbing system -- extending hot water lines or re-routing your sewer pipes. Working with hot water means copper pipes, and that requires a blowtorch. Unless you have some serious welding experience, it's best to leave the torch jobs to the professionals. While this isn't as dangerous as electric work, plumbing problems can get out of hand fast and lead to an expensive and wet future.
4: Electrical Repairs
Any projects involving electricity should be approached with extreme caution. Like plumbing, you may be able to pull off minor repairs like changing a light switch or installing a ceiling fan -- as long as you make sure that your power is turned off before you start. You can test the switch against the breaker so you're positive that there isn't a current, or you can just turn off your master switch to be super sure. You should also invest in a decent volt meter so you can test wires for power. But if the repair goes beyond a simple fixture, it's best to call a professional electrician. In some instances, you have to have a permit to get the work done, and a professional will be your only option. Extending or replacing circuits is dangerous business if you don't know what you're doing. One wrong move could burn your house down, and a shock could result in injury or death. There are also building codes that are mandated for safety purposes; not being up to code may not affect you now, but it will if you ever try to sell your home.
3: Asbestos Removal
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral and has been used for years in older homes and businesses for its insulating properties. It's resistant to heat and electricity and is a good acoustic barrier as well. Unfortunately, asbestos was found to be toxic, and most of its uses were banned in the United States in 1989 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The ban was overturned in 1991, allowing trace amounts of asbestos in certain products, but the days of using it in large amounts as an insulator were over. While this stopped the mass use of asbestos, there were no provisions for the homes and businesses that already contained it.
Asbestos abatement teams are typically hired to rid commercial properties of the toxic insulation. While it's possible to perform a DIY asbestos removal, it's not recommended. Aside from the inherent dangers of toxicity, there are many laws that govern the removal of asbestos because it can pose a danger to those in close proximity -- like your neighbors. So what's a homeowner to do? Hire a professional.
2: Roofing Repairs
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R epairing a roof isn't recommended for a do-it-yourselfer for one reason -- it's easy to fall off of. Repairing a roof shingle or two isn't the toughest job in the world, but it's getting up and down and carrying your tools with you that pose the risk of injury or death. It's also very tiring work, and when you're tired, you're more prone to make a mistake. Just a quick slip is all it takes to send you over the edge of a second-story roof.
If you live in a one-story ranch and your slope is less than 20 degrees, you can probably get away with gutter work and minor shingle repair. Your roof may even be low enough to do it from the ladder. But these minor fixes still can be dangerous, and you should never attempt any of them when you're home alone. At the very least, you should have a spotter in place to hold the ladder and be there in case of an accident. Aside from the danger involved, roofing work also requires experience to get it right. If you bite off more than you can chew, you may end up with a leaky roof and expensive water damage.
1: Gas Appliance Repairs
A typical home may have several different appliances that run on gas. Your clothes dryer, oven and hot water heater are a few. It isn't always a repair that leads people down the path of danger when dealing with gas. Sometimes, it may just be necessary to move the stove because of a floor tiling project or to move a dryer away from a wall that needs painting. Some homeowners feel like a hot water heater replacement is within the realm of their capabilities, and this is when accidents happen. Like water, gas will always find a leak. So while you may have done a good job in cutting off the gas supply line and moving the stove, you may not have been as careful when hooking it back up. The end result of what you thought was a simple fix could lead to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning -- something that kills more than 400 people per year in the United States alone.
Posted by Nirav Ashara in How LEDs Works
How Light Emitting Diodes Work
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Light emitting diodes, commonly called LEDs, are real unsung heroes in the electronics world. They do dozens of different jobs and are found in all kinds of devices. Among other things, they form the numbers on digital clocks, transmit information from remote controls, light up watches and tell you when your appliances are turned on. Collected together, they can form images on a jumbo television screen or illuminate a traffic light.
Basically, LEDs are just tiny light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. But unlike
ordinary incandescent bulbs, they don't have a filament that will burn out, and they don't get especially hot. They are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material, and they last just as long as a standard transistor.
How Can a Diode Produce Light?
Light is a form of energy that can be released by an atom. It is made up of many small particle-like packets that have energy and momentum but no mass. These particles, called photons, are the most basic units of light.
Photons are released as a result of moving electrons. In an atom, electrons move in orbitals around the nucleus. Electrons in different orbitals have different amounts of energy. Generally speaking, electrons with greater energy move in orbitals farther away from the nucleus.
For an electron to jump from a lower orbital to a higher orbital, something has to boost its energy level. Conversely, an electron releases energy when it drops from a higher orbital to a lower one. This energy is released in the form of a photon. A greater energy drop releases a higher-energy photon, which is characterized by a higher frequency. (Check out How Light Works for a full explanation.)
As we saw in the last section, free electrons moving across a diode can fall into empty holes from the P-type layer. This involves a drop from the conduction band to a lower orbital, so the electrons release energy in the form of photons. This happens in any diode, but you can only see the photons when the diode is composed of certain material. The atoms in a standard silicon diode, for example, are arranged in such a way that the electron drops a relatively short distance. As a result, the photon's frequency is so low that it is invisible to the human eye -- it is in the infrared portion of the light spectrum. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, of course: Infrared LEDs are ideal for remote controls, among other things.
Visible light-emitting diodes (VLEDs), such as the ones that light up numbers in a digital clock, are made of materials characterized by a wider gap between the conduction band and the lower orbitals. The size of the gap determines the frequency of the photon -- in other words, it determines the color of the light.
Posted by Nirav Ashara in Top 5 Blutooth Gadgets, Top 5s on Friday, April 3, 2009
Top 5 Bluetooth Gadgets
This MP3 player boasts a number of features including a large touch screen, video playback, FM radio/recorder and a photo text viewer. Enabled with Bluetooth 2.0, it's capable of pairing with compatible stereos, headphones and speaker systems within a range of 32 feet.
4.Plantronics Voyager 855 Bluetooth Headset
This headset is a great find for people who need a hands-free solution for juggling between cell phone calls and music play lists. This lightweight headset features an ear-bud headphone, boom microphone and a stereo audio output. Aside from great sound quality, this headset is useful because it allows music-enabled cell phones to switch effortlessly between songs and calls through one touch buttons.
3.Logitech Cordless Desktop MX5500 Revolution
This desktop set (which includes a wireless mouse and keyboard) is a sleek and easy alternative to office clutter. Both the mouse and keyboard boast a comfortable design and showcase a number of different features. For example, the mouse comes with a rapid charging stand (which eliminates the need for batteries) and the keyboard offers a soft palm rest for an optimal typing experience. Both allow for wireless connectivity from up to 30 feet away which makes it an excellent addition to any home or office.
2.Parrot DS1120 Stereo Bluetooth Speakers
These speakers are the perfect solution for music enthusiasts who enjoy great sound quality and wireless technology. The speakers feature a 30-watt power output capability and Class-D amplifiers. Although they work best in conjunction with the Parrot DS3120 stereo (and certain other Bluetooth enabled devices such as cell phones and MP3 players), they also come equipped with USB and RCA hookups so they can be used with other non-Bluetooth devices. With their modern design and product versatility, these speakers are a great find.
1.Motorola T815 Navigation Unit
This navigation unit is a great device for those who need a little sense of direction. Its compact size and discreet design allow it to travel with motorists and pedestrians alike. It's portable, fast-charging device works wonders in conjunction with any Bluetooth enabled smart phone. When activated, it sends visual maps to the connected smartphone along with turn-by-turn voice directions.
These products demonstrate how Bluetooth technology has progressed over the years. Although they're just a small sample of the wide variety of Bluetooth gadgets that are available today, they plainly show how the technology and its associated gadgets are both fun and practical.
Posted by Nirav Ashara in How UPC Bar Codes Work
How UPC Bar Codes Work
If you go look in your refrigerator or pantry right now, you will find that just about every package you see has a UPC bar code printed on it. In fact, nearly every item that you purchase from a grocery store, department store and mass merchandiser has a UPC bar code on it somewhere.
Have you ever wondered where these codes come from and what they mean? In this article, we will solve this mystery so that you can decode any UPC code you come across.
"UPC" stands for Universal Product Code. UPC bar codes were originally created to help grocery stores speed up the checkout process and keep better track of inventory, but the system quickly spread to all other retail products because it was so successful.
UPCs originate with a company called the Uniform Code Council (UCC). A manufacturer applies to the UCC for permission to enter the UPC system. The manufacturer pays an annual fee for the privilege. In return, the UCC issues the manufacturer a six-digit manufacturer identification number and provides guidelines on how to use it. You can see the manufacturer identification number in any standard 12-digit UPC code. The UPC symbol has two parts:
- The machine-readable bar code
- The human-readable 12-digit UPC number
The manufacturer identification number is the first six digits of the UPC number -- 639382 in the image above. The next five digits -- 00039 -- are the item number. A person employed by the manufacturer, called the UPC coordinator, is responsible for assigning item numbers to products, making sure the same code is not used on more than one product, retiring codes as products are removed from the product line, etc.
In general, every item the manufacturer sells, as well as every size package and every repackaging of the item, needs a different item code. So a 12-ounce can of Coke needs a different item number than a 16-ounce bottle of Coke, as does a 6-pack of 12-ounce cans, a 12-pack, a 24-can case, and so on. It is the job of the UPC coordinator to keep all of these numbers straight!
The last digit of the UPC code is called a check digit. This digit lets the scanner determine if it scanned the number correctly or not. Here is how the check digit is calculated for the other 11 digits, using the code 63938200039 from "The Teenager's Guide to the Real World" example shown above:
1. Add together the value of all of the digits in odd positions (digits 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11).
6 + 9 + 8 + 0 + 0 + 9 = 32
2. Multiply that number by 3.
32 * 3 = 96
3. Add together the value of all of the digits in even positions (digits 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10).
3 + 3 + 2 + 0 + 3 = 11
4. Add this sum to the value in step 2.
96 + 11 = 107
5. Take the number in Step 4. To create the check digit, determine the number that, when added to the number in step 4, is a multiple of 10.
107 + 3 = 110
The check digit is therefore 3.
Each time the scanner scans an item, it performs this calculation. If the check digit it calculates is different from the check digit it reads, the scanner knows that something went wrong and the item needs to be rescanned.