What Are LED Caps

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Anna
18 voted vote

LED caps are baseball-style caps with a built-in LED flashlight. They are different from LED headbands or clips because the flashlight in LED caps is an integral part of the brim or visor. The battery for LED caps is usually found in the front sweatband of the hat. To save space and reduce the overall weight of the hat, the most common type of battery used is a watch battery, or button cell.

LED caps have their origins in the miner’s headlamp. The headlamp is a type of flashlight that can be attached to a hardhat or a helmet. This style of flashlight is popular with mechanics, search-and-rescue crews, military personnel and miners.

The primary purpose of LED caps is to allow someone to work or see in a dark area without having to hold a flashlight. This type of hat is particularly useful to mechanics, hunters and campers. For mechanics, the hat is useful when peering into poorly lit areas of engines and underneath cars. LED caps can be useful to a camper when he or she is attempting to pitch a tent in the dark. For hunters, the different colored lights in some of these LED ball caps can help in tracking wounded animals.

LEDs come in a variety of colors. LED hats can make use of the variety to provide hats that are tailored to specific purposes. Red light, for example, is often used by people who enjoy tracking and viewing wildlife at night. Lights that are red are used because they are less damaging to a person’s night vision. For hunting purposes, green lights or blue lights can be used to help make blood trails more visible in the dark.

Most LED hats are made so that the flashlight system is as unnoticeable as possible. This means that the lights, the wiring, the switch and the battery are integrated into the fabric of the hat itself. This not only increases the aesthetic appeal of the hat, it also makes it less bulky when the LED flashlights are not needed.

Aside from integrated flashlights, there are also separate LED flashlights designed to attach to the brim of almost any type of baseball-style cap. These visor lights are usually clipped to the brim of a non-LED cap and can be removed when not in use. The appeal of this kind of lighting system is that it is usually cheaper than an integrated system, and it can be used with any brimmed hat.

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Why Does Voltage on LED Strips Important

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Anna
16 voted vote

Not all lighting types operate at the same voltage, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the different voltage requirements that are available. By doing so you can make sure your LED strips are installed correctly and are working at an optimum level.

The mains voltage in Europe and the United Kingdom is 230 Volts AC (Alternating Current). However, the Light Emittting Diodes (LEDs) on LED strip lights operate at 12 Volts DC (Direct Current). That means LED strip lights cannot run directly of the mains voltage.

In order to receive power LED strips rely on a transformer, sometimes referred to as a driver which ‘steps down’ the mains voltage, making it compatible with the LEDs. The transformer is virtually identical to the charger on a laptop and has the same 3-pin connection that plugs straight into a socket.

Low voltage lighting systems were originally used in cars and other vehicles as the electrics in a car rely on the 12v battery in the engine. As such, if you are installing LED strips in your car there is no need for a transformer. You can wire the dual core (red and black) cable up to the positive and negative on the battery and it should work.

You can do the same by taking a normal AA battery. Touch the exposed ends of the two core cable to the respective poles of the battery and it should come straight on.

Nowadays low voltage systems are far more common in domestic and commercial contexts. You will most often find low voltage lighting systems installed in bathrooms and kitchens. The most common low voltage fixture is MR16 LED spotlight. Even though GU10 LED bulbs run directly off the mains voltage, they still have an integrated driver that changes the voltage.

So whether you’re plugging up to the mains, using a transformer or connecting to a battery, always make sure you know what voltage you are dealing with, and what voltage you need.

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How to Buy Laptop Motherboard

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Anna
15 voted vote

Motherboard is the central printed circuit board in a laptop computer which works as “adhesive” to hold your laptop together and tells you what hardware your computer can support. Generally laptop has motherboards of different irregular sizes, functions and features, thus choosing a specific motherboard can be quite difficult. Contents below will tell you how to buy a laptop motherboard.

Form Factor: Motherboards can be classified into various categories on the basis of form factor. Form factor is an important specification of motherboards, as the form factor tells what kind of computer case can be used with the motherboard.

ATX Form Factor: These motherboards are for full sized desktops. This is the most common of all, as ATX motherboards can fit many features onto their larger, 12″ x 9.6″ dimensions. In most cases that support ATX motherboards, also support Micro-ATX motherboards as they have similar dimensions, but Micro-ATX is slightly smaller.

Micro-ATX Form Factor: These are for smaller computers. The maximum, and most common size, is 9.6″ x 9.6″. They are generally bought for less expensive computers, that don’t need to many features, or where size is a concern.

CPU Socket: It is the connection between a CPU and the motherboard. Usually all computers have one socket. CPU are now proprietary, supporting a smaller range of CPUs, from the same manufacturer. Mainly two sockets are used – Intel or AMD.

Chipset: These are the set of two main controllers on the motherboard. The North Bridge and South Bridge. Chipset plays an important role in the functioning of laptop motherboard.

Memory Support: One other important feature of a motherboard is its RAM support. It includes RAM, DIMM slots and channel support.

Expansion Slots: Expansion slots allow you to connect various external devices to your laptop e.g. T.V. Tuners, Video cards, network cards and sound cards.

Once you are well aware of the above mentioned laptop motherboard parts, then you can decide which motherboard is worth buying.

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Why Do Laptop Smartphone Batteries Explode

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Anna
15 voted vote

Lighter, less expensive and more energy dense than other secondary battery technologies, lithium-ion has become the dominant form of rechargeable battery today. It powers everything from mobile phones and laptops to cars and commercial jets. But there is one little problem—these batteries don’t just short circuit, they explode into flames. Here’s what goes on inside a lithium cell before it goes boom.

The lithium-ion battery’s explosive tendencies are the result of a process known as thermal runaway. It’s essentially an energetic positive feedback loop whereby increasing temperature causes the system to get hotter, which increases the temperature, which causes the system to get even hotter, and so on. Thermal runaway is surprisingly common and can be found in a wide array of physical and chemical processes, from curing concrete (which releases heat) to exploding stars (supernovae are the result of TR on a cosmic scale).

Li-ion batteries can suffer thermal runaway for a variety of reasons. Much like bridging a 9V battery’s terminals with a coin, short circuits caused by a tear in the membrane that separates the negative and positive poles of a Li-ion battery will often cause a thermal meltdown. Ambient temperatures exceeding 60 degrees C, repeated overcharging, or unauthorized modifications to the case have all also been reported as the source of battery fires.

Regardless of the reason, when conditions are right, it’s the battery’s cobalt oxide chemistry that actually undergoes the reaction. “When you heat this material up,” Joe Lamoreux, vice president of research and development at Valence Technology, explained to Infoworld. “It [can] reach an onset temperature that begins to self-heat and progresses into fire and explosion.” In some cases, the organic electrolyte will vent, causing the battery to rupture. It may also burn openly if exposed to high temperatures or a spark.

While this uncontrollable reaction doesn’t happen particularly often, the sheer number of Li-ion cells in the world today amplifies the perceived effect. In 2006, for example, high-profile recalls came from virtually every major laptop manufacturer—Apple, HP, Toshiba, Lenovo, Dell, and others—after a small number of batteries overheated. Apple alone yanked 1.8 million iBook and PowerBook battery packs from market after just nine reports of overheating according to the CPSC. What’s more, the size of the battery, its configuration, and the number of cells all affect the intensity of the runaway. Small batteries, such as those used in DSLRs, only contain a few cells, so the chances of the runaway spreading from the failed cell to the rest is relatively low.

There is no need to fear your laptop as a ticking time bomb, however. With a bit of regular maintenance, Li-ion batteries will perform safely and reliably throughout their operational service lives. Li-ions are powerful but short lived, lasting two to three years at most (whether or not you use it or leave it on a shelf). As such, all Li-ion packs should be replaced every 36 months or so to avoid pushing a worn cell too hard. Also, these batteries should be recharged once their capacity hits 50 percent. Li-ions don’t suffer from memory effects but are severely damaged if the voltage drops too low.

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How to Choose A Laptop for Business Use

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Anna
15 voted vote

It’s important to take a number of important factors into consideration when choosing a business laptop. If you understand all aspects of your business and what your computers will be used for, it’ll be much easier to assess which laptop is the most appropriate for you. Here is a list of factors:

Battery Life

Today, more business professionals spend less time in the office and more time on-the-go. For this reason, you should consider batter life or the length of time that the laptop battery lasts. Different laptop manufacturers offer different battery life with their laptops. Some have a longer life than others. You should decide how much time the laptop will rely on battery life so you get the battery that meets your needs. In general, it often depends on the number of programs you are running as well length of time you will be using the computer without using a power outlet.

Graphics

In terms of graphics, there are certain makes and models that perform some duties better than others. If you will be utilizing a lot of graphics, you will likely require a high end video output on your laptop. In addition, if you are heavily into not just graphics but also image processing or photography and video graphy, then you will need to have a heavy-running and faster processor. For applications such as video and graphics editing you’ll get more value for your money if you select a laptop with a higher RAM. If you are unsure, you should consult with an expert on the subject.

Performance

The performance of a laptop is a key consideration. Depending on what you need your laptop to do, you have to consider storage capabilities, memory, and speed. You need to make sure the specifications of your laptop can meet your performance needs.

Screen Size and Laptop Weight

The screen size is an important factor to consider when buying a laptop. Laptop screen sizes range from 11 inches up to 20 inches. If you plan on using the laptop for presentations or viewing rich media such as movies or Flash files, you might prefer a larger screen. A 14″ and 15″ screen size is commonly chosen. When it comes to weight of a laptop, business professionals that do extensive travelling tend to prefer lightweight laptops. A 2.2-lb laptop is an ideal weight for a business laptop.

It is normally up to management to decide what their employees need in a laptop computer. Business professionals tend to need laptops that allow for adaptability, allows them to run a lot of business programs and applications, gives them the ability to provide quality business presentations, engage in high-tech cheap video conferences, and store and manage all of their files efficiently. Knowing what your business needs is an essential factor when buying the laptop that is right for your business needs.

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