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Digital Media File Confusion The proliferation of a multitude of different audio, video, and still image digital file formats has caused a lot of confusion as not all formats will play on all devices. To put it bluntly, you may have connected a PC or media server to your network media player (or media streamer or smart TV with a media player app) via your home network, but you find that you can’t play some of your stored audio or video files, or worse yet, some of your files don’t even appear in your available music, video, or still image list....

When the electrolyte level in your lead-acid car battery gets low, you may find yourself wondering if you can use a common electrolyte alternative—something like saltwater or baking soda. Do not do this. Never put any kind of electrolyte in a lead-acid car battery. If your battery electrolyte is low, the only thing you should ever add is straight water. There are some specific circumstances where sulfuric acid may be added, such as if the battery has tipped over and leaked, but never add anything else....

Learn the Basic iPhone Email Settings The basic settings offered by the Mail app control most aspects of the app. To access these options, tap Settings > Mail. Here’s what each core option on the Settings screen does. Siri & Search: Determine whether Siri can be used to control and search the Mail app. Notifications: Assign or turn off Notifications settings. Cellular Data: Move this toggle switch to Off/white to check email only when connected to Wi-Fi....

A Symbol for Every Weather on Your iPhone The iPhone Weather app doesn’t include descriptions of the weather symbols. So, Apple has published a handy chart explaining the iPhone weather icons. It’s convenient as there are tiny differences in some of the weather icons while others are pretty easy to understand. To use the Weather app, enter the name of a city, zip code, or airport location. The forecasts for the day and the following week are displayed....

Most data destruction and shredding programs support a number of data sanitization methods so that you can pick and choose which one to use. These methods are also often referred to as data erasure methods, data wipe methods, wipe algorithms, and data wipe standards. When you see terminology like this, the program is talking about data sanitization, as you’ll see on this page. Below are several popular data sanitization methods used by data destruction programs, details on the particular method, and, when applicable, the organization or individual credited with coming up with it....

What Is a DVR and How Does It Work? DVRs became popular in the late 1990s with the introduction of TiVo. Watching stored video allows you to rewind and fast forward at will. If you are watching live TV, you can pause and pick up where you left off. DVRs can be integrated into the set-top box supplied by your cable or satellite provider, but they are also sold as standalone units....

Third-party apps may be welcomed or forbidden by the device or website owner. For example, the Safari web browser app that comes on the iPhone is a first-party, built-in app made by Apple, but the App Store contains other web browser apps that Apple approved for use on the iPhone but didn’t develop. Those apps are third-party apps. Facebook permits some apps that it didn’t develop to function on its social media site....

How Token Ring Works Unlike other standard forms of LAN interconnects, token ring maintains one or more common data frames that continuously circulate through the network. All connected devices on the network share these frames as follows: Tokens are three bytes that consist of a start and end delimiter that describe the beginning and end of the frame (these bytes mark the frame boundaries). Also within the token is the access control byte....

Difference Between Resistive vs. Capacitive Touchscreens There are two kinds of touchscreens: resistive and capacitive. A resistive touchscreen resists the touch of your finger. It requires a stylus or electronic pen or, in some cases, some force from your finger. Brushing your hand across the screen doesn’t have any effect. Resistive touchscreens are found in places like the supermarket, where you provide your electronic signature to pay your bill. In contrast, a capacitive touchscreen is designed to work specifically with a finger touch....

What Is the Screen Aspect Ratio? Screen Aspect Ratio refers to the horizontal width of a TV or projection screen in relation to it its vertical height. For example, most older analog CRT TVs (some are still in use) have a screen aspect ratio of 4x3, which gives them more of a squarish appearance. What the 4x3 reference means is that for every 4 units in width, there are 3 units of height....

What Is an Electronic Signature? As mentioned above, an electronic signature is technically data about data that proves a person’s intent to sign something, whether it is a legally binding contract, such as a lease or rental agreement, or something else like a timesheet, invoice, or insurance contract. Electronic signatures have been valid in the court’s eyes for quite some time, and have come into common use as more and more data is transmitted from one place to another electronically....

AR can work in several different ways and is used for many different reasons, but in most cases AR virtual objects are overlaid on and tracked in a view of the real world, creating the illusion that they occupy the same space. AR devices have a display, input device, sensor, and processor. These devices can be monitors, head-mounted displays, eyeglasses, contact lenses, gaming consoles, and even smartphones, among others. Sound and touch feedback can be included in an AR system, as well as through other non-visual methods and devices....

The software is generally considered “complete” by the developer, but still not ready for general use due to a lack of testing “in the wild.” Websites, operating systems, and programs alike are often said to be in beta at some point during development. Beta software is either released to everyone (called an open beta) or a controlled group (called a closed beta) for testing. The Purpose of Beta Software Beta software serves one main purpose: to test performance and identify issues, sometimes called bugs....

What Does Black Friday Mean? In the U.S., Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday of November. The next day, Black Friday, is the most popular shopping holiday of the year, with many retailers reserving their deepest discounts and best sales for that specific day. The name is also connected to the term “in the black,” which represents profits in accounting. Many retailers operate at a loss for most of the year (in the red) and make a profit during the holiday shopping season in November and December....

What Is a LinkedIn Premium Account, Anyway? LinkedIn is the top social network for professionals, and it’s one of the few major social networks that gives users the opportunity to upgrade their accounts. Since it has more features to offer, a premium account requires a paid monthly subscription. But is a LinkedIn premium account really worth it? The 4 Different LinkedIn Premium Plans LinkedIn offers four different premium plans, each of which is tailored to a specific type of professional....

From a technical perspective, product activation usually means combining a product key or serial number with unique information about a computer and sending that data to the software maker over the internet. Then, the software manufacturer can validate whether the information matches up with their records of a purchase, and any features (or lack of features) can then be placed on the software. Why Does Software Need Activated? Product activation helps prove that the product key or serial number being used is not pirated and that the software is being used on an appropriate number of computers… usually, but not always, one....

For example, a command’s syntax may dictate case-sensitivity and what kinds of options are available that make the command operate in different ways. Without proper syntax, the words and other characters that make up the command aren’t strung together in a sequence that makes sense. What results from bad syntax is the inability for the syntax reader to understand what’s trying to be conveyed. Syntax Is Like a Language To better understand computer syntax, think of it as a language, like English, German, Spanish, etc....

How a Ring Video Doorbell Works All Ring Doorbell models connect to your home Wi-Fi network once mounted and send alerts when motion is detected or when someone presses the button on the doorbell. Some Ring devices can be wired to a power source, like a regular doorbell. Alternatively, many models have a rechargeable battery that allows you to remove the Ring and charge it using a lightning cable. All Ring doorbell models have two-way talk functionality, support motion-activation, can record during the day and at night using infrared for night vision, and stream live footage you can check via the Ring app....

Sharpness vs. Resolution The common perception of sharpness (as used in video applications) is that it’s directly related to resolution and that sharpness increases the resolution of an image. However, that isn’t the case. The resolution refers to a fixed number of pixels (720p, 1080p, 4K, and 8K). The resolution of a source connected to a TV may be lower, but the TV (or projector) upscales the image so that the image displays using the number of allocated pixels on the TV screen....

How Two-Factor Authentication Works When you log into a website, you must provide a username and a password. Two-factor authentication helps secure your login with a temporary code you need to obtain before logging in. If you do not have a code for your account, you will not be allowed access, which is why two-factor authentication is an essential additional step for security. You have limited time to use the code before it expires; once it does, you must request another one....