Tech Repair 001: Annoying cooling fan!

Having experienced what I call the “black death” (for windows, you have the “blue screen of death”) of my computing gear early this year, I am not going to gamble the second time around and decided to buy a cooling pad. After scouring the net for user reviews and seeing all available cooling pads in the market, I’ve settled for the cooling pad made by Belkin. It was a bit pricey but I was totally sold with the clear-cut design. Unfortunately, I stumbled upon a knockoff a third of the price I paid for grrrrrrr! Where else?... At CD-R King.

Anyway, I learned to appreciate the use of cooling fans as they really serve their purpose. From a “bottom enclosure” temperature of 33 degree Celsius and above, it was able to lower the temperature and maintained at a range of 30 to 32 degree Celsius. The change doesn’t look drastic but I learned to appreciate the Celsius scale again as one degree Celsius is not a puny number.

I’m a power user and after a month of using my cooling pad, I noticed an annoying noise emanating from the cooling fan. The noise however only occurs upon switching the fan lasting for about a few minutes. At first I thought it was normal and the fan might not be receiving enough supply current since I attached it to a very cheap USB hub (which I bought at CD-R King… already learned my lesson this time and worthy of another story by the way). Then the situation switched from bearable to really annoying. I thought of sending it back to the shop where I bought it but that would be futile for it’s been a month that passed. I thought of also replacing the fan myself as the pad only has a few screws, it wouldn’t be a big problem. I realized that my unit is new and it should not be the case. These days where people must reduce contributing waste, especially electronic devices, replacing the cooling fan was my last resort.

Luckily today, most questions can be answered by typing a phrase or sentence on Google. “How to repair a noisy cooling fan” lead me to ZD Net UK (http://www.zdnet.co.uk/talkback/0,1000001161,2135514-20039487o,00.htm) with the how-to guide here complete with pictures (http://news.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/0,1000000091,2135514,00.htm). It totally solved my problem with just a mere drop of oil!!!

I remember I had this problem before with my first personal computer back in ’94. Google wasn’t around that time and not too many tech-perts to talk to. Come to think of it, my old PC still works back home!

Thanks Google! Thanks ZD Net! A drop of oil goes a long way…

gma.. all in!

Got this from a friends Facebook account. Whoever took this picture is freaking sick!!! Not that it's bad hehehe... 'cause upon close examination... it's got good depth of field!!! I just wonder whether the one who took the picture made use of a zoom lens?!?

I guess this is how she handles things; shady dealings with people in amassing an alleged unexplained wealth...

open wide, tongue out.... ALL IN!!!

mbps? you must be kidding me!?!

After seeing the latest advertisements of Sky Broadband, theoretically the fastest Internet connection for home use as I haven't tested it, I cringed on my seat after seeing the last part. I tried to check on YouTube.com whether somebody already uploaded the ads. Unluckily there were none. Instead, I was able to find the old ones and to my surprise, with the same issue!

Below are the old advertisements.

Just in case you missed it... due to quick pacing of the video... here is what I was talking about in the first place.

Who would want an Internet connection already advertised at 12 mbps? They might have mistaken "m" for "M!" As "m" is for milli (x10 raised to the -3) and "M" is for Mega (x10 to the 6)!!!

MacBook Air One!

First of all… Congratulations President Barrack Obama!  Though there might have been a hiccup on your inauguration, it was quietly corrected with your second oath taking inside the Oval Office.  Nonetheless, what a spankingly hot reception from the American people with all those parties and concerts even though the stock markets thinks otherwise. It speaks a lot for the new President doesn’t it? 

I don’t know when did the naming or tagging of everything the President uses with the word “One” started?  All I know, I learned about it after watching the movie “Air Force One.”  Is there a “Spoon and Fork One” and “Toilet Bowl One?”

 

One of the new things I heard labeled with one is his official ride, which is “Cadillac One.” President Obama considered a techie is a big fan of the Blackberry and though there are some security issues that may arise with the Blackberry… there will surely be a “Blackberry One.”  I happen to read from MacWorld.com that President Barrack Obama is a Mac fan.  The blog suggested that President Obama be outfitted with his very own… what else… a “MacBook Air One” preferably in glossy black.

Weekend Commuter Chronicles 003: On-board Entertainment

One ritual I do the night before my weekend commute is to stay up late… so I‘d sleep most of the way and wake up just in time at my destination. A lot has changed when it comes to added value-services from bus companies. The crooked V (Victory Liner) now more appropriate as the glutton V due to non-reduction of fares even though the price of oil per barrel is now below $40/barrel, has made some improvements with regards to riding comfort and on-board entertainment though not all of their buses. The following are some of the things I do to pass the time for the long journey and some are observations of fellow commuters.

On-board AV

Movie experience inside the bus has improved from Betamax and VHS formats to VCD and DVD. And if the Optical Media Board would shift their campaign to targeting those who patronize pirated material, they’ll have their hands full with city and provincial buses. For a “probinsyano,” we are at the epitome of commuting if we get the chance to ride those top of the line Hyundai “Universe” coaches of the glutton V which dropped the conventional CRT TV in favor of LCD TV (though I wished they could have pushed the envelope and opted for a much larger screen). The audio component is short of those experienced from surround systems, but viewing movies is fairly satisfying even if you’re situated at the back of the bus unlike before where the sound most of the time fails to reach the back of the bus. Improvements are still needed though. I know that it’s a long shot before we see small LCD screens for each passenger like those in modern/pimped automobiles but they could at least provide ear phone jacks for each passenger like those found in airliners for better sound quality… just bring your own earphones. The downside to this boredom fix is when the conductor runs out of movies to play and resort to concert DVDs, which are still pirated material. Somehow it signals karaoke time to overzealous passengers whom most of the time sings out of tune and should they be carried away… have a sleepless journey ahead.

Kitiki-TXT

The cell phone, one of the 21^st century’s greatest gadgets, have evolved into “the all-in-one” entertainment system. And with telecom companies providing 24/7 unlimited promos, keypad erasing button bashers can text or even call whomever they want from the time they board the bus until they disembark. Time flew like the wind but with a sore thumb or burnt ear if you don’t have a Bluetooth earpiece. But that is just one facet of what a cell phone can do, I remember going to Baguio when my sleep was cut short (yeah… I’m a sleeper!) by the noise of a showboating Nokia N-Gage owner playing at full volume plus the annoying chat with the curious seatmate.

Sony PSP

They’re everywhere!!! When I was still hooked on the Playstation mania, the product’s arrival is imminent as mobile gaming is no longer for kids and their cutesy Nintendo’s. But I really thought the Sony PSP would not succeed in the Philippines, which is a haven for pirates, due to the introduction of the Universal Media Disc (UMD). It was a well thought out scheme if not for its Achilles heel, the teeny weenie USB port. With some tweaking, games can now be downloaded from the Internet and loaded to the PSP via the USB port. Anyway, I was really amazed on how the Philippine market embraced the PSP. Every time I ride a public transport, kids and even adults can be seen playing one and I marvel at how they do it because to some… sudden starts and stops of the bus with your eyes focused on your PSP… can be nauseating.

A good book

I remember reading Da Vinci Code years ago while on a bus and I finished sizeable chunks of the book without boring my self to sleep. But I seldom do this now as it somehow affects ones eyesight and may cause unpleasant circumstances like those with gaming gadgets.

Apple iPod

High-end and medium range cell phones are personal music players too but it did not happen overnight without the emergence of MP3. MP3 players at first were not that good and appealing but as technology improved and Apple took notice, MP3 players got reinvented and are now popularly known as “iPod.” I find my puny iPod Shuffle very helpful in accompanying me with trips, it may not have a colored screen where one can watch movies, but it does the trick. Sound quality is not bad as it can equally match with my Sony Mini Disc which I no longer use and which I recently realized was an overly hyped and overpriced piece of mechanical audio gadget. My iPod shuffle is my savior/last resort in having a peaceful commute. When I don’t like the movie being played or already watched it… I don’t have a PSP… or there’s a wanna be American Idol contender, it’s time to push the play button.