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AOL Instant Messenger, often referred to as AIM, was first introduced in 1997 and is one of the oldest Internet chat programs in use today. While no longer the most widely used messaging application, AIM still boasts millions of loyal users. Like other messaging apps, AIM supports the use of a PC webcam for video chats. Configuring your camera to work with AIM is relatively simple and takes only a few minutes.
Bring a new level of personalization to your Samsung Continuum by customizing the smartphone's home screens. Like the desktop on Windows computers, home screens are the starting place for most activities on the Android-powered Samsung Continuum. From them you can access the telephone, send and receive text messages, launch applications, monitor widgets and more.
Before the introduction of USB ports and devices, many computers shipped with PS/2 or serial mice. Many computers stores still stock PS/2 mice; however, serial mice are rare these days, as most new computers have no ports for them. Until USB negated the need for them, Microsoft produced several versions of its serial mice. Connecting a Microsoft serial mouse to an old PC with serial ports is relatively straightforward. If you want to connect the serial mouse to a new PC, though, you must use an adapter before Windows can detect and initialize it.
Bluetooth devices are used to transmit data wirelessly over short distances, freeing you from that tangled clutter of wires plaguing your workspace or living room. Because it relies on radio waves, a Bluetooth signal is prone to interference both from other wireless electronics and from building materials. Following some best practices helps to ensure you get the most out of your Bluetooth-enabled devices.
Touch-screen tablets and monitors make it easy to perform simple navigation tasks with your finger or stylus, but at some point you might want to use the right-click command to quickly access context-specific shortcuts. The right-click command can still be performed on a touch screen using only your finger or stylus.
USB microphones offer a direct way to send audio to your computer that bypasses the need for an external preamp. Other ways of using a microphone with your computer typically involve using an audio interface and often a preamp. USB microphones combine these two devices into a microphone compartment. Therefore, you do not need an additional preamp with a USB microphone.
If your NOOK touch screen is malfunctioning it could be the product of hardware failure, user error or both. Learn about what to do if the NOOK touch screen is malfunctioning with help from an electronics expert in this free video clip.
Many HP computers offer a special key with a crescent moon graphic. This graphic indicates the Sleep button. When pressed, the computer enters a lower power state that uses just enough energy to maintain your data in the internal memory. Unfortunately, its placement on the keyboard makes it prone to accidental activation by careless typists. If the button offers more grief than benefit, consider disabling it; you can always enter sleep mode from within Windows.
When Windows 8 enters a power-saving state like sleep or hibernation, it disables most of the hardware components, including the monitor, mouse, keyboard and network adapter. Most computer models won't return to their original state unless you push the power button. You can, however, configure the power options to wake the PC when a Bluetooth device is in use.
IBM Model M keyboards are peripherals from a computing era of days gone by: bulky, loud, and durable, these keyboards have proven their worth to many users despite these shortcomings. The Model M provides a large and comfortable typing space you might appreciate. However, older versions do not readily work with many computers. To use it with a modern iMac, you need to invest in an active PS/2-to-USB converter.
Wireless and capable of interfacing with a variety of personal digital assistants, the Belkin Wireless Keyboard enables you to compose notes, emails and letters while on the go without the hassle of using your PDA's onscreen keyboard. The device is compact and uses infrared technology to communicate with your PDA. The keyboard's installation software walks you through installing the proper driver for the device and linking it with your PDA. Once the installation process is complete, your Belkin Wireless Keyboard is ready to use.
One of the ways you can personalize your iPad is by setting the keyboard to display the letters or symbols of a variety of different languages. You can set the display to Chinese if that is your language preference. After you select the Chinese international keyboard in the iPad's settings menu, the letters of the keyboard are replaced with Chinese characters, and the layout is more conducive to typing in that language.
Microsoft provides dozens of keyboard shortcuts that allow you to perform a number of routine and advanced tasks without even touching the mouse. Many shortcuts combine the Ctrl key with one or more other keys. Some of these shortcuts are relatively new to Windows, while others have been around for years, but learning them all can save you time and effort.
To unleash the full functionality of a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard, you must install the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center. With this software installed you will be able to edit the functions of the keys.
When you purchase a webcam for your computer and connect it to the USB port, it displays video on your computer screen. A Cisco IP camera is a webcam that connects as a network device in the same way that a computer or printer connects to your network. The camera streams video over the IP network, making it ideal for video surveillance.
When you use the iPad, you run into various situations where you need to revert to an earlier screen. Songs, apps and contacts sometimes appear in nested lists, and you have to switch to earlier lists to select previous items. iPad options similarly appear in nested menus. Documents in e-books run for many pages, and you may need to turn back to previous ones. The iPad enables you to go back at any time using the touch screen.
The iPad's on-screen default keyboard layout excludes several computer keyboard buttons, including number keys, function keys and keys for various symbols and punctuation marks, all of which are accessible by opening an alternate keyboard layout. The keyboard also features no Caps Lock key, which may discourage you from typing in all caps, but the iPad enables you turn on the caps lock feature when you need to type long strings of capital letters. For example, when you type a letter on the iPad, you may need to type a heading or address in all caps.
The Logitech K760 is a wireless solar keyboard that lets you connect to any Bluetooth device in your home. Watch the unboxing of the Logitech K760 wireless solar keyboard with help from your friends at eHow Tech in this free video clip.
Bluetooth technology makes it easy to connect various devices wirelessly, but this convenience can turn to frustration if your computer does not detect the hardware correctly. Bluetooth is used in phones, printers, keyboards, headphones and gamepads, but in order for them to work with your PC, a connection between the device and PC must be established. While receiving an error indicating that no Bluetooth hardware was detected could be an indication that the device you are trying to connect to your computer might be faulty, it is more likely that the issue is software related.
The Kodak HD Zi8 camcorder is made to capture videos on the go. It uses a direct USB connection to charge and access videos on the computer, but the camcorder was not made for webcam use. Instead of using the USB connection to power it as a webcam, you can use an alternative method with A/V cables. This alternative method is not as easy as using a standard webcam but it will prevent you from having to purchase both a webcam and the Kodak Zi8.
Most Garmin GPS units include support for Bluetooth peripheral devices. Add Bluetooth to a Garmin GPS with help from The GPS Wizard in this free video clip.
Changing Bluetooth device settings on an iPad can be accomplished through the use of the "Settings" utility. Change Bluetooth device settings on an iPad with help from a mobile strategist in this free video clip.
The iPad allows you to change the virtual keyboard to any international standard you'd like. Use foreign keyboards on an iPad with help from a mobile strategist in this free video clip.
USB microphones can be plugged directly into a computer, and they work through the sound card inside the computer. Discover the different quality and price ranges of these microphones with helpful information from a professional audio producer in this free video on recording music.
Adding a microphone to a computer is a fairly straight forward process, and most computers actually come with them pre-installed. Add a microphone to your computer with help from an IT consultant in this free video on computer peripherals.
Just because you want to draw lines on Photoshop doesn't mean you need a graphic tablet. Draw lines on Photoshop without a graphic tablet with help from a multimedia and post production professional in this free video clip.
TokBox is a San Francisco-based video communications company that launched in 2007 and provides a host of services you can use to interact via video on the Web. TokBox owns an application programming interface that couples with several of its plug-and-play apps to enable individuals, businesses and organizations to communicate online.
Security cameras come with several connector options for different types of cable. A BNC or RCA connector uses coaxial cable, an RJ45 connector uses four-pair cable and an RJ11 connector provides the lowest cost connection with three-pair telephone cable. RJ11 security camera options include black and white or color, fixed or movable and indoor or outdoor. Some include night vision.
The XFX nForce 750i SLI motherboard has 6 onboard USB 2.0 ports, any of which can be used to connect a USB mouse. Like all hardware connections, USB ports require the installation of compatible drivers to the operating system before they can function properly. After driver installation, it is possible for driver files to get corrupted or erased. If you are having problems with your USB ports, such as your USB mouse failing to work when it is connected, you can fix the problem by reinstalling the motherboard’s USB drivers.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZI digital camera is ideal for taking pictures and recording videos, but the technology can be expanded to turn it into a home webcam. The webcam is compatible with a majority of software applications once the drivers are properly installed. Once running you can use the zoom, focus and other camera features while running your live webcam.
The TeacherLED Interactive Webcam Whiteboard online application lets you use your computer's webcam in conjunction with an interactive classroom whiteboard. The online application lets you display the video that your webcam is capturing directly on your whiteboard. It also allows you to take snapshots, project these snapshots as stills and draw directly on the visualiser screen. If you want to use this webcam whiteboard application, you can do so directly from your Web browser.
Anyone with a webcam and Internet access can display live video streamed from a computer to other users around the world who are able to connect to the live stream. Messenger applications and live-stream sharing websites are examples of ways that users can produce and connect to live streams. Live streams are not recorded, however, which means that you cannot access old streams. A simple workaround is to use software designed to record streaming content.
In addition to keyboards, speakers, mice and other computer accessories, the Chinese Kross technology company offers a line of webcams in 4-, 8-megapixel and 10-megapixel varieties with features such as built-in microphones and LED-lights for nighttime operation. The company's webcams encompass models in the KR, Optia and GY-WC series, as of March 2012. Like other types of drivers for computer peripherals, Kross webcam drivers serve as software that accommodates communication between the company's devices and your computer.
Touch screens and gesture-based technology interpret human gestures intro control methods for digital interfaces, translating moves such as swiping your finger into the action of turning a virtual page. Pure gesture-based interfaces – in which you don't have to touch the screen at all or your gestures “touch” only a virtual or projected screen – aim to replace touch-screen technology. Until then, multi-touch interfaces that rely on numerous gestures for input serve as a segue into pure gesture-based control.
Backgrounder is an application for jailbroken iOS devices such as the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad that adds several new options to the Task Manager, allowing you to monitor applications that are running in the background. As of February 2012, the latest version of Background is version svn.r558-1. You can install it by using a specific application.
The Hewlett-Packard 7110 All-in-One Officejet printer and scanner allows a computer user to print, scan and fax, all from the same machine. The advantage to such a printer is that it saves space and allows the user to perform most of these tasks with the simple push of a button. However, a problem with these multitasking machines is that the gears in the worm drive can wear out or slip, which requires some an adjustment or repair.
No matter how many times you check your code for syntax or programming logic errors, some bugs may not show up until you actually run the code. Debuggers are software tools that let you execute and examine your source code line by line. Many programming integrated development environments, or IDEs, have built-in debugging tools that let you set stopping points in your code and watch how variables change as the code executes in the debugger.
When hooking up a security camera system, you may feel overwhelmed by an almost infinite number of connection possibilities. Building a simple home or business solution, however, can be well within reach if you understand what to look for when buying components for your surveillance system. Note what mounting, power and hook up connections are stated in the technical specs of products you intend to purchase.
Connecting a citizens band radio and a scanner to a CB antenna to operate them simultaneously will work, but with significantly reduced performance for both units, and may cause damage to the scanner. Your best option is to connect each device to an antenna specifically designed for its frequency range.
TWAIN is an image capture application programming interface compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems. This API communicates between image processing software and Canon scanners. The TWAIN program is built into the computer operating system, but it's not always clear what a TWAIN error means, which means such errors can be frustratingly hard to fix.
Your integrated webcam may return an error if its driver has become outdated or corrupt. If your computer tells you that your webcam is using an unsupported format, it is having trouble communicating with the device. A driver can become corrupt because of a computer virus or hard drive error. However, you can take steps to replace your driver and restore functionality.
Scanners are used in a wide array of multimedia applications, with several dedicated types designed to meet the needs of each medium. The multimedia elements of scanners are contingent on the medium. For instance, animation requires its own type of scanner and scanning software, as does print media. The multimedia commonly used in scanning is diverse, and includes print, animation, transparent and photo negative.
When using Linux you do not have to settle on a single desktop configuration: the OS runs many desktops and window managers that you can choose from, depending on your needs and preferences. Certain minimalist window managers, such as WindowMaker and Fluxbox, offer speedy and simple interfaces to ease use and reduce resource consumption. Both also contain ways to show running applications on the desktop. In the case of Fluxbox, the "slit" allows you to show running windows and utility applications.
Three programs allow you to use a Panasonic Lumix Tz1 as a webcam: DVdriver, Active Webcam and WebCam DV. The aforementioned programs take advantage of the Tz1’s 840 x 840 pixel recording resolution, as well as its ability to record audio. The Tz1 also offers a charged coupling device, or CCD, that automatically adjust the camera’s brightness when operating in cinema mode. You will use cinema mode when using a Lumix Tz1 as a webcam.
When you install an HP scanner, the scanner software must read and write to specific locations on your computer. If the software cannot gain access to the necessary files and folders, you may receive an error message reporting the need for administrator rights to proceed. Granting administrative privileges, either permanently or temporarily, allows you to set up and operate your HP scanner properly.
Shenzhen Sungi Technology manufactured the Purity USB optical mouse that allows you to interact with and navigate your computer and its features through a wired connection. The Purity USB mouse works using a combination of two common computer technologies and has no need for an independent power source.
Many artists use Pixologic's ZBrush software for two- and three-dimensional digital painting, sculpting and texturing. As of February 2012, Pixologic doesn't require that you use a touch screen device with ZBrush software. Instead, it's designed to allow you to use any number of tools to create artwork for personal or professional projects.
A feature of some Logitech webcams is "motorized tracking," which allows you to move around the room while you're video chatting. While you move, the webcam moves with you and keeps you in the picture. While this can be a handy feature to have, a number of issues can cause it to not work as it is supposed to. If this is happening to you, perform a number of troubleshooting steps to try to get it to work again.
Webcam video capture devices are most often used for video chatting and simple video recording, but they can also be used as surveillance IP cameras if you need to monitor a specific area. As the webcam records the surveillance video, it saves the video to your computer's hard drive, meaning that you must have a large amount of storage space for saving the surveillance footage. If you want to set up your webcam as a surveillance IP camera device, you can do so through the Windows Live Movie Maker program that comes with every Windows computer.
The Neat Company offers a variety of digital filing systems used by individuals, organizations and businesses. The systems are designed to turn scanned documents into PDF files and store them in searchable databases. The company’s products NeatReceipts, NeatDesk, NeatReceipts for Mac and NeatDesk for Mac come bundled with NeatWorks software and a portable or desktop scanner. For those individuals who want to use a different scanner, The Neat Company offers NeatWorks for Mac as a standalone software product, which can be used with various compatible scanners. No comparable software product is offered for Windows PC users who wish to use…
