10 Tips for using your Notebook properly

Laptop are designed for use in typical office, school and home environments.In this case, according to the guidelines of this document, your laptop does not pose a risk to you or the environment. However, the normal use of notebook computers will produce heat and electricity, so preventive measures must be taken to avoid physical injury or loss of property. This article provides a basic guide to the correct use of a notebook computer.

Safety is a major concern, but we also want to make the most of the laptop and avoid costly repairs. If you follow the guidelines and precautionary measures here, your laptop can work for many years without problems.

WARNING: To reduce the likelihood of physical injury due to heat or overheating of the equipment, do not place the equipment directly on your legs or obstruct the ventilation holes of the equipment. Use the equipment only on a flat, solid surface. Do not allow another hard surface, such as an optional printer, or a soft surface, such as pillows, rugs, or clothing, to block airflow. Also, avoid the AC adapter coming into contact with your skin or a soft surface, such as pillows, carpets or clothing, during operation.

You can significantly reduce the risks to the laptop by paying attention to the environment. Taking simple precautions, such as using the laptop on a rigid surface, keeping it in a dust-free place, using a refrigerator stand or an external fan, will help it function as it should.

1. Do not use the laptop on your legs or allow hot surfaces to come in contact with your skin. If you want to use it on your legs, support it on a flat, hard surface, such as a tray specially designed for laptops. Do not use your laptop on soft surfaces, such as bedspreads, pillows, clothes, or rugs. These surfaces can block the flow of air through the ventilation holes, which can cause heat to build up inside the notebook case.

2. Keep the LCD screen away from direct sunlight for long periods of time.

3. The laptop is designed to regulate the activity automatically when the internal temperature exceeds the predefined levels. If the internal temperature rises too high, the laptops are designed to go off by itself to protect the internal components.

4. Do not leave the laptop in a place with high temperature, such as inside a parked car or in direct sunlight. Any of these things can cause heat damage and bend it.

5. Typical lithium-ion batteries that laptops use do not charge properly at temperatures of 30 to 50 ° F (0 to 10 ° C). At these temperatures, the battery charges very slowly and does not reach full charge before completing the charge cycle. For proper operation, take the laptop to a cooler environment, where the internal temperature of the battery can exceed 50 ° F (10 ° C). If the battery remains in a low temperature environment for 12 hours or more, you must heat the laptop and the battery and then perform a hardware reset of the laptop. To perform a hardware reset, disconnect the AC adapter, remove the Apple a1280 laptop battery and then press and hold the power button for approximately 15 seconds. Then, reinstall the battery, connect the AC adapter again and press the power button to turn on the laptop again.

6. Do not use or store the equipment in high humidity environments, with dust, dirt, or smoke. Laptops generally have ventilation holes on the bottom and sides, to allow air circulation inside and cool internal components. If these holes become clogged or if dust builds up on the parts that generate heat, the fan cannot properly cool the internal components. Use compressed air in the ventilation holes to remove accumulated dust and maintain the flow of air through the equipment.

7. Do not use the keyboard with dirty or sticky hands. Some particles can adhere and easily contaminate the internal components of the equipment. These particles can also scratch or stain the laptop screen when the lid is closed.

8. Do not eat or drink while using the laptop. Do not use the PC in any humid environment, such as a pool or shower, and protect the components from any source of liquids, including rain and sprinklers for irrigation.

9. Do not store the laptop in the back of a closet or in a bag full of books, or under anything that can exert enough pressure to crack the case or screen.

10. Do not use pens, pencils or other objects to enter data on the screen, use only your fingers.

If you have a used device or its performance lags behind what you need, then the best option is to sell the laptop and consider a new one.

48 hours with an Forever online laptop

“So are you the kind of woman to take your job anywhere?” My taxi driver asked me on Sunday, when I took out ASUS NovaGo and began to write the introduction. Usually I don’t know. But for the last few weeks, I had to work hard, and the only thing I wanted was to take a good rest when I was outside. This makes it absolutely necessary for portable, continuous and persistent laptops. Microsoft promises to rely on its “always connected personal computers” — laptop computers that provide long-lasting batteries — to connect to the Internet constantly and wake up like smart phones.

And there I was, writing this from the back of a cab on the NovaGo, which is the first Snapdragon-powered “always-connected PC” available. Honestly, I marveled at the fact that I could edit the same document I was working on at home awhile ago without first having to painstakingly set up my phone as a hotspot. Plus, I didn’t have to sap my phone’s battery to keep editing my Google Doc while monitoring my usual slew of tabs and apps like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Slack and Telegram.

Later, I moved locations to the lobby of my building, after snapping the laptop shut and getting out of the car. I opened up the notebook again, and the lock screen appeared slightly more quickly than on my usual on-the-go workhorses (the 12-inch MacBook or the Huawei MateBook X). Signing in and loading up my open apps was swift, too. That’s one of the promises of these Snapdragon-equipped PCs — they’re “always on” so you don’t have to wait around for the device to wake up before getting to work. While this did seem to work during my time with the NovaGo, I have to say it isn’t dramatically different from a regular laptop — it’s about half a second faster than my MacBook and around a second faster than my MateBook.

So far this has been working out as I’d anticipated, although I’d like a shorter time for the device to wake from sleep. But I’m OK waiting a second for the immense benefit of already being connected. My review unit has a T-Mobile SIM in it, and I got decent coverage almost everywhere I’ve been, even holding three to four bars in the Holland Tunnel as I wrote this sentence.

I’m going to thank both T-Mobile and Qualcomm for this. The latter because it supplies the Snapdragon 835 chipset that powers the NovaGo, along with most of the first gigabit LTE phones. That CPU contains the X16 LTE radio that allows these reliable, fast transfer speeds of 75 Mbps down (as detected by Speedtest). It took a little longer to load Engadget’s YouTube page than I’m used to on my WiFi connection, but the videos I picked started playing in hardly any time at all (a second or less). Pictures my friend sent over WhatsApp Web also loaded as quickly as they normally do on my phone or over my home WiFi, and the grainy selfies I took with the laptop’s webcam sent almost immediately.

Just as important, the Snapdragon 835 has held up pretty well, performance-wise. Running Windows on an ARM-based chipset seems potentially problematic, but so far I’ve had no issue installing and running most of my favorite apps. This is a Windows 10 experience that’s almost identical to my other PCs, save a couple minuscule differences. To be fair, I haven’t pushed the NovaGo very hard — I’ve been mostly using this for my usual on-the-go workflow, which consists of two windows full of tabs like Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Slack, and WhatsApp. If I were using this like my desktop-replacement laptop, there’d be a lot more Netflixing and shopping going on.

The NovaGo occasionally stuttered, especially when the Slack app is running, but I have similar issues with my Intel Core i5/7-powered PCs too. That’s probably because Slack is awful. I was also able to multitask smoothly while talking on a group video Hangout with my editor and colleagues. I still don’t know if this laptop will be able to manage Photoshop or other intensive apps — that’ll have to wait till I can test it more comprehensively for a full review.

You could get a somewhat similar experience with any old notebook and a cellular dongle. Of course, those setups require extra moving parts and didn’t offer speeds as fast as this promises. The software appears better integrated here, too. Going from WiFi to a cellular connection brought up an alert saying, “This PC is on a metered network,” warning me to pause background syncs to save data. When I switched over to a WiFi network in my office, the laptop struggled a little with the shift in connection. Some of my tabs went offline for a few seconds before coming back on again. That’s a minor hiccup, though. For the most part, changing between WiFi and LTE is seamless.

By now, I’ve spent close to 48 hours with the NovaGo (and have taken way more cab rides than I should, really). In that time, the Asus a32-m50 laptop battery has been chugging along just fine. It’s supposed to last up to 20 hours, which is a potential life-changer for my painfully long journeys to Asia. I haven’t used the NovaGo nonstop for that duration just yet, and in all honesty, I keep plugging it in because I want to run a battery test soon.

After about three hours of using it since the last full charge, the battery indicator said we’re at 72 percent, and that there was about eight hours of juice left on this thing. But I don’t think that estimate is accurate, since a little bit before that it was reporting five hours left.

A few quick final observations: Compared to the MacBook and MateBook I use at shows, the NovaGo’s keyboard is a dream. It offers ample travel and a spongy feedback that my fingers appreciate. Another advantage the ASUS laptop has over the Apple and Huawei is ports. As in, it has plenty of them. Instead of just one or two USB-C sockets, the NovaGo has HDMI, two USB As, a microSD card slot and a headphone jack.

The major downside so far is that it doesn’t offer USB-C. For a system that promises to be like a smartphone, this is a big letdown. I still have to lug around the ASUS-branded proprietary charger if I want to bring this laptop on a weekend trip, in addition to the USB C cables I’ll be taking for my phones. If I pick the MacBook or MateBook, I can bring just the one charger for all my devices. Finally, the NovaGo’s display could stand to be a bit brighter. In direct sunlight, it was hard to see what I was writing — all I saw was the reflection of my puffy winter coat.

There are still a few more things I’d like to try on the NovaGo before giving it a score, like run a full battery test and benchmarks. So stay tuned for the review.

For now, I’m satisfied with its ability to handle all the basic tasks I need and connect to LTE wherever I go. It could be lighter, and USB-C is a glaring omission. But there are several Snapdragon-powered PCs from brands like HP and Lenovo coming out that could address those complaints.

The best vacuum cleaners in Australia

You know what sucks? An excellent vacuum. We’re here to find out what you want regularly. We know that finding the most effective vacuum cleaner is very good. It’s terrible. There are so many fashion choices. Who would like to spend time finding a device that means extra work at home?

The factor is, vacuum cleaners have come a great distance for the reason that days the place you needed to haul out that large corded behemoth out of your corridor closet and plug it into a brand new socket each jiffy. Compared to a number of the slick vacuums available on the market at this time, that is virtually medieval.

Today’s vacuums are a lot slimmer, and whereas most are nonetheless managed by hand there is a rising quantity which have robotic brains and may clear up all on their very own. Many of at this time’s vacuums additionally run on battery energy, so you will not have to fret about dragging cords throughout your home.

While it is nonetheless a ‘chore’ within the conventional sense, vacuum cleansing can now be finished in far much less time and with far higher ease due to cordless vacuums. But if even that sounds too arduous, you will seemingly be satisfied to be taught that almost all robotic vacuums may be set on a schedule, so that they’ll even clear your home when you’re out dwelling it up (or working).

It’s true that high-end vacuums may be fairly expensive, however they will also be the form of funding the place the advantages turn out to be nearly instantly clear. As quickly as you’ve got skilled the added ease and effectivity first-hand, it is arduous to return to anything.

Whether you are after a light-weight cordless, a super-powerful upright or the type of brainy robotic cleaner that’d give Will Smith night-terrors, these are the most effective vacuum cleaners presently obtainable in Australia. They all suck, however in the very best approach.

Dyson Cyclone V10

Power provide: : Cordless, battery | Weight: : 5.9 lbs / 2.6 kg | Bin dimension: : zero.75L | Run time: : Up to 60 minutes

Unrivalled design

Powerful suction

Fantastic attachments

improved battery life

Battery drains quick on highest setting

Expensive

Dyson’s so assured within the sucking prowess of its latest vacuum, the Dyson Cyclone V10, that the corporate is ceasing the manufacturing of recent corded vacuums going ahead. When you contemplate what number of corded vacs it nonetheless sells, that is a fairly large assertion to make. Thankfully, the Cyclone V10 can again it up – after which some.

Simply put, the Cyclone V10 is the most effective vacuum Dyson has ever made. Dyson has redefined its cyclone know-how to supply extra suction energy than ever; the brand new V10 digital motor is 20% extra than the earlier V8, and, we will guarantee, it sucks so much (we imply that as a praise).

You’ll discover various essential modifications between the V10 and older V fashions. For instance, the barrel is now front-facing, and all attachments join right here immediately. This design permits for higher suction effectivity, in line with Dyson. The V10 is smarter than ever earlier than, too, and may even detect variations in altitude, air stress and temperature, and auto-adjust itself for max efficiency.

Prices and fashions range throughout areas, however for sure, you pay for the Cyclone V10’s souped-up suction. And whereas the Cyclone V10 is extra than ever and boasts a extra energy-dense Dyson DC16 Vacuum Cleaner Battery than earlier fashions, placing it on the very best setting will drain the battery in about 5 minutes. At the bottom setting, nonetheless, you will rise up to 60 minutes of use, and that ought to be loads to your on a regular basis messes.

iRobot Roomba 980

Power provide: Battery | Weight: three.94kg | Bin dimension: zero.6Lm | Suction energy: 33AW

Environment mapping

Relatively low clearance

Easy to schedule cleansing

Sluggish app management

Struggles with cables

Dyson is likely to be dominating the hand-held vacuum enviornment in the intervening time, however in terms of the robotic vacuum area, many individuals fee iRobot and its Roomba 980 vacuum cleaner at an analogous degree of esteem.

With its low-clearance design and smartphone app management performance, this dirt-sucking disc is clever sufficient to go about its enterprise in your house with out a lot prompting in your half. The Roomba 980 will intelligently map your house for drawback spots, kicking right into a high-power mode every time it rolls over carpets, and weaving round chair legs and different potential obstacles.

Making issues even simpler, you may handle the Roomba 980’s each day schedule from the system’s accompanying iOS and Android apps, permitting you to set the time and length of its cleansing routine nonetheless you see match. You should empty it out after every use, although.

With a powerful two hour iRobot Roomba 500 Vacuum Battery life, it’s going to additionally handle an extended cleansing cycle than any cordless or robotic vacuum from Dyson, and when it is working low it’s going to routinely head again to its dock to cost itself.

Other good options of the Roomba 980 embrace its battery-powered Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers which you’ll be able to place round your crib in order that your ‘bot will know which areas to keep away from, similar to rooms you do not need it to enter or floor-level pet meals bowls you do not need it to crash into.

However, the Roomba 980 does nonetheless have some room for enchancment, with its app being slightly sluggish at occasions. The robotic additionally tends to get trapped in cables and caught below furnishings.

Sure, it is fairly dear for what’s admittedly a cleansing luxurious, nevertheless it actually is like having a robotic maid that can maintain your home clear. If you hate vacuuming and may afford it, the Roomba 980 presents distinctive cleansing comfort. 

Dyson V8 Absolute

Power provide: : Cordless, battery | Weight: : 2.16kg | Bin dimension: : zero.54L | Suction energy: 22AW (115AW in MAX mode)

Lightweight

Portable and modular

Strong suction

Expensive

Until just lately, it was the most effective cordless vacuum expertise that cash may purchase, and whereas it has been dethroned by Dyson’s personal Cyclone V10, the superb Dyson V8 Absolute continues to be a top-of-the-line battery-powered vacuum cleaner. It additionally stays an absolute pleasure to make use of. (See what we did there?)

The very first thing you will discover is its light-weight design. With a detachable extender pole and outfitted with six completely different heads for various surfaces and use instances, the V8 Absolute is straightforward to manoeuvre and run round with, particularly while you need to level it up in the direction of the hard-to-reach corners of your home.

But with the suction motor within the pistol-grip deal with space, you may take the extender pole out of the equation and clip a head immediately onto the principle unit, turning the entire thing into a transportable cleaner that is good for stepping into smaller areas or for different duties, similar to going up the steps of vacuuming the inside of your automotive.

A full-charge offers you round 40 minutes of use, which is actually spectacular for a cordless cleaner – although mileage will range when you begin utilizing the motorised heads, or swap on the V8 Absolute’s MAX mode, which is able to blast via your battery in minutes.

You’ll hardly ever want that further suction although – for a handheld, this cleaner can rival an upright for sheer dirt-sucking energy, even when its on its medium setting. It’s acquired a fairly large bin, too, which is able to absorb loads of dust earlier than it’s essential to empty it out – one other comfort not usually seen in cordless vacuums.

Best of all, now that it has been superceded by the Cyclone V10, the Dyson V8 Absolute works nicely as a less expensive different, with the vacuum now obtainable for below $700 at some main on-line retailers.

Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo 930

Power provide: Battery | Weight: four.6kg | Bin dimension: 470ml | Noise degree: 65dB

Near-perfect setting mapping

Alexa and Google Assistant enabled

Mopping capabilities

Can’t transfer over thresholds and ledges

Robot vacuums are slowly starting to flood the market, however what makes the Deebot Ozmo 930 stand out from the gang is its moist and dry performance: not solely will it vacuum your house when you have your ft up, it should additionally mop the ground in order for you it to.

While it may’t match the suction energy of a corded vacuum, this Deebot can maintain its personal. It would possibly zip throughout your flooring, nevertheless it certain does choose up virtually the whole lot off the ground in a single cross. And does it slightly quietly, too. You can nicely be watching one thing on the telly and also you received’t be disturbed by the droid doing its factor.

Sensors on the Deebot choose up obstacles simply, however its velocity makes the ‘bot stumble upon objects, like furnishings legs, slightly arduous. Yet it’s been constructed to deal with that type of tough therapy and comes away unscathed.

To get it to mop, all you want do is fill the tank and connect the fabric supplied within the field to the underside, after which it routinely is aware of what it must do. When it strikes from a tough flooring to a carpet or rug, the mopping operate stops routinely and the Deebot goes again to vacuuming as regular.

You may even get the Deebot to start out and cease cleansing, or return to its charger, with a easy voice command when you personal a Google Home or Amazon Alexa.

It’s acquired fairly a hefty price ticket, however being packed filled with options, particularly the voice controls and the mopping, makes this little droid definitely worth the cash.

Dyson Cinetic Big Ball

Power provide: Corded | Weight: 8kg | Cord size: 6.4m | Suction energy: 250AW

Can stand itself up

Articulated deal with

Occasional blockage

Still has a twine

There’s no query that Dyson’s manoeuvrable and endlessly handy stick vacuums are unbelievable, sporting suction and a modular design that permits for various area-specific attachments – all with out having to fret about pesky cables getting in the way in which. However, cordless vacuums do have their caveats.

Getting a restricted quantity of vacuum time from a battery that takes hours to cost may be extraordinarily irritating, and there are occasions when you could require a extra and heavy-duty vacuum resolution. Cordless fashions are sometimes fairly darn costly, too.

If you share these considerations, Dyson’s Cinetic Big Ball vacuum could also be a terrific different, providing the identical high quality cleansing expertise that the corporate’s vacuums are identified for, whereas avoiding all the standard annoyances that make encourage folks to decide on a cord-free choice.

Most vacuums will tip over as they’re dragged alongside the ground — not the Cinetic Big Ball, with its ball-shaped design that has been completely weighted to roll again into place every time it falls down — it is a neat instance of Dyson’s knack for locating options to issues which have plagued these sorts of merchandise for many years.

Another benefit over cordless vacuums: its suction energy leaves them within the mud — actually. At 250 air watts, the Cinetic Big Ball is much more than the brand new Dyson Cyclone V10, which presents round 150 air watts of suction.

Taking into consideration which you can now choose up a Dyson Cinetic Big Ball for below $500, and what you will have is a highly-recommended different to Dyson’s pricier cord-free choices.

Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat Dog Bagless Vacuum Cleaner

Power provide: Corded | Weight: 6.5kg | Cord size: 10m | Suction energy: 1,200W

Bagless and straightforward to wash

Terrific filtering

reasonably priced

Filters may be annoying to wash

Like most Miele vacuums, the cat and canine model of the CX1 is a bit more costly than the non-pet variations, however that further value is offset by the extra attachments you get that can allow you to spherical up and cope with shed hair and the overall mess that comes from having four-legged members of your loved ones.

Plus, when you think about how reasonably priced it’s in comparison with the typical Dyson product, the worth of the CX1’s ‘deluxe’ mannequin will appear fairly cheap.

We additionally love that it is acquired an AirClean lifetime HEPA filter to take away allergens out of your family, in addition to an especially excessive airflow that works arduous to take away as a lot mud and particles out of your flooring and carpets as potential. It’s additionally the primary bagless Miele system, and it does a fairly darn good job of that, too.

Boasting a 1,200W “Vortex” motor, the Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat Dog Bagless delivers an air velocity of greater than 100km/h and nonetheless manages to separate mud into two varieties: coarse stuff goes into the clear mud container, whereas the finer stuff is caught and trapped in its personal filtered container.

Impressively, the Blizzard CX1 additionally sports activities a brand new CleanStream filter, which has a sensor-controlled self-cleaning system. You’ll nonetheless want to wash the filters your self every now and then, although.

That’s not the one massive change Miele has in retailer for us: the design can also be fairly modern-looking, placing the system in a league above its predecessors. For a vacuum that goes for lower than $500 at some shops, Miele has definitely stepped up its recreation with the CX1 Cat Dog Bagless.

Miele Complete C3 PowerLine

Power provide: Corded | Weight: 5.4kg | Cord size: 12m | Suction energy: 900W

Massive energy

Long twine

Not probably the most eco-friendly

OK, so it in all probability is not successful any awards for fashion, however beneath the Miele C3’s utilitarian exterior lies a robust vacuum with distinctive cleansing energy. We like that it is lighter than many different vacuums available on the market, and its lengthy cable means you’ll manoeuvre round your dwelling space with out having to vary energy retailers too usually.

Miele’s Complete C3 PowerLine presents quite a lot of velocity settings for various conditions, whether or not you are vacuuming carpets, floorboards, concrete or tiles. It’s acquired some high quality heads and attachments, too, together with a turbo flooring brush and  swivelling arduous flooring head.

Foot controls can be utilized to energy on the system or swap it off, and also you step on a button to retract its prolonged twine — one other facet that makes it straightforward to retailer.

Like most Miele merchandise, it is constructed to final, too, with a tricky general construct high quality that ought to see it deal with any bumps and tumbles it takes.

Admittedly, the place it does stumble is in its vitality effectivity, sporting a category D vitality score. Not probably the most eco-friendly vacuum available on the market, however the trade-off in extra suction energy is simple — this factor is a beast.

Like the Miele Blizzard CX1, the C3 PowerLine is on the market in various completely different choices, together with ones that include extra attachments geared toward allergy victims and pet homeowners. The model you will seemingly get will finally be decided by the worth you are prepared to pay. That stated, whichever model you could find yourself with, you will be glad to know that you simply’re getting a top quality product.

Top 10 cordless vacuum cleaners

The fun of cordless machines (if you are doing housework like vacuum cleaners, you need all the fun you can find) is that you don’t have to pull the plug and plug of the vacuum cleaner when you move between the rooms. The disadvantage is that if it is a battery powered, it will lack a suction rope, which will run out of charge sooner or later. It’s usually faster.

As such, cordless cleaners have mostly been restricted to spot cleaning rather than as your main machine, though, as we’ll see, Dyson aims to change all that with its latest model which is, the company claims, as powerful as a regular, corded upright or canister (also called a cylinder).

There are two kinds of cordless: handhelds which are compact, extra-lightweight and have spot cleaning written all over them, and larger, stick vacuums with full-length wands. The wand is the long, tube that connects from the bit in your hand to the floor tool. All the models here have a longer wand (though the Bissell is more of a spot cleaner, despite this).

Things to look out for include the run time of the battery between charges and how long it takes to recharge: you may well have had enough of vacuuming when the battery runs flat but waiting for hours before you can use it again can be annoying. It’s important to check the weight – with smaller machines you may spend more time carrying them.

And it’s worth asking if this machine can serve as your main cleaner or is only suitable as a secondary machine for those awkward dinner-party spills when dragging out the main, corded machine would cause so much of a disturbance your carefully cultivated ambience would be spoilt.

Dyson Cyclone V10: From $499.99, Dyson

This just-revealed stick vacuum from Dyson came with the announcement that the company is no longer developing corded machines because this one matches the power of a plugged-in model. That’s down to the new, tiny V10 motor which is highly efficient and delivers suction for up to 60 minutes. In other words, this is not a companion to a corded cleaner: Dyson hopes it can be your only machine.

It’s easy to assemble and has a range of attachments to suit different surfaces. One, nicknamed the Fluffy, uses carbon-fibre to attract dust to it and another is curved to make vacuuming the dust off the top of a refrigerator, say, an easy task.

The V10 is light enough to be easily manoeuvred and powerful enough, especially on the upper settings, to clean very thoroughly. Dyson says it will run for up to 60 minutes between charges, recharge time is a little over three hours to reach full capacity.

It’s also designed to be quieter than many on the market.

The Cyclone V10 comes in three versions: Cyclone V10 Motorhead which has a regular-sized bin, $499.99, Cyclone V10 Animal with a bigger bin and which is designed to pick up pet hair, $599.99, and Cyclone V10 Absolute with the bigger bin and two additional cleaner heads, $699.99. All have the same motor and run time.

Run time: Up to 60 minutes

Recharge time: Around 3.5 hours

Weight: 5.5lbs MotorHead, 5.9lbs Animal, Absolute

Bin capacity: 0.14 gallons (0.53 litres) Motorhead, 0.2 gallons (0.76 litres) Animal, Absolute

Shark IonFlex DuoClean Cordless Ultra-Light IF201: $269.99, Best Buy

If you need to see clearly into dark corners, the LED lights on the front of the Shark IonFlex will help. It’s quite noisy in use and excels at picking up crumbs and other debris on bare floors. Using it on carpet, however, though still good, is not as effective because the run time drops to around 20 minutes instead of 30. Set it to maximum power and it’ll only run for 15 minutes, but it’s pretty impressive on this setting.  It’s also available in a version with two batteries, which is handy. It’s easy to store because it folds up thanks to a flexible wand, which also makes it easier dealing with dirt under furniture.

Run time: Up to 30 minutes

Recharge time: Around 3 hours

Weight: 8.6lbs

Bin capacity: 0.079 gallons (0.3 litres)

Dyson V8 Animal: $499, Walmart

Until the release of the Cyclone V10, the Dyson V8 was about the best stick cordless available, thanks to a range of tools, powerful suction and run time of up to 40 minutes, enough for many users to do as much vacuuming as they need before they get bored. When you’re using it, it’s powerful and effective: the trigger instead of an on/off switch means the V8 is only working when the trigger is pressed, instead of running continuously as a corded machine does, which makes it run longer and gives the Dyson DC16 Battery a longer life. It includes the “Fluffy” roller cleaning brush found on the V10, which is great for picking up dirt on wooden or other solid floors. Emptying the bin is satisfying and simple – as good as on the Cyclone V10 with its point-and-shoot system. Because the V10 has arrived, this has dropped in price by $100.

Run time: Up to 40 minutes

Recharge time: Around 5 hours

Weight: 5.8lbs

Bin capacity: 0.14 gallons (0.53 litres)

Dibea ST1601: $134.45, Gear Best

This is an affordable machine that has reasonable but not outstanding suction. Its design means the weight is loaded towards the top which isn’t always ideal. Unlike some machines there’s a noticeable distance between the motorized brush and the side of the surround, so it doesn’t clean quite to the edges of rooms so easily which in turn means extra passes to clear all the dirt. Still, it has a good run time of up to 40 minutes in quiet mode (that is, not at full power, though this still has an acceptable run time of up to 25 minutes). When vacuuming under low furniture, the larger dirt cup means you can’t reach quite as far as some vacuums here.

Run time: Up to 40 minutes

Recharge time: Around 4 hours

Weight: 4.5lbs

Bin capacity: 0.079 gallons (0.3 litres)

Hoover Air Cordless Lift Bagless Upright BH51120PC: $199.99, Amazon

This is a highly versatile machine, not to mention unusual: a cordless upright cleaner. What’s more, the canister is removable to make it more portable for use on stairs, say. Cleverly, the wand that sits in the back of the vacuum in its upright position also removes so you can vacuum from higher levels in canister mode. It comes with two batteries and a separate charging unit. If both batteries are charged, you have up to 50 minutes of vacuuming capability, though this is now beaten by the Dyson Cyclone V10. It cleans well and has a lot of flexibility.

Run time: Up to 50 minutes using two batteries

Recharge time: Around 3 hours per battery

Weight: 12.5lbs

Bin capacity: 0.28 gallons (1.05 litres)

Hoover Linx Signature Stick BH50020: $149.99, Hoover

The Linx is lightweight and effective, though not quite as easy to manoeuvre around corners as some here. The dirt collection area is quite large so it doesn’t reach as far under low furniture as you might like. It has a removable battery and separate charging unit, so if you opted to buy a second battery, you can keep going for longer while the drained battery recharges. However, since it only runs for 15 minutes and recharges take 12 times that, it’s not a perfect solution. Suction is good, but it lags behind some rivals such as Dyson for pet hair collection.

Run time: Up to 15 minutes

Recharge time: Around 3 hours

Weight: 7.3lbs

Bin capacity: 0.18 gallons (0.7 litres)

Proscenic P8: $149.99, Amazon

The P8 looks like a Dyson but it’s noisier and not as efficient. But it’s quite a lot cheaper. It’s pretty versatile thanks to a range of supplied tools for different floor types. Emptying the bin relies on gravity – unlike the Dyson Cyclone V10 and Dyson V8 which shoot the dirt out when you open the bin. The battery is removable, so the product could have an extended life even if the battery diminishes. You can also buy a second battery to extend usage time but note that the only place to recharge it is in the cleaner itself.  Still, it’s light and easy to use, even if it’s not as good as a Dyson.

Run time: Up to 30 minutes

Recharge time: Around 4 hours

Weight: 6lbs

Bin capacity: 0.09 gallons (0.35 litres)

Shark ION Rocket IR101: $192.49, Walmart

This is a simpler Shark ION than the IONFlex above, because it lacks the advanced cleaning head which is especially good on bare floors, making this cleaner stronger on carpeted homes. But it still has the LED lights which are useful in darker areas. Design details, such as icons next to the power button to indicate settings for different floors and power levels, look good. Some of the tools, like the anti-allergen dust brush designed to grab every little dust particle from smooth surfaces, work very well. Like the pricier Shark above, this has a removable battery.

Run time: Up to 30 minutes

Recharge time: Around 3 hours

Weight: 7.2lbs

Bin capacity: 0.079 gallons (0.3 litres)

Black + Decker Cordless Lithium 2-IN-1 Stick + Hand Vacuum, BDH3600SV: $94, Amazon

The 2-in-1 vacuum cleaner is a clever idea. When you need a stick, here it is, but when you need to get into a smaller area, or you just can’t be bothered to drag the whole machine out of the cupboard, a smaller vacuum slides out of the main stick to provide you with a handheld. This cleaner is not the most powerful available but it’s very good value and easy to move around – you can easily get the main unit under low furniture, though pushing it fully under the bed isn’t quite so easy. It’s easily stored in a cupboard as it stands upright on its charging base.

Run time: Up to 25 minutes

Recharge time: Around 4 hours

Weight: 7.9lbs

Bin capacity: 0.13 gallons (0.5 litres)

Bissell Lightweight 1985 Cordless Hand Vacuum: $119.20, Amazon

This is a cordless that’s aimed more at spot cleaning and less as a total replacement for a corded machine. But it’s very good at what it does, with decent suction for 15 minutes. There are useful extension wands and a flexible hose, though this is made of lightweight plastic that errs on the flimsy side. It’s a good fit in the hand and easy to manoeuvre into tight corners. The lack of a big floor tool emphasizes the need to use this as a supplementary cleaner.

Run time: Up to 15 minutes

Recharge time: Around 5 hours

Weight: 3.9lbs

Bin capacity: 0.11 gallons (0.4 litres)

Verdict

It’s not cheap, but the new Dyson Cyclone V10 isn’t just a superb cleaner, it’s a glimpse of the future. One day, all vacuums will be cordless, probably. The previous Dyson, the V8, is now more affordable, too. As are cleaners from other manufacturers, such as the Hoover Air Cordless Lift Bagless Upright BH51120PC which is novel and effective. And the Shark IonFlex DuoClean Cordless Ultra-Light IF201 with its LED headlights makes vacuuming in dark corners much easier.

Why my Mac battery isn t lasting as long as it used to?

I’d like to say that my laptop has a history of about 2 years. It’s a MacBookAir 13 inch. Recently, I noticed that the speed of the battery has been slowing down. I want to collect a lot more money than I used to. I use my laptop for about two hours a day. I did see movies and programs on the website, such as 123 movies, and I just downloaded Sims, which will let me play whenever I play. Is it a virus that slows down my laptop? Is there any suggestion that can help me save the battery?

This is common with Lithium Ion batteries, which is what is used as a rechargeable Apple a1322 laptop battery in most devices today, like a laptop. Overtime, the overall efficiency of a Lithium battery deteriorates, and will no longer hold a true 100% charge, even if the battery indicator says 100%, in terms of using the battery, may really only be 80%, and in return, begins to die quicker, especially when the hardware in the laptop is under load or require more power.

A virus is highly unlikely, it sounds like you’re using a pirated website (123movies), anything like that is prone to contain a virus at some point in time. Like I said, while highly unlikely, it is possible to obtain a virus, and it use extensive resources without you even knowing it, that would in return, reduce battery life. You can access the Activity Monitor by clicking on your desktop, then clicking Go (in the toolbar)>Utilities>Activity Monitor and make sure your processor is not being drained of resources while in idle. If it is, that is something to be concerned of, however, if it’s not, then it isn’t due to a virus.

In response to Sims 4, if your battery is dying faster while playing Sims, that is completely normal. The processor works harder, the GPU works harder, the RAM draws more power and the fans start spinning faster. More demand for power = less battery life.

There is no way to improve your battery life, once it’s shot, it’s shot. However, there are ways to slow down the deterioration of your battery’s life.

Tip #1 :

The biggest mistake a lot of people make from the moment they purchase their laptop, that makes a large impact on the battery, is charging the laptop, or leaving it on the charger while it’s in use. Leaving a battery connected to power, while it’s dispensing power, will kill it’s longevity. If you are one to do that, I’d suggest stopping, this is very impactful especially on Lithium batteries.

Tip #2 :

Getting charge happy, or in other words, deciding to plug your laptop in once the Apple a1008 battery hits (for example) the 60% mark. Battery life is measured on charge cycles, a battery is given x amount of charge cycles before it looses its efficiency. If you get charge happy, it’s very easy to run through those cycles. Mix that with using the laptop while it’s charging, you have a recipe for short battery life.

Tip #3 :

Reduce the power being drawn from the battery. Reduce the screen brightness, close the lid when you step away from it, turn off background tasks or “fetching”, close apps (right-click, and click “quit”) when not using apps. The more apps, the harder your processor is working, and the more RAM that is required.

The Problem With Overheating Notebooks

Unfortunately, the laptop is easy to overheat. Unlike desktop computers, the hardware components of a laptop are very close to each other, with little air flow.

Plus, as a computer gets older, the components work less efficiently and can overheat easier. Also with time is the unfortunate fact that the inside of the case collects dust and other debris from the surroundings, which if left uncleaned, can force the fan and other parts to overwork.

The current trend towards miniaturization – stuffing faster processors into ever smaller cases – is also increasing the potential for laptops to overheat. In fact, researchers who are trying to solve the problem with nanoelectronics are predicting that if this continues laptops will be as hot as the sun in a decade or two.

In other words, hot laptops are a real problem!

Dangers of Overheating Laptops

Even if it isn’t running at 6,000 degrees Celsius, if your laptop overheats, it can do some serious damage to both your body and the internal hardware.

A laptop that’s too hot can actually scald you. Sony recalled thousands of VAIO laptops due to possible burn hazards. There’s also some indication that working with a hot laptop in your lap, where they were designed to be, can potentially cause male infertility.

Regarding the device itself, operating a laptop at very high temperatures leads to failed hardware components (video cards, motherboards, memory modules, hard drives and more are susceptible to damage) and decreases the lifespan of your computer.

It can also be a fire hazard; faulty laptops have actually burned down houses.

Signs of Laptop Overheating

So, what’s the difference between an overheating laptop and one that’s just a little hot? What about using laptop when it’s hot outside – is that okay? It’s important in any scenario to keep a watchful eye on what a hot laptop looks and feels like.

If your laptop feels hot and shows any of the problems below, chances are it’s overheating or getting there:

If your laptop is overheating, take steps immediately to cool down your laptop and prevent further overheating damage.

Note: Some of these signs just indicate slow or outdated software. For instance, a computer that has problems running certain applications doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s too hot, especially if it doesn’t even feel hot to the touch.

How to Test the Internal Temperature of Your Laptop

If your laptop is just plain hot, find out if it’s running too hot by using a free program to check the internal laptop temperature and find its optimal temperature.

On that note, having one of those programs on your computer has the added benefit of letting you check up other stats about your computer and not just the temperature of the internal components.

What to Do When a Laptop Gets Too Hot

There are a number of things you can do to address an overheating laptop. Here are some suggestions:

Help Me, Notebook: Shopping with a Decent Budget

If you have a huge budget, you can afford an excellent laptop to get close to your shopping and laundry list.

Such is the case with the modestly named forum user Iamnewtotech, who writes:

“Hello, so first off I should say that I have a personal computer capable of gaming because I’m not prioritizing a “gaming laptop”. I would mainly use it when I’m out and about in the world, studying in a university and watching movies/TV shows. I can’t find a laptop that’s capable of playing some games (like Overwatch) on at least medium settings, just to kill time with friends but I’m mainly searching for a laptop with these features:

  • A good screen for watching movies/TV shows (4k if possible)
  • Somewhat light-weight (no Apple products please)
  • Not flashy or “gamery” (no need for rgb or crap like that)
  • Decent battery
  • Capable of running games at medium settings (i.e. Overwatch, Smite, just in general, light games)
  • Flexible (I’m open to suggestions including laptops which can flip their screens or even have a touchscreen)
  • Capable of light editing (like GoPro footage on Premiere Pro)
  • Not one that would melt a desk or get hot so bad that it would need an external fan
  • Generally a laptop that would be portable
  • Price range of $1700-$2000

Originally I was going for the Lenovo Yoga 920 with a 14” 4k screen but that’s way out of my price range and it’s not able to run games.”

Well, we’ve got two picks for you, depending on what your preferences for portability and gaming. If you want a laptop that weighs less than 3 pounds, look no further than the 2.65-pound Dell XPS 13, our favorite laptop. For $1,799, you can get it with an 8th Gen Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and a 4K display.

The only issue with that machine is that it has integrated graphics, which can only run Overwatch on the lowest settings. Other than that, it checks all of your boxes, and has enough performance for the editing you want. Plus, the Dell xps m1330 laptop battery lasts nearly 9 hours on a single charge.

But if you want more gaming prowess, you’ll want the larger Dell XPS 15. The $1,999 model is at the high end of your budget, but its Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics have 4GB of dedicated memory and should be enough for your gaming.

The XPS 15’s Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU and 16GB of memory should be enough for your needs, and it lasts more than 8 hours on a charge. It also has a touch screen, which you asked about. Of course, it’s not as lightweight, weighing in at 4.6 pounds.

So, dear reader, it’s up to you to decide which best fits your needs. Good luck!

The Best Laptops for Playing Fortnite

If you haven’t heard of it, fortnite is a very big deal in many game circles. Developed by the epic game, this sandbox subsistence title makes you pat in a mysterious crisis. After a worldwide storm destroyed most of the earth’s population, you and three other players had to repel groups of monsters and zombies. Every other time, you will stop to look for supplies and build a shelter to stop the horror outside the gate. This is a cartoon of the horror survival and part of the creation of simple equal to too much fun.

And while you can play Fortnite on Android, iOS, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the real fun is on a PC, where you can take advantage of powerful discrete graphics cards for ridiculously high frame rates and smooth graphics.

Ready to build your dream fortress while fending off the undead? Not so fast; your system will need to match either the minimum or recommended requirements to get in on the fun:

Minimum Recommended
OS Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit OS required) Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit OS required)
Processor Intel Core i3-4160@ 3.60 GHz or equivalent Intel Core i5-4690 3.5 GHz or equivalent
Memory 6GB RAM 8GB RAM
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2GB,GTX 750Ti 2GB, or equivalent NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 equivalent or higher
DirectX Version 11 Version 11
Network Broadband Internet connection Broadband internet connection
Storage 15GB available space 20GB available space

If your current laptop misses the minimum mark, it might be time to invest in a new system. But which laptop should you choose? There’s a Fortnite-compatible laptop for nearly every budget.

What is the Cordless Drill?

The Cordless drill is a useful tool for simple home maintenance tasks and heavy building applications. These exercises use rechargeable batteries, which can be released to any place needed to perform a task without having to worry about a power supply nearby. There are many cordless drills available, which can make it possible to buy a somewhat challenging consumer, especially because the price range and function can be really different.

Even though there is variance in the types of drills offered, most have several main features:

Drills come in several power settings, measured in voltage. The lowest voltage is 6V, and these drills will be suited for very basic tasks around the home. Highest voltage is about 18V, and such drills can be used for heavy-duty construction work, and are even able to drill into things like steel.

Though it might be tempting to get the higher voltage drills, for small tasks, like hanging up curtains or pictures, a lower voltage drill is usually a better choice. On the other hand, drilling into harder wood can burn out the motor on a lower voltage drill — it’s important to consider planned uses for a cordless drill. Another consideration is weight; higher voltage drills weigh considerably more.

One feature to look for is speed settings. Many drills have two settings, which allow for greater flexibility when performing tasks. Furthermore, some drills have clutches that keep people from over-drilling, which can cause the motor to burn out if the drill is used on an application for which it’s unsuited or alternately, which can strip screws by continuing to run once the screw has been placed properly.

The difference in clutch availability, power, setting speeds, and weight can help people decide which cordless drill to purchase. For extremely lightweight tasks like drilling through soft wood or doing a few simple home projects, the lowest voltage drill may be best. When people want to build furniture, drill into hard wood types, and build fences, they’ll need a drill with at least 9.6V. For very heavy-duty construction work, an 18V drill is desirable. Most people are better off with drills with clutches and with variable speed settings.

In price, more powerful drills are usually the most expensive, and small lightweight low voltage drills cost the least. People can find tons of cordless drill types in all varieties in home improvement stores, hardware stores and online. For more information on best drills available, reading reviews from home improvement experts and agencies like Consumer Reports can help make choice of a cordless drill much easier.

LG refreshes the 2018 gram laptop of “all day battery”

In January last year, LG refreshed its thin and thin Gram laptop series and boasted that they provided 24 hours of battery life. The problem is that the benchmark LG used to test battery life is 10 years ago (MobileMark 2007), which means that it is not the real representative of laptop use in 2017. However, LG has refurbishing the Gram series, and the requirements for the whole day battery continue.

As The Verge reports, unlike January’s Gram laptops, the battery life claim is much more believable for the 2018 models. LG has updated the 13.3-inch, 14-inch, and 15-inch models to use Intel’s 8th-generation Core i5 and i7 processors. They sip less power, so by default allow for better battery life in the same laptop.

The other key change LG made is the inclusion of a bigger battery. 2017 models used a 60Wh battery, but the 2018 models squeeze in a 72Wh LG BTY-M52 Laptop Battery. More efficient processors and a larger battery equal greatly enhanced battery life you would hope.

Using MobileMark 2014 this time, LG claims the 13.3-inch model achieves 22.5 hours, the 14-inch model 21.5 hours, and the 15-inch model 19 hours on a single charge. While that’s not the same as the 24 hour unrealistic claim made back in January, I think most people would be very happy with 19 hours+ of battery life from their laptop.

We should expect to see the 2018 LG Gram laptops put in an appearance at CES in early January. It won’t be long after that before we get some independent battery testing results appearing.