#272
/ June 19, 2009 / 1:56 min.
File compression explained
If you're new to computers you may have heard others talking about compressed files
, but what does that really mean. Yes, you know what compressed means, but how does it pertain to computers and files?
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show notes
- In the early days of computers disk space was at a premium.
- In 1986 a 10 Megabyte hard drive cost about over US$800.
- Some of the first programs for the PC were
compression programs
.
- You can think of a compressed file
as a suitcase that you've packed overly full.
- The file compression program is "shoving" the files into a smaller space then they would normally occupy. Files are not permanently changed and can be unpacked later.
- This saves on disk space and transmission time.
- Files compress
differently and some file formats are already compressed.
- Graphics file, movies, photos, and many program files compress modestly.
- Text files, documents, and other textual based files compress very well.
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#615
/ March 15, 2010 / 3:16 min.
The stars are there above us at night, but how many of them can you name? How many constellations can you find? With Google Sky Map on your Android phone, you don't need to remember where Orion's Belt is in relation to the Big Dipper or the North Star... all the info is available on your Android phone!
#614
/ March 15, 2010 / 1:28 min.
You hear people talk about their root directory. You may also hear them talk about having root access to their Linux machine. So, what does root mean? Michael "Doctor File Finder" Callahan explains.
#613
/ March 12, 2010 / 1:54 min.
You probably already use
PayPal to pony up purchases made online. It's safer than exposing your credit card info to a retailer you may not have done business with yet. Well, now
PayPal is available on your Android phone
so you can send money to someone while on the go. Great for paying up for bar bets if nothing else...
#612
/ March 12, 2010 / 1:32 min.
Every time you install a piece of software, you're presented with page upon page of legalese, detailing how you're allowed to use the software and how you're not. This is the
End User License Agreement or EULA
, pronounced E U L A or often, just u-la.
#611
/ March 11, 2010 / 1:02 min.
Wireless Application Protocol or WAP is a standard for accessing the mobile web and its content on mobile phones. Everything from email delivery to browsing the web on our phones came about thanks to WAP. Michael "Doctor File Finder" Callahan explains.
#610
/ March 11, 2010 / 1:50 min.
When you're in the world of
wireless networking
there are lots of terms, lots of acronyms, and lots of things that seem to make little sense.
SSID
is one such acronym, which Michael "Doctor File Finder" Callahan explains.
#609
/ March 10, 2010 / 2:55 min.
PixelPipe is a cool site that lets you
share photos, videos
and more with over 100 other sites. Upload once and send your photos and videos to a bunch of different social networking and blogging sites. This saves you updating hundreds of different
social media, photo or video
sharing pages individually. Now you can use
PixelPipe right from your iPhone
with this
awesome free iPhone app
.
#608
/ March 10, 2010 / 1:16 min.
As you travel around the Internet, visiting Web sites, occasionally you'll get a "404." It could be an image heavy page, it could be just text. It might be funny, it might be serious.
What is a 404?
Michael "Doctor File Finder" Callahan explains these "page not found" error pages.
#607
/ March 9, 2010 / 1:56 min.
Sticky notes
have changed the way many people work. You just jot a note down on one and stick someplace. On a table, a desk, a screen, a keyboard or on the wall. Having your monitor plastered with physical sticky notes is the past though. Tacking virtual sticky notes to your computer desktop is the way to go. Doc shows us
where to find Sticky Notes in Windows 7
.
#606
/ March 9, 2010 / 1:06 min.
You hear a lot of talk about "
Android" lately. The
mobile operating system from Google
has caught on in smartphones and other mobile devices. But
what exactly is Android
? Why should you care about Android? Michael "Doctor File Finder" Callahan explains.
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