The term SATA generally refers to the types of cables and connections that follow this standard. Serial ATA replaces Parallel ATA as the IDE standard of choice for connecting storage devices inside of a computer. SATA storage devices can transmit data to and from the rest of the computer much, much faster than an otherwise similar PATA device. SATA vs PATA Compared to Parallel ATA, Serial ATA also has the benefit of cheaper cable costs and the ability to hot-swap devices....

What Makes Up a Windows Theme? Windows computers ship with a theme already in place. Many users opt for the default configuration during installation or setup, and thus, the most common elements are applied automatically. If changes are made during the setup process, those changes become part of the saved, edited theme. This saved theme and all of its settings are available in the Settings window. Here are a few options as they apply to both the Windows theme and the Windows 10 theme that are applied during set up:...

Types of Cloud Computing Service providers create cloud computing systems to serve common business or research needs. Examples of cloud computing services include: Virtual IT (information technology): Configure and deploy remote external servers as extensions to a company’s local IT network. Software: Use commercial software applications, or develop and remotely host custom-built applications, Network storage: Network storage archives data across the internet to a provider without needing to know the physical location of storage....

What Do I Need to Send an Email? An email address is required to send or receive an email message. The address is unique to each user. To access and store emails, you need an internet-based application or a dedicated program on your computer. All emails contain the same core elements: A To section to indicate recipients.A Send button.A subject line.Typically, CC, BCC, and Send All are among the additional options....

In addition to software configuration data, this hive also contains lots of valuable information about currently detected hardware and device drivers. In Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista, information about your computer’s boot configuration is included here, too. How to Get to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Being a registry hive, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is easy to find and open using the Registry Editor tool included in all versions of Windows:...

Using the PlayStation Network You can access the PlayStation Network through: A compatible PlayStation console or device (PS3 or later).Any web. Access to PSN requires setting up an online account. Both free and paid subscriptions exist. Subscribers to PSN provide their preferred email address and pick a unique online identifier. Logging into the network as a subscriber allows a person to join multiplayer games and track their statistics. PSN includes a PlayStation Store that sells online games and videos....

What Causes the Screen Door Effect? Displays like computer monitors, televisions, phones, and VR headsets all use pixels to display images. Each pixel is set to a specific color and brightness such that, when viewed together at an appropriate distance, the viewer perceives an unbroken image. If the viewer moves too close to a pixel-based display, they will eventually be able to make out the individual pixels and the space between the pixels....

The complaint accuses Facebook of entrenching itself in the lives of billions of people by absorbing competitors and behaving in a generally anti-competitive way. Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and South Dakota are the only states that failed to join. The landmark antitrust suit seeks to split up Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, alleging that Facebook’s acquisition of the latter two was an attempt to quell competitors and keep consumers from more privacy-focused alternatives....

Apple stores are amazingly open, inviting, and easy to use. You can walk in at any time and start trying things out, without having to ask a surly store clerk to take the sole demo unit out of the locked display case. But the same open-plan can also be viewed as a minimum-security venue with high-value, easily-grabbable goods just laid out there on tables, ready to snatch and run. The catch is, most of those devices will be useless if stolen....

The only way to fix it so that your cigarette lighter fuse stops blowing is to check each possible point of failure until you identify the issue. But whatever you do, don’t even think about replacing the cigarette lighter fuse with a higher amp fuse. Depending on the nature of your problem, replacing the fuse with a higher amp version could damage the fuse box, melt wires, or even cause a fire....

Normally, small speakers equal smaller sound. Those little speaker cones just can’t shift as much air as a bigger cone, which usually leads to a thinner sound, with less bass. Or smaller speakers manage to extend their bass with clever tricks, like rear-opening bass ports, or complex sound-shaping tubes inside. This helps, but the result can be flabby, or unfocused. These iLoud speakers use a mixture of clever design, digital processing, and an included room calibration microphone to create a sound that rivals huge speakers with even 8-inch drivers....

With its incredibly slim design, I plan to use the iMac as a gigantic laptop. After all, at only 10 pounds, it weighs about the same as some gaming laptops. And, since, like many people, I’m working from home these days, I don’t need to tote a real portable very often. You Can’t Have Too Much Screen I am a multitasking fiend, often running six programs at once along with dozens of tabs as I switch between emails, messaging, and researching and writing stories....

My love affair with the iPhone goes back to the first model released, and I’m thrilled with the latest Apple flagship. So, I wasn’t expecting to be wooed by Google’s Pixel devices. In the end, I found a lot to like about the Pixels, but the benefits weren’t enough to make me want to switch. Google vs. Apple Choosing my favorite phone was a tough decision with such excellent choices....

I can barely hear the siren song of the Bose headset since I’m wearing my newish Apple AirPods Max headphones, but the Bose cans could be a longer-lasting and more comfortable option than Apple’s finest. The $329.95 QC 45s are also cheaper than the ProMax, which retails for $549. But the new Bose headset promises to be more than just a value proposition. I’ve owned several Bose headsets, including the current QuietComfort 35, and have been impressed with their, well, comfort....

Coming up with designs that appeal to women is a tricky task. After all, shouldn’t good design appeal to anyone, regardless of gender? An individual may not like the iPhone’s look or something like Teenage Engineering’s sleek aluminum OP-1 Field, but nobody would say that they’re “for boys” or “for girls.” But the gaming accessory market is decidedly “male teenager” in its design character, which can put many people off—including the boys....

The company’s virtual assistant arrived in Windows 97 in the form of a small paper clip to help Microsoft Office users. Clippy was flicked into the wastebasket by Office 2007 after complaints that it was ineffective and annoying. But I stand up for Clippy as a welcome attempt at humanizing computer interfaces that now seems to have been all but forgotten with the trend towards cool minimalism. It’s true that Clippy didn’t accomplish much at times, but his cheery metal face was a reminder that there could be warmth in dealing with computers....

As Twitch streamer Pikachulita, Katie Robinson electrifies the audience with her style of socially aware wit and an element of gaming finesse and intrigue that permeates her variety streams hoping to give Twitch a shocking makeover. A veteran on the platform, Robinson has seen a sea of progressive changes at Twitch and she’s dedicated to ensuring they continue. Boasting the coveted Twitch Partner status, as well as a partnership with computer hardware brand Logitech, this streamer has turned her passion into a lucrative side hustle....

The Neo has a tiny LCD monochrome screen and can pretty much only do word processing. That means no web browsing, email, Netflix, etc. It’s clunky and ugly with a dark green plastic case. But I’ve found the Neo to be an invaluable, distraction-free gadget that makes me more productive. It’s got incredible features that no ordinary laptop can match. Do you claim your fancy Samsung laptop has 12 hours of battery life?...

TikTok is expanding the amount of music available to its users under this agreement, which the social media app says will help content creators use licensed music, and could even lead to more “ambitious experimentation, innovation, and collaboration” in the future. It’s a smart move for both TikTok and UMG, though experts say content creators are the real winners. “This is a good thing for TikTok users,” Adam Chase, president of Music Minds, told Lifewire in an email....

A sealed copy of the Nintendo 64 classic Super Mario 64 recently sold for $1,560,000, toppling the record that The Legend of Zelda had just claimed. It’s part of a heating market for collectibles that’s likely to continue, experts say. “There’s a perception among gamers now that physical media-based games are going to become increasingly rare, which in turn is accelerating the nostalgia market,” Michael Hancock, a professor at The Games Institute at the University of Waterloo, told Lifewire in an email interview....