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07-18-2008 by Tons.
Ever since the early 90’s, computers have been an important part in people’s lives.
Computers allow us to perform tasks much easier, process documents which are more presentable than those done in a typewriter or handwritten, relax with music, play games, watch movies, etc.
The modern home sees the computer as the “central hub” or the “all-around machine.”
However, like every machine, a computer isn’t forever. It needs to be a long lifespan.
Proper use, system upgrades and the like are essential, but what most people overlook is the cleanliness and hygiene of their “super machines.”
A recent report states that the majority of computer parts (especially keyboards) accumulated an average of 0.3 ton of dirt and gunk inside them each year. This means your PC is more at risk from food particles under the keys than a hacker or virus.
To help clean your computer and keep it in top condition, here are few tips:
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07-18-2008 by Tons.
First it was drinking. Then it was cell phones. Now text-messaging is the latest behind-the-wheel activity lawmakers are trying to curb. A Nationwide Insurance survey found that 18% of cell phone owners text and drive and that drivers between the ages of 16 and 30 are the most frequent texters. Young adults have even posted videos of themselves texting while driving on YouTube, and nearly 600 people have joined a Facebook group called “I Text Message People While Driving And I Haven’t Crashed Yet!” Washington, New Jersey, Minnesota and the District of Columbia already prohibit texting while driving. And Louisiana is poised to follow suit, with similar legislation awaiting the governor’s signature. On June 16, Alaska’s governor signed a law that prohibits drivers from texting or watching videos. (It’s still okay, however, to stare at a GPS device and talk on a cell phone.)
But these laws may not do much to curb texting while driving. A texting ban is difficult to enforce because, unlike cell phones that drivers hold up to their ear, texting is often done with the phone held lower down on or propped on drivers’ laps. “I have a hard time determining whether or not they are using the speaker phone feature or whether or not they are actually texting,” says Christopher Hopf, a police officer in Mendham Borough, N.J.
Given the challenges police face in trying to enforce cell-phone restrictions, it’s no wonder that a study released this month by the non-profit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that North Carolina’s cell-phone ban for drivers under 18 did not deter them from talking or texting. In fact, cell phone use actually increased slightly after the law took effect on December 1, 2006, from 11% to 11.8% about five months later.
One state where a lot of public attention is being paid to texting while driving is New York. After several fatal accidents there involving text messaging, State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz says constituents began calling his office to demand action. He is now sponsoring a text message ban in the state assembly; the state senate has already passed a similar bill.
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07-18-2008 by Tons.
If you’re one of those annoying motorists with his hand cupped to his ear yakking away on a cell phone - and you know who you are - better be careful where you’re driving. This month, California and Washington State joined Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and the District of Columbia in enacting laws prohibiting driving while talking on a handheld cell phone. Motorists who want to gab on the phone in those states are required to use a hands-free device - a wired headset, wireless earpiece or speakerphone - that lets them keep both hands on the wheel.
Already, more than 1,000 California motorists have been issued citations since the hands-free law went into effect, according to the California Highway Patrol. The base fine for the first offense in California is $20, and subsequent convictions are $50. With the addition of penalty assessments, the fines can more than triple.
Prohibiting a single act like talking on a handheld cell phone may sound simple enough. But keeping track of the confusing patchwork of cell phone laws around the country is enough to drive motorists to distraction. For example, if you’re driving by the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., you’re required by law to use a hands-free device while talking on your cell phone. A minute later, as you cross the Memorial Bridge into Virginia, you’re free to put the phone back up to your ear. In New York, an officer can pull you over simply for talking on a handheld cell phone. But in Washington State, you can’t be cited solely for a cell phone violation; there has to be another traffic offense taking place at the same time.
In California, the new hands-free law contains several surprising loopholes. The statute doesn’t explicitly prohibit drivers from dialing a cell phone, although motorists are strongly urged not to dial while driving. Of course, dialing while driving is even more dangerous than talking, since you have to take your eyes off the road to look at the keypad.
The California statute also lets drivers use a standard handheld cell phone to make an emergency call. The law lists emergency calls as those to a law enforcement agency, medical provider, fire department or other emergency services agency. But some motorists pulled over by the highway patrol have their own notions of what constitutes an emergency.
“I’ve already heard a lot of excuses,” says officer Allyn Ball of the California Highway Patrol, who has issued about 15 citations since the hands-free law went into effect. “Some people have said, ‘I really needed to take this call for my business.’ I tell them, ‘Sorry.’”
Even more astounding, the California law does not specifically prohibit text messaging while driving, although an officer can issue a citation if he believes the driver is not operating the vehicle safely. When the California law was first proposed in 2001, texting wasn’t nearly as popular as it is now, and the language of the law never caught up with the times. Another bill has been introduced in the state legislature that covers texting, but until then, drivers in the Golden State are free to barrel down the freeway while manically thumbing their keypads. But don’t get too cocky with your on-the-road texting. Drivers in four states - Alaska, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington - can be cited for an infraction that in many ways defines the age of multitasking: DWT, or driving while texting.
Until recently, the cell phone industry has opposed hands-free laws, vigorously defending the right of Americans to drive with only one hand on the wheel while jabbering on the phone. California state senator Joe Simitian, author of the state’s hands-free law, spent six years trying to get the bill passed against heavy lobbying by wireless firms. Every major phone carrier except Verizon initially opposed the bill, arguing that it unfairly singled out cell phones from a range of driver distractions; by the time the bill was signed last year, only Sprint was still against it, and even they have since changed their stance.
“Every single one of the cell phone companies that opposed the bill also published consumer brochures that said very explicitly, ‘You should never drive while holding a cell phone to your ear,’” says Simitian.
The hands-free laws are based on what seems like no-brainer logic: a driver with two hands on the wheel is a safer driver. A study released earlier this year by the Public Policy Institute of California estimated that 300 fewer people a year will die in traffic accidents in California as a result of the new law.
But it’s unclear whether hands-free laws alone will make the roads safer. Numerous studies have concluded that any type of cell phone use - hands-free or not - can distract a driver enough to increase the likelihood of an accident. According to research conducted by Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientist Marcel Just, simply listening intently to a cell phone conversation is enough to impair driving. And a 2004 study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that drivers using hand-free cell phones had to redial calls 40% of the time, compared with 18% for drivers using handheld sets, suggesting that hands-free devices may in some cases lead to more distraction.
So far, there’s only one surefire way for motorists to stay safe and alert and to comply with all existing laws: hang up and drive.
& pls no txtng.
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07-18-2008 by Tons.
The most obvious way to blow your credit score is to make a late payment. Even if your credit score is solid, a single missed payment could cost you as much as 100 points, say many financial advisers. According to the Fair Isaac, the company that calculates your FICO score, payment history accounts for 35 percent of your total score. And that credit score will help determine what kind of rates you can score when applying for home or car loans. So first things first: Figure out your credit score.
Your FICO score, a number between 300 and 850, is based on five criteria:
You can find out yours at myfico.com. According to Experian National Score Index, one of the major credit bureau companies, the average credit score in America is currently 692. Those with scores well above 700 will qualify for the best interest rates out there.
But even if you pay your bills on time religiously, your credit score may be endangered. Here are ways charge card sins could cost you some precious credit score points.
1. Not asking for what you want
Don’t accept everything your credit card company offers as written in stone. If you don’t want that credit line increase, ask them to reduce it back to your old one. Had one late payment? If your record is squeaky clean, ask them nicely to remove the blemish from your credit history (which, remember, could cost you up to 100 points on your credit score). They could say no, but they could very well say yes because they value you as a customer. Ask anyway. Your credit score will thank you.
2. Accepting credit line increases
Being the responsible, on-time bill-payer that you are, your credit card company rewards you by upping your credit line. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but remember how much you can afford to reasonably charge. Resist the urge to spend more or risk being unable to meet your new minimum payments.
3. Consolidating your accounts
So you’re considering transferring all your credit card balances to one card so you’re only dealing with one bill every month. It sounds sensible, right? A big no-no, according to the keepers of the credit score. Think of it this way: One big balance looks a whole lot worse than multiple low balances. Appearances are everything.
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