Bits & Bytes

Ever wanted to download a video you’ve seen online?  Download the free FLV downloader and you can!  Go to www.flvsoft.com and click on the “FLV Downloader” link on the rigth side of the site.  With this software you can download video from Google, MySpace, and more!

We are going to take a slight departure from our normal download of the week routine.  Normally, our DOTW is a free and safe download that is highly recommended by us.  This week, while our DOTW is free and safe, it is our DOTW to start a discussion about it.

This week’s DOTW is Google Chrome.

We will be discussing it extensively online this evening so listen to the show!

Today is Constitution Day so to celebrate our WOTW this week is:

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html

During the summer of 1787, the founders of this nation embarked on an historic mission in Philadelphia - resolute in their duty “to form a more perfect union.”  Their work concluded on September 17 with the signing of the United States Constitution.  Today - 221 years later - this nation continues to be guided by the same founding principles laid out by our Forefathers: the pursuit of liberty and guaranteed rights for all Americans.

In honor of this historic event, President George W. Bush has designated September 17 as Constitution Day and asked that we take time to explore and rediscover this groundbreaking document.

Here’s the Bits & Bytes quick and dirty printer buying guide!

The first thing you have to decide is what are you going to use your printer for and how often are you going to use it? For example, there’s a big difference in “I’m going to print business documents in black and white by the hundreds a day” and “I’m going to print color photos of my grandchildren twice a month”. The answers to these questions will direct you to either a laser printer or an inkjet printer.

Inkjet Printers

Inkjet printers do exactly what it sounds like they would do: They spray ink on paper. This is a highly simplified explanation, but that’s basically what they do. Inkjet printers are inexpensive, although they can vary quite a bit in price. There are several types of inkjet printers. Plain-Jane inkjet printers are VERY cheap and are used mostly for general home use. You can find these printers for well under $100.

Photo printers are typically higher quality inkjet printers. They usually have either more ink colors that they can use to print or you can replace your “regular” ink cartridge with a “photo” ink cartridge when you need to print higher quality pictures on photo paper. These have a wide range of prices and features.

What to look for in Inkjet printers

The first thing to look for is the print quality. This will be expressed in Dots Per Inch (DPI). The higher the numbers, the better. You also want to look for the print speed.  The speed is measured in Pages Per Minute (PPM).  The faster printers will have a higher PPM rating.  Be aware that the PPM is an “optimal” speed.  Don’t get out your stop watches and time it or you will be disappointed!

What to look for in laser printers

Laser printers are similar in that you also want to look for DPI and PPM.  Also, pay close attention to the cost of the toner and how many pages each toner cartridge will print.  There are two types of lasers, monochrome and color.  Color laser printers have come way down in price, so make sure you at least consider one if you are considering a laser printer at all!

That’s our brief down and dirty look at printers!  If you have questions, leave a comment below and we’ll be glad to answer them!

Ok.. not the “official” download of the week.. but it’s pretty funny!

hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com

Continuing the health theme from the website of the week this week is our download of the week.  This comes from the US Surgeon General.  It’s a free download (as all of our DOTWs are!).  It’s called “My Family Health Portrait”.  You can get it at http://www.hhs.gov/familyhistory/download.html.

The software will walk you though setting up your family’s medical history.  After entering all the information, you will have the option of printing various reports for your family that will help you see your family’s medical history at a glance.  This can be helpful in seeing a history of various diseases or conditions that may be present in your family.

If you don’t want to download the software, follow the links on the download page to get to the online version.