What are 3D Printers?

Recently, I purchased a 3D printer. With the new job snuggly under my belt and the baby now at a more reasonable age, I thought the time was ripe to get a new technological hobby. Something I noticed though is that when I tell people I have a 3D printer, more often than not they ask me if I have, or plan to, make a gun. At first I found this shocking, but now I've come to expect it. Despite what major news outlets might lead you to believe though, 3D printers aren't just weapons waiting to happen. On the contrary, they're wonderful machines that have been improving lives for everyone and will continue to do so. So, what exactly are they?

I will have follow-up posts about them as I continue to learn myself, but in a nutshell, a 3D printer is a printer that can make things. The one I have is called a Solidoodle 2, and looks like this:

I'll be writing up another post that explains all the parts in more detail, but all 3D printers have these basic things:

• Filament- This is the "stuff" that makes the items. Usually this is a plastic, but some 3D printers can print chocolate, wood, glass, or even organic tissue.
• Extruder- This is the part that both melts the filament and moves to make the shapes needed to produce the item.
• Axes (singular- axis)- These are the things- usually rods- that the extruder moves on to make its shapes. There is always an X (left and right), Y (forwards and backwards) and Z (up and down) axis.
• Bed- This is the platform the printed object sits on while it is being printed. These can have a surprising amount of variety to them and can affect the print drastically.

I will continue to write articles explaining these marvelous machines more in the future, and will hopefully have some pictures of things I've printed to post here soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions about them, please feel free to email me. Additionally, I will be having public Google Hangouts when I'm using the printer, so if you follow TechKNOWLEDGEy Today on Google+, you just may get to see me and ask me questions live!

Are Child Headphones Worth It?

With the increasing use of technology by younger and younger children, the amount of accessories marketed directly for them is increasing. Everything from child-friend iPad cases to security software for mobile devices and child headphones. These headphones are smaller than most, but still over the ear style. Usually costing the same or slightly more than comparable headphones, it's wise for a parent to shop around and do research before purchasing a pair.

Child headphones are, like I said, smaller to accommodate the smaller cranium sizes of youths making it much more comfortable for a child to wear than larger adult sets. This isn't a big deal for short-term use, but for longer periods like watching a movie in the back seat of a car on a long car trip, it can make a difference, though the exactly amount or type has not been studied thoroughly.

They also have built in volume controls. This is by far my favorite feature of child headphones. I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally blasted my own ears starting some music when the volume had been turned up without me knowing. Built in volume controls mean that even if the device they're plugged into is set to play loudly, the headphones have a maximum level that will lower the volume to a safe level for their ears.

Lastly, they look cool! I mean, check out this pair by DreamGear. With cute pictures and characters on them, children often get attached to their headphones as it allows them to have their set that. This means they'll (theoretically) stay away from your expensive Bose set, and opt for their own.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Be careful giving your child any electronic device or accessory and leaving them unattended. Smaller children may chew on cables or get tangled in the wire. Always exercise common sense and caution when giving your child a new item. I personally did not let my child use her headphones unattended until she was five, and I still do not let her use them for more than 10 minutes at a time except for special occasions like the aforementioned long car trips.

How Do I Make a Picture Smaller?

It's probably happened to you. Someone you know sends you a photo in an email, it takes forever to load, and then WHOA! That's why it took so long! When you look at the photo you realize you're just seeing the top corner of someone's head. This photo is huge! Why is it so big? Can you shrink it?

When this happens, it's because the photo has a high resolution and no limit on the physical size of the photo. The resolution of a photo is measured in megapixels, which is a measurement of how many pixels are in a square inch of the photo. Check out this article for a quick lesson on megapixels and cameras: What's the Difference Between JPEG and RAW? Generally, when you send a photo in an email, or open it in an editing program, the program will shrink the photo down to a more manageable viewing size. Sometimes though, when someone has a photo with a high megapixel count, they choose to send it in its actual size which is great when viewed on large screens, but quite overwhelming on anything else.

So how do you adjust this? The easiest way is to save it to your device. If, for example, you viewed the photo in the email of your smartphone, saving the photo and opening it in the phone's photo viewer will resize it to the proper level. The same is true if you save it to your computer. While some photo viewing programs won't automatically resize, most will. If you're look for recommendations, Apple's iPhoto for the Mac or Google's Picasa for the PC are both good, free programs that allow editing, resizing, organizing and even sharing of photos.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Not sure what size photo to send to someone? Here's a good rule of thumb: How will they be viewing the photo? If they'll be viewing it on a smartphone, send a smaller version; this will minimize how much of their data plan is used loading it while giving them good enough quality for their screen. If, on the other hand, they'll be saving it on their home computer to later edit or print, send as close to actual resolution as you can. Computer can handle larger files more easily, and a higher quality photo is easier to edit and saves more of details.

What is Email Forwarding?

Have an old email address that you still rely on but hate to give out to people anymore? Maybe it has a precious name, is from an old provider or is just downright embarrassing. Thankfully, most email providers nowadays offer email forwarding.

Email forwarding works a lot like actual mail forwarding. If you move to a new house or apartment, you can have the post office forward your mail to your new address while you change your address over with everyone who sends you mail. That way, when they receive a letter addressed to your previous address, they send it to your new one instead. 

Email forwarding is like that. When you tell an email account to forward, it'll automatically send a copy of any emails you receive to another email address you specify. That way, you can see all of those emails in another inbox and needn't access that old account anymore.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Unlike postal mail forwarding, email forwarding doesn't expire so you can set it up and forget about it.

What Kind of Computer Do I Have?

If you have ever had a problem with your computer, you've probably spoken to a technician who has asked you what kind of computer you have. With a scared deer-in-the-headlights look, you shrug your shoulders and simply hand them the computer. How does one find out what kind of computer you have? Do people really memorize their processor and RAM? How you find out your computer's specifications depends on the kind of computer you have, obviously, but it is generally a very straightforward process.

If you have a Mac, click on the Apple logo in the top left-hand corner of your screen. "About this Mac" will be the first option on the drop-down menu that you get. Simply click on that and a small window will pop up telling you your processor, RAM, and what version of the operating system you have. If you click on the "More Info" button, then you will get all of your computers specifications. This can come in handy if someone needs to figure out when your computer was made.

If you have a PC, click on the Windows button in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. You will see the word "Computer" on the right-hand side of the pop-up menu. Right click on that and select "Properties." This will pop up a screen that will give you similar information to what the Mac version shows you as well.

Practical Tip of the Day:
On the Mac, if you click on the words "version 10.[x.x]" you will notice that the words change to "Build [XXXXXXX]", and if you click again it will change to your computers serial number. This is the easiest way to find this information out. If you ever seek warranty work on your Mac, you will need to know this information.

What's E-Faxing?

Every once in a great while I'm asked to do the unthinkable. I'm asked to step back in time to the 80's and fax a document. "Seriously? Faxing? Are the carrier pigeons sick?" After all my grumbling though I still have to find a way to fax a document. Being the cheap-o I am, I don't want to pay Kinkos to fax a document for me. That's how I discovered e-faxing.

E-faxing is a way of sending and/or receiving documents between a computer and a fax machine. If you have a PDF for example, and you need to fax it to someone, instead of printing it out, going to Kinkos (or anywhere else you can find fax machine) and paying to have it faxed, you can use a website to simply upload it and have it be sent that way. Some websites are free, others are paid, but the general gist is the same. Most focus on sending faxes, but there are plenty that also allow for receiving.

If you find yourself in the position that you'll suddenly need to send and receive faxes on a regular basis, instead of buying a fax machine (and paper, and ink) consider signing up for an e-fax subscription. Many providers will send any faxed documents right to your email inbox, which means easy electronic documentation storing and much cost and space saving for you!

Practical Tip of the Day:
Instead of buying a fax machine, sign up for e-faxing and spend the extra money on a nice printer/scanner combo! This way you can print faxes you want physical copies of and can scan in physical documents you want to digitize.

Why Do My Earbuds Shock Me Sometimes?

Has this ever happened to you? You going for a walk, listening to some music or your favorite podcast, and then all of a sudden you get a shock- right in your ears! Or maybe you get a series of crackling small shocks in both ears for a few seconds... Unpleasant isn't it? Why do we sometimes get a small shocks from our earbuds? Is it a sign that there's a problem with your earbuds? Is it dangerous?

Short answer, no, it's not dangerous. What's actually happening is electricity is jumping from the metal in your earbuds to the small hairs within your ears. While it may be unpleasant, it's generally not dangerous and nothing to worry about. Usually it's static electricity that's built up over the course of some time, and finally finding a place to discharge. This can become even more common during the winter time when the air is dryer.

The best way to avoid it while still using your earbuds is to simply touch something metal to help discharge the electricity. If you find it happening a lot, or if it's painful, you should check to see if there are any shorts in your headphones. You can do this by simply examining the cord for any small cuts or abrasions where the wiring may be exposed. Should you find such a flaw in your headphones, get a new pair or at least wrap up your current set with electrical tape.

Practical Tip of the Day:
If you are like me and intend to be very static prone, look to invest in earbuds that go in your ear. They usually have a plastic coating around them that will help prevent static shocks. While they tend to be more expensive than standard earbuds, they also tend to give you better sound quality. Apple has recently changed their earbuds to be called earpods and are specifically in-ear style only.

Should I Get My Kid a Netbook?

So you're tired of your child tying up the computer for hours on end and you're considering getting them their own. You've decided they don't need a full-fledged laptop, but should you get them a netbook?

First, what is a netbook? A netbook is what I like to call a "diet laptop." It looks like a laptop, acts like a laptop, but they're smaller, lighter, and cheaper. Because of this, netbooks can't do as much as a full laptop. They're designed to be primarily used for web browsing, email, document editing and light games.

If that sounds like what your child wants to do- YouTube, Facebook, homework, etc. then a netbook could be right for them. Keep in mind, if you do get a netbook for your child to help them with schoolwork, many schools nowadays don't allow personal technology, including laptops and netbooks.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Whether you get your child a laptop or netbook, be sure to set up parental controls. You can set limitations on which websites they view, who they can get email from, and even which times of the day they can use their computer.

Should I Get a Screen Protector for My Smartphone?

If you have a smart phone you inevitably ask about the best way to protect it from damage. Should you get case? Should you get a screen protector? Do I really need to spend the extra money? After spending so much money on a new smart phone you would think that most people would want to protect it as much as possible, but sometimes people try and save money by leaving their phones unprotected. Don't be cheap, spend the extra money to get at least the screen protector!

Although smart phones are made out of very resilient material, it's best to have a screen protector put on them to help maximize the lifespan of your phone. Do you really want to be walking around with a phone's whose screen is scratch so badly you can barely see it? Having a screen protector can help protect your phone from superficial scratches that can then turn into major scratches and even cracks.

I generally recommend spending the extra money to get screen protectors that are cut for your particular device, but if you can't find them, getting a generic one and cutting it yourself is not that bad. The most important thing is to make sure that it's put on properly, without air bubbles or any kind of debris beneath it. Not only are they distracting, but they also mean that your phone is not nearly as protected as it should be and debris can actually scratch your phone's screen from the friction if your screen protector shifts around.

Practical Tip of the Day:
If you've already dropped your smart phone and it has a crack, but is otherwise fine, putting a screen protector on it now isn't necessarily a bad idea. Doing so can help cover it, letting you use your phone while you save up money to get it fixed or purchase a new one.

What are OLED TVs?

This year at many of the major conferences, there were lots of new televisions. Bigger ones, smaller ones, smarter ones, ones with built-in apps and also ones that have OLEDs. OLED  TVs are a (somewhat) new trend in consumer electronics, and they're still very pricey but lots of people swear by them. Before you go and spend the extra money to get an OLED TV, make sure you get educated as to what they are and why they're more expensive. Are they really worth the money anyway?

OLED stands for "organic light emitting diode." Don't worry though, they don't have any animals or plankton in there. Organic simply means that it's a compound or molecule that is carbon based. There are currently two types of OLED TVs. One that uses polymers, and the other uses small molecules. Knowing that probably won't change your life though. What matters most is what the major advantages and disadvantages are. The first major disadvantage is that currently OLED TVs are very expensive, but with current technology trends they'll be getting cheaper and cheaper.

The biggest advantages that most people see is that OLED TVs are much thinner than traditional LED or LCD televisions, and consume less energy. They're also lighter and give a much better viewing experience overall. Some of the known disadvantages are that they tend to degrade over time quicker than LCD or LED televisions. If you tend to keep your television for more than five years, and OLED TV may not be right for you.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Don't get caught up in all the hype about the statistics of a television. The contrast ratios & viewing angles don't matter nearly as much as how long it tends to last and how frequently defective units are found. Always check for reviews and ask your friends and family for recommendations. Don't just trust the salesman at the store!

How Does Kickstarter Work?

Do you have a project in mind? Have an invention you want to make real? An album you want to release? A play you want to put on? How do you plan to pay for it? There are, of course, options. You can take out loans, find an investor, or you can crowd-fund it. What's that you say? Crowd funding is a method for raising money little-by-little by lots of people, usually over the internet. The most well known way of crowd funding projects nowadays is through a website called Kickstarter.

Kickstarter is a website focused on helping people with creative projects raise money. Kickstarter focuses on the following themes: Art, Comics, Dance, Design, Fashion, Film, Food, Games, Music, Photography, Publishing, Technology, and Theater. They define a project as having  "a clear goal, like making an album, a book, or a work of art. A project will eventually be completed, and something will be produced by it." This means it does not include things like charity or begging (aka "fund my life").

Kickstarter is best known for its unique way of fundraising. It uses an "all or nothing"method. The project owners set a goal (say, $500,000) and the supporters are only charged their pledged amount if the goal is hit. That means that if you pledge $25, but the project only raises $498,735, you do not loose your $25. The second thing Kickstarter is best known for is the multiple levels of pledging often set up by the project owners. It's not uncommon for pledge amounts to range between $1 and several hundred. Depending on the amount you pledge, you will receive gifts between a simple thank you to several copies of whatever you are funding.

Practical Tip of the Day:
If you do fund a Kickstarter project, be patient! People starting the campaigns are creative people, not operations experts. With projects that far exceed the original goal especially, it can sometimes take longer than anticipated to rework the plans for how to produce so many items, how to ship them, work out legalities, taxes, etc. Remember, backing a Kickstarter project is not like buying an item on Amazon. You're backing an entrepreneur to help them make their dream. These things can take time.

When Should My Kid Get a Cell Phone?

As fewer people have land line home phones, we're also seeing an increase in the number of people who have cell phones. Among those people are younger and younger children. Many parents are getting their kids cell phones so they can easily keep in contact with them when everyone has busy schedules. Others are for emergency purposes, but there are plenty of parents who are now getting their kids cell phones just because "everyone else has them."

When should a child get a cell phone? Most people agree nowadays that teenagers are ok with cell phones, though you need to monitor their use. What about younger kids though? Does your ten year old need an iPhone? There is obviously no exact answer to this, but here are a few things to consider before you make (or don't make) the purchase:

1.  Is your child responsible? If your child still looses their toys, needs reminders to feed their pets , or in general shows a lack of forethought and responsibility, do you really want to buy them a cell phone with an expensive plan and a two-year contract? A good option for an irresponsible child who needs a cell phone for whatever reason is to get a cheap "burner phone" (a phone that costs $20 or less) that just makes calls, texting if they're lucky, and is on a pre-paid plan.
2. Why does your child want the phone? Is it because they constantly need to borrow their friend's phone to get ahold of you or is it because "everyone else has one?" Make sure your child has a valid reason to want a phone. You can also use this question to find out what kind of phone they need. Parents sometimes want to spend the extra money to get their kid the nicest phone even if the child never uses many of the options.
3. What's their school's policy on cell phones? Ask any teacher or school staff member, and they'll all agree- they see lots of kids bring in cell phones their parents gave them for emergencies, but the kids are showing them off to their friends as toys instead. This means that in a short while, the phone is likely to either be taken away from a teacher, stolen, or broke. Some schools are stricter about their cell phone policy than others, but you always want to make sure you're not sending your child to school with something that will be taken away shortly thereafter.

Practical Tip of the Day:

No matter what age, gender or grade level your child is, I always recommend getting their cell phone in a durable case as soon as you buy the phone. This will help phone stay undamaged and in working order for as long as possible. Far too often, a child will accidentally drop theirs or another friend's phone, and then they will be looking for you to get them another one (newer model, of course).