For years I’ve heard that toothpaste will make a scratched optical disc readable again. I never believed it.

I’ve had in my possession a CD I burned 6 years ago that would fail on every attempt to have an optical drive read it, but kept it anyway in the hopes someday I could find a way to get it readable again. The disc was scratched slightly and I’ve definitely seen ones in much worse condition. In fact one time I was able to get a CD read that was cracked – although I wouldn’t recommend that because it can break apart in the drive and spread itty bits all over the place, ruining the the inside of the optical bay completely. That didn’t happen to me, but it could have.

As a last-ditch effort, I tried the toothpaste method because darn it, I want the f**king data off this disc, and if not it’s getting tossed. Six years is long enough to wait for anything. I smeared the paste so it completely covered the data side of the disc, let it dry for a few minutes, then washed it off thoroughly and dried with paper towels.

I expected this to do nothing but make the disc really clean and nothing else, thinking, "This will make a good article for PCMech because it will totally prove without a shadow of a doubt that this never works."

After the disc was completely dried, I popped it in the bay and waited a few seconds.

Nothing.

But the read pattern was slightly different compared to before (I could tell by the sound,) and the activity light was flickering rapidly.

Okay then.. I’ll just let it sit in the drive for a minute or two, then give up because I know this is going to fail again.

About 90 seconds later, Windows pops up a prompt asking me if I want to see the contents of the disc. What? This disc is now readable? No way!

Way.

I was surprised, elated, shocked and whatever other descriptive feeling you want to throw in there.

Not only did the disc read, but I was able to copy every single file off of it, at a numbingly slow speed, but it did work. No corrupted files, either!

HOWEVER..

I’m still not convinced it was the toothpaste that saved the disc. For all I know this could have been sheer dumb luck that the disc read this time and not all those other times.

Articles, some of which go back years like this one, claim toothpaste works on optical discs as a mild polish. What supposedly occurs is that when you polish enough, this will remove a tiny layer of plastic, fill in the areas caused by the scratches and make scratched optical discs readable again.

But I still don’t know if I buy that either.

What do you think? Was I just lucky or did the toothpaste actually work?

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Does Toothpaste Truly Make A CD Or DVD Work Again?

Cigarette Lighter USB Adapter

Got something powered by USB that you’d love to have in the car? Use one of these little guys and it will fit the bill nicely. Cheap, too. Only 5 dollars. If you shop around enough you might even be able to score one for less than that.

Non-Slip Dashboard Mat

This little dashboard mat stays put and "sticks" whatever you place on it. They are made of material that is non-slip and "hold" things like cell phones and iPods. No installation required. Plop on the dash, put stuff on it, done deal. If one is not available at your local electronics store, try this eBay search. Prices are as low as 3 dollars. The better ones are washable.

Coffee Cup Power Inverter

Sure, you’ve seen power inverters for cars before that give you "three prong" outlets – but have you ever seen one shaped like a coffee cup? This one is, and it’s only 30 dollars. Sound like a lot? Not really when you realize how convenient this thing is. Usually when you plug in an inverter it is in a decidedly inconvenient spot, not to mention the inverter itself is large and might even scrape up against your leg while in use. This one has its own spot and it’s already in your car. Oh, and by the way, this also has a 500mA USB charging port on it too! You may not even need the cigarette lighter USB adapter above if you get one of these…

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

3 Cheap Ways To Make Your Car More Tech-Accessible

The canned response function allows you to set up just that – canned responses. Instead of having to type an entire email to somebody even when you’ve typed the same email many times before, you can use a canned response to simply insert the message and send. Huge time saver.

Using Gmail filters, however, you can use the canned response function to send an auto-reply only when certain criteria are met. So, here’s what I did:

1. Set up an email address on my domain and have it forward to my Gmail account.
2. Set up a filter with the “TO” address as the incoming email address. Note that you can set up your criteria to be anything you want, be it a certain subject line, certain sender, or even if the email contains certain words.
3. Click “Next Step”. I checked off “Skip the Inbox”, “Apply the label:” and selected the label I wanted, and “Send Canned Response”.
4. If the canned response option has no options, you’ll need to create one first. It is a bit counter-intuitive (but, hey, this is a Labs feature for a reason), but you need to go compose a new message, type your canned response, then without sending it use the dropdown option to save the message as a canned response. Then, just discard the message. When you go back to your filter, you will now have that canned response in the selection box.
5. Save the filter.

Now, when anybody emails this address I set up, it will forward to Gmail. Gmail will then move it swiftly into the label I specified and auto-reply with the canned response.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Gmail Tip: AutoResponder Using Canned Response

Ergonomics as it pertains to you is to use your computer in a way that minimizes any damage to your body, hearing or vision in any way.

Instead of getting into all the technical crapola about it, I’ll instead just do simply question/answer style.

Hard chair or soft chair?

Hard chair with straight back. Promotes better posture. If you lean (forward or backward) when you sit at your computer, this is bad. Sit up straight like your mother taught you to.

Cushion on the seat portion is fine, but the back should be firm and straight.

Arm rests or not?

Not. Arm rests are mighty comfy but you’ll find yourself leaning on them often. When you lean to the left or right you’re not sitting straight obviously.

Keyboard wrist rest or not?

On a desktop, yes. On a laptop, no.

The keyboard on a desktop is free-standing and has a drop-off below the spacebar. Without the rest you have lean in your wrists. This is bad. The wrists and hands should be level with each other.

Laptops have a built-in rest because below the keyboard is the trackpad and the space on either side that acts as a rest.

Mouse wrist rest or not?

Yes. Keeps the wrist level with the hand with minimal lean.

“Ergonomically designed” mouse or not?

What’s most important is the mouse rest more than the mouse itself. However I would recommend using full-sized mice and not “mini” mice (such as the external travel kind used on laptops). When you use a mini-mouse you’re pinching instead of resting the palm. That pinching results in a repetitive movement that may cause pain.

If you’re stuck for what to choose, the Microsoft Intellimouse is still the standard. I know some people will vehemently disagree with me on that choice, but the plain fact of the matter is that Microsoft makes awesome mice. Logitech comes in at a close second.

“Ergonomically designed” keyboard or not?

Depends if you can get past the “weirdness” of those funky-shaped keyboards.

I will say this: If you do use one, it is better for you. Additionally, once again Microsoft makes the best ergonomic keyboard. DO NOT buy a discount ergo-board. Even their cheap one is still a good ‘board.

Personally speaking I prefer “short profile” keys (i.e. a laptop keyboard with a very light touch). Much less strain on the fingers but only for the touch-typist variety such as myself. If you’re not a touch-typist, go for the big keys on the Microsoft ‘board.

Where should my eye level be?

Look at your computer screen. Consider the bottom to be 0% and the top to be 100%. Your eye line should be at the 80% to 90% mark and you should be looking straight when you do so.

Take your finger and draw an imaginary line from your eye to the screen. If you’re not at that mark, raise or lower your chair or monitor to suit.

If your neck leans forward or back at all, you’re causing neck strain. Even if you can’t feel it, eventually you will.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR THOSE WITH BI-FOCAL EYEGLASSES:

If you wear bi-focal eyeglasses and tilt your head back to read stuff on your computer screen, STOP doing that. You are causing serious neck strain every time you do it. Get another set of eyeglasses that are the bottom prescription only. People label these usually as “computer glasses”.

If you’re saying to yourself “I can’t afford that”, ask yourself: What’s more important, your wallet or your neck? The answer is obvious.

Is it okay to rest my elbows on the desk when typing?

Never. Your wrists are the only things that should rest (on the keyboard rest of course).

What height should my keyboard be?

A height suitable to where you wrists and hands are at even plane when typing.

What height should my mouse be?

Same as your keyboard.

Where should my mouse be in relation to my keyboard?

Directly to the left or right. Not forward from the keyboard nor down.

Did I miss anything? Did I make an error?

Feel free to chime in with a comment or two.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Computer Ergonomics 101

Small side note: Any IT person will state without hesitation that it’s a fool’s errand trying to get the office paperless. People are married to their printers and Post-It Notes in places like that. That hasn’t changed in decades and shows no sign of changing any time soon.

One more note: Never stick a Post-It Note on the computer guy’s monitor where you work, else it will get "filed" (i.e. thrown away and never read).

Aside from the office place, if you plan to go into business for yourself (or even if you are already), my honest advice is to start getting used to taking notes by using a classic memo pad.

What is a classic memo pad (or memo book)?

A classic memo pad is a top-bound, college ruled book with 75 sheets (sometimes 80) measuring 3×5 inches.

Where to find them?

Office stores. Staples, Office Depot, OfficeMax, etc.

Sometimes you’ll find them at pharmacies like CVS and Walgreen’s. And if you’re lucky your local "dollar" store will carry them also.

Reasons why memo pads will always be necessary

Physically writing something down increases the likelihood of you remembering what you wrote

While typing on a computer is certainly faster it’s not necessarily better as far as memory retention is concerned. Have you ever typed an e-mail to someone, sent it and completely forgot what you just sent immediately afterwards? It does happen – but not with traditional note-taking.

Thumbing thru your notes is easier than trying to make sense of a ton of e-mail

E-Mail, while great, can turn into a mess quickly. For example, if you’ve ever had a really long threaded conversation (with so many re:’s it’s ridiculous), the original intent of the mail is lost in the stack. Digital stack, that is. With notes the only things written down are what matters without the fluff.

Putting your shopping list on a PDA or smartphone is still stupid

The sheer amount of effort it takes to put a shopping list in a PDA or smartphone is absolutely dumb compared to just physically writing a to-do or pick-up list. Doing it the PDA/smartphone way doesn’t even save you any time and furthermore it burns battery life.

Writing notes is the best and fastest way to capture right-now ideas

When you get sudden inspiration you need to capture it immediately. Most of us don’t carry around a dictation device and the PDA/smartphone way is just too slow. The plain ol’ memo pad on the other hand is right there and at the ready.

Why is it even necessary to have an article like this on a tech site?

People in tech want right-now technology. To date, nothing has proven to be faster than writing something down when you need to remember something for later.

With an iPhone the on-screen keyboard is maddening to use.

With an alternative smartphone the tiny keys are also maddening to use.

PDA tech with handwriting recognition is decent but still a bit slow on the draw (literally).

. . .

You could be the next person to have that killer idea for the internet that will change the game of the way things are played.

But you’ll never get that idea down fast enough using tech. Even the super-geniuses of today’s internet, be they businesspeople, programmers or whatever they are all take notes.

If you’re not writing notes, you should start.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

The Art Of The Note (Writing)

The Glarestopper is made for a ton of different GPS units, so chances are you’re covered (yes, I know, bad pun..)

The way it works is simple. It’s just self-adhesive velcro strips you put on one time and then attach the shade (you can take it on/off at whim after that). Takes only a few minutes to do. No screws or holes or anything like that.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Can’t Read That GPS Screen? Try A GlareStopper

But maybe the Bose’s modern styling isn’t your thing and you’d like something "vintagey" that still has superior quality to it.

In this case you want table radios made by Tivoli. This is undoubtedly the best example I’ve ever seen of retro styling with modern "guts". And yeah you’ll pay a pretty penny for it. Pictured right is a clock radio called the Model Three.

Tivoli makes several different types of radios including ones that do satellite. All of them perform just as good as they look. You can check out all the stuff they make here. Retro never looked so good and functioned so well.

But is the audio quality better than that of a Bose Wave system? Unknown. But at the prices Tivoli is selling radios for, it’d better match it or be darn close.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Table Radios Where Retro Actually Looks Good

There’s usually only one reason to go to one of these: To buy computer stuff.

What type of stuff will you see at an expo? For the better ones, anything and everything computer.

Is it true you’ll save a few bucks buying stuff from an expo? It depends what you’re looking to buy. More often than not the answer is yes because you’re usually buying things "direct" at a discounted rate.

Tip 1. Never buy RAM from a vendor that doesn’t have a RAM tester at the booth.

Any good vendor who sells computer memory always has a RAM tester right there to test it before purchase. This is only way of knowing the RAM you bought is good or not.

Tip 2. Beware of boxes with damaged corners.

Whether it’s a new video card, motherboard or anything that comes in a box, if the corners are crunched a bit, give the box right back and get one that’s completely undamaged. Ones that have perfect boxes haven’t been dropped.

Tip 3. Always call the return center phone number before purchasing.

Better vendors will explain to you that if you want to return a product for a refund to call a certain number listed on the receipt or in the documentation. CALL that number right there at the expo with your cell phone to see if anyone actually picks up. If there’s no answer, don’t buy because if it breaks you’ll never get your money back.

Tip 4. Always buy in cash.

When you buy in cash you can wheel’n'deal a bit and get the price knocked down for some vendors desperate enough to sell stuff. On credit you can’t do that.

Tip 5. Prices will change depending on when you go.

At the beginning of an expo everything is listed at full price. But at the near-end of the expo vendors are desperately looking to get rid of stuff even if it means selling at a loss. Granted, there won’t be as much selection but you’ll notice the prices have magically dropped at that point.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Buying Tips When Attending A Computer Expo

Although this is labeled as a product "for the car" I can definitely see other uses for this – particularly those who tinker around with computers and electronics quite a bit.

If you’ve built computers long enough (or even just once) you’ve probably lost a screw. It fell into the case and you can’t shake it out. You know it’s there but it permanently hides under the motherboard somewhere. With the MagnoGrip, just put the screw on your wrist. It stays there until you need it again to screw back whatever you unscrewed. Very handy.

Just make sure never to get a hard drive near the magnet for obvious reasons.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

MagnoGrip Cool For The Handyman (or Handygirl)

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Wind-Up Remote Control Somewhat Nifty