12V DC 3A is something you will find written on different electronic power supplies, ranging from LCD monitors and cell phones, to consoles and portable DVD players that fit in your car.

The inscription refers to the type and voltage of the current that the specific power adaptor or converter can produce. What it actually means is that it provides direct or continuous current of 12 volts and 3 Amps of power. The power supply is the small plastic box (usually black) at the middle of the power line, between your home socket and the appliance it powers.

Having 12 volt DC 3A written on your power supply means that you save a lot of energy with the new appliance you just purchased. In the old days, all of the house-hold electric devices needed 110V or more to function properly, but, thanks to advances in technology, you can now safely use any type of electronic or electric device with just the 12 volts mentioned earlier. This type of current is less susceptible to fire (by short circuits) and it proves to be more reliable, at the same time providing with a large lifespan for your device.

As far as costs go, a 12V DC 3A power supply is usually included with all appliances that need this type of current to function correctly. If your provided power supply stops working you can buy a new one for a very low price. Don’t worry about it, because the expensive ones also come with expensive items and are very unlikely to break. You can find the power supply you need at the store you purchased your electronic device from or you can order it online. Either way, you will not have to spend a fortune for it.

With over 60% of Britain living in hard water areas, the need to descale kettles, coffee machines or replace pipework, boilers and other appliances is a constant problem, because of the build-up of limescale.

So What Causes Hard Water?

Hard water is caused by the high content of dissolved minerals, such as Calcium and Magnesium in the water supply. When the water is heated, the calcium and magnesium ions are separated from the water molecules, these are then attracted to the sides of the kettle or coffee machine, forming the crusty white deposits we know as limescale.

Problems Caused By Hard Water?

Thick layers of limescale around the heating element inside kettles or coffee machines increases the length of time it takes to heat the water and therefore increasing amounts of energy are required to heat the same volume. Thereby, removal and/or preventing the build-up of limescale around the heating elements will also save you money; plus, the flavour of hot drinks, such as tea or coffee, can be affected by the levels of dissolved minerals in the water supply too.

The Solution!

There are a variety of solutions available and are as follows:

Chemical Descalers – come in a variety of different forms. For use inside kettles in the home, the descalers contain Lactic Acid, and, for commercial purposes Phosphoric Acid is used. Horticultural or agricultural users of water in hard water areas, use Nitric Acid injected directly into the irrigation system.

Water Softeners – are Ion Exchange Resin Devices that contain an organic resin primed with sodium ions and as the water passes through the water softener these are then released in exchange for Calcium and Magnesium ions found in hard water areas. Once all the available sodium ions have been exchanged, the resin is automatically recharged in a salt solution containing the sodium ions; this water can only be used for washing and not for drinking or cooking, due to the high salt content.

Electronic Water Conditioners – can come in the form of wrap around permanent magnets that emit a magnetic field or by wrapping a coil around the cold water feed pipe, which is attached to a box of electronics that emit a range of different frequencies. Both these systems cause the metal ions to remain in suspension and not form deposits on the insides of pipes or appliances

EM Ceramics – This is a simple piece of ceramic that has undergone a special process. The resultant piece of ceramic has a powerful effect on the metal ions within the water, preventing them from forming mineral clusters when heated, and therefore the resultant scale. Also, the EM Ceramic has a descaling effect and is able to affect existing limescale deposits causing them to gradually dissolve away.

The Benefits of Preventing Limescale Formation

• Extends the life of pipework, appliances, boilers etc
• Reduces energy costs
• Reduces amount detergents required
• Improves flavour of tap water (Does not apply to Water Softeners)

If you have been looking for an alternative to fulfill your kid’s demand for a pet, then look no further than Zoomer’s electronic pup. This pup is playful, and it will instantly grab the attention of your child. Similar to a real dog, you’ll need to teach the pup everything from sitting to shaking hands. Teach him his name, teach him how to sit and shake hands with guests and take him out for a walk. Not for a single minute will you or your child will feel that you’re not raising a real pet. The best part of raising such a dog is that it neither eats nor poops. So you need not put any efforts to feed or clean… (That sold me!!) Zoomer runs, plays and excitingly wags its tail, just like any other real pup. It looks adorable and makes different facial expressions in response to your actions. The pup is programmed to understand different languages which include English, French and Spanish. It will follow you with cute and adorable puppy eyes. Before long, you will see the dog rolling, playing dead and laying down. A Zoomer pup will soon feel like a real part of the family.

Technical Specifications

Rotational Core Electronic Eyes Learns tricks and speaks back Voice command receiver Touch-sensitive chest Rotating Joints’ Runs, plays and laughs Understands English, French and Spanish Wags its tail with excitement USB cable to recharge

Zoomer Features At Glance

Child-friendly… The pup toy by Zoomer is particularly designed for kids between the ages of 2-4 years. It is made keeping in mind all the safety precautions. There is no sharp corner, open nut or other kind of material that can cause injuries. The toy is programmed to talk, bark, woof, roll over, play around and wag the tail.

Looks and Feels Realistic… The Zoomer features real looking tail, eyes and built. Your kid won’t feel like he is not playing with a real dog. The toy is programmed to walk, talk and behave like a real dog. The toy can be trained like a real dog. Your kid can teach it multiple tricks and gestures. It is programmed to understand the language and prompt quickly to voice commands.

Detects Multiple Languages… The Zoomer has been equipped with programs that detect multiple languages like English, French and Spanish. It responds to the voice commands and reacts accordingly. It is easy to train it as it understands the language in a clear and crisp manner. You can expect an appropriate respond for “Bonjour”.

Do Not Cause Allergic Reactions… The material used to manufacture electric toys often cause skin allergies in children. The toy is made with 100% safe and child-friendly material. Also, the toy is made up of a durable material. So, even if you have a naughty kid, who throws and flips toys, you don’t have to worry about any kind of damages. The toy is durable and will last much longer than you really expect.

Easy Control System… More often than not, children are not able to identify the control system of the toy and end up breaking it out of frustration. This is not the case with this toy. Zoomer features easy and automatic control panels.

The Verdict

Overall, your kid is definitely going to like the Zoomer pet toy. The features and benefits listed above makes it one of the most engaging and interactive toy in the high-tech world. Did you ever thought of raising an electronic pup at home as a child? If not, then here is your chance! You and your kid can together enjoy the pleasure of having a cute little pet moving around the house without creating any hassles for you. It will not demand food or create any kind of mess for you. All you have to do is charge it full and play as much as you want.

The company that makes this neat toy also just released a girl version Zoomie, there is also a Purple Zoomer. There are also options for clothes and a toy ball for your puppy.

So yes parents rejoice there are options… a cute robotic puppy can save you money and unwanted messes and hassles, not to mention your children will be thrilled with the new family pet.

With so many natural disasters occurring, including floods and hurricanes, knowing how to spot flood damage in a vehicle is critical. Some damage is relatively minor but most can ruin the value and operation of the car. Good dealers can make flood-damaged cars look great, but they cannot remove the risk.

Consider several factors that can influence the damage done by a flood.

1. How deeply was the car underwater? If the water did not reach the electronics, the vehicle might suffer rust or corrosion, but it might not have major or even life-threatening problems. Deeply submerged cars run a significant risk for dangerous problems.
2. How long was the car under water? Longer submersions equal greater damage.
3. Was it fresh water or salt water that flooded the car? Salt water causes more corrosion and faster corrosion than fresh water.

Check for indicators of severe floodwater damage when inspecting and test driving any car.

1. Look at the car title. If it says “Flood” or “Salvage” on it, it was deemed irreparable by an insurance company, a bank or an owner. Expect problems unless major, expensive repairs were done.

2. Beware of prices far below market value. Flood damage voids the manufacturer’s warranty. Unless the seller can prove they completed major restoration and repair, buyers take a big financial risk for major repairs. Consider the cost of these likely repairs when deciding how much to pay for the car.

3. Most flood-damaged cars will have very low or no resale value if the new owner attempts to sell them later.

4. Ask the dealer if there was any flood damage, and make them put the answer in writing. If they hesitate or refuse, be concerned.

5. Be alert to odors of mold and mildew. These are very difficult to remove and indicate the car sat in significant amounts of water. Similarly, strong air fresheners may indicate attempts to cover up bad odors.

6. Check hidden areas for moisture.

1. Check the carpet and underneath the carpet if possible.
2. Check the trunk for moisture.
3. Feel the material underneath the spare tire.
4. Check the headlights, taillights, mirrors and instrument panels for moisture or a foggy appearance. This indicates water inside the area.
5. Check for dampness or water lines in the overhang inside the wheel wells.
6. Feel underneath seats and in the seating tracks for dampness.
7. Feel inside the glove box for moisture.
8. Look at the oil on the engine dipstick. Water-affected oil may be pale or milky, and it may be sticky to the touch.

7. Debris inside the car or engine compartment, engine crevices, around wiring, inside or under the dashboard may indicate the car was underwater.

8. Look for rust and corrosion on metal surfaces such as hinges, springs, screws and latches. Check for corrosion where the car doors meet the auto body. Seat springs and the undercarriage of the car may also show signs of rust and corrosion.

9. Examine the interior upholstery of the car. Look for water stains on the surfaces of seats and underneath seats. Be suspicious if the carpet in an old car looks brand new. Make sure the fabric on doors and the headliner are about the same age as the carpet and the car. Another clue is mismatched upholstery where some sections are faded, others are newer, or patterns are not aligned.

10. Test the electronic systems before and during a test drive

1. Bend a few electrical wires under the dashboard. If they are brittle, it is probably due to water damage.
2. During the test drive, listen for odd sounds during starting. See if the car smokes during starting.
3. Check to make sure all dash lights come on, including backlighting, when starting the car.
4. Make sure the headlights, taillights, turn signals and emergency blinkers work.
5. Turn on windshield wipers, air conditioning and heater to make sure they work.
6. Test the radio. Distorted audio, severe static or lack of audio can be the result of water damage.

The best way to determine if a car has flood damage is to have it inspected by your own mechanic. Good mechanics know where to look for indicators of problems, and they can get to difficult places like alternators, pumps and some wiring. Mechanics should remove the wheels and inspect all brake parts and components for silt and mud. Used cars represent a significant investment, so make sure to get one that will not cost even more money down the road.

Cell phone wipes are convenient and effective towels that enable you to clean mobile phones in a safe and easy manner. They are primarily pre-moistened anti-bacterial cloths that aid to remove germs and dirt that reside in the midst of the keypad and other parts of the electronic product. In addition, these help to lower the risk of infection and bacterial breakouts. The harmful bacteria that generally live on cellular phones are E.coli, Staphylococcus Aureus that is highly resistant to methicillin and penicillin and several other viruses that cause Meningitis. The groups that have an extreme risk of infection through such electronic devices include children, college students, pregnant women, and elderly people.

Popular Brands

Cleen Cell single wipes are specially designed to discard germs from mobile electronics. These help to perfectly clean keypads, edges, mouthpiece, hinges, and corners without damaging any part of the device. The scrubs include the right amount of cleaning solution that includes several bactericidal and disinfectant ingredients. In addition, the towelletes are safe to use and prevent bacteria from further build-up on the cell or smart phones. These come in a box with 24 wrapped towelletes that can be easily carried around from place to place. These can also be used to wipe digital cameras, iPods, netbooks, and various other products.

Similarly, there are Wireless anti-bacterial cell phone wipes sold in a pack of 15. These aid to ideally eliminate micro-organisms, oil and grease stains. Besides this, the towels do not leave any residue on the device after cleaning. However, these are not safe for use on camera lenses, LCD or plasma television screens, or notebook screens.

The other leading type is Atlus cell cleaner which is primarily a soft fabric with a light aroma. It can be used to scrub away dirt and finger prints. This comes in the form of a key chain with the fabric fully covered on one side and a glossy Persona design on the other. These can be easily attached to a backpack, mobile, or purse.

Celly Smellys scented towels are another well-known brand available in zipper pouches that assist to preserve the freshness of the materials packed. These are fast-drying and sold in different scents like melon, berry, and colada. These scrubs do not cause any stain or scratches on personal electronics and need to be properly disposed.

With an array of cell phone wipes available, it is essential to conduct thorough research before using the product to avoid any damage or destruction to the electronic device. Make sure that you buy the right type for the particular equipment you want to protect.

Let us get straight to the point, you have arrived at this article either by searching through Google or finding it through EzineArticles and for one reason – your indispensable PS3 is now staring back at you through that dreaded, now infamous yellow light of death. The question is how to fix the yellow light on PS3 when you are not an electronics repair guru or appliance engineer.

Some PS3 owners are lucky in the sense that they have a PS3 purely for gaming purposes, so if it goes down they still have a dedicated blu-ray player to use as back up for non gaming activities. If you are not that lucky, then a faulty PS3 also prevents you watching movies, documentaries or even recording TV if your sole means of recording was via the PS3 Play TV Box connected.

I think the point I am making here is that PS3’s have become much more than mere gaming consoles in many households, while maybe not rivalling the family pet (we know some of you lovingly caress its sleek back curves though), it still has a massive impact on your everyday entertainment lifestyle. A Yellow light of death or ‘YLOD’ can seriously hamper your ability to unwind after a long day.

So what do you do?

You have three options.

1. You can buy a new PS3 which is costly, but if your existing PS3 is getting old, it might be on the downhill slope and pick up more errors even if you get the yellow light of death fixed.

2. You can send it away to Sony for repair, but the figures I have seen banded about online start from £100, so not a cheap solution. Of course the PS3 might still be in warranty, but unless you have given it some serious hammer, the YLOD is generally a problem affecting older models, which in turn are usually out of warranty.

3. The cheap option in theory – DIY YLOD fix. This is where you watch the YouTube videos, follow the forum postings or buy/subscribe to an online product that shows you the fix steps. Obviously the risk with step three is that you do the work yourself and if you are not trained in electronics, you need to be very careful which advice you follow.

Most people, myself included, usually turn to YouTube – the go-to guide for almost anything nowadays. You will find plenty of videos on YLOD, but you obviously have to pick carefully, because people will show various methods and variations of the same method. Some of these will work fine, but others could irreparably damage your PS3, which defeats the object of this endeavour in the first place, as you now have to fork out another £200+ for a new PS3.

After performing some research on this topic the common cause of the yellow light on PS3 is separation of the CPU and/or GPU from the motherboard. To fix YLOD on PS3 you need to follow some straightforward steps. The steps themselves are easy enough, but also fraught with dangers if you get them wrong.

I changed the hard drive over in my own PS3, because I wanted more capacity for storage and even though I am a trained electrician who uses screwdrivers everyday, I could see how some steps might seem daunting to the uninitiated.

For instance, as soon as I removed the hard drive protection panel I was faced with the dreaded blue screw. A screw with a head so soft, that shredding it is a real option if you do not have the correct Philips screwdriver at the start. If you do shred it then your chances of ever removing it, which you need to for a YLOD fix, have just flown out of the window. The fact that my blue screw was ridiculously tight did not help matters!

Another tip worth mentioning is where you do the YLOD repair. You may have noticed that computer components generally come wrapped in sealed plastic bags, this is to protect the sensitive electronic circuitry from static electricity. Likewise, you should really perform this task in a dust free, well-lit, clean area, preferably on a static free plastic sheet.

With the power disconnected, to dismantle the PS3 in stages remove the parts below taking into account removing screws and ribbon cables in order:

Hard drive panel

Hard drive

Card memory readers

Blu-ray drive

Bluetooth antenna

Power supply

Fan and connector

Battery

Hard drive bay

Heat sink

When you have the naked motherboard before you the next step is to clean off the chemical compound from the back of the CPU/GPU and then apply a heat gun for approximately five minutes to heat them up.

Apply new thermal grease and after letting the board cool for fifteen minutes you then reassemble the PS3 and this should solve the problem for a while, but this method is purely the YouTube workaround and is no guarantee of success or long-term fix.

I do not personally recommend the YouTube way to most people, except those with some skills in dismantling electronic equipment. The first option is probably best if you have had the existing PS3 for a long time, but then again do you really want to buy a brand new PS3 with the rumoured PS4 just around the corner?

The cost of sending it away to a licensed PS3 engineer is fairly prohibitive when you consider how much a new console costs, so option three using a trusted online resource appears to have the most benefit as long as the cost amount is not too great.

At the end of the day you are reading this article, because it is likely that you have to make that choice urgently. If you wanted to know how to fix the yellow light on PS3, you now know the details and have the information to make whichever choice you deem best.

Last year I wrote a blog stating that office buildings are obsolete, and this year I’m thinking the same conjecture might also apply to big box stores. I recently noticed a Yahoo post entitled, The Coming Collapse of Commercial Real Estate is Already Here, by Stacy Curtin. Stacy aptly notes that Best Buy and Target missed their expected earnings targets, and as of this writing, Wal-Mart has seen 6 consecutive quarters of negative same store sales. Further, this happened to Best Buy even though a key competitor, CircuitCity, had moved into bankruptcy. Though this has occurred in a tough economy, many of their online competitors have seen significantly better results.

Stacy’s article notes that more people are buying, they are just buying online. This seems true globally and anecdotally. About a year ago, I tried to purchase a receiver from Best Buy, only a couple of miles from my home. Unfortunately the receiver was out of stock. In fact all the receivers that might have been of interest to me were out of stock. A couple of years ago, I would have driven across the street to the now defunct CircuitCity (speaking of brick and mortar retail challenges). Instead, I drove home, went online to Amazon and purchased a better receiver for less money, which was delivered a day later. Obviously, I’m not alone. Many of my friends and colleagues now make routine purchases from online e-tailers as progressively more consumers become comfortable with online searching and shopping.

My CPA buys all his books on his Kindle, as do I, a faster, easier and more cost effective alternative to the brick and mortar bookstore. The challenges for Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, Blockbuster and Barnes & Noble are obvious, perhaps most evident by the huge electronic book display in the premium retail location at the front of the Barnes & Noble stores. B&N appears to be working hard to transition to a Kindle type operation with their new Nook. Better late than never, or simply too late for the date? Only time will tell, though their extensive brick and mortar costs may result in too much ballast for them to successfully navigate from retail to e-tail.

But retail isn’t alone in the commercial real estate challenge. Traditional office buildings will face a virtual workforce shift, as progressive companies opt for less costly and more efficient work from home staffing. This is happening with small virtual companies and giant corporations too. Working virtually has amazing advantages, from resolving the commute related issue with today’s snow storm in Boston, to using highly cost effective tools like Skype which allows multistate, multinational, multiparty video conferencing for pennies a day.

Do these changes spell the imminent destruction and removal of office buildings and big box retail? I think this is too strong a statement. There will likely be a need for many types of retail establishments, from groceries to lumber, from household items to convenience goods. And there will be office based businesses that require some or perhaps many employees to congregate. That said, the changes to brick and mortar retail and offices are upon us, gaining speed every day, as the convenience and cost efficacy of virtual business and e-tail offers a more accommodating path for the rapidly increasing, interconnected internet world.

A while back I reviewed the General Tools 500 Cordless Ultra Tech Precision Screwdriver in my search for an electric precision driver that would work well for my computer repair business, specifically for disassembling and reassembling laptop computers.

While my review was generally positive about this product, as it turned out it was not up to the task power-wise and this tool has since fallen by the wayside. So I went on the hunt again looking for a more professional grade electric precision screwdriver, which wouldn’t break the bank in the process. There are industrial-grade electric drivers made for the assembly line, but these products are very, very expensive. What I was looking for was a more professional grade unit that had a lot more power than the General Tools 500. I didn’t really care if the driver was cordless or not.

What I found was the Proxxon 28690 MIS 1 Micro Screwdriver. My first impression of this product, out of the box, was that there wasn’t much of anything “Micro” about it-it’s a beefy and weighty tool.

The Proxxon 28690 MIS 1 Micro Screwdriver sells for around $100 depending on where you buy it, and the Proxxon 3874 Heavy Duty Transformer for around $65.00, for a total investment of $165.00 or thereabouts. Pretty reasonable. Proxxon does offer a smaller and cheaper transformer, but I have no experience with this.

So how well does this product work, in this case for assembling and disassembling laptop computers?

It does make the job considerably easier and faster. When you consider the fact that the average laptop may have dozens of screws holding it together, that makes for a lot of screwing and unscrewing with a manual precision screwdriver. If you work on multiple laptops a day, this can take a toll on your hands and fingers. So any computer repair tool that can take some of the burden off your beleaguered fingers is welcome.

One common reservation a lot of computer repair technicians have about the use of an electric screwdriver for laptop repair is the increased possibility of stripping screws. While the use of such a tool does increase this risk, in actual practice this has not been an issue for me. The tool is large but you still retain a sense of touch when it comes to the driver bit. When the bits starts to skip you can feel it and hear it. My advice is that, when you first get this tool, practice on a defective laptop until you get the feel of it. You can adjust the torque on this driver, but not enough to ensure that you don’t strip a screw. That being said, hundreds of screws later I still have not stripped a screw with this device.

What I like about this screwdriver:

1. Build quality. Proxxon is known for producing high-quality tools for the hobbyist. The Proxxon 28690 is no exception. It is very solidly and durability built.
2. It comes with a generous supply of bits, 16 to be exact.
3. At first I was concerned that the on-off switch, being located at the top of the driver, and activated by the thumb rather than the forefinger, would be awkward to use. But it’s well designed in this respect, and the tool is just too big to be operated any other way. Proxxon does offer a foot-petal activation switch that can be used in conjunction with this tool.
4. Has very good power.
5. It is priced reasonably.
6. The bits are good quality, hardened metal, and should last for years.
7. Adjustable torque.

What I don’t like about this screwdriver:

1. It is too big and bulky. It is more like a slightly more compact version of a standard electric screwdriver. Again, there’s nothing “Micro” about it.
2. No quick-release mechanism for efficiently changing bits. You have to use the provided wrench to change out the bits. For this reason, out of 16 bits, I only use one for the most common laptop screw sizes. I switch to a manual driver when needed.
3. While the torque is adjustable, it is not adjustable enough to ensure that you don’t strip a screw. On the lowest torque setting it will still skip.
4. Requires a transformer, which means more $$$. I’m not sure whether there is an adapter you can get that would allow you to forgo the transformer. If so, I wouldn’t recommend it. The best thing about the Proxxon 3874 transformer is that it has a dial which allows you to adjust the rotational speed of the driver.

The “perfect” product would have the following characteristics.

1. Good power, but coupled with the ability to adjust torque sufficiently to prevent any chance of stripping screws.
2. Durably and ruggedly built.
3. Reasonably priced.
4. The ability to swap out bits quickly.
5. Ultra compact design that allows you to hold the unit between thumb and forefinger like a pen. This may be asking too much given the first requirement, that it have good power. This is the big short-coming of the General Tools 500. It has the perfect ergonomic design but it needs more power than two small batteries can provide.

Conclusion: All in all, it was a good investment in my computer repair business and it was well worth the $165.00 or so I paid for the combo. I’m still waiting for the perfect electric precision screwdriver for laptop repair. Apparently it has not yet been invented.