Your computer will automatically generate a disk queue length when you switch on your computer. In general, the disk queue length of a computer can affect its performance, because this is basically the list of tasks that your computer has to accomplish. In this article we will tell you what exactly is an average disk queue length and what it does to your computer.

An average disk queue length tracks the number of requests or activities you do during an interval. Let’s say you want to open a program, following by an Internet browser, and then go on Skype to chat with your families. Your computer will put all these tasks in a queue, and the performance of your computer will depend solely on how your computer handles them. For a single disk system, the moment you run two requests simultaneously, your computer might lag or slow down when processing the requests. This is the time when your computer is telling you he can only handle one request at a time.

When your computer indicates a high average disk queue length, it means you have gone past what your computer can handle. A simple way of getting things back to normal is to cancel some non-critical and unnecessary programs and try doing them after you have finish one task. Most of the time, closing some programs, and cancelling some requests can speed up your computer and get it back to its normal speed.

Before using your computer, you should put into consideration how and what you are going to use it for. Make sure you know the specs of the computer by looking for it in your Control Panel. Older models tend to be inflexible with disk queue length and slow down faster when there are more than two tasks done at the same time. These computers are not built for multitasking purpose and are basically used for typing and other simple computer tasks only.

So what are the other alternatives you can use to prevent and fix a high average queue length? It’s easy, you just have to reconfigure your computer. If you find that your computer is having a hard time catching up then add more RAM to it. Computers with higher RAM tend to work flawlessly for people who prefer multitasking. You can also add more disks to your computer.

Another trick is to simply monitor your queue and be a little cautious when working. Look out for those programs that use up a lot of memory and avoid using those programs if they are not necessary.

To sum it up, the performance of a computer depends on the disk queue length. To avoid lagging or hanging, one should always close the programs they are not using, and if you have a deep pocket, add in extra arsenals such as RAMs or disks.

Don’t you hate it when you computer starts to move slowly? I mean, looking at the blue circle icon going round and round isn’t fun, especially when you have splash out lots of money or you are working on something to meet the deadline.

I own a Mac for about 2 years and so far, I have yet to experience any problems (Unlike Microsoft which I have formatted twice during this period) but most people don’t have the budget to spend on a better computer, so if you are one of them, then read on as the following tips may help you in fixing a slow computer.

There are a couple of reasons that make your computer load slowly, & those are:

1. Spyware and Viruses.

This is the number one culprit and the most common problem users are facing nowadays. If you like to download torrents or other illegal stuffs from unknown websites, you are likely to become a victim of spywares and computer viruses. Downloading antivirus can help you to solve the problem. Most of the antivirus programs offer a 30-day free trial, so you can try them before deciding whether to purchase them.

2. Junk items.

If you have been using your computer for quite some time, you will definitely see some unwanted files such as cache files, cookies, and other unnecessary components that clog up your system. Most of the time users don’t even notice the existence of these files.

3. Unwanted applications and pop-ups.

Programs and applications can also cause a computer to slow down. Check your system, and see if you have any applications that you forgot to uninstall. Disallowing auto pop-ups can also solve the problem.

Now that you know the reasons why a computer is not performing as fast as it should be, it’s time to learn how to improve the performance, or better, to its original state. Here are a few tips to speed it up:

1. Eliminate viruses.

Once you have downloaded antivirus software, schedule an autoscan every week to prevent your computer from being infected. Look out for the warning sign when you want to download from an unknown source, read reviews of the websites that you are downloading from and if you can afford it, pay for a antivirus package as they can provide a detailed scan of your computer. If you have several family members in your house you can consider purchasing multiple users license as it’s cheaper comparing with an individual license.

2. Delete files.

Once a month, clear up those temporary folders as you will not be needing them in the future. To clear up those files,

3. Uninstall.

If you have files that you won’t use anymore, simply head to Control Panel, click Programs, and then click Programs and Features. Select a program, and then click Uninstall.

If the tips above can’t solve your problem, you might want to consider formatting your computer but make sure you backup your files before proceeding! Still not working? Then the only 2 options left are either upgrading your RAM or buying a new computer.

Funky club beats are becoming more and more common these days. Notice how many singers nowadays who don’t really sing but instead mixing their music with a robotic tune? Yeah that’s what you call an autotune.

What is autotune?

Autotuning is a technique used by hip-hop, rap and pop artists all over the world. It is mainly use to correct the pitch, cover up the flat and out of tune notes and make it seem that it is totally in sync.

But most artists purposely distort the music to create a robotic tune. Although this is already considered common in the music industry, many artists still protest and request that autotuning be banned from the industry. Why? Because many artists have abused it and try to release their own music even though their voices suck. Many audiences feel cheated when they realized that those singers can’t even sing a right pitch in a concert and they feel like their hard-earned money have been thrown into the sea. (Even Jay-Z want it dead right now).

Ok so I am not an advocate of autotune myself, but I am curious to try just how autotune can correct my pitches (I suck at singing btw).

How does one do autotuning?

You might think that autotune requires a PhD but in fact it’s relatively easy to do so. There are plenty of plugins and softwares that can be used to create professional music just like the pros.

Ready? Here we go:

1. Download autotune programs such as Antares Autotune, Wavepad, Aurdacity, or Waveosaur. After that, set up your microphone so that you can record your voice directly onto the computer.

2. Depends on the program you are using, you might want to alter some of the settings and change the tune to whatever pitch you want it to be.

3. Now you can go on and record your own song using the microphone and replay it to see if there are any off beat parts. Using autotune does not mean that you have to be out of tune. You can actually sing just like normal and just tweak any parts that you feel not good enough. Otherwise, you can download any sample songs from the internet to skip this step.

There are 2 things that you need to know :

a. Pitch is the note you are playing.

b. Pitch modulation – You can raise or lower the pitch to make it sound more robotic. It’s basically a process of manipulating the original pitch.

Unfortunately most of the autotune programs are relatively expensive, and trial often does not come with full features, so unless you really can’t sing well I would suggest you to spend that money hiring a music teacher

Wondering how to change iPod name? The first time when you ran the iPod Setup Assistant, you were given a change to name your iPod. However if you feel bored or want to have a new Ipod name you can always change it manually after that.

How To Change Ipod Name

1. Start iTunes and connect your iPod to your computer. Wait until you see your iPod appear in the iTunes Source list.

2. You will notice that iTunes will display the name you have previously created for iPod; let say ABC iPod. Using your mouse, highlight the device by selecting the iPod icon below Devices.

3. Double click the icon and it will appear in edit mode. Enter the desired name and click enter.

This can be done to any other iPod such as iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPod mini, or iPod touch. Just attach your iPod to a PC, activate iTunes and follow the steps mentioned above.

Disclaimer: Do not use any credit card numbers, except your own, to use on the internet. It’s illegal to use other people’s credit card numbers to purchase your own stuffs. Free credit card numbers featured in this post is written purely to test one’s knowledge to see if these are valid. It should be viewed from a purely academic perspective.

Credit card is a mystery combination of random numbers that allows you to purchase something without taking out cash from your pocket, magic eh? But do you know how those numbers are calculated? If they are not valid, how can you detect it? Easy, just apply the Luhn check and you will start to discover those fake credit card numbers!

1. Starting with the check digit (Which is the last digit of a credit card), double the value of every second digit (from right to left). E.g. For a 16 digit credit card number, double the 15th, 13th, 11th, 9th…digits (Digits in odd places). It sums up to a total of eight numbers.

2. If doubling of a number results in a two digit number, add up the digits to get a single digit number. This will result in eight single digit numbers.

3. Now, replace the digits in the odd places of the original credit card number with these new single digit numbers and you will get a new 16 digit number.

4. Add up all the digits in this new number. If the final total is perfectly divisible by 10, then the credit card number is valid (Luhn check is satisfied), else it is invalid.

Yeah, I know it’s a bit confusing, that’s why I have created more examples using these images, have a look and you will understand it very soon:

First example was done using a MasterCard credit card :

Note that the credit card number starts with the letter 5, so that means the card is issued by MasterCard. To determine whether it’s a valid credit card number, I have included the image together with the workout:

As what you have seen, the total sum of the credit card numbers using the doubled digits is 66, which means it cannot be divided completely by 10, thus it is invalid.

Let’s take another example using a Visa credit card :

As what you have seen, the total sum of the credit card numbers using the doubled digits is 35, which means it cannot be divided completely by 10, thus it is invalid.

ENDING

If you have made this far, here are some additional points to be remembered. Free credit card numbers don’t mean that you can use it to purchase items anywhere, these are experiments for E-Commerce owners to test if their system is fully functional. Millions, billions or even trillions of numbers can be generated using the Luhn Check. If you successfully get one working number, you still need to type in the CVV and personal details to verify that you are the owner of the credit card, so work harder and apply for a credit card

Think you have learned what I have taught you? Try these test from Paypal and see if you can get all the answers correct.

Additional Resources :
Card Identification Features (pdf file) – Explanation of different credit cards by several credit card companies.

Credit Card Numbers and Credit Card Generator by Graham King. Great resource for E-Commerce owners

Anatomy of Credit Card Numbers by Merriam Park

Credit Card Number – Wikipedia.

Image via Paylife and UMS Alumni

How To Book Malaysia Airline (MAS) Ticket Online

1. Register yourself as a member of MAS. This can be done by clicking on the “Sign Up As A New User” link on the homepage.

2. Next, visit the flight booking page (Which is located at https://book.malaysiaairlines.com/itd/itd) to choose your destination, date, one way or return flights, class, and the amount of adults, children and infants.

3. Select your preferred date and fare combination below and click “Next” to continue. Prices are set as per adult and taxes are excluded. Availablilty of seats and fares are indicative and will be confirmed only upon payment confirmation.

4. MAS will automatically choose the best price for your flight. Click “Next” to continue.

5. At this stage you will need to confirm your personal details, traveler seating (If you want to sit in a particular seat) or buy yourself an insurance. Once you have filled in all the information requested, click on the “Review Your Purchase” to proceed.

6. At this point you will need to fill in your credit card number to buy the ticket, once it is done & you will get your e-ticket.

How E-ticket Works

An e-ticket carries the same information as a paper ticket. The major difference is an e-ticket is located in an airline’s computer database, instead of the passenger’s suitcase. It is an electronic record of the traveler’s airline reservation, containing information such as the time, date and place of the flight, airport, seat assignment and travel class. At the gate, e-ticket passengers need only show a valid photo identification card such as a driver’s license to claim their spot on the aircraft. Once the airline confirms the traveler’s information, it issues a boarding pass that the traveler uses to board the plane.

Via : How Stuff Works

Something that you should know before submitting your info online

It is advisable to look at the URL address before you key in your credit card number. As shown in the picture, the URL that started with https indicates that it is a secure version of the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (http) (Which is what you get normally when you browse websites on the internet). HTTPS allows secure transactions, and it works best for websites that required visitors to fill in their bank / credit card details online.

Hope this guide can give your guys some help, any comments are appreciated.

Imagine after a day of hard work and you are going back home, when you get to the door you noticed that the key was left out in your office, frustrated huh? Never mind, as long as you have your credit card (Or anything similar) you can easily open a locked door! Here’s the instruction:

1. Choose a flexible credit card (For Malaysians, LRT Card works too!)

2. Slide the card into the crack between the door & the frame

3. Push it down until you feel it’s touching the doorknob

4. Bend the card in the other way, forcing the lock to turn back. Rapidly open the door and voila! You can now enter your home sweet home

Above is just an experiment, don’t try this with your platinum credit card! Won’t be responsible for the losses

Source : Wikihow