My laptop just hit the floor. You won't believe what happened

<h1 itemprop="name" style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 12px;line-height:1.13;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:25px;font-weight:500"><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">Out of all the computing hassles you can face, nothing quite compares to dropping your laptop on a hard floor. Because, typically, that's the end of your laptop.</span></h1> <span itemprop="articleBody description text" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:21px"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Or maybe not.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> What happened was this: I had my backpack on my kitchen table (it's a "gathering table," and therefore higher than most). I went to slip my laptop into the zippered side pocket as I've done a hundred times, but just at that moment, something distracted me.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Milliseconds later, I heard a terrible<em style>thunk</em>. Not realizing I'd missed the pocket, I'd released my grip on the machine, and it went tumbling to the floor. Landed right on its corner, too.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I'm sure you can guess the rest: the casing cracked, the screen splintered. My laptop lay broken, bleeding. Oh, the humanity. I envisioned a difficult data-extraction process and an expensive visit to Amazon or my local computer store for a replacment system.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Except none of that actually happened. When I picked up the unit, I was shocked to discover it looked fine. Like, 100-percent fine. Not a nick or ding or anything on it. And it booted right up, no worse for the wear.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Let me pause right here to note that when it comes to buying computer gear, I'm as cheap as they come. I typically buy the least-expensive hardware I can find, my rationale being that it's usually just as good as the pricier stuff, at least for my needs.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">But earlier this year I found a great deal on a Samsung Series 9 ultrabook, one that was too good to pass up. It had exactly the features I wanted--thin, lightweight design, SSD storage, backlit keyboard, etc.--so I splurged.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">What never entered my mind was the value of an aluminum chassis, which is what enabled the system to survive its fall. So tough is the Series 9, in fact, that it <em style>dented the floor</em>. My Pergo-covered kitchen floor, which has withstood every form of punishment two children can exact, showed a small divot where the laptop landed.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Ultrabook 1, floor 0.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The moral of the story is this: it may cost extra, but a metal laptop is much better at withstanding sudden bursts of gravity than a plastic one. That's something to consider the next time you go shopping.</p> </span>

My laptop just hit the floor. You won't believe what happened

Out of all the computing hassles you can face, nothing quite compares to dropping your laptop on a hard floor. Because, typically, that'...

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My laptop just hit the floor. You won't believe what happened

<h1 itemprop="name" style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 12px;line-height:1.13;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:25px;font-weight:500"><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">Out of all the computing hassles you can face, nothing quite compares to dropping your laptop on a hard floor. Because, typically, that's the end of your laptop.</span></h1> <span itemprop="articleBody description text" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:21px"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Or maybe not.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> What happened was this: I had my backpack on my kitchen table (it's a "gathering table," and therefore higher than most). I went to slip my laptop into the zippered side pocket as I've done a hundred times, but just at that moment, something distracted me.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Milliseconds later, I heard a terrible<em style>thunk</em>. Not realizing I'd missed the pocket, I'd released my grip on the machine, and it went tumbling to the floor. Landed right on its corner, too.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I'm sure you can guess the rest: the casing cracked, the screen splintered. My laptop lay broken, bleeding. Oh, the humanity. I envisioned a difficult data-extraction process and an expensive visit to Amazon or my local computer store for a replacment system.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Except none of that actually happened. When I picked up the unit, I was shocked to discover it looked fine. Like, 100-percent fine. Not a nick or ding or anything on it. And it booted right up, no worse for the wear.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Let me pause right here to note that when it comes to buying computer gear, I'm as cheap as they come. I typically buy the least-expensive hardware I can find, my rationale being that it's usually just as good as the pricier stuff, at least for my needs.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">But earlier this year I found a great deal on a Samsung Series 9 ultrabook, one that was too good to pass up. It had exactly the features I wanted--thin, lightweight design, SSD storage, backlit keyboard, etc.--so I splurged.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">What never entered my mind was the value of an aluminum chassis, which is what enabled the system to survive its fall. So tough is the Series 9, in fact, that it <em style>dented the floor</em>. My Pergo-covered kitchen floor, which has withstood every form of punishment two children can exact, showed a small divot where the laptop landed.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Ultrabook 1, floor 0.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The moral of the story is this: it may cost extra, but a metal laptop is much better at withstanding sudden bursts of gravity than a plastic one. That's something to consider the next time you go shopping.</p> </span>

My laptop just hit the floor. You won't believe what happened

Out of all the computing hassles you can face, nothing quite compares to dropping your laptop on a hard floor. Because, typically, that'...

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Organize your Chrome tabs vertically with Veritabs

<h1 itemprop="name" style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 12px;line-height:1.13;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:25px;font-weight:500"><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">Months ago I told you about</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px"> </span><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2031951/reduce-tab-clutter-in-chrome-with-onetab.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;color:rgb(37,167,215)">OneTab</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">, a nifty Chrome add-on that sucks up all your open tabs into a single one, thus reducing tab clutter and, theoretically, improving Chrome's performance. (The more open tabs you have, the slower any browser will be.)</span><br> </h1><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:21px"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I still use OneTab, but recently I discovered another interesting tab organizer: <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/veritabs/nehjgjnfanppoiaikadimdkobpdahnmg?hl=en" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Veritabs</a>. This one is so head-smackingly obvious, I can't believe it's not built into every browser.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Once Veritabs is installed, it presents all your open tabs (not bookmarks, mind you) in a vertical list on the left side of the screen. Or, at least, that's what it's supposed to. I assumed it worked like OneTab in that you'd click the Veritabs icon (which gets added to Chrome's extensions toolbar) to reveal the list.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Nope. What happens is you move your mouse to the left side of the screen. That produces the Veritabs list; now just click any tab you want to switch to.</p><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/09/veritabs-large-100052975-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="371" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/09/veritabs-large-100052975-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Veritabs for Google Chrome.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> You can also resize this disappearing sidebar by clicking and dragging the handle in the upper-right corner, keep it visible by clicking the icon in the upper-left corner, or change the view to favicons only by clicking the icon in the lower-right corner.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The extension does have a few bugs. On my system, the formatting of the list seemed to get messed up if I clicked certain tabs (probably owing to font-size differences within those tabs). And occasionally the Veritabs sidebar failed to disappear when I moused away from it.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">That said, although it doesn't really reduce tab clutter, and definitely doesn't help with performance, Veritabs does give you a much neater way to browse and navigate your open tabs. And it's especially nice to have when you're working in full-screen mode.</p> </span>

Organize your Chrome tabs vertically with Veritabs

Months ago I told you about   OneTab , a nifty Chrome add-on that sucks up all your open tabs into a single one, thus reducing tab clutter a...

Read more »

Organize your Chrome tabs vertically with Veritabs

<h1 itemprop="name" style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 12px;line-height:1.13;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:25px;font-weight:500"><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">Months ago I told you about</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px"> </span><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2031951/reduce-tab-clutter-in-chrome-with-onetab.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;color:rgb(37,167,215)">OneTab</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">, a nifty Chrome add-on that sucks up all your open tabs into a single one, thus reducing tab clutter and, theoretically, improving Chrome's performance. (The more open tabs you have, the slower any browser will be.)</span><br> </h1><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:21px"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I still use OneTab, but recently I discovered another interesting tab organizer: <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/veritabs/nehjgjnfanppoiaikadimdkobpdahnmg?hl=en" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Veritabs</a>. This one is so head-smackingly obvious, I can't believe it's not built into every browser.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Once Veritabs is installed, it presents all your open tabs (not bookmarks, mind you) in a vertical list on the left side of the screen. Or, at least, that's what it's supposed to. I assumed it worked like OneTab in that you'd click the Veritabs icon (which gets added to Chrome's extensions toolbar) to reveal the list.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Nope. What happens is you move your mouse to the left side of the screen. That produces the Veritabs list; now just click any tab you want to switch to.</p><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/09/veritabs-large-100052975-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="371" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/09/veritabs-large-100052975-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Veritabs for Google Chrome.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> You can also resize this disappearing sidebar by clicking and dragging the handle in the upper-right corner, keep it visible by clicking the icon in the upper-left corner, or change the view to favicons only by clicking the icon in the lower-right corner.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The extension does have a few bugs. On my system, the formatting of the list seemed to get messed up if I clicked certain tabs (probably owing to font-size differences within those tabs). And occasionally the Veritabs sidebar failed to disappear when I moused away from it.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">That said, although it doesn't really reduce tab clutter, and definitely doesn't help with performance, Veritabs does give you a much neater way to browse and navigate your open tabs. And it's especially nice to have when you're working in full-screen mode.</p> </span>

Organize your Chrome tabs vertically with Veritabs

Months ago I told you about   OneTab , a nifty Chrome add-on that sucks up all your open tabs into a single one, thus reducing tab clutter a...

Read more »

dd

<h1 itemprop="name" style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 12px;line-height:1.13;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:25px;font-weight:500"><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">Months ago I told you about</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px"> </span><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2031951/reduce-tab-clutter-in-chrome-with-onetab.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;color:rgb(37,167,215)">OneTab</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">, a nifty Chrome add-on that sucks up all your open tabs into a single one, thus reducing tab clutter and, theoretically, improving Chrome's performance. (The more open tabs you have, the slower any browser will be.)</span><br> </h1><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:21px"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I still use OneTab, but recently I discovered another interesting tab organizer: <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/veritabs/nehjgjnfanppoiaikadimdkobpdahnmg?hl=en" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Veritabs</a>. This one is so head-smackingly obvious, I can't believe it's not built into every browser.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Once Veritabs is installed, it presents all your open tabs (not bookmarks, mind you) in a vertical list on the left side of the screen. Or, at least, that's what it's supposed to. I assumed it worked like OneTab in that you'd click the Veritabs icon (which gets added to Chrome's extensions toolbar) to reveal the list.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Nope. What happens is you move your mouse to the left side of the screen. That produces the Veritabs list; now just click any tab you want to switch to.</p><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/09/veritabs-large-100052975-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="371" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/09/veritabs-large-100052975-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Veritabs for Google Chrome.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> You can also resize this disappearing sidebar by clicking and dragging the handle in the upper-right corner, keep it visible by clicking the icon in the upper-left corner, or change the view to favicons only by clicking the icon in the lower-right corner.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The extension does have a few bugs. On my system, the formatting of the list seemed to get messed up if I clicked certain tabs (probably owing to font-size differences within those tabs). And occasionally the Veritabs sidebar failed to disappear when I moused away from it.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">That said, although it doesn't really reduce tab clutter, and definitely doesn't help with performance, Veritabs does give you a much neater way to browse and navigate your open tabs. And it's especially nice to have when you're working in full-screen mode.</p> </span>

dd

Months ago I told you about   OneTab , a nifty Chrome add-on that sucks up all your open tabs into a single one, thus reducing tab clutter a...

Read more »

dd

<h1 itemprop="name" style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 12px;line-height:1.13;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:25px;font-weight:500"><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">Months ago I told you about</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px"> </span><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2031951/reduce-tab-clutter-in-chrome-with-onetab.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;color:rgb(37,167,215)">OneTab</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">, a nifty Chrome add-on that sucks up all your open tabs into a single one, thus reducing tab clutter and, theoretically, improving Chrome's performance. (The more open tabs you have, the slower any browser will be.)</span><br> </h1><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:21px"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I still use OneTab, but recently I discovered another interesting tab organizer: <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/veritabs/nehjgjnfanppoiaikadimdkobpdahnmg?hl=en" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Veritabs</a>. This one is so head-smackingly obvious, I can't believe it's not built into every browser.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Once Veritabs is installed, it presents all your open tabs (not bookmarks, mind you) in a vertical list on the left side of the screen. Or, at least, that's what it's supposed to. I assumed it worked like OneTab in that you'd click the Veritabs icon (which gets added to Chrome's extensions toolbar) to reveal the list.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Nope. What happens is you move your mouse to the left side of the screen. That produces the Veritabs list; now just click any tab you want to switch to.</p><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/09/veritabs-large-100052975-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="" border="0" height="371" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/09/veritabs-large-100052975-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a>Veritabs for Google Chrome.<p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> You can also resize this disappearing sidebar by clicking and dragging the handle in the upper-right corner, keep it visible by clicking the icon in the upper-left corner, or change the view to favicons only by clicking the icon in the lower-right corner.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">The extension does have a few bugs. On my system, the formatting of the list seemed to get messed up if I clicked certain tabs (probably owing to font-size differences within those tabs). And occasionally the Veritabs sidebar failed to disappear when I moused away from it.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">That said, although it doesn't really reduce tab clutter, and definitely doesn't help with performance, Veritabs does give you a much neater way to browse and navigate your open tabs. And it's especially nice to have when you're working in full-screen mode.</p> </span>

dd

Months ago I told you about   OneTab , a nifty Chrome add-on that sucks up all your open tabs into a single one, thus reducing tab clutter a...

Read more »

Force YouTube to buffer your entire video

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100052479 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt0.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/09/youtube-center-100052479-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/browsers" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">Back in the good old days, when you started watching a YouTube video, the entire thing would download (or "buffer") in the background, thus ensuring a relatively smooth playback experience.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you had a slow connection, you could simply pause the video until you saw the "buffer bar" complete its journey from left to right. But thanks to YouTube's switch to a new protocol (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP, or DASH, if you're interested), that trick no longer works.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Now, when you play a video, YouTube buffers only a small amount. And that can lead to stuttering, frequently interrupted playback.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Thanks to a browser add-on called<a href="https://github.com/YePpHa/YouTubeCenter/wiki" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">YouTube Center</a>, it's now possible to disable DASH, thus forcing YouTube to buffer your entire video.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">That's the good news. The bad news is that it can be a little tricky to install depending on which browser you use. The Firefox crowd has it easy: Just grab the extension via <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/youtube-center/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Mozilla's Add-Ons library</a> (assuming you're okay with installing a "non-reviewed" extension).</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">As a Chrome user, I had to jump through a few hoops. Here's the process:</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">1. <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13162258/YouTube%20Center/YouTubeCenter.crx" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Download YouTube Center</a> in the form of a .CRX file, which was designed for the Opera browser but will also work in Chrome. Ignore any error message you see regarding compatibility.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">2. In Chrome, click the <em style>Settings</em> button, then click <em style>Tools, Extensions</em> to open the Extensions tab.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> 3. Drag the downloaded .CRX file to that Extensions tab, then agree to the installation request.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">4. Now open YouTube in a new tab. You should immediately see the YouTube Center settings window. (If not, click the little gear icon in the upper-right corner of the YouTube screen.)</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">5. Click <em style>Player</em>, then clear the checkbox next to DASH. Close the YouTube Center window and you're done!</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Now, when you start a video, you'll see the buffer bar run all the way to the right, indicating that the full video is queued for playback, not just a few seconds' worth.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> By the way, the developer offers a tutorial for <a href="https://github.com/YePpHa/YouTubeCenter/wiki/How-to-use-YouTube-Center-with-Internet-Explorer" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">installing YouTube Center in Internet Explorer</a>, which definitely isn't easy. Sorry, novices, you may want to sit this one out.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">As you've no doubt noticed, YouTube Center offers a wealth of other options besides DASH disabling. Feel free to poke around and share any cool tricks you find!</p></span>

Force YouTube to buffer your entire video

Back in the good old days, when you started watching a YouTube video, the entire thing would download (or "buffer") in the backg...

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Force YouTube to buffer your entire video

<div class="imageContainer580xX" style="width:320px;height:auto;clear:both;margin:auto;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:19px"><img class="largeImage imgId100052479 " itemprop="image" src="http://zapt0.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/09/youtube-center-100052479-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 320px; max-width: 100%;"></div> <div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/browsers" style="color:rgb(172,31,43);float:left;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-right:5px"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">Back in the good old days, when you started watching a YouTube video, the entire thing would download (or "buffer") in the background, thus ensuring a relatively smooth playback experience.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you had a slow connection, you could simply pause the video until you saw the "buffer bar" complete its journey from left to right. But thanks to YouTube's switch to a new protocol (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP, or DASH, if you're interested), that trick no longer works.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Now, when you play a video, YouTube buffers only a small amount. And that can lead to stuttering, frequently interrupted playback.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Thanks to a browser add-on called<a href="https://github.com/YePpHa/YouTubeCenter/wiki" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">YouTube Center</a>, it's now possible to disable DASH, thus forcing YouTube to buffer your entire video.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">That's the good news. The bad news is that it can be a little tricky to install depending on which browser you use. The Firefox crowd has it easy: Just grab the extension via <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/youtube-center/" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Mozilla's Add-Ons library</a> (assuming you're okay with installing a "non-reviewed" extension).</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">As a Chrome user, I had to jump through a few hoops. Here's the process:</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">1. <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13162258/YouTube%20Center/YouTubeCenter.crx" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Download YouTube Center</a> in the form of a .CRX file, which was designed for the Opera browser but will also work in Chrome. Ignore any error message you see regarding compatibility.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">2. In Chrome, click the <em style>Settings</em> button, then click <em style>Tools, Extensions</em> to open the Extensions tab.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> 3. Drag the downloaded .CRX file to that Extensions tab, then agree to the installation request.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">4. Now open YouTube in a new tab. You should immediately see the YouTube Center settings window. (If not, click the little gear icon in the upper-right corner of the YouTube screen.)</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">5. Click <em style>Player</em>, then clear the checkbox next to DASH. Close the YouTube Center window and you're done!</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Now, when you start a video, you'll see the buffer bar run all the way to the right, indicating that the full video is queued for playback, not just a few seconds' worth.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> By the way, the developer offers a tutorial for <a href="https://github.com/YePpHa/YouTubeCenter/wiki/How-to-use-YouTube-Center-with-Internet-Explorer" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">installing YouTube Center in Internet Explorer</a>, which definitely isn't easy. Sorry, novices, you may want to sit this one out.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">As you've no doubt noticed, YouTube Center offers a wealth of other options besides DASH disabling. Feel free to poke around and share any cool tricks you find!</p></span>

Force YouTube to buffer your entire video

Back in the good old days, when you started watching a YouTube video, the entire thing would download (or "buffer") in the backg...

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Essential tools for building, repairing, and upgrading PCs (and other electronic devices)

<h1 style="margin:0px 0px 12px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-weight:500"><font face="facitweb, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:25px;line-height:28px">The</span></font><span style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;line-height:1.7em">re's an old saying apropos to building a new PC or upgrading an old one: "Use the right tool for the right job." Sure, you could use a butter knife to loosen a screw, or a pair of pliers to tighten a motherboard stand-off, but it won't make the job go any smoother, and you can bet it might do some harm. Using the right tool for any given job simply makes the job easier, and it usually improves the ultimate quality of the finished product.</span><br> </h1><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:21px"> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Every system builder needs a number of tools to complete any PC build or upgrade with the efficiency and precision of a surgeon. Some of the tools will be obvious, others less so.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Screwdrivers and nut drivers</h2><a href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/drivers-and-bits-100160953-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)" target="_blank"><img alt="pc building repair upgrade tools screwdrivers" height="326" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/drivers-and-bits-100160953-large.jpg" style="border-width:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:auto;min-height:auto;max-width:100%;float:left" width="580"></a><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> It's best to have numerous screwdrivers or a bit-driver and multiple bits on hand to accommodate any type of nut or screw.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">For the vast majority of PC builds and upgrades, a basic No. 2 Phillips screwdriver will be the only tool you'll need. As you start working with more diverse hardware and accessories, or if you delve into the warranty-voiding world of PC modifications, you'll need different-size screwdrivers and nut drivers.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I keep an array of screwdrivers on hand, as well as a bit-driver and an assortment of magnetic bits. I also like to have a small electronics toolkit handy, on the off chance that I'll need to disassemble a drive or other accessory that's held together with a less-common type of screw. Most small electronics toolkits will feature Allen (hex), Torx, Phillips, and flat-head bits. Another screw type that's becoming more common is the five-pointed Pentalobe, which is used on some Samsung SSDs and mobile devices.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you're constantly building and upgrading systems, it may be worth investing in a power screwdriver. I use one when working with larger screws that are less likely to strip, like the ones used to secure a case's side panel or when mounting drives.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Low-cost power screwdrivers are available, but it's typically the more expensive offerings that are best suited to PC-building. Look for a model that has an adjustable clutch and a handle that can flip to different positions. The adjustable handle will make it easier to squeeze into tight spaces, and the adjustable clutch will reduce the likelihood of stripping screws or mounts.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Pliers, cutters, and strippers</h2><a href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/power-driver-100160955-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)" target="_blank"><img alt="pc building repair upgrade tools power driver" height="326" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/power-driver-100160955-large.jpg" style="border-width:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:auto;min-height:auto;max-width:100%;float:left" width="580"></a><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> A power screwdriver will save your forearms from a ton of abuse, especially if you have multiple systems to build.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I'm finicky when assembling systems. I hate to leave anything inside a rig when I know it won't be used. Unfortunately, it's becoming increasingly common to find extra connectors dangling inside some cases (when was the last time you used an AC'97 digital-audio connector?), and many cooling fans have both 3- <em>and</em> 4-pin power connectors attached (you'll need one or the other, not both). Removing unused connectors not only cleans things up, it also minimizes confusion for less-savvy upgraders. To remove those connectors, I like to use a small wire cutter to snip any wires attached to the connector. Wire cutters are also handy for snipping excess nylon from zip ties and other types of tie-downs.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">A good wire stripper is immensely useful any time you want to do more advanced electrical or wiring modifications. I can't count the times I've swapped out a floppy-drive power connector on a cheap power-supply unit (PSU) when I've needed an additional SATA power connector. A pair of needle-nose pliers or long tweezers is ideal for picking up dropped screws and grabbing small connectors or wires to manipulate them in tight spaces.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Let there be light!</h2><a href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/light-100160951-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)" target="_blank"><img alt="pc building repair upgrade tools flashlight" height="299" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/light-100160951-large.jpg" style="border-width:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:auto;min-height:auto;max-width:100%;float:left" width="580"></a><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> A headlamp or adjustable clip-on flashlight can be invaluable when building a system, especially one that has a dark-colored interior.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">A good head-mounted lamp or adjustable clip-on light is incredibly useful when building or upgrading a system. I know this seems obvious, but it's often overlooked.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Many of today's more popular cases have black or dark-colored interiors, which can make it difficult to spot small screws and other components unless you're working in a perfectly lit room (and we both know those don't exist). Do yourself—and your eyes—a favor and spring for a head-mounted lamp or other small, adjustable light.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">PSU Tester and Multimeter</h2><a href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/meters-100160952-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)" target="_blank"><img alt="pc building repair upgrade tools multimeter" height="326" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/meters-100160952-large.jpg" style="border-width:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:auto;min-height:auto;max-width:100%;float:left" width="580"></a><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> A good multimeter and a power-supply tester can save countless hours of troubleshooting when tracking down electrical or wiring-related problems.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Few things are more frustrating than painstakingly assembling a system, closing it up, pressing the power button, and—finding that nothing happens. If you don't have a power-supply tester or multimeter on hand, you might spend hours troubleshooting and swapping out components until you stumble across the culprit.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you <em>do</em> have one of these devices, it'll take only seconds to ensure that your power supply is in good working order, that voltage is being output properly, and that simple components, such as the power switch, are functioning. On numerous occasions I've encountered systems that wouldn't power on because of a defective power switch. With a mulitmeter, it's a simple matter of testing for continuity.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Thermal-interface material</h2><a href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/thermal-paste-100160956-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)" target="_blank"><img alt="thermal paste pc building repair upgrade tools thermal paste" height="326" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/thermal-paste-100160956-large.jpg" style="border-width:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:auto;min-height:auto;max-width:100%;float:left" width="580"></a><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> You'll want to keep a quality thermal paste on hand for those times when you need to reseat a heat sink or simply want to replace an inferior thermal-interface material.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> It's essential to apply a fresh layer of thermal paste anytime you mount or reseat a heat sink. This is the best means of ensuring that heat transfers from the processor to the heat sink, where it can be dissipated by a cooling fan or water block. Resist the temptation to reuse whatever's there—that material has done its job. Scrape or scrub it off (isopropyl alchohol and a paper towel will help) and apply a fresh coat. Thermal paste costs next to nothing compared to the component it's intended to protect.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I like to keep two types of thermal paste on hand: A silver-based paste for high-performance applications, and a ceramic-based or other non-electrically-conductive paste, for applications where there may be electrical contacts or other surface-mounted components exposed.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">Straps, zip ties, and tie-downs</h2><a href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/tie-downs-100160957-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)" target="_blank"><img alt="pc building repair upgrade tools tie-downs" height="326" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/tie-downs-100160957-large.jpg" style="border-width:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:auto;min-height:auto;max-width:100%;float:left" width="580"></a><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Adhesive tie-downs, zip ties, and Velcro straps will go a long way toward ensuring a neat and tidy wiring job.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Effective cable management is paramount to a clean and cool-running system. But you can't simply will the rat's nest of wires and cables inside a typical system into place. You'll need a variety of straps, adhesive tie-downs, and zip ties, along with a dollop of creativity and patience.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">I always keep a tub of nylon zip ties of various sizes and colors on hand, in addition to a roll of thin Velcro straps. Most cases will have locations to tie everything down; adhesive tie-downs come in handy for those that don't.</p> <h2 style="font-family:facitweb,sans-serif;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em">PC cleanup</h2><a href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/cleaning-100160950-orig.jpg" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)" target="_blank"><img alt="pc building repair upgrade tools swans cleaning" height="326" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/cleaning-100160950-large.jpg" style="border-width:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:auto;min-height:auto;max-width:100%;float:left" width="580"></a><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Cotton swabs, micro-fiber cloths, isopropyl alcohol, and some canned air should be all that's necessary for the vast majority of PC-cleaning tasks.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Whether you're working with a brand-new pile of parts or are refurbishing an old system, keep a collection of cleaning materials in your toolbox. For the vast majority of jobs, cotton swabs, microfiber cloths, and canned air are all I need to clean up the fingerprints, dust, and other crud that builds up inside a PC. As mentioned earlier, you should also keep some isopropyl alcohol and paper towels on hand to clean up old thermal paste.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Other tools and accessories that PC builders use include antistatic wrist straps, rotary tools, spare screws in several sizes, and clamps, just to name a few. If there's something you find invaluable when building or upgrading systems, we'd love to hear about it. Please give us your feedback in the comments below.</p> </span>

Essential tools for building, repairing, and upgrading PCs (and other electronic devices)

The re's an old saying apropos to building a new PC or upgrading an old one: "Use the right tool for the right job." Sure, you...

Read more »