iPad and iPad2 have similar features

Question: I have an original iPad and I love it. Is there a reason to upgrade to the iPad 2?

Answer: Apple has made improvements with the iPad 2. However, if you're happy with your original iPad, I would stick with that. The iPad 2 has a faster processor and graphics system. Plus it now has two digital cameras, a front-facing one and a rear-facing one. That's good for high-end games and video chatting. However, the iPad 2 doesn't offer much else new beyond that. The screen and storage are the same, for example. I would save your money for the iPad 3. It should be a more substantial upgrade.

I see a lot of third-party sites that let you log in using Facebook. You don't have to create a new account. However, is it safe?

Yes and no. Logging in using Facebook Connect is a secure procedure. You are communicating directly with Facebook's servers. The third-party site doesn't see your username and password. So it won't necessarily compromise your Facebook account. However, your Facebook account could be hacked some other way. Phishing email and scammy wall posts are all over. That would give a hacker access to all your other accounts as well. I suggest only using Facebook authorization for non-critical websites. For websites containing sensitive personal information, create a separate account.

I use iTunes to manage my music. I have more than 100 gigabytes of music and lots of Smart Playlists. iTunes keeps getting slower. Is there a way to speed it up?

iTunes' Smart Playlist feature lets you build song lists automatically. You specify options like genre and decade. iTunes will add songs to the playlist. Unfortunately, they can cause iTunes to drag. That's because iTunes continually checks for new songs. This forces iTunes to keep rescanning your music library. Deleting your Smart Playlists or turning off Live Updating will speed up iTunes. To turn off Live Updating, CTRL + click on a Smart Playlist and select Edit Smart Playlist. Find the Live Updating option and uncheck it. Do this for every Smart Playlist. That should help speed up iTunes.

I accidentally duplicated all my digital photos. It almost filled up my hard drive. How can I get rid of them quickly?

Duplicate files can be a big headache, particularly when you're talking about hundreds of files. As you've found, they'll soon fill up a hard drive. Fortunately, there are some free tools to get rid of duplicates quickly. Try Visipics, Duplicate Cleaner or CloneSpy. Find links at Komando.com/news. These programs will search your hard drive for duplicate files. They don't just look at file names. They actually look at the content of the files. This reduces the chance that you'll accidentally delete the wrong file. Still, don't have the programs delete the duplicates automatically. Review them first; otherwise you may regret it later.

My DVR's hard drive is full. How can I transfer content elsewhere to free space?

It depends on the DVR. Many DVRs have USB ports for external drives. However, cable company DVRs often have these disabled. You will have to contact your cable company to find out. If the ports are locked, there is nothing you can do legally. A third-party DVR like a TiVo should accept external hard drives. You can find hard drives online approved for DVR use. If you have an external drive or flash drive around, try those first.

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Laptop Ergonomics and Other Similar Devices

Did you know that computer related injuries are on the rise? With new mobile devices such as the laptop and more recently, the iPad and iPhone and other similar touchpad devices, we are facing an era of downward neck strains and stooping postures.

It is tough to be ergonomically correct with a laptop. The 2 things that need to be apart, the screen and keyboard, are together making it tough to incorporate into an ergonomic workstation. Impossible for the screen to be at eye level and to have your arms, hands and wrists at proper stance. With a laptop something on the body is going to suffer from improper posture.

It may be smart to replace the laptop with a desktop if you are on it for over two hours a day.

Below are some basic laptop ergonomics to consider.

Try to put the screen at eye level. To keep neck strain at a minimum adjust the angle of the screen.
Sit on an ergonomic chair that has been or can be adjusted to seat you comfortably.
Try to reduce any glare from the screen.
Keep the laptop directly in front of you. Keep good posture.
Use a separate mouse.
Use a separate keyboard if at all possible. Or use a "negative-tilt" keyboard tray.
Take breaks every 40 minutes to relax your eyes and help prevent eye strain.

The touchpad technology, such as iPhones and iPads (and all other touch screen devices), can make it more challenging for keeping proper posture. The keyboard of these items are built into the screen, therefore it can be very difficult to maintain the ergonomic posture.

If it's important to work with these small devices for hours at a time, try to connect them to a separate keyboard, mouse and even monitor much like you would with a laptop.

If you can't, the best ergonomic posture is to recline and keep the pad right in front of and aligned with your eyes.

Another alternative is to have the device on a table top and try to adopt an ergonomic sitting posture while you work. But best to keep the work on these little devices to a minimum to keep the hazards of extended use to your health at bay.

For guidelines for a healthier and safer workplace visit Ergonomics-Info.com Learn more about laptop ergonomics