The Keyboard Keys Keep Sticking

Friday, July 20th, 2012

Are your keyboard keys sticking together? Set a time to clean your keyboard. Make sure you are not rushed and have enough time to do a thorough job. Doing the job in a hurry could potentially damage your computer. Here is what to do when the keyboard keys keep sticking.

Most of the time, there is one simple step. Using compressed air helps clean any food, dirt, or anything else that may be stuck under a key. If this step does not work, here are other steps to un-stick a key.

First read your User’s Manual. This will let you know if the keyboard keys can be removed for cleaning.

Materials you need for cleaning:

– Cotton swabs

– Paper towels

– Rubbing alcohol

– Water

– Tweezers

– Kitchen strainer

– Windex or similar household cleaning product

– Super Lube Dry Film spray

Steps:

1. DISASSEMBLE: Carefully pry off each key. You can use a small screwdriver. The keys should pop off. Do not use excessive force, you may break something. Notice that there is a small rubber piece for each key. Take these off and place in a different container.

2. CLEAN KEYBOARD: Slightly dampen a paper towel or cotton swabs with water. Clean and wipe down the keyless keyboard. This will clean all water soluble contents such as sugary drinks. Use tweezers and the air compressor to remove all small contents that may be stuck. Repeat this procedure again using rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs.

3. CLEAN KEYS: Some keys may have grease on them, clean these first with cotton swabs and naptha (lighter fluid). Then place all keys in a kitchen strainer. Spray with household cleaner and leave for at least 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with hot water, then place keys on paper towels to dry.

4. STRAIN RUBBER COMPONENTS: Place all rubber components in a kitchen strainer. Spray with household cleaner and leave for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with hot water and place on paper towels. Fold the towels over and press to squeeze out the water. Dry completely.

5. LUBRICATE KEYS: Place all keys bottom-up on a paper bag. Lightly coat the keys, at a 45 degree angle with Super Lube Dry Film lubricant. Do this from all 4 sides. DO NOT overdue as the solvent may affect the plastic.

6. LUBRICATE KEYBOARD: Apply lubricant to the keyboard and let dry.

7. REASSEMBLE: Place all rubber components into the keyboard. Press down key with force to snap on keys. Remember to place keys in the appropriate places.

Hint: IBM laptops have a built in drain in the keyboard. IBM recommends pouring water in the keyboard to drain any sticky liquids, dirt, crumbs, etc. Don’t forget to air-dry.

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No Picture on TV

Friday, July 20th, 2012

No picture showing on your TV is disastrous when your favorite show is on. Incorrect channel, wrong input, or the wiring behind your TV could cause this issue. You can take a few simple steps to make sure you catch the latest episode of your favorite TV show. Here are some things you can try when there is no picture on TV.

Channel

Most TVs work on channel 3 or channel 4. If a snowy image appears, try changing the channel and making sure your TV is set to the proper channel.

Input

If the TV turns on but there is no picture, then your TV could be set to the incorrect input. Test different inputs on your TV, such as DVD, VIDEO 1, VIDEO 2 and so on. You can do this from your remote by pressing Input, TV/Video or Source, or an input button directly on your TV until the image desired appears. Normally, a TV functions on AV 1 or VIDEO 1, but you should still test the other inputs. If the image fails to appear in every input, then check the wiring of your TV. More importantly, make sure the TV is plugged into a power source.

TV Cables and Wiring

The cables behind your TV could be the cause of no picture showing on your TV. Make sure the cables are plugged in correctly and correspond with the proper port. If no picture appears when you turn on the TV but the sound is okay, then the image cable might be loose or damaged. Make sure there are no loose or damaged cables.

If your TV is still giving you problems, consider using Seva Call, a FREE service that connects you with the best professionals in just a few minutes. All you need to do is enter in your specific issue, location and availability, and Seva Call will contact multiple TV repairmen who will then call YOU directly, ready to help.

Posted in TV Repair | 1 Comment »

What Tools Do You Need to Remove Snow

Thursday, July 19th, 2012

Winter weather can be treacherous and unpredictable, and no one wants to get stuck in a snow storm with no way out. What tools do you need to remove snow? Make sure you are prepared this winter with these appropriate snow removal tools.

De-Icers

Use de-icers as a preventative tool before a snowstorm to prevent hard ice from forming. This will make snow removal easier after a storm.

Shovels

These are your basic snow removal tools and cost between $15-$50 depending on size and quality. Use liquid floor wax on the shovel to reduce friction as you scrape through the snow. This keeps the snow from sticking to the shovel itself and makes it less heavy when working. Waxing also keeps the shovel from rusting.

Snow Blowers and Snow Throwers

The terms “snow blowers” and “snow throwers” are used interchangeably. These powerful snow removal tools come in either gas or electric powered options and cost between $100-$1,000.

Snow Cutter Roof Removal

Use this tool to safely remove snow from your roof and reduce the weight on the house. This also allows the gutters to continue working when the snow starts to melt.

Ice Scrapers

This tool removes ice and snow from your vehicle. Some models even come with a built-in mitten to keep your hand warm in frigid temperatures.

If the storm is bad enough that you physically cannot remove the snow on your own, or you simply do not have the time, use TalkLocal to connect you to a highly rated snow removal company in your area within minutes.

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Fuzzy Computer Monitor

Thursday, July 19th, 2012

A fuzzy computer monitor can be incredibly distracting and headache-inducing. Usually, the problem is due to setting an incorrect resolution for the computer monitor or installing the wrong driver for the graphics card.

How to change the resolution

Windows XP

1. Click Start.

2. Click Control Panel.

3. Click Appearance and Themes.

4. Click Display.

5. Select the Settings tab.

6. Under Screen Resolution, drag the slider until the screen is not fuzzy.

7. Within the next 15 seconds, click Yes to confirm the change.

Windows Vista

1. Right click the desktop.

2. Select Personalize.

3. Click on the Display Settings icon.

4. Under Resolution, drag the slider until the screen is not fuzzy.

5. Click Apply.

Windows 7

1. Right click the desktop.

2. Select Personalize.

3. Click on Display.

4. Click on Adjust Resolution.

5. For the Resolution dropdown menu, drag the slider until the screen is not fuzzy.

6. Click Apply.

Driver Issues

Outdated video card drivers may result in display issues as well. Try updating your video card drivers. If you have a laptop, visit the manufacturer’s website to download the latest driver. If you have a desktop, follow these instructions to find out the type of graphics card you have installed.

1. Click Start.

2. On the Start menu, click Run.

3. In the Open box, type “dxdiag“.

4. Click OK.

5. When the DirectX Diagnostic Tool opens, click the Display tab. Information about your graphics card is shown in the Device section. You can see the name of your card, as well as how much video memory it has.

NVIDIA Graphics Card

Computers with a NVIDIA graphics card may have washed out colors in addition to a fuzzy screen. This is due to driver installation issues, but these instructions may solve your problem. Be warned, they’re quite technical!

How to fix NVIDIA fuzzy screen or text

Still can’t figure out your monitor issue? Use TalkLocal to find a quality computer repair technician right now!

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Lost your Cell Phone in a Taxi

Thursday, July 19th, 2012

If you have ever lost your cell phone in a taxi, you know how incredibly difficult it is to get back. Most of the time, it depends on the taxi driver and whether he/she is kind enough to track you down. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of things you can do other than hope the taxi driver turns in your phone to the local police station or the garage (these are places you should call if possible).

The following tips will help prevent you from losing your phone again, and facilitate the return process if you do. In Philadelphia, for instance, you can call 215-683-9440 to retrieve lost items.

Check your belongings before you leave

While this may be the obvious thing to do, you should always check the back seat and floor before you exit the taxi, as well as check your own belongings. Make sure that all your devices are there and you haven’t left anything behind. Try to avoid being distracted by talking on the cell phone or otherwise preoccupied so you don’t forget to check.

Get a receipt

Make sure to get a taxi receipt for your fare every single time. This receipt will contain both the taxi driver’s name and the cab number, which will make it much easier to track down your cell phone or device if you do leave it behind.

Offer a reward

You’ll get much better response rates if you offer a monetary reward. Keep in mind that in order to return your phone, taxi drivers would be giving up potential fares, so you’ll definitely want to tip and reward them accordingly.

Communicate with the phone

Constantly sending text messages to the phone and calling it periodically will force whoever currently has the phone to take notice. If all goes well, they may even answer the phone and potentially offer to return it, so being in constant communication will raise your chances of finding your phone.

Check the cab websites

If you lost your phone is a larger metro area such as New York City, they’ll often has online postings of lost/found properties, which may lead to greater success than going to the local police precinct or garage. Check their websites and see whether or not they have property listings and a claim process as well.

If you’re ever looking for a taxi service, you should use TalkLocal to find the highest quality taxi services near you. The higher the quality, the more likely they’ll be willing to go the extra mile to return your phone to you if you ever lose it. You’ll be in good hands!

Posted in Taxicabs | No Comments »

Is My Web Cam Working

Thursday, July 19th, 2012

Have you ever felt like your webcam is watching you when you aren’t using it? You are not alone. There are many people who feel uncomfortable about the fact that a webcam could possibly be broadcasting you without you knowing it. If your webcam is giving you the creeps, it never hurts to simply unplug it when you are not using it. But if you do actually need to use it and are wondering, “is my web cam working?”, here are some tips that can help you figure this out.

We hate to add to your uneasiness, but the truth is, if you feel like your webcam is watching you, you may be right! While webcams will never broadcast you without your permission by themselves, there are programs out there that can. Camfrog and AnyCam are the names of a couple of these type of programs. In order to make sure your webcam is NOT broadcasting you without you knowing it, make sure no suspicious programs or unfamiliar programs are starting up when you turn on your computer. You can view your running processes by:

– Pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL if you are a PC user

– Pressing COMMAND+OPT+ESC if you are a MAC

If you notice suspicious programs running on your computer, or if you have reason to believe that somebody has hacked into your computer and has control of your webcam, you may have a very serious problem on your hands. You may need to try the following approaches:

– Reset your IP Address — You can do this by simply unplugging your internet modem for the night and plugging it in again in the morning.

– Wipe your Hard Drive — This is a last resort. Any files that you do not backup will be lost forever. Only do this in case of a real emergency.

If you have found suspicious programs—webcam related or not—running on your computer, need help with wiping your hard drive, or have any other computer problems, visit TalkLocal. This free service will find you local computer repair professionals and have them call you back within minutes.

Posted in Computer Repair | 1 Comment »

What Do Professional Movers Do

Thursday, July 19th, 2012

What Do Professional Movers Do

There is always a time in our lives when we have to move. All the planning, packaging, and moving can be frustrating and time consuming. Without the manpower needed to move, it can be a horrible experience. With professional movers, moving can be a lot easier on you and your family.

Professional movers are just how they sound. They are in a business that deals with moving a person’s belonging from one location to another. They can help you pack the belongings as well. There are national chains and locally independent moving companies. These companies have insurance for items that get unforeseen damages from the move. Their prices vary depending on distance, location, hours, number of items, and the size and weight of the items.

When to Hire a Mover

When moving one bedroom full of stuff or less, you should consider using a self-service company. Self-service is a type of moving business that provides the customer with just the equipment to move stuff easily and not the movers. Equipment can include trucks, dollies, and packaging. If you have to move two bedrooms of stuff or more, you should hire a mover. The planning and coordination needed to move a whole house may be too challenging to tackle on your own. Your friends and family may not have the strength to lift bigger items or the time of day to dedicate to that much moving. Items such as a piano would be difficult to move without professional help.

What to Consider When Hiring a Mover

1. What insurance policy do they have for damaging belongings when moving?

2. What were past customer experience with the movers? Ask for references and check online reviews.

3. How many years of experience does the moving business have?

4. How many movers would be available for you?

5. Are there any specialty items that need extra care or coordination to get out of the house? There are companies that specialized in moving certain items, such as a piano.

Moving does not have to be a tiring chore. Professional movers have the expertise and experience to handle the move, while you relax and concentrate on the new experience ahead. TalkLocal can connect to with the best of movers in your area for free and remove the hassle of company research.

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How to Remove Food Stains from Carpet

Thursday, July 19th, 2012

Accidents happen, so if you have a food or drink stain on your carpet, don’t fret. More often than not, you can remove food stains from carpet if you’re quick enough. And if you’re worried about spending hours cleaning up the mess, don’t be. By following these tips, you will learn how to remove food stains from carpet.

First thing’s first, you will want to act quickly because the sooner you act, the less you will have to clean. If it’s a food stain you want to clean, make sure to start by removing any solid food particles you’re able to reach. Next, use a clean and damp cloth or sponge to dab at the stain until all the food particles within the carpet have been cleaned. Do not to rub the stain, as this will only cause it to spread around.

At this point, all food particles should be cleaned up and only the stain should remain. The next step entails choosing between common household items such as vinegar, baking soda, dishwashing liquid, detergent, etc. All these do a great job at getting rid of stains if used properly.

Vinegar can be poured directly onto deep stains and vinegar diluted in warm water can be poured on less severe stains. After letting it soak for a minute, use a cloth or sponge to blot the stain. When the stain can’t be lifted any further, use another damp sponge to rinse the carpet; the smell should leave in a couple days.

If you prefer to use baking soda, then the first step is to make a paste out of baking soda and water. Apply this paste directly on the stain and wait roughly twenty minutes. Remove the paste and blot anything remaining with a damp cloth or sponge.

Other household items like dishwashing liquid, household detergent, and club soda all work the same way. To prevent the stain from returning, it’s important to keep a thick, dry towel over the stain and weight it with a heavy object such as a book. This step absorbs any excess liquid that may remain under the carpet where you can’t see.

By following these steps, the majority of stains can be eradicated. But for those few stains that don’t come out no matter how much product and elbow grease is used, you may need to hire a professional carpet cleaner to take care of them.

If your carpet has reached this point, consider using TalkLocal, a FREE service that connects you with the best professionals in just a few minutes. All you need to do is enter in your specific issue, location and availability, and TalkLocal will contact multiple carpet cleaners who will then call YOU directly, ready to help.

Posted in Carpet Cleaners | 1 Comment »

Divorce Without a Lawyer

Thursday, July 19th, 2012

If you’re looking to get a divorce without a lawyer, that means you represent yourself in your divorce case. Pro Se divorce means that you will have to go through the legal process yourself, including filling out any and all forms necessary for the court process. Before you continue though, you should seriously consider both the local and state laws governing divorce. You will also need to keep the legal and emotional aspects separate, which can be challenging; if you are unable to do so, you should hire an attorney.

If you’re determined to continue forward with pro se litigation, then you’ll first want to do some research at the state law library and the local county court. Familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of the local divorce process and check whether you qualify for no-fault divorce. Then you should pick up the necessary forms at the local courthouse or clerk’s office and fill them out (which should be simple if you’ve already determined how the assets will be split).

You and your spouse must sign the form (and have them notarized as required), and then deliver them to the local court clerk. Make sure you have enough to cover the filing fee which will be due immediately and will vary by court. You then need to notify the respondent about the divorce. After setting the final divorce hearings, begin the discovery phase. During this phase, you’ll be gathering information pertaining to the divorce and send a list of questions (interrogatories) to ask the respondent.

Afterwards, you’ll enter a phase called mediation, during which you and the respondent will meet to try to negotiate any outstanding issues, such as distribution of assets and alimony. However, if all issues cannot be solved in this phase, then both parties will have an opportunity to argue their case in front of a judge in divorce court. The judge will then evaluate the evidence and distribute the assets accordingly.

Once again, since divorce is a complex and highly complicated legal process, it is much easier to hire an attorney. You can always use TalkLocal to instantly find a high rated local attorney to represent you.

Posted in Lawyers - Family | 1 Comment »

How to Ice the Driveway Before a Snow Storm

Wednesday, July 18th, 2012

Removing snow or ice from your driveway is a labor-intensive process in cold, wet conditions. Putting off snow removal can lead to a dangerous and slippery driveway. You can get a head start by pre-treating your driveway with a de-icing agent to prevent snow from freezing immediately when it hits the ground. Anti-icing materials lower the freezing point of snow and sleet, which will make it easier for you to clear out your driveway before the heavy snow freezes. Learn how to ice the driveway before a snow storm with the simple steps provided below.

De-icing

You can make your own de-icing solution by dissolving de-icing salts in warm water. Some examples of de-icing salts include rock salt and urea salt. Urea can also be used as a natural fertilizer; it melts ice in temperatures over 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Some other deicing agents include sodium chloride, potassium chloride and magnesium chloride. These work in temperatures above 12 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit and are available as liquid solutions, or you can mix them with warm water yourself. Calcium chloride works down to -25 degrees Fahrenheit, but it is more expensive than the other agents.

Application

Creating and applying de-icing agents to a driveway before it snows is relatively simple. Wait to dissolve the agent in warm water until about two hours before the projected snowfall. Pour your solution into a spray bottle or canister. Start at the garage end of your driveway and spray the solution over the entire surface, adding an extra coat at the street end of the driveway. The liquid will dry on the pavement and remain there until you start shoveling.

If you still need help de-icing your driveway before it snows, or you need someone to plow your driveway for you, use TalkLocal to get in contact with local professionals immediately. Simply give a brief description of your service needs along with your location and availability to be connected with up to three snow removal companies within minutes.

Posted in Snow Removal | No Comments »

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