Home phones today provide a large number of features designed to make your phone experience fuller and easier. Occasionally, the many features cause confusion and you can’t access or turn off a feature you previously used. Phone companies often move the feature select option to a different place in new models making a feature hard to find. Privacy mode on Uniden phones is a feature that keeps other handsets on the same base unit system from being able to access the conversation on another cordless unit....

Updated February 10, 2017 Programming Many computer systems today still rely on floppy disks for programming, which enables them to successfully complete the tasks they perform. For example, according to the BBC, many ATM machines receive their programming, or “orders,” from floppy disks, as do a large portion of computer numerical control (CNC) machines. Workers use these machines primarily in the metalworking industry. There are also specialized, high-end embroidery sewing machines, which rely on floppy disks for programming....

When a disc is inserted into a DVD player, the player’s firmware is programmed to search for two data folders. The first is labeled “VIDEO_TS.” The second is labeled “AUDIO_TS.” For a disc containing a movie to play in a standard DVD player, the “VIDEO_TS” folder must be present. In some players, the “AUDIO_TS” folder must also be present or the player will not recognize the disc as valid media....

TracFone is a nationwide cellular phone service provider that specializes in prepaid service without contracts or activation fees. In addition to the option of buying prepaid minutes, TracFone also offers specials that include doubling of minutes for a specified amount of time. This add-on, known as Double Minutes for Life (DMFL), automatically doubles the amount of minutes purchased. It works only for the phone it is initially applied to, so it is a plan that works best for users without plans to regularly upgrade phones....

The basic function of computer memory is essentially to store data. Depending on the type of data it stores and the role it plays in computer operation, however, memory performs several different functions. Although all of these functions involve data storage, RAM, ROM, flash memory and hard drives each perform a different and necessary function to keep a computer and its peripherals working. Writer Bio

Manufactured mainly for the European and United Kingdom market by Dreambox Multimedia, the Dreambox is a set-top receiver box that decodes free and premium satellite and cable digital-television signals in both standard and high-definition format. To decode TV signals and view digital-television channels, you’ll first need to connect the Dreambox receiver to your satellite dish or cable television feed.

A social media service, Twitter operates much with the same goal as sites like Facebook and MySpace – to keep you in contact with a large network of family, friends and professional associates. Twitter’s mechanism, however, is more streamlined: communicate using short messages known as “tweets,” which you send to your whole network, or by sending a direct message, also known as a “DM.”

If you use Facebook, you may come across someone talking about “flagging” something he’s seen or a person who has been annoying him. Although “flag” isn’t the terminology Facebook uses for this functionality, it has become a common term used to describe the action of notifying Facebook’s staff of possible violations to its terms of use. Writer Bio

Facebook has community standards that it expects every person and organization to follow. Among those standards is the prohibition of spam. The site empowers users to mark posts or images anywhere on the site as spam. When a post is reported, it is immediately hidden from the reporting user. Writer Bio

You’ve just received a Facebook poke, and the first thing that comes to your mind is, “What is this, and what does it mean?” A Facebook poke is a simple and fun communication feature. For some, it’s an enjoyable way to communicate, but some people consider it irritating. Either way, it’s good to know what a Facebook poke is, so you can know how to respond if you get one, and whether a friend would be open to receiving one....

Almost every website you visit on the Internet creates cookies on your computer. These small files contain various information about your actions online, potentially including your account logins, browsing history and active information on sites, such as the items in a Web store’s shopping cart. While some sites may use cookies to track your habits for advertising, most exist to simplify your online activities, and deleting them will reset some of your settings....

EMI, or electromagnetic interference, can cause disruption with electronic items in your household, such as your cell phone, radio, television, satellite and computer. Conducted current, voltage, and radiated electromagnetic fields cause EMI. Detecting EMI can help you determine the safety of an electronic device. EMI detection can save the life of someone with a pacemaker. EMI interferes with the rhythm of the heart produced by the pacemaker. Tips Warnings Writer Bio

The PDF, or portable document format, file bridges the gaps between many software programs. Someone using one program to create a file need not worry that his intended recipient have that same program, because PDFs just require a free software program to open. On occasion, it may seem like a PDF is just as hard to open as a native file created in that proprietary software, but one of a variety of factors may contribute to the unreadability problem....

When you stream videos, your high speed Internet is still likely to slow down if it is not fast enough to stream the titles you are watching. Video streaming in general puts a greater strain on your network than most Internet tasks, so it’s important to know some of the ways you can improve speed while still watching your favorite videos. Writer Bio

Check the iPhone’s Connection The iPhone may not recognize a SIM card if you have connection problems. To refresh settings and reconnect, put the iPhone in Airplane Mode. Tap Settings and then Airplane Mode to turn off the iPhone’s connections. Tap the Airplane Mode button again to disable the setting and wait for the iPhone to reconnect. Test the Sim Card Open the SIM card tray on the side of the iPhone....

As an increasing number of electronic devices include digital cameras, the levels of digital imaging quality become more apparent. Although snapshots look fine on the screen of a cellphone or hand-held gaming system, the lack of image detail becomes noticeable when you enlarge the picture. Low-resolution images – from a digital camera or camera feature on an electronic device – will look blurry when enlarged. Set the camera to a low compression....

MP4 files contain video and audio data for computer playback. One of the most common video file types, “MP4” actually refers only to the file container – the data inside may be encoded with any one of several formats, such as H.264. Therefore, even while one MP4 may play fine on your computer, another may run slowly or stutter. In many cases, slowdown during video playback is caused by outdated video drivers or codecs, running a video too high-resolution for your computer’s speed, or poorly optimized video files and video players....

There is little else so uniquely frustrating as a slow or broken Internet connection. Usually when your connection breaks you can reboot your modem to fix the problem. Otherwise, a broken connection tends to stay broken until someone fixes it. But sometimes you may experience a distinct pattern of Internet service interruptions, such as evening disruptions. Periodic service disruptions are often the result of network congestion—not on your personal home network, but on the Internet company’s network in your neighborhood....

Unlike most universal remotes, Logitech’s Harmony line of universal remotes is programmable through a USB connection to a computer. This allows the company to provide your device a regularly-updated database of codes that enable the remote to control new and old devices. Among these are the Roku, a set-top box which connects your TV to online services such as HuluPlus and Netflix. Writer Bio

There are two ways to make your Facebook inactive: deactivation and deletion. The final destination of your information, including photos, tags and status updates, depends on which type you choose. When you deactivate, with the plan to possibly re-enable your Facebook account in the future, your content is kept in stasis, waiting for you to return to your account. A permanent deletion purges everything for good. Writer Bio