(Alternating Current) The common form of electricity from power plant to home/office. Its direction is reversed 60 times per second in the U.S.; 50 times in Europe. Contrast with DC.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Toshiba Qosmio G55-Q802
- The 18-inch laptop has truly come into its own, with recent systems from Sony, Acer, HP and now Toshiba threatening to clutter the desks of multimedia enthusiasts everywhere. The Qosmio G55-Q802 is the odd man out among this group in that it does not offer a Blu-ray drive or even...
- Product reviews 2008-10-08
- HP Compaq CQ50-215NR
- Note: This review is part of our Holiday 2008 Retail Laptop Roundup, covering specific new configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.With a glossy lid and relatively trim profile, the Compaq Presario CQ50-215nr looks more expensive than its $549 price tag. Unfortunately, looks aren't everything: the...
- Product reviews 2008-10-08
- Hands-on review of the Logitech Squeezebox Boom
- After seeing my mildly skeptical post about the release of its Squeezebox Boom Internet radio device, Logitech offered to send me a sample unit to review, promising me I'd be pleasantly surprised with the audio output from the compact unit. I've been testing it out over the last few weeks,...
- Blog posts 2008-10-04
- Lenovo ThinkPad SL400
- Take the ThinkPad R series, remove the internal roll cage and the TPM chip, add dedicated GeForce graphics, an HDMI port, and a glossy lid, and you get the ThinkPad SL400. This 14-inch laptop is Lenovo's play for small business buyers, trading in enterprise features such as the aforementioned security...
- Product reviews 2008-10-03
- Velocity 103
- We've seen plenty of Windows Mobile devices in our day, and at times they all start to blur together--same story, just different packaging. However, back at CTIA Spring 2008, a new company called Velocity Mobile caught our eye, impressing us with a fresh approach to the user interface. Recognizing that...
- Product reviews 2008-10-03
- Sony Bravia Internet Video Link (DMX-NV1)
- The moment Sony's Bravia Internet Video Link (also known as the BIVL or DMX-NV1) was announced last year, we knew the product would face an uphill battle. What could Sony's proprietary video streamer offer that you can't already get from Apple TV, Xbox 360, Sony PS3, Vudu, or the Netflix...
- Product reviews 2008-10-02
- Dell Inspiron 1525-139B
- Note: This review is part of our Holiday 2008 Retail Laptop Roundup, covering specific new configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.Dell's Inspiron 1525 is an excellent mainstream choice for basic computing, especially because the direct-from-Dell version is highly flexible, offering extensive configuration options. For those...
- Product reviews 2008-10-02
- Samsung HKT450 Portable Bluetooth Speakerphone
- Bluetooth speakerphones are getting more popular these days, as more states start to implement hands-free driving laws. They're mostly made for in-car use, like the BlueAnt Supertooth 3 and the Motorola Motorokr T505. However, there are several Bluetooth speakerphones that can be used outside the car as well, such as...
- Product reviews 2008-10-01
- Winegard RCDT09A
- Earlier in the spring we published a blog entry titled, "Don't buy a portable TV this year" highlighting the fact that the vast majority of portable TVs use analog tuners that won't pull in TV signals after the analog-to-digital TV transition February 17, 2009. At the time, our advice was...
- Product reviews 2008-09-30
- New motivation for couch potatoes. Take a walk, charge your mobile phone.
- Imagine keeping your mobile phone more or less perpetually charged just by walking out of the house in the morning. Is that a bit of green technology you'd be willing to spring for? Well sometime in mid-to-late 2009, start-up M2E Power says it will team up with...
- Blog posts 2008-09-29
- Would you buy an all-screen notebook computer?
- People love to complain about the virtual keyboard found on the iPhone and iPod touch myself included but in reality it's quite good after the requisite learning period. It still needs haptic feedback but that's a topic for another blog post.If you're ok with a virtual,...
- Blog posts 2008-09-29
- Will notebooks ever replace the desktop PC?
- Will notebooks ever replace the desktop PC?one word noSurely people will say ha i wanna have portability, mobility but when you have to work and mostly repair those toy because they are not computer they are toys ...replace a screen on a laptop if its out of warranty...
- Discussion threads 2008-09-29
- Let there be light: dissigno spurs off-the-grid development
- This is one of those posts that I should have written many, many weeks ago because the green technology that's involved is of a type that will have an impact on much, much more than simply a corporate IT environment. Since I'm in a do-gooder mood this evening, this is...
- Blog posts 2008-09-22
- Lenovo ThinkPad X301
- The ThinkPad X301 boasts the same 13.3-inch display, 3.3-pound weight, and 0.7-inch thickness as its predecessor, the ThinkPad X300. In fact, with the exception of a new DisplayPort connector, the X301's case is essentially identical to that of the X300, right down to the built-in DVD burner. The real change...
- Product reviews 2008-09-19
- HP HDX18
- For several months after they became a buzzed-about topic, the only 18-inch laptop we had actually seen in person was Acer's inventive Aspire 8920. Now we're seeing a mini-flood of them, with new models arriving from HP, Sony, and Toshiba. These new 18-inch displays--and a handful of new 16-inch displays--differ...
- Product reviews 2008-09-19
- Plantronics Voyager 835
- Plantronics has long been known for its quality Bluetooth headsets, not only because of fit and feel, but also because of its patented AudioIQ technology that helps reduce background noise. However, with more advanced headsets such as the BlueAnt V1 in the market, it needs to amp up its...
- Product reviews 2008-09-18
- Lacie USB Speakers
- In January of 2007, designer Neil Poulton teamed up with LaCie to design a set of FireWire PC speakers. The drawback is the speakers use up a precious FireWire port. In an attempt to fix the problem, LaCie created the $60 LaCie USB Speakers. The new version keeps the same...
- Product reviews 2008-09-17
- Ultimate Steal spreads across the pond: Vista Ultimate included
- As I wrote a few weeks ago, the Ultimate Steal has been roaring for those in the US and Canada, and it's finally reached us across the pond the Atlantic to all the idiots out there. Similar things apply, such as needing a valid university or college email address, and...
- Blog posts 2008-09-17
- Richard Solo iPhone battery updated
- One of the biggest drawbacks of the iPhone 3G, even after firmware 2.1, is its poor battery life. For people that tax its battery with extended use of the 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth radios an external battery is practically a requirement. On a recent trip when I was using my...
- Blog posts 2008-09-16
- Alienware Area-51 m17x
- We'll just come right out and say the Alienware m17x is about as powerful as a laptop gets, at least if it's as tricked-out as our $6,000-plus review unit was. More modest builds are available for as little as $1,999, but at that level, you get a fairly yawn-inducing set...
- Product reviews 2008-09-15
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