Unlock your car over the phone, repair a DVD with toothpaste, and make a super-charged WiFi extender for (nearly) free. Is this stuff for real? Find out.
Column: Everyday Tech Myths : Read more
Column: Everyday Tech Myths : Read more
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arthur92710
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- Feb 6, 2008
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I have found that NU Finish car polish is much better than plain toothpaste...I have had countless dvd's and cd's over the years returned to operating condition using that stuff.
michaelahess
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- Jan 30, 2006
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Simple physics will tell you why the cd, key fob, and wireless work, or don't work as the case may be.
The cd thing, you need a substance with the same (or nearly) diffraction index, toothpaste ain't it. Kinda like shining light through oil on water, you see it bend at two different angles.
The key fob thing, right on the money sound waves and radio waves are two very different things.
The Wireless thing, all you did is up the sensitivity as more of your signal is getting reflected to the original antenna, and that's not even quite right, you have the things turned around, it just happens that since they are metal, they transmit the signal that hits the edges to the original antenna, that phenomena's name eludes me. If you turned them around so the computer was looking at the antennae like this ) not ( you might do a bit better as the radio waves would collect in the trough and reflect directly to the original antennae.
That's how yagi (cantena's) work, the little bit of radio waves that make it to the opening get a break, they don't have to continue expanding to nothingness, the energy simply reflects back and forth until it hits the receiver in a much smaller area than free air. Less energy goes further when more constrained.
The cd thing, you need a substance with the same (or nearly) diffraction index, toothpaste ain't it. Kinda like shining light through oil on water, you see it bend at two different angles.
The key fob thing, right on the money sound waves and radio waves are two very different things.
The Wireless thing, all you did is up the sensitivity as more of your signal is getting reflected to the original antenna, and that's not even quite right, you have the things turned around, it just happens that since they are metal, they transmit the signal that hits the edges to the original antenna, that phenomena's name eludes me. If you turned them around so the computer was looking at the antennae like this ) not ( you might do a bit better as the radio waves would collect in the trough and reflect directly to the original antennae.
That's how yagi (cantena's) work, the little bit of radio waves that make it to the opening get a break, they don't have to continue expanding to nothingness, the energy simply reflects back and forth until it hits the receiver in a much smaller area than free air. Less energy goes further when more constrained.
michaelahess
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- Jan 30, 2006
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[citation][nom]Evilferret87[/nom]I have found that NU Finish car polish is much better than plain toothpaste...I have had countless dvd's and cd's over the years returned to operating condition using that stuff.[/citation]
I've had decent luck with digital innovations resurfacing fluid as well as Meguiar's #25 I think, the pure caranuba wax.
I've had decent luck with digital innovations resurfacing fluid as well as Meguiar's #25 I think, the pure caranuba wax.
mrmez
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- Aug 15, 2006
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Page 10:
CD's, unlike DVD/BD's have a kind of data redundancy built in. Thats why the music industry loves them, and why if you havent got gigs to back up, they are a much better media. They last far longer than other media and can (as you see above) cop a far greater beating and still work fine.
CD's, unlike DVD/BD's have a kind of data redundancy built in. Thats why the music industry loves them, and why if you havent got gigs to back up, they are a much better media. They last far longer than other media and can (as you see above) cop a far greater beating and still work fine.
- Apr 7, 2008
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21 pages of single paragraphs for what could have been a simple 2-3 page article? Bad web editing.
squatchman
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- Oct 31, 2008
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I tried once to use a lighter to get a CD working again.
Bring the flame in the scratches for they need to melt, but don't let the lighter damage the metal layer.
You need to do it quickly,as the longer you allow the flame to touch the CD,the deeper the heat of the flame will go.
Best is to bring the scratches in the middle of the flame for about a second.
Then flush away the black stains (ash).
Voila, the scratch should be gone!
Bring the flame in the scratches for they need to melt, but don't let the lighter damage the metal layer.
You need to do it quickly,as the longer you allow the flame to touch the CD,the deeper the heat of the flame will go.
Best is to bring the scratches in the middle of the flame for about a second.
Then flush away the black stains (ash).
Voila, the scratch should be gone!
I've actually had some success with regular toothpaste before. I used two different kinds of toothpaste though, one that was rougher/grittier first and then one that was smoother second and it made my disc work again! I did have to rinse it off in the sink before getting it to work though. Maybe it was just luck? I don't know...
Well, maybe he is trying to aim the signal through that wall! If not, they're wrong -- simply, you can think of those parabolas as cheap satellite dishes, the concave surface needs to point to destination/source so that the signals reflecting off the metal are concentrated to focal point of the parabola: the antenna. If working correctly, you should see both increased range and quality...
These do work, i had to get a signal from a router in a basement (stupid place for a router) to a detached garage 45 feet away. Put one of these on an antenna on the router (left the other one omnidirecitonal for standard coverage) and another on the antenna for the PC's wireless PCI card (pointing to the basement, through walls/ ~3 feet of soil) and increased the signal from barely picking up SSID to medium/low...couldn't quite game on it, but internet e-mail was fine. Anyway, point: if BOTH ends are stationary, you can put a direcitonal antenna on both....this obviously doesn't work for mobile devices.
These do work, i had to get a signal from a router in a basement (stupid place for a router) to a detached garage 45 feet away. Put one of these on an antenna on the router (left the other one omnidirecitonal for standard coverage) and another on the antenna for the PC's wireless PCI card (pointing to the basement, through walls/ ~3 feet of soil) and increased the signal from barely picking up SSID to medium/low...couldn't quite game on it, but internet e-mail was fine. Anyway, point: if BOTH ends are stationary, you can put a direcitonal antenna on both....this obviously doesn't work for mobile devices.
believe it or not- Brasso works great as a polish for plastic- try that. Parabolic refectors for the wireless work GREAT for boosting the signal strength- provided they are correctly pointed, and aligned. This is a cheaper-faster method that works- print out the template on decent thick paper- get some foil tape from the hardware store- and cut it out- works great!
http
/www.freeantennas.com/Templates/windsurfer.jpg
http
/www.freeantennas.com/Templates/windsurfer.jpg
Tomsguiderachel
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- May 16, 2008
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[citation][nom]ajt[/nom]21 pages of single paragraphs for what could have been a simple 2-3 page article? Bad web editing.[/citation]
Hi Ajt,
I'm sorry you don't like our format. However, I for one prefer one or two pictures per page, and especially in a how-to/DIY article like this one, I like to see each step illustrated one at a time.
I appreciate you taking the time to give us feedback, however.
Rachel Rosmarin
Editor, Tom's Guide
Hi Ajt,
I'm sorry you don't like our format. However, I for one prefer one or two pictures per page, and especially in a how-to/DIY article like this one, I like to see each step illustrated one at a time.
I appreciate you taking the time to give us feedback, however.
Rachel Rosmarin
Editor, Tom's Guide
- Feb 4, 2009
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LOL! Yes, I was aiming the parabolas out the window and down the street for my testing -- the direction in which the test notebook would be running and taking measurements. Obviously, you'd point them in the direction of your target wireless device(s) for improved performance. They were not on "backwards."
regular toothpaste does not dry clear. it is a mild abrasive and is meant to remove scratches along with a portion of the layer of polycarbonate, like a buffing compound.
now, when you've heard about using turtle wax on scratches, that is the approach meant to fill the scratches
now, when you've heard about using turtle wax on scratches, that is the approach meant to fill the scratches
Tomsguiderachel
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- May 16, 2008
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[citation][nom]Forealdo[/nom]Dear Jesus,Can we please get more than one paragraph on a page.[/citation]
Thanks Forealdo,
I hear you.
Rachel Rosmarin
Editor of Tom's Guide
Thanks Forealdo,
I hear you.
Rachel Rosmarin
Editor of Tom's Guide
kittle
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- Dec 8, 2005
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[citation][nom]Forealdo[/nom]Dear Jesus,Can we please get more than one paragraph on a page.[/citation]
ditto on > 1 pp per page.
right now its:
read for 15seconds, click.... wait.... read for 15-30 sec, click.. wait...
as opposed to click one.
read top of page while the rest of it loads.
read and scroll down at will.
Less traffic on your website too, especially if i want to back and look at something.
ditto on > 1 pp per page.
right now its:
read for 15seconds, click.... wait.... read for 15-30 sec, click.. wait...
as opposed to click one.
read top of page while the rest of it loads.
read and scroll down at will.
Less traffic on your website too, especially if i want to back and look at something.
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