| To: Don Green who wrote (1781) | 7/28/2024 12:56:32 PM | | From: GROUND ZERO™ | | | | Very good, so many thanks!!!
I was told earlier that a popping sound while turning on the computer could ruin the headset, but who knows...
That why I thought I should ask someone who really knows...
So many thanks!!!
GZ |
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| To: GROUND ZERO™ who wrote (1782) | 7/28/2024 2:42:24 PM | | From: Don Green | | | | GZ
Do you have a very expensive set of headsets, if so there are some factors to consider
Leaving your headset plugged in while turning your computer on and off generally should not cause damage to the headset. However, the popping sound you hear can be a concern. This noise is typically caused by a surge of electrical power when the computer's audio hardware initializes during startup or shutdown. While occasional pops are usually not harmful, repeated exposure to these electrical surges could potentially lead to long-term damage to the headset's speakers or circuitry.
Here are a few steps you can take to minimize this risk:
- Use a different port: Try plugging your headset into a different audio port on your computer, such as the back panel instead of the front panel, or vice versa.
- External audio interface: Consider using an external USB audio interface or a sound card that might provide better power management and protection for your headset.
- Turn down the volume: Lower the volume on your computer before shutting it down or turning it on. This can help reduce the intensity of any popping sounds.
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| To: Don Green who wrote (1783) | 7/28/2024 5:56:21 PM | | From: GROUND ZERO™ | | | | Don, thank you, I don't hear any pops, I was only told by others that a popping sound does occur, but from what you say it seems that if I turned the volume down all the way after using the headsets then it wouldn't be an issue...
Yes, I have very expensive and very excellent studio type headsets but they're always replaceable if it ever comes to that, just that I don't want to ruin them with some sort of intentional neglect...
So, the solution, it seems then like turning the volume all the way down each time after using them would be the solution, would you think this also???
TIA
GZ |
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| From: Don Green | 7/28/2024 8:44:43 PM | | | | | | How can A. I. and quantum computing work together to change the world
https://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=34757261
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| From: Don Green | 7/28/2024 9:06:23 PM | | | | | | The U.S States with The Cleanest Power Grids
Despite the rise in renewable energy, natural gas and coal still play a major role in the U.S. electricity mix, with natural gas expected to provide around 42% of electricity in 2024.As renewable capacity additions in the United States soar, two states already have solar and wind accounting for more than half of their utility generation capacity.
These aren't the biggest states by absolute capacity additions, i.e., California and Texas. Wind and solar installations are surging in these two states, but they aren't the ones with the biggest shares of renewables in their generation capacity.
The top U.S. states with more than 50% of their generation capacity coming from wind and solar are Iowa and New Mexico, per data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and energy data platform Cleanview cited by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire.
In Iowa, the second largest wind power producer after Texas, wind and solar capacity combined accounts for 55.43% of the state's utility generation capacity, of which 54.1% is from wind and 1.3% from solar.
New Mexico, for its part, has 50.78% of its utility capacity coming from wind and solar power, wind accounting for 37.1% and solar making up 13.7% of utility generation capacity.
Renewable energy is the largest source of New Mexico's total in-state electricity generation. In 2023, wind power alone accounted for 38% of total in-state generation, according to EIA data. In less than a decade, renewable resources have seen their share jump as the amount of total electricity generation from renewable resources was more than six times greater in 2023 than in 2015.
New Mexico is among the top five states in terms of wind energy potential. Last year, wind energy contributed 81% of New Mexico's renewable generation and provided the largest share of the state's total in-state generation at 38%.
Related: Valero Energy Sees Q2 Net Income Cut in Half
In terms of capacity numbers, New Mexico ranked ninth in the nation at the end of 2023 in wind power capacity, with about 4,400 megawatts (MW) installed. Another 1,800 MW of solar power capacity and related battery energy storage are scheduled to come online in the state this year.
In Iowa, nearly two-thirds of total electricity net generation came from renewable resources in 2022, almost all of it from wind, per EIA data. The state was the second-largest wind power producer after Texas. Wind energy powered 62% of Iowa's net generation, the highest share of any U.S. state.
As Iowa's wind power capacity expanded, the share of coal in the state's electricity generation has slumped to 25% of total electricity net generation in 2022, compared to 44% five years earlier.
While wind and solar capacity is soaring, natural gas continues to underpin the power systems across the United States, while the share of coal in America's electricity mix is still above 15%, more than any renewable energy source.
All renewable energy sources combined—wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal—surpassed coal-fired generation in the U.S. electric power sector for the first time in 2022. But coal still holds about 16% share of electricity generation, more than wind's share of around 11%, hydropower's 6%, or solar power's 4% share of the electric generation mix.
Currently, fossil fuels provide 60% of the total U.S. electricity generation. Last year, gas accounted for 43% and coal for more than 16%.
Coal and natural gas provide reliable energy when the variable wind power generation is faltering.
Natural gas-fired power generation has soared in recent weeks amid high electricity demand in exceptionally high temperatures across the country and a significant decrease in wind generation. Early this week, natural gas-fired power generation jumped amid the lowest wind power output in 33 months. The hot summer with low wind speeds has led to low wind power generation, which has prompted power producers to boost natural gas-powered generation to keep up with the summer electricity demand.
This year, natural gas is expected to provide around 42% of America's electricity, similar to last year, as total consumption is set to grow by 3% in 2024 and another 2% in 2025, per data from the EIA.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com |
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| From: Don Green | 7/28/2024 9:20:17 PM | | | | | | Why Two Monitors Are Better Than One Ultrawide
Dibakar GhoshPublished Jul 27, 2024
dg>>> I recently spent a few weeks researching and actually testing multiple 4K monitors curved and flat to replace a dead HD 25 in display. I ended up buying this monitor for my multiple monitor desktop and highly recommend it if you are in the market I have 2 HD 25” 60 hz displays and 1 43” 4K 144hz display
pcmag.com
<div data-img-url="https://static1.howtogeekimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/split-screen-with-two-monitors-on-one-side-and-an-ultrawide-monitor-on-the-other-side.jpg" data-modal-id="single-image-modal" data-modal-container-id="single-image-modal-container" data-img-caption=""Lucas Gouveia \/ How-To Geek | VAKS-Stock Agency \/ Andrey_Popov \/ Shutterstock"" data-reader-unique-id="90" style="max-width: 100%;"> Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek | VAKS-Stock Agency / Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock
I’ve used single monitors, upgraded to dual monitors, and then switched to an ultrawide. Now, after spending years using all three setups, I’ve finally come to a verdict—dual monitors are better than ultrawides! To prove my point, here are seven reasons why I’m opting for two screens instead of one.
1 A Better Screen-to-Price Ratio The primary reason for choosing a dual monitor setup is the better screen-to-price ratio. For the same price, you’re getting more screen real estate if you pick two monitors vs an ultrawide monitor. Let's break it down:
On average, 4K 27-inch monitors cost around $250. If you put two 27-inch monitors side by side (combined cost $500), you get the same screen real estate as a 49-inch super ultrawide (32:9 aspect ratio) monitor—costing well over $1000. So you’re basically paying over double the price for the same screen space.
 Dibakar Ghosh | How-To Geek
That said, 4K is generally more expensive. What about FHD (1080p)? Well, the average price of a FHD 27-inch monitor is around $120. A good FHD 34-inch ultrawide costs $220-300, which is in the same ballpark as two 27-inchers of equal resolution.
However, it’s still not an apples-to-apples comparison because you get less screen real estate with a 34-inch ultrawide compared to two 27-inch monitors. The ultrawide has just enough space to open three snapped windows side-by-side. Four windows feel a bit cramped—which dual monitors pull off comfortably.
 Dibakar Ghosh | How-To Geek
2 Flexible Monitor Orientation Ultrawide monitors come with a fixed orientation—either flat or curved. Dual monitors, on the other hand, offer unparalleled flexibility. You can position them at various angles. I personally prefer a 135-degree angle.
The game-changer, though, is when you add monitor arms. Once you get those, you’ve just unlocked even more flexibility. At the time of writing, I’m waiting for mine to arrive!
With monitor arms, you can have a monitor close to you and the other in the background. You can have one monitor positioned above the other. This is great if you’re working with limited horizontal space. You can work on the bottom monitor right in front of you and keep the one on the top to look into reference data from time to time.
 Apple
I personally plan to have one monitor in portrait and the other in landscape. This setup is a productivity powerhouse, especially for applications that benefit from vertical space such as:
- File managers: See more files at once in portrait mode
- Spreadsheets: Great for seeing more rows
- Document reading: Perfect for PDFs and long-form content
- Chat applications: More conversations visible at once
- Coding: Seeing more lines of code
It's definitely not a configuration for mainstream users, but the beauty of it is that you can set things up to work for you, as I plan to do here.
3 Multiple Output Sources
 Dibakar Ghosh | How-To Geek
When you have two monitors, each screen can potentially display output from different devices. For example, all modern monitors have 2-3 HDMI inputs. You can pair the primary HDMI input of each monitor to your PC. But then you can have the secondary output of one of the monitors connected to your gaming console—like I have with my PS5. This allows you to game on one screen while viewing guides or chatting on the other.
Pro Tip: If you have limited HDMI inputs, you can use HDMI splitters. These devices allow you to connect a single HDMI port on your monitor with two or more input sources.
Now, to be fair, there are ultrawide monitors that allow you to split the screen and show the display from two different input sources. This feature is called Picture-By-Picture. My ultrawide doesn't have this feature, so I don't have first-hand experience using it.
4 Enhanced Screen Sharing Dual monitors also prove their worth when it comes to screen sharing. Most screen-sharing apps recognize individual monitors as separate input sources. You can put everything you want to share on one display while doing your thing on the other.
There’s very little worry about slip-ups and accidentally sharing private information. You don’t need to keep an eye on a specific tab or window allocated to the screen-sharing app.
You have a dedicated screen or monitor, which allows for better management of what you share and what you don’t. This is not only a huge quality of life improvement for people who do a lot of screen sharing, but it also makes your presentations feel more professional and focused.
5 Affordable and Accessible Monitor Arms
<div data-img-url="https://static1.howtogeekimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/dual-monitor-stand.jpg" data-modal-id="single-image-modal" data-modal-container-id="single-image-modal-container" data-img-caption=""HUANUO"" data-reader-unique-id="282" style="max-width: 100%;"> HUANUO
Dual monitor arms are usually more affordable compared to ultrawide monitor arms. This is likely because ultrawide monitors are significantly heavier, requiring more robust (and consequently, more expensive) arms to support them. In contrast, dual monitor arms—a single base with two arms—are more affordable and widely available.
Also, you can’t cheap out on monitor arms you get for ultrawide monitors. As I said, they are heavy, and cheaper monitor arms will start to lose their strength and cause the monitor to sag as gravity does its work. My friend has a 49-inch super ultrawide connected to a monitor arm and faces a constant battle of adjusting and readjusting the height as the entire setup just sags and drops down after a few hours.
Of course, this is because he was using a cheap monitor arm, but that’s the point. You can potentially opt for a budget dual monitor arm for your 27-inch monitors and not worry about the displays sagging because they aren’t generally that heavy.
6 Power Efficiency
 Dibakar Ghosh | How-To Geek
With an ultrawide, the entire screen consumes power all the time, even if you are essentially using a portion of it. However, on a dual monitor setup, you have the flexibility to use only what you need.
Sometimes, when you only need just one monitor, you can simply turn off the other one, saving power and reducing your electricity bill. This flexibility not only saves energy but also gives you more control over your workspace illumination, which can be particularly appreciated during late-night work sessions.
Moreover, some monitors have an "ECO" mode that reduces brightness and power consumption. With dual monitors, you could keep one in ECO mode for less demanding tasks, further increasing your energy savings.
7 Built-in Backup
 Dibakar Ghosh / How-To Geek | Midjourney
Last but not the least, with a dual monitor setup, you always have a backup. With a single ultrawide monitor, if it fails, you're left in the dark (or rather looking at the dark). But in a dual monitor setup, if one of them fails, you can continue working on the other monitor while you wait for a replacement or repair.
Granted, both monitors can fail simultaneously, but the chances of that happening are very low. Overall, having your setup function as its own backup can be a lifesaver when you're facing tight deadlines or in the middle of an important project. It's an extra layer of reliability that a single ultrawide setup simply can't offer.
As you can see, dual monitor setups offer a plethora of benefits that cater to various workflows. It certainly meets my needs and requirements, but there are some trade-offs. The main drawback would be the bezels interrupting the screens.
If you're heavily into media consumption or PC gaming, an ultrawide might provide a more seamless experience. Watching movies on an ultrawide can be fantastic, with no black bars on the top and bottom. For PC gaming, especially with titles that support ultrawide resolutions, the panoramic view can be truly impressive. |
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