Takeaway:  Tips for making environmental choices whether buying a new computer or maintaining your current one.

To reduce energy intake you can use a power strip, monitor usage with utilities and unplug components when not in use.  Deciding to go green for current computers or buying a new computer can help with power management to cut down on wasted energy and costs.

Energy Star is a voluntary energy efficiency program that prevents greenhouse gas emissions with strict guidelines.  EPEAT is an assessment tool to help users compare and purchase computer equipment.  Both provide tools to help make an environmental choice.

Buying a New Computer Tips:

• Research:  Find out if it is Energy Star rated, how much energy the computer will use and power management options.
• Recommendations:  Check out product reviews from previous purchasers and from non-profit organizations that provide accurate feedback (Such as EPEAT and Energy Star)
• Purify New PC:  Read the Hazardous Material Use Policy on manufacturer’s site.
• Don’t be Greenwashed:  Research the company to make sure that their “Green Computer” is not a marketing campaign with few benefits towards the environment.
• Green Guide:  If you would like user ratings and reviews for products, several websites provide these options as well as advice for purchasing new equipment. 

Upgrading Current Machine Tips:

• General Health Check:  The three major components that play a role in energy are graphics card, microprocessor and monitor.
• Replace CRT Monitor:  CRT Monitors may contain Lead, Mercury, Barium and more toxins.  Replace your old monitor with a new LCD or LED Monitor to save energy and money. 
• Upgrading Memory:  Upgrading your RAM will increase the speed of your machine while lowering the power intake, which is a quick, inexpensive fix.
• Greener Battery:  Similar to CRT Monitors, older laptop batteries contain hazardous chemicals such as lead.  Companies are starting to manufacturer Green Batteries that have a longer life expectancy using earth-friendly features.
• Greener Power Supply:  The ability to scale the power required for particular actions with your power supply is an efficient way to save energy; while regular power supplies emit a steady rate of power at all times.

 

 

How to make a computer faster: 4 ways to speed up your PC

By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer, help increase your PC speed, and help keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools installed on your computer, plus a few safe and free downloads, to help make your computer faster, maintain your computer efficiently, and help safeguard your privacy when you’re online.

Note: Some of the tools mentioned in this article require you to be logged on as an administrator. If you aren’t logged on as an administrator, you can only change settings that apply to your user account.

1. Remove spyware, and help protect your computer from viruses

Spyware collects personal information without letting you know and without asking for permission. From the websites you visit to user names and passwords, spyware can put you and your confidential information at risk. In addition to privacy concerns, spyware can hamper your computer’s performance. To combat spyware, you might want to consider using Malwarebytes. This scan is a free service that helps check for and remove viruses. You should also download Microsoft Security Essentials for free to help guard your system in the future from viruses, spyware, adware, and other malicious software (also known as malware). Microsoft Security Essentials acts as a spyware removal tool and includes automatic updates to help keep your system protected from emerging threats.

2. Free up disk space

The Disk Cleanup tool helps you to free up space on your hard disk to improve the performance of your computer. The tool identifies files that you can safely delete and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.

Use Disk Cleanup to:

– Remove temporary Internet files.
– Delete downloaded program files, such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets.
– Empty the Recycle Bin.
– Remove Windows temporary files, such as error reports.
– Delete optional Windows components that you don’t use.
– Delete installed programs that you no longer use.
– Remove unused restore points and shadow copies from System Restore.

Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.

To use Disk Cleanup:

Windows 7 users

1. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.

2. When Disk Cleanup has calculated how much space you can free up, in the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list.

3.  Clear the check boxes for files that you don’t want to delete, and then click OK.

4.  When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the specified files, click Yes.

After a few minutes, the process completes and the Disk Cleanup dialog box closes, leaving your computer cleaner, performing better, and potentially increasing your PC speed.  For more options, such as cleaning up System Restore and Shadow copy files, under Description, click Clean up system files, and then click the More Options tab.

Windows Vista users

1. In the Start menu, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.

2. In the Disk Cleanup Options dialog box, choose whether you want to clean up your own files only or all of the files on the computer.

3. If the Disk Cleanup: Drive Selection dialog box appears, select the hard disk drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.

4. Click the Disk Cleanup tab, and then select the check boxes for the files you want to delete.

5. When you finish selecting the files you want to delete, click OK, and then, to confirm the operation, click Delete files. Disk Cleanup then removes all unnecessary files from your computer. This may take a few minutes.

The More Options tab is available when you choose to clean files from all users on the computer.

Windows XP users

1.  Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.

2.  In the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list.

3.  Clear the check boxes for files that you don’t want to delete, and then click OK.

4.  When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the specified files, click Yes.

After a few minutes, the process completes and the Disk Cleanup dialog box closes, leaving your computer cleaner and potentially performing better.

3. Speed up access to data

Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk as a file is opened (to piece it back together). The response time can be significantly longer.

Disk Defragmenter (sometimes shortened to Defrag by users) is a Windows utility that consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer’s hard disk so that each occupies a single space on the disk. With your files stored neatly end to end, without fragmentation, reading and writing to the disk speeds up.

When to run Disk Defragmenter
In addition to running Disk Defragmenter at regular intervals (weekly is optimal), there are other times you should run it, too, such as when:

– You add a large number of files.
– Your free disk space totals 15 percent or less.
– You install new programs or a new version of the Windows operating system.

To use Disk Defragmenter:

Windows 7 users

1. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.

2. In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment, and then click the Analyze disk button. After the disk is analyzed, a dialog box appears, letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.

Tip: You should analyze a volume before defragmenting it to get an estimate of how long the defragmentation process will take.

3.  To defragment the selected drive or drives, click the Defragment disk button. In the Current status area, under the Progress column, you can monitor the process as it happens. After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results.

4.  To display detailed information about the defragmented disk or partition, click View Report.

5.  To close the View Report dialog box, click Close.

6.  You can also schedule the Disk Defragmenter to run automatically. (Your computer might even be set up this way by default.) Under Schedule, it reads Scheduled defragmentation is turned on and then displays the time of day and frequency of defragmentation. If you want to turn off automatic defragmentation or to change the time or frequency, click Configure schedule (or Turn on Schedule, if it is not currently configured to run automatically). Change the settings, and then click OK.

7.  To close the Disk Defragmenter utility, on the title bar of the window, click the Close button.

Windows Vista users

1.  Open Disk Defragmenter: Click the Start button, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

2.  In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment and then click the Analyze diskbutton. After the disk is analyzed, a dialog box appears letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.

Tip: You should analyze a volume before defragmenting it to get an estimate of how long the defragmentation process will take.

3.  To defragment the selected drive or drives, click the Defragment disk button. In the Current status area, under the Progress column, you can monitor the process as it happens. After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results.

4.  To display detailed information about the defragmented disk or partition, click View Report.

5.  To close the View Report dialog box, click Close.

6.  You can also schedule the Disk Defragmenter to run automatically. (Your computer might be set up this way by default.) Click Modify schedule….

7.  In the Disk Defragmenter: Modify Schedule dialog box, choose how often, which day, and at what time of day you want defragmentation to occur, and then click OK.

8.  Click OK again.

Windows XP users

1.  Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.

2.  In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, click the drives that you want to defragment and then click the Analyze button. After the disk is analyzed, a dialog box appears, letting you know whether you should defragment the analyzed drives.

Tip: You should analyze a volume before defragmenting it to get an estimate of how long the defragmentation process will take.

3.  To defragment the selected drive or drives, click the Defragment button. Note:In Windows Vista, there is no graphical user interface to demonstrate the progress—but your hard drive is still being defragmented.  After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results.

4.  To display detailed information about the defragmented disk or partition, click View Report.

5.  To close the View Report dialog box, click Close.

6.  To close the Disk Defragmenter utility, on the title bar of the window, click the Close button.

Running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter on a regular basis is a proven way to help keep your computer running quickly and efficiently. If you’d like to learn how to schedule these tools and others to run automatically, please read Speed up your PC: Automate your computer maintenance schedule.

4. Detect and repair disk errors

In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.

As you use your hard drive, it can develop bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing (such as file saving) difficult or even impossible. The Error Checking utility scans the hard drive for bad sectors and scans for file system errors to see whether certain files or folders are misplaced.

If you use your computer daily, you should run this utility once a week to help prevent data loss.

Run the Error Checking utility:

1.  Close all open files.

2.  Click Start, and then click Computer.

3.  In the Computer window (My Computer in Windows XP), right-click the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors, and then click Properties.

4.  In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab.

5.  Click the Check Now button.

6.  In the Check Disk dialog box (called Error-checking in Windows 7), select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start.

7.  If bad sectors are found, choose to fix them.

Tip: Only select the “Automatically fix file system errors” check box if you think that your disk contains bad sectors.

To see the original article in its entirety click here.

From dusty computer fans to fingerprints on compact discs, computer parts and devices can get awfully dirty from normal everyday use or when left sitting unused. The best way to have any computer component cleaned is to have it professionally serviced, but if you no longer have a service warranty, or if you picked up a second-hand item and want to clean it to see if it even works, here are some tips on how to clean some common items.
General Precautions

When working around electronics there are some precautions you should always take when cleaning:

* The best way to clean any computer component or device is to follow the manufacturer’s instructions in your user manual.
* Always power off the system first
* Always use anti-static wristband or other professional grounding devices
* Never work on carpeted surfaces
* Never spray cleaning fluids directly onto computer components. Always spray the cleaner onto a cloth then wipe
* Do not allow any cleaner to run or drip near circuit boards, or near seams on device casings.
* Never allow circuits or electronics to become damp or wet.
* Some cleaning solvents can damage components. In most cases, water will work just as well.
* Cleaning electronics and circuit boards requires experience, knowledge and special electronics cleaners. This type of cleaning is best left to professionals.

General Cleaning Tricks & Tips

* If compressed air is too strong for little dust jobs, try using a plastic liquid medicine plunger style dispenser. Pull the plunger all the way back to fill it with air and then push it forward quickly for a quick output of air to blow away dust in small places such as USB ports or SD memory card slots. The small ends of these dispensers enable you to reach a more concentrated area with the air then you could get with just blowing our air yourself (from your mouth).
* When using compressed air, always release in short blasts. Longer blasts can actually result in condensation.
* Anti-static cloths are great for attracting dust and are safe to use around computer equipment.
* The cleaner you keep your work space, the cleaner your equipment will be
* Be sure to hang on to your user manuals as they provide you with the best cleaning methods for that particular device.

How Do I Clean That?

A Digital Camera
The lens on a digital camera should never be touched and should be cleaned only when absolutely necessary, so be sure to put that lens cap to good use. For basic dust removal, you can buy a soft lens brush or plastic air blowers which remove dust and particles without anything touching the lens that could damage it.

For cleansing stubborn dirt, invest in a microfiber cleaning cloth for gently wiping off the lens. It’s very important to use a brush or blower first, then use a cloth to remove particles. For more stubborn dirt, you should use only a special fluid designed for lens cleaning. Never use paper towel or similar paper products to clean the lens as it may result in scratching. If you are using a fluid lens cleaner, be sure to put a drop onto proper lens tissues to clean — never put the fluid directly on the lens itself. Cannon also recommends that in place of a lens cleaner you can blow gently on the lens so that moisture condenses on its surface. Use gentle lifting motions (not rubbing motions) to clean and do not press hard. Use a clean lens tissue each time you move over the surface. This will prevent any dirt that is clinging to the tissue from scratching the lens.

The outside of the camera can be wiped down using a lint-free cotton cloth, and you can also use the soft brush and blower for cleaning dust from the battery, memory card, power adapter and USB adapter slots.

CD & DVD Discs
Dirty media can cause errors or make the media not work at all. You can remove fingerprints and dirt by lightly rubbing with a clean lint-free cloth. Cotton is the best material to use. You need to wipe starting at the middle of the disc and work your way to the outer edge. Never wipe in the direction of the tracks (the lines running around the disc). If the dirt is harder to remove, like dried on liquids for example, use water or a spot of rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab to clean it. You can also purchase disc cleaning kits. Never use a general all-purpose cleaner on a disc.

Dust Inside The Case
If you want to clean the build-up of dust from inside your computer case, you must shut the system down first, and make sure you are not working on carpet or any surface which is a electricity conductor. It is recommended you ground yourself (using an electronics wristband or other professional grounding equipment and follow the procedure for your equipment). To clean dust from the components inside you will need compressed air, an anti-static cloth, a small (child size) soft paint brush, and a cleaning fluid made specifically for electronics.

Inside the case you will want to use the compressed air to clean around the fans, power supply and areas where the dust is building up. Be careful not to aim the air directly towards any circuit board or electronic components in the case. Use short blasts and arm movement to direct the falling dust outside of the case. You can use the small brush to dislodge dust in areas where the compressed air did not remove the build-up (such as the edges of fan blades). You can also use the brush to wipe dust away from the inside case walls and the wires. If you find dust has fallen down to the bottom of your case, dampen the anti-static cloth with the electronics cleaner and wipe along the bottom of the case to remove it. You can also use the damp cloth to wipe all around the metal case of your tower and the cover.

A CRT Monitor
Monitors that are made of glass and do not have any special coatings can be cleaned using a basic glass cleaner, or water (preferred). Do not spray directly on the monitor as the liquid could run down into seams and into the electronics. Using a soft lint-free cloth cloth such as cotton, spray the cleaner onto the cloth to moisten it and gently wipe the viewable surface. You can use a computer vacuum or compressed air to remove dust from the monitor housing, paying special attention to the vents, to make sure they are free of dust. Cleaners may damage the plastic casing of your monitor, so avoid this. Use a cloth slightly moistened with water if you need on the case.

An LCD Display
LCD monitors require a different cleaning than a CRT does. LCDs are not made of glass and will have special coating on them for anti-glare. Following your manufacturer’s recommendations is the best method for cleaning an LCD. If you can’t obtained this information, here are a few general tips: Never use paper towel on an LCD as it can cause scratching. Instead be sure to use a soft cotton cloth. You can also purchase microfiber cleaning cloths that are designed for LCD and camera lens cleaning. If a dry cloth cannot remove the prints, you can use a special LCD cleaning liquid. Always slightly dampen the cloth and wipe, do not put any liquid directly onto the display.

A Keyboard
Keyboards that are dirty can cause some keys to stick when pressed or other malfunctions. Dirt and dust can easily be cleaned from your keyboard by periodically holding it upside down and shaking it, or blasting it with compressed air. If the keys are dirty, once you have powered off the system, you can use a damp lint-free cloth to wipe the top facings of the keys. Never spray cleaner directly onto the keys as it may drip down into the circuitry beneath.

If you spill a liquid on the keyboard, you should immediately shut down the computer (or if using a plug-and-play keyboard, unplug it from the computer). Turn the keyboard over onto a towel or cloth to prevent as much liquid from getting into the circuits as possible. You can use a small lint-free cloth to help clean the liquid out from between the keys, but do so with the keyboard still upside down. Leave the keyboard upside down for a day to help ensure as much of the liquid dries out as possible. A large amount of liquid spilled into the keyboard will usually result in the keyboard needing to be replaced, regardless of how well you try to clean it.

If you just want to freshen up the look of the keyboard (e.g. not clean due from problems or spilling of liquid) a cloth that has been moistened with warm water and a gentle soap will work quite well.

A PDA, Smartphone, Cellphone, & Similar Displays
Many of these devices do not contain glass, and glass cleaner and paper towel should never be used. For these devices, use the same procedure for cleaning the display area as listed for LCD monitors. Use a slightly moistened (water and gently soap) soft cotton cloth to wipe the external casing on these types of devices.

Non-optical Mouse
A trackball and roller mouse will need regular cleaning. When you begin to notice delays or jerkiness in cursor movement on the screen chances are your mouse needs a a good cleaning. To clean the mouse you will need to have a few supplies in easy reach such as cotton swabs, rubbing alcohol and a soft lint-free cloth.

With the mouse disconnected from the computer, you turn the mouse over and unlock the cover ring that holds the trackball inside. When you turn the mouse back over, both should fall out easily (be sure to catch them with your hand — don’t drop the trackball onto your desk or other surface). Both the trackball and ring can be cleaned using a soft lint-free cloth. Set the ring down and place the trackball on top of the ring to securely hold it while cleaning the rest of the mouse.

Start by blowing into the trackball holder area of the mouse to get rid of dust and loose particles. Inside you will see the rollers that hold the trackball in place. Chances are you will also see strands of dirt all the way around the rollers. Use a drop of alcohol on the cotton swap (just enough to dampen it) and use the swab to push against the dirt buildup on the roller to free it. Keep the tip of the swab against the dirt and rotate the rollers. You usually will see the dirt come off in a long piece (or several small if it breaks). You can also use your fingernail to pull the strip off instead of the cotton swab, once it has been loosened. Don’t use anything sharp that could damage the rollers. Make sure you pull the gunk out of the trackball hole when it comes off the roller. You will need to repeat the process on each of the rollers inside. Leave the mouse opened to the air to ensure any wetness from the alcohol has completely dried up before replacing the trackball and cover ring.

Every time you move this type of mouse across a mouse pad it picks up dirt and dust. To help cut down on the amount of dirt buildup in the mouse, you should ensure that the surface of your mouse pad is clean and dry. Wash it frequently making sure you give it lots of drying time before using the mouse on it again.
Optical or Laser Mouse

An optical or laser mouse usually won’t malfunction like a mechanical trackball mouse will, but you can still clean them for optimal performance. Wipe the bottom surface of the mouse with a clean lint-free cloth. For dust and particles over the lens area, you can use compressed air to blow it away. If you don’t have compressed air you can also try just blowing air (from your mouth) in a couple quick strong spurts. If this doesn’t clear the lens, you can also try a cotton swab to clean it without scratching.

USB Connectors and Ports
With USB powering so many devices, these ports get a lot of usage. Some front USB ports come with covers, which many people actually leave open because they are used so frequently. Thumb drives get left laying on desks, without the caps on and so on. Digital camera cords pick up dust then get transferred when plugged into the USB port. The list goes on. For the most part you can clean around the USB connector to remove dust and particles, simply by using compressed air or blowing inside of it. You can also wipe the plastic case area near the USB port every so often with an anti-static wipe which helps to repel dust.

Battery Contacts
There are professional battery contact cleaners available. If there is only a small buildup but enough to cause problems with enabling the battery to get a good contact you can clean the contact by rubbing them gently with a cotton swab that has been slightly dampened with alcohol. If it is a heavier buildup, you can also try rubbing gently with a pencil eraser. Just remember not to apply too much pressure when rubbing as you could damage the contacts

Many people don’t think about the hidden danger of heat to their computers, or how easy computer overheating is to prevent.

A lot of people don’t think about the effects of heat on their personal computer or laptop. The effects of overheating may be subtle, such as causing the computer to run slower or shortening the expected lifespan of the components; or it can be so devastating as to cause a fire. The most common side effect of overheating is having programs freeze or the computer shutting down sporadically.

How Computers Handle Heat
Computer heat is most efficiently handled by fans. The main fan is usually in the back and blows out. In addition there’s usually a heat sink — cooled by another fan or by a coolant system — over the CPU to prevent the processor from overheating. Some computers have additional fans to encourage airflow and help cool off high-heat components, but this varies from computer to computer.

The power supply can cause overheating if it is not properly installed in the case; if the vents aren’t positioned correctly the hot air can end up in the wrong place. The amount of free space inside the computer also matters; if all the hot components are close together, or if the placements of cords/components is impeding airflow, it can cause more heat problems.

What Can Cause Computer Overheating

There are several things that can cause a computer to overheat.

•Dust inside the computer and around the fans acts as an insulator, causing overheating.
•Running the computer in a hot environment also causes overheating.
•Running a lot of unnecessary programs can aid overheating.
•If the fans are obstructed by walls or drapes it can impede airflow.
•If the computer is being overclocked it can cause the components to overheat.
•Leaving the computer on for extended periods of time can cause overheating.
•Having the computer next to a hot device (a hot vent, other machinery, etc) can heat the computer.

How to Prevent Computer Overheating
By looking at the causes of overheating it’s often easy to diagnose and fix the problem that causes it. It’s important to resist the temptation to leave the computer open while running; the typical computer case is designed to conduct airflow, and leaving the computer open may make the overheating worse.
Simple Ways to Increase the Life of Any Computer’s Parts

The easiest way to prevent the computer from overheating is to clean it out. Most retail stores carry compressed air in their computer aisles, and it’s the easiest way to clean dust out of a dirty computer. A vacuum cleaner can also be used to suck the dust out of fans and ports along the outside of the computer. For more in-depth cleaning instructions, Lifehacker offers a step-by-step guide to computer cleaning: Geek to Live: Evacuate PC Dust Bunnies

Keeping the computer off the floor can help keep excess dust and dirt from mucking up the inside of the computer and fans. Also, putting additional fans in the computer can help improve ventilation. Many cases have specific spots for installing these extra fans; make sure that they blow the hot air out.
Don’t keep the computer too close to the wall, or near anything that keeps the hot air around the case rather than dissipating. It’s also helpful to make sure that the computer is free of debris — keeping stuff on top of the computer can insulate the computer as well.

When Nothing Else Works
When nothing else seems to be fixing the problem it may be hardware related: a broken fan or heat sink can cause major heating issues. If there’s a warranty in effect, contacting the manufacturer about any heat problems may be the easiest solution.

An overheated computer can cause any multitude of trouble. Knowing what can cause the overheating is most of the battle, and even the most novice computer user can get inside to clean the parts and check for broken fans.

CHICAGO — Have you ever worked on your laptop computer with it sitting on your lap, heating up your legs? If so, you might want to rethink that habit.

Doing it a lot can lead to “toasted skin syndrome,” an unusual-looking mottled skin condition caused by long-term heat exposure, according to medical reports.

In one recent case, a 12-year-old boy developed a sponge-patterned skin discoloration on his left thigh after playing computer games a few hours every day for several months.

“He recognized that the laptop got hot on the left side; however, regardless of that, he did not change its position,” Swiss researchers reported in an article published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Another case involved a Virginia law student who sought treatment for the mottled discoloration on her leg.

Dr. Kimberley Salkey, who treated the young woman, was stumped until she learned the student spent about six hours a day working with her computer propped on her lap. The temperature underneath registered 125 degrees.

That case, from 2007, is one of 10 laptop-related cases reported in medical journals in the past six years.

The condition also can be caused by overuse of heating pads and other heat sources that usually aren’t hot enough to cause burns. It’s generally harmless but can cause permanent skin darkening. In very rare cases, it can cause damage leading to skin cancers, said the Swiss researchers, Drs. Andreas Arnold and Peter Itin from University Hospital Basel. They do not cite any skin cancer cases linked to laptop use, but suggest, to be safe, placing a carrying case or other heat shield under the laptop if you have to hold it in your lap.

Salkey, an assistant dermatology professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, said that under the microscope, the affected skin resembles skin damaged by long-term sun exposure.

Major manufacturers including Apple, Hewlett Packard and Dell warn in user manuals against placing laptops on laps or exposed skin for extended periods of time because of the risk for burns.

View full sizeAP Photo/HO via PediatricsA 12-year-old boy with evidence of “toasted skin syndrome” on his left leg caused by exposure to high temperatures while spending a great deal of time playing video games with a laptop resting on his legs.

A medical report several years ago found that men who used laptops on their laps had elevated scrotum temperatures. If prolonged, that kind of heat can decrease sperm production, which can potentially lead to infertility. Whether laptop use itself can cause that kind of harm hasn’t been confirmed.

In the past, “toasted skin syndrome” has occurred in workers whose jobs require being close to a heat source, including bakers and glass blowers, and, before central heating, in people who huddled near potbellied stoves to stay warm.

Dr. Anthony J. Mancini, dermatology chief at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said he’d treated a boy who developed the condition from using a heating pad “hours at a time” to soothe a thigh injured in soccer. Mancini said he’d also seen a case caused by a hot water bottle.

He noted that chronic, prolonged skin inflammation can potentially increase chances for squamous cell skin cancer, which is more aggressive than the most common skin cancer. But Mancini said it’s unlikely computer use would lead to cancer since it’s so easy to avoid prolonged close skin contact with laptops.

To view the full article Click Here

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Features
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