SAN FRANCISCO – Recently someone asked me if it was okay to spray Windex on her monitor. I think my shriek of horror startled her. It is NOT okay to spray Windex on a monitor, nor anything else. In fact, when it comes to cleaning an LCD screen, there’s a right way and a wrong way. Let’s focus on the right way (natch).

For starters, turn your monitor off. In fact, if you want to eliminate any risk of shock or other electrical damage, unplug it altogether. (I really don’t think this is necessary, but better safe than sorry.) There will be some moisture involved in this cleaning, and the last thing you want is for liquid to come into contact with anything powered.

Next, find a clean, soft cloth (paper towel will do, but it’s far from the best choice), then dampen it with water. Don’t soak it–there should be no dripping to speak of–just get it moist. And don’t use anything other than water. Ammonia- and alcohol-based cleaners can ruin an LCD. If your screen is seriously gunked up, and plain water doesn’t get the job done, here’s a homebrow option: create a 50/50 solution of distilled water and white vinegar.

If you decide to use a spray bottle, make sure you don’t spray it directly on the screen. That’s because drops can seep in around the bezel (and/or land in the keyboard), and, again, moisture and electronics don’t mix. What you can do is spray your water or solution onto the cloth, then wipe the screen. Use a circular motion, which is best for eliminating streaks, and apply only light pressure.

Finally, let the screen air-dry for a few minutes, or gently wipe it dry with a fresh cloth. Only when you’re absolutely certain it’s 100 percent dry, plug it back in and turn it on. And there you go: good as new!

Now keep those smudgy fingers of yours off that precious LCD!

SAN FRANCISCO – The bad news: At some point, your cell phone is likely to go missing. Whether it falls out of your pocket in a cab, or you leave it unattended in a public place for a few seconds only to have it swiped by someone with sticky fingers and low moral fiber, your phone is vulnerable. In fact, according to a report from security software company Symantec, 36 percent of U.S. consumers have had a cell phone disappear on them.

If that phone is a smartphone–or if the missing item is another valuable mobile device such as a laptop or a tablet–thieves will be even more motivated to do their dirty work. And misplacing your gear or having it stolen is more than just a hassle: Given the amount of information that people store on their devices, losing a gadget may very well mean not only losing your files, contacts, and photos, but also seeing your identity stolen.

What can you do? Start by following these simple steps before your favorite tech goodies go MIA. Although we can’t guarantee that you’ll get your missing phone, laptop, or tablet back, we can at least help you ensure that no unauthorized person starts peeking at your most personal details, and we can help you increase the odds that your gadget will return to you.

Preventive Protection

Use a password: The first step in securing your laptop, phone, or other mobile device is to put a password on it. Needing to enter a password whenever you use your phone may seem inconvenient, but you’ll appreciate having taken the precaution should the device fall into the wrong hands.

On iOS, you can assign a four-digit PIN to keep your iPad or iPhone from being unlocked easily. If you own an Android phone, you can choose either a PIN or a pattern; with a pattern, you unlock your device by drawing a simple shape on the screen. For both Android and iOS, these security options reside under the ‘Settings’ menu. For most Android devices, the option to add a PIN or pattern appears under ‘Location and Security’. On iOS you’ll find the option to set a PIN under ‘General’, then ‘Passcode Lock’.

Remember not to choose an excessively simple PIN like 0000 or 1234. You don’t want to make it unduly easy for anyone other than yourself to access your assorted devices.

In addition, always lock your laptop’s screen when you step away for any period of time, to keep prying eyes from peeping at your work. In Windows, hold down the Windows key and press the L key; that will take you to the login screen.

In Mac OS X, open Keychain Access in your Utilities folder (or do a Spotlight search for it), and within the Keychain Access menu, select Preferences. From there, check the box labeled Show keychain access in the menu bar. A lock icon will appear in the menu bar; that icon will allow you to lock your password keychains, as well as your screen.

Use security software on your smartphone: Even though PINs, patterns, and passwords are a good first line of defense, you’ll need much more to keep your data safe. In fact, one of the first things you should do when you purchase a new phone is to install a mobile security suite.

On Android, apps such as Lookout Mobile Security, Norton Mobile Security, Seekdroid, and Webroot Mobile Security let you remotely locate your absent device, lock it, or wipe all data from it. Some of these apps also in­­clude antimalware and phishing safeguards, so you’ll be protected even in your day-to-day activities. Seekdroid costs $1, while the rest of the listed mobile security suites are free (you will have to pay extra to unlock all of their features, however).

Apps for iOS are more limited. We recommend that you install the Find My iPhone app on all of your iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches. After installing the app, you can use your Apple ID to sign in to Me.com, which will open to a map showing your iOS device’s approximate location, as well as options for displaying a message on the lost hardware, remotely locking it, or remotely wiping it. Find My iPhone does require a little setup, but operation is straightforward once you have it working.

The only drawback to Find My iPhone is that it’s easy to disable, whereas several of the Android security suites we’ve mentioned will either request a password or hide the app. We’re hoping that you followed our earlier advice and set up a PIN on your device to prevent people from getting into it and then uninstalling the security app.

Track your laptop: You can hunt down a lost laptop in much the same way that you track a missing smartphone. Consider investing in LoJack for Laptops, a subscription service that makes it easier for both you and law enforcement to find your laptop. The service permits you to track the notebook’s location (some plans track only IP addresses, while others track by using GPS), lock it so that nobody can access the data, remotely wipe the hard drive, and perform other tasks. LoJack requires a piece of software that you install on your computer; versions are available for Windows and Mac. Plans start at $40 per year.

If you prefer tracking your laptop yourself, try out Prey, which installs a small piece of software on your computer that lets you track the system’s location via an online control panel. You can also capture screenshots of your laptop if it goes missing (to gather information about a thief), take a photo using the built-in webcam, sound an alarm (useful if you misplace your laptop nearby), remotely lock the computer, and more. The Prey software runs on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Android; installation is fairly straightforward.

The free version of Prey allows you to monitor up to three devices (computers or Android-based phones), and the various “Pro” account options range in price from $5 for a personal account to $400 for a large business.

At this writing, Apple was working on Find My Mac, which is similar to Find My iPhone but for Apple laptops. Find My Mac may be available by the time you read this.

A word of caution: Privacy concerns about device-tracking products have begun to emerge. Shortly before we went to press, a judge ruled that a woman in Ohio could sue Absolute Software, makers of LoJack for Laptops, for allegedly infringing on her privacy after she had unknowingly purchased a stolen laptop. So if you decide to use a device-tracking product on your gear, be sure to use it responsibly.

Lock your laptop: A physical lock isn’t foolproof, but it will help prevent someone from swiping your machine off your desk. Companies such as Kensington and Targus sell assorted products that attach to or link through the lock port on most laptops. One from Targus even has an alarm that sounds when someone picks up your laptop.

More Preventive Protection

Label your device: If you’re feeling optimistic that your gadget will fall into the hands of a person with a conscience, you can use a service such as BoomerangIt or StuffBak. With both services, you attach a coded label to your device; the label encourages anyone who finds the gear to go to the BoomerangIt or StuffBak website and follow the instructions to report the recovered item. You can also stipulate a monetary reward on the label, which should improve the odds that the finder will do the right thing.

Back up your phone or tablet data frequently: If you’re using some flavor of Android, remember that Google backs up most of the basic phone and tablet data (contact lists, email messages, app purchases) and stores it online for you. Focus on backing up photos, videos, and any documents or files you may have downloaded; those items generally aren’t synced to Google’s servers, so it’s up to you to keep regular backups.

A good app for safeguarding your entire device is MyBackup Pro ($5), which backs up every file on your gadget and saves it to your SD Card or to an online storage service. If you save the backup data to an SD Card, make sure to keep the card in a safe place, and don’t use it as your primary storage. That way, if your device disappears forever, you can just plug the SD Card into your new gadget and restore all of your lost information.
iOS owners have it slightly easier. Every time you sync your iPhone or iPad to iTunes, you create a backup of your device on your computer. The backups contain all of your app data, as well as your settings, pictures, music, movies, and books. Restoring an iDevice is as easy as plugging it in and selecting Restore. iOS 5, which Apple had not yet released as we went to press with this issue, should automatically sync your phone or tablet via iCloud, Apple’s upcoming personal online storage service. Until iCloud arrives, you will have to sync your data manually.

Recovering a Lost Gadget

If the worst does happen and you lose your phone, tablet, or laptop, don’t panic. Just take a deep breath, and then follow these steps to hunt it down and protect yourself.

Change all of your passwords: This is the very first thing you should do after losing any device containing valuable data. Start with your email password–once thieves have access to your email, they can easily break into all of your other online accounts by resetting your various website passwords.

While you’re at it, now might be a good time to revisit your approach to passwords, making them stronger–and easier to remember in the process. Want help? See PCWorld’s tips for building better passwords.

File a police report: Once you have changed your account passwords, file a police report for your missing tech. Be sure to mention any identifying features (say, engravings or other customizations), as they will help other people recognize your device. You might also want to alert any local pawnshops in case someone tries to sell it for a quick buck, though this step may be time-consuming.

Track your gadget: If you have in­­stalled recovery software on your gear, activate it and use it to gauge your device’s location. For most tracking products, this means logging on at the service’s website and tracking your wayward gadget via the control panel. At this point, it’s entirely up to you whether to pursue your device or just give it up for lost and wipe it remotely.

On iOS, a remote wipe will erase all content on the device. Wiping an Android phone or tablet will clear most of the user data, but SD Cards and other pieces of external media will remain untouched; keep that in mind if you store a lot of critical information on your SD Card.

Turn to Plan B: What if you didn’t install any recovery software? Are you out of luck? If it’s an iOS device, probably yes. But Android users can still take action. Thanks to the Web-based Android Market, you can remotely install recovery software to your phone or tablet, even if it is no longer in your possession. For instance, in addition to its mobile security suite, Lookout offers the aptly named Plan B. You remotely install the app through the Web-based Android Market, and it begins to run automatically, sending email messages to your Gmail account with a map showing where your equipment is. Don’t rely on this app alone, though: Consider Plan B only as a last resort, rather than as your primary or sole line of defense.

Starting Over With a New Phone or Laptop

Let’s say that despite following our suggestions, you’ve lost your valuable mobile tech and you’re resigned to the fact that the device will never come back to you. Yes, it’s time to start from scratch. Fortunately, securing a new laptop, tablet, or smartphone will be a relatively quick and painless affair. But even before you begin to set up your new device and install any of the apps we recommend elsewhere in this article, consider taking two actions.

Contact your carrier: If your missing phone, tablet, or laptop used a SIM card, make sure that your wireless carrier has deactivated or locked it. That move will prevent other people from simply pulling the SIM card out of your locked device, inserting it into their own, and then shamelessly racking up charges to your account. This tip also applies to LTE (4G) phones on Verizon, as well as to so-called world phones (handsets that work outside the United States), since they also carry SIM cards. Be sure to explain to your carrier that your device was stolen; it may be helpful to bring along a copy of the police report you filed, in case you need to dispute any charges.

Keep an eye on your financial statements: If evildoers succeeded in rummaging through your data before you could wipe or lock your device, they may have snagged some of your personal financial information. If you did any online banking or shopping on the lost device, change the passwords for those accounts immediately. Check your credit reports by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com, and be ready to put out a fraud alert at the first signs of trouble. You might also wish to cancel any credit cards that you used on the device, as they may have been compromised.
So get to it! Something as simple as downloading and installing a basic security program or locking your laptop doesn’t take much effort. And you never know: A ten-dollar app could end up saving you thousands in the long run.

SAN FRANCISCO – Right as the new school year comes up, it dawns on you: Your laptop is hopelessly outdated. Maybe you’re accustomed to using the family computer at home, and will need one of your own as you head off to college. Or perhaps you’re a high school student who just can’t take another year of sharing your computer with relatives. Whether you’re a parent purchasing for your child or a student spending your own limited funds, you should look for a few key things when buying a laptop for academic life. With our list of what to consider and what to avoid, the dizzying array of choices just might seem less overwhelming.

What You Need

1. Long Battery Life

If you’re a college student, you’ll be carrying this thing around all day, taking notes in class and finishing up assignments at the last minute. A 4-hour battery won’t cut it.

2. Low Weight

Your bag will be heavy enough with all those books in it. Although an extra pound or two doen’t seem to make a big difference at first, it adds up quickly. Look for something under 4 pounds–your shoulders will thank you.

3. Good Keyboard

You’ll do a lot of typing on this machine. It isn’t just about writing papers, either: Online chat, Facebook, Twitter…95 percent of what you’ll be using this laptop for involves more typing than anything else. Find a laptop on which you can type quickly, comfortably, and accurately.

4. High-Definition, Low-Light Webcam

For video chat, duh! It’s fun with your friends–and if you’re off at college, your parents will appreciate the ability to see your smiling, hung-over face every now and again. Nearly every laptop has a built-in webcam, but not all are created equal. Look for a high-def webcam that works well in low light.

5. Warranty or Protection Plan

We don’t often recommend extended coverage plans for technology, but students are notoriously rough on laptops. Notebooks get tossed into bags and dropped, accidentally kicked by clueless roommates, spilled on by clumsy classmates, you name it. Choosing a durable laptop is a good start, but make sure that you aren’t without your second-most-critical piece of technology (next to your phone) the day before a big assignment is due.

6. Security Software

Laptops are stolen all the time at schools, even from students who are really careful. Look into software that will help you recover a missing laptop and keep your private information safe, such as GadgetTrack, Hidden, or LoJack. You definitely want to run a good antivirus program, such as Avast or Microsoft Security Essentials, as well.
What You Don’t Need

1. Quad-Core Processor

There’s nothing wrong with a quad-core processor; for most of what a student uses a laptop for, however, two cores is plenty. A dual-core CPU typically uses less power and costs less, while providing plenty of performance for writing, researching, goofing off online, and editing photos.

2. Powerful Discrete Graphics

A good graphics chip is useful for a lot of things, from better video quality to faster web browsing. A powerful discrete graphics chip is practically mandatory for playing modern top-shelf 3D games, too. Unfortunately, they come with a bunch of drawbacks: They generate heat, they eat through your battery, they make the system bigger and heavier, and of course they cost more. Stick with a high-quality integrated graphics offering (such as AMD’s) or a modest discrete graphics chip.

3. Solid-State Drive

SSDs are a lot faster than traditional hard drives, and arguably more durable. They also offer a lot less capacity and can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a laptop. We love SSDs, but the typical college or high school student doesn’t need one. A student needs the capacity to hold lots of music, videos, and photos in a laptop that’s affordable enough not to bankrupt you if it has to be replaced.

4. Touchscreen

Touch is all the rage these days, and it’s even popping up on a few laptops. But laptop software optimized for touch isn’t commonly available yet. A touchscreen is a costly–and mostly useless–feature on a laptop right now, especially for budget-conscious students. Maybe Windows 8 will change all that next year. For the time being, however, save the touchscreens for your phones or tablets.
5. 4G Wireless

A 3G cellular modem dongle can be a good way to obtain emergency Internet access when you can’t get on Wi-Fi, but a student certainly doesn’t need WiMax or LTE. Access plans cost enough already without the extra amount for 4G speed. Students taking a break from homework can wait to watch a YouTube clip or Netflix movie until they get back on Wi-Fi.

MUMBAI – Hewlett-Packard on Tuesday announced 11 new laptops starting at US$399, running AMD’s new chips code-named Llano.

The new Pavilion and ProBook laptops have dual- and quad-core A-series chips, which AMD is expected to officially announce this month. The laptops are targeted at consumers and businesses.

AMD’s A-series chips are faster and more power-efficient than its predecessors, the Phenom, Athlon and Sempron processors. The new processors integrate the CPU and graphics processor in a single chip.

HP has been updating its laptops this year with Intel’s latest Core chips based on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, which started shipping in January. Like the A-series chips, Sandy Bridge chips integrate the graphics processor and CPU in a single chip. Analysts have said that while AMD’s graphics technology is superior, the CPU technology is better on Intel chips.

Like other vendors, HP is offering both AMD and Intel chips on its laptops to meet market demand for a variety of laptop configurations.

The new ProBook and Pavilion laptops provide longer battery life than its predecessors, HP said. The laptops will become available in different parts of the world in various configurations, though the company did not provide specific release dates. The A-series chips in the laptops have CPUs running between 2.3GHz and 2.5GHz and Radeon graphics processors running between 1.4GHz and 2.1GHz.

The Pavilion G4, G6 and G7 laptops are priced starting at $399, and are targeted at budget customers for basic tasks like office productivity and casual gaming. HP did not provide further details on the laptops or their battery life.

The Pavilion DV4, DV6 and DV7 laptops start at $579, and are designed for entertainment, the company said. The laptops offer double the graphics performance than previous integrated graphics technologies, HP said.

The ProBook S-series business laptops are priced starting at $519. The strong Radeon graphics engines allow the laptops to run heavy multimedia applications, besides regular applications. Browsers will for example off-load Adobe Flash video for processing on the graphics processor. Earlier such tasks were done by the CPU, which is typically slower in processing graphics.

The ProBook 4435S and 4436S models come with 14-inch displays, while the 4535S has a 15.6-inch display. The laptops support up to 8GB of RAM and 750GB of hard drive storage. The laptops have USB 3.0, HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface), and Microsoft’s Windows 7 OS. The weight of the laptops start at between 2.07 kilograms (4.57 pounds) and 2.33 kilograms without optical drives.

The AMD processor options with the ProBook S-series laptops include the 2.3GHz quad-core A6-3400MX processor or 2.5GHz dual-core A4-3400M.

The ProBook B-series laptops, priced starting at $679, includes the 14-inch screen 6465B, and a 15.6-inch screen 6565B. The laptops come with either the quad-core A8-3510MX processor running at 2.5GHz, the 2.3GHz quad-core A6-3410MX, or the dual-core A4-3310MX running at 2.5GHz.

SAN FRANCISCO – When you’re considering a new desktop or laptop, it’s easy to get distracted by speed bumps in processors and RAM. But as long as you’re getting a modern processor, you’ll likely find that the amount of RAM or storage space you opt for will have a bigger impact on your computing experience than minor differences in clock speed.

Laptops and Desktops: Specs That Don’t Matter

Slight differences in CPU clock speeds: Yes, a 2.6GHz processor will be faster than a 1.2GHz processor, but you shouldn’t pay more for small increases in clock speed. You won’t notice the difference between a 2.3GHz Core i5 and a 2.5GHz Core i5, so don’t pay $100 for the privilege of an unnoticeable uptick in processing speed. Related: Overclocking for Newbies
RAM speeds: Again, faster is faster, but the noticeable difference between 1066MHz and 1333MHz is practically none. Related: How to Overclock Your RAM
DVD/Blu-ray write speeds: Even if you are one of the handful of folks left tinkering with physical media, you’d be hard-pressed to find a drive that offered much of a leg up in burning speed. If you’re going to burn a disc, you’re going to be waiting a bit whether it’s a 6X drive or a 10X drive. And they all play movies just fine. Related: Can’t Get Blu-ray to Play? Try This!
Laptops and Desktops: Specs That Sometimes Matter

Graphics RAM: Looking to watch some high-def YouTube clips or enjoy the occasional Blu-ray video? Most people have no need to pay more to go from 1GB to 2GB of RAM on a midrange graphics card. The graphics board that ships with your PC will more than likely be enough–even the integrated graphics capabilities of AMD’s Fusion chips and Intel’s Sandy Bridge lineup will be more than a match for your media.

Gamers are the exception here, as a beefier card with 1GB of RAM will outpace a 256MB or 512MB counterpart. The 2GB realm is generally reserved for the $700-and-up, enthusiast-level cards–a different beast altogether.

Really high amounts of graphics RAM are useful primarily on very high-end graphics on very high-resolution screens. A faster graphics chip with less RAM will almost always produce better performance than a slower chip with more RAM. Related: How to Upgrade Your Graphics Card
Quad-core processors: In the world of laptops, a dual-core processor is likely to be faster than a quad-core for most of the mainstream applications that the majority of users run; a dual-core CPU often operates at a much higher clock speed, and most general-purpose applications don’t make good use of four CPU cores.

But if you do a lot of video-processing tasks, heavy scientific computation, or engineering work, four cores may be a great way to go. If you want to buy a future-proof desktop system, keep in mind that multithreaded applications are becoming the norm, and your PC will be able to hammer away at more tasks if it has a bit of extra computational headroom. Truth be told, unless you’re looking at a particularly low-end desktop, it’s difficult to find a desktop PC that isn’t already sporting a quad-core CPU. Related: How to Upgrade Your CPU
Laptop display brightness: A bright laptop screen is usually one that drains the battery quickly. Besides, 300 nits is so bright that it’s hard to look at indoors, and most users turn their display’s brightness down a little anyway.

The exception? Display brightness is important for people who often use their laptops outdoors. If you do, you’ll want all the brightness you can get. Related: Top 10 All-Purpose Laptops
Laptops and Desktops: Specs That Always Matter

Amount of RAM: No doubt about it, in any computer you’re better off having more RAM. A netbook with 2GB of RAM will be a lot snappier than a laptop with 1GB. If you’re serious about performance, don’t settle for less than 4GB–and getting 6GB or 8GB of RAM isn’t a bad idea. Related: How to Upgrade Your RAM
A roomy, 7200-rpm hard drive: Usually listed in revolutions per minute, “hard-drive speed” refers to how fast the platter spins. Faster-spinning platters generate both faster data-transfer speeds and faster seek times. A 7200-rpm hard drive will often produce a more responsive feel than a 5400-rpm hard drive will. Related: Top Internal Hard Drives
As for storage space, what’s the use of having a souped-up rig if you can’t fit anything in it? Fortunately, storage is becoming increasingly inexpensive, and gargantuan 3TB drives are starting to make the rounds. Looking at solid-state drives? We love them, but they can still be woefully pricey. If you have the cash to splurge, we recommend using a solid-state drive as a lightning-quick boot drive for your applications and operating system. Related: The ABCs of SSDs
Weight: Small differences in weight make a big difference when you’re lugging your laptop around wherever you go. The difference between 3.5 pounds and 5 pounds may not seem like much, but when your laptop bag is on your shoulder all day, it’s enormous. Related: Top 10 Ultraportable Laptops
Battery life: Obviously, the more battery life the better. When you’re assessing this spec, however, take any claim by the manufacturer and chop off 20 percent. Claimed battery life always assumes a best-case scenario–a scenario you’ll never see in real life. Related: How to Extend Your Laptop’s Battery Life