Thank you so much for sending your questions our way. We had more questions come in, but had to limit the Q&A to three today because the answers to the first three had to be so in depth. We’re planning on showcasing the other questions next Thursday at this very same blog.

Q: Is there anything I can do to fix a dead pixel? – Josh

Well Josh, before we get into solutions, let’s first establish what a dead pixel is. A dead, or stuck pixel is a spot on your screen that is either always lit in a certain color, or always dark. The most common cause of a dead pixel is because of the liquid crystal inside the display building up in specific parts of the screen. Think of a dead pixel like a clogged artery. In many instances, dead pixels can be remedied.

Now, another thing to consider is whether or not the pixel is dead or just stuck. Yes, there is a difference. If a pixel is actually dead, it’s not coming back, and you have two options. Either you live with it, or you ditch the screen and get a new one. However, if the pixel is only stuck, you have a few more options.

The Rub – If your pixel is stuck, giving it a nice massage with your finger is probably the best way to bring it back to life. First make sure your monitor is on an all black or all white tone. This is going to make finding those rogue pixels easy. Next, wrap your finger with a soft cotton cloth, or something that won’t scratch up your display. My personal favorite is a microfiber cloth that came with my sunglasses, very nice indeed. Apply pressure, but make sure you’re not crushing the screen because you could damage the working pixels surrounding the bad one. Also, make sure you don’t put a hole through your display, because the manufacturer probably won’t cover that.

The Sweat – This idea is a little risky, and not ScreenTek tested or approved. The basic idea is that if you stash your laptop someplace that isn’t ventilated very well, and keep your laptop from falling asleep, the heat will loosen up the pixel. Be warned, this isn’t guaranteed, and it could pose a potentially serious fire hazard. If you do this, make sure you keep an eye on the laptop.

The Warranty – If your computer is still under warranty, by all means, contact the manufacturer and see what they can do. They may fix or replace it, and they may not, but it’s a valuable option to have in your back pocket just in case.

Q: What, if any programs need to be selected for startup? – Amy

Amy, this is a great question. Customizing your boot programs is one of the easiest ways to speed up your computer when it starts up. As for what you should kill and what you should keep, well it all actually depends on the programs you like to run.

In order to customize which programs start when you boot the computer just type in “msconfig” into the search bar in the windows start menu. (This applies for Windows Vista and Windows 7. For XP Type it into run). Now go to the startup tab, and deselect anything you don’t want to start up right away.

Type in "msconfig" into the search bar

Kill or keep whichever services you'd like, but be careful!

Here is where I would suggest exercising some caution because not all of these services are labeled well, so you may want to do some research on what you’re killing before you do it. My computer for example only has one service starting upon boot. That’s my rainmeter dashboard because I have a customized, interactive desktop that I do all of my navigation through. In the end, it’s mostly about taste and not functionality. At one point I didn’t have anything starting up. After you apply the changes you may be asked to reboot your computer. Go ahead, and keep your eyes peeled for faster load times.

Q: What is Superfetch and how do I go about making it work? –Amy

Amy, Superfetch is a process that computers that run Vista and up use. It was formerly known as PreFetcher in Windows XP, and it was pretty terrible.

Now Superfetch has two main objectives. The first one is to decrease boot times, and the second is to increase application load efficiency. It does this by storing load data in your computer’s RAM (Random Access Memory) rather than the hard drive.

When you boot up your computer, whether or not you’ve chosen to load any programs or services in msconfig, your computer still has processes and services that it needs to run. Superfetch records these actions and the order in which they are executed to make the load more efficient and thus, faster. All of the data are stored in a file on your computer in /Windows/Prefetch/Layout.ini, and yes, the folder is still labeled “Prefetch” in Windows Vista and Windows 7. This file is updated about every three days.

Now in order to increase application efficiency, Superfetch preloads the programs you open and use most often in the computer’s memory. It even takes into consideration the times that you load the applications, so if you use mail more often in the morning, it will preload your email client in the morning, but maybe not at night. Superfetch finds the files critical to an applications first ten seconds of startup and loads that data into the system’s memory. The application data for Superfetch is stored in /Windows/Prefetch and it includes all of the .pf flies.

Now, as far as making Superfetch work, unless you’ve previously disabled Superfectch, it should be working already. If your question is more on how to customize it and make it better, well that’s tricky. In order to edit which files are cached in Superfetch, you have to do some registry key editing, which is not something I nor ScreenTek recommends. A lot of scary stuff can happen in there, and unless you’re pretty knowledgeable in the ways of the registry, we don’t suggest you go in there.

Now there is a loophole of sorts to making Superfetch run better. Superfetch’s performance depends solely on the amount of RAM you have in your computer, so the more RAM you have, the better Superfetch does it’s job. Most new computers these days come with anywhere between 4 and 8 gbs of RAM, which should be absolutely plenty for Superfetch However, if you’re running an older computer with a smaller cache of memory, a RAM upgrade might be a solid solution to speed up your computer. If that’s the case, let us know because a RAM upgrade tutorial is definitely something ScreenTek can help you out with.

If there are any other solutions to any of these questions, please put them in the comments below. Additionally, please keep sending us your computer/tech questions. We’re always willing to help out our beloved fans!

Our new colorful line of iPad screens!

ScreenTek is now offering our iPad2 and iPad3 digitizers in 3 bright new colors!  What better way to get ready for the summer than giving your iPad a touch of color. Now your iPad can be customized to your liking in a color that you absolutely love!

If you crack your iPad2 or iPad3,  and feel like upgrading, just ask ScreenTek for one of our three hot new colors! Even if you haven’t cracked your screen, change up your iPad to reflect your mood. Pink, Blue, and Green are available! The best part is, the new colors start at only $46.99!!! Go grab one today at http://ipad.screentekinc.com.

A few months back we posted a blog with 5 really great applications for your PC. OS X users were furious! “Where’s OUR free software?” and “Why do you hate us so much!?” they asked. Okay, they didn’t really say that, but we did think it would be nice to include our Apple friends in the blog from time-to-time. Besides, what better way to bring them to the party than with free software!?

Now, funnily enough, the programs we mentioned in the last post were all actually available for Mac as well (with the exception of Ad-Aware). So this time, we’re going to get into programs that are a little bit more technical and user-specific.

Burn – This program is amazingly simple, yet equally as powerful. It’s a fantastic disk burning application, and it’s pretty feature rich. There’s automatic converting, interactive menu creation, custom icons, and of course its free.

Notational Velocity – Notational Velocity is my favorite note-taking application. Why? Because the interface is really clean. It’s designed so that you never have to use your mouse. The search feature is amazing, and it keeps everything very organized. Not to mention the app syncs with Simplenote so all the notes I take on my phone, tablet, and computers syncs in the background without a second thought from me.

Spark – I prefer hot keys to do my dirty work. In fact, I loathe using the mouse for anything I can do with a keyboard shortcut. While Spark isn’t quite as feature rich as AutoHotKey for Windows (which can do anything, by the way), it’s certainly a powerful shortcut manager, and probably the best one I’ve found for Mac for free.

Adium – Although OS X comes with the built-in iChat, I don’t really like it, and by that I mean it’s unstable, has tons of connectivity problems, and I actually secretly hate it more than anything. Enter Adium. It’s a really clean and simple chat client that can connect to basically everything under the sun. It even allows for Address Book integration to keep all your contacts front and center. It also supports growl, which is a great notification app for Mac, so you can get those really gorgeous notifications when you receive a message.

Inkscape – In our last free software blog post, we gave PC users a great free alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Luckly GIMP is available for Mac users as well, but what if you need to create scalable vector graphics? That’s where Inkscape comes in. Inkscape is a vector graphics editor similar to Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. Just like in Illustrator, you can do some really amazing stuff in Inkscape. The best part is, the website has tutorials, and a really strong community behind it, so if you’re new to vector graphics you’ll have a lot of free help at your fingertips.

ScreenTek is grateful that you come by to read this blog. We want to be a solid source of tech news, and information for you. With that being said, sometimes it’s difficult for us to know what matters to you the most. We’ve been thinking hard about it; long nights of head scratching, and staring at walls for motivation, and we finally think we’ve come up with something that might work.

We would like to do a Q&A for our customers and fans. We can’t always know what tech conundrums befuddle you, so we want you to ask us, straight up. What do you need to know? We’ll do our best to answer all of your questions, in the best way possible. We want to do this, but we’re not sure if its appropriate for you, our audience, so if this is something you would want to see, please leave a comment below with “Yeahs,” “Nays,” and any other suggestions, or you can send us an e-mail: social@screentekinc.com

Once again we’d like to thank everyone that visits this blog for swinging by from time to time. We’re trying to make this a better, more engaging experience for you.

In our bereavement after the apparent loss of our beloved iPad, we spend different lengths of time working through each step, expressing each in different levels of intensity. The five stages do not always occur in the same order. The key to understanding the stages is not to feel like you must go through every one of them, especially when you have access to another computer. Instead, it’s more helpful to look at them as guides in the grieving process — it helps you understand and put into context where you are and what you need to do about your loss.

1. Denial and Isolation

The first reaction to a broken iPad digitizer screen is to deny the reality of the situation. It is a normal reaction to rationalize overwhelming emotions of something so tragic happening to something that cost you so much money – a defense mechanism that buffers the immediate shock. You block out the words and hide from the facts: your iPad’s screen is broken. This is a temporary response that will carry you through the first wave of pain.

2. Anger

As the masking effects of denial and isolation begin to wear, reality and its pain re-emerge. Your iPad is seriously screwed up. The intense emotion is deflected from your vulnerable (Apple) core, redirected and expressed instead as anger. This anger may be aimed at inanimate objects, like the crappy computer you’ll have to use until your iPad gets repaired, complete strangers, friends or even family. Anger may even be directed at Apple or the iPad itself. Rationally, we know that Apple and its awesome products are not to blame for this calamity, but still… Emotionally, however, you may resent them for causing you pain or for leaving you without your iPad. You feel guilty for being angry, and this makes you even angrier. Time for a drink!

3. Bargaining

The normal reaction to feelings of helplessness and vulnerability is often a need to regain control.”If I could only replace the screen – everything would be different!” The quickest way to regain control in a situation like this is to go to the ScreenTek Inc web site and order yourself a replacement digitizer screen. They accept all major credit cards, in case you don’t feel like bargaining.

4. Depression

Two types of depression are associated with mourning. The first one is a reaction to practical implications relating to the loss – you have an iPad but it doesn’t work. The second type comes from thinking about how much money it will cost you to replace your digitizer screen. This type of depression is predominated by sadness and regret. We worry about costs and delivery time. This phase may be eased by simple clarification and the reassurance of tracking your shipment. Sometimes all you really need is a hug. And your replacement screen.

5. Acceptance

Reaching this stage of mourning is a gift not afforded to everyone. The door bell rings. You open the door. The delivery person has your brand new iPad digitizer screen from ScreenTek Inc. You sign for the screen. This step is called acceptance.

Now the healing process can begin…

Keeping your iPad clean will go a long way towards extending its operating life and maintaining its value. Of all the components that make up an iPad, keeping the unit’s digitizer screen clean presents the biggest challenge. Because it uses touch screen technology, an iPad screen can quickly become covered with fingerprints, smudges and grime.

There are a few preventative measures you can take to keep your iPad screen clean. To avoid scratching or abrasion of the screen, you can store the iPad in a sleeve or case when not in use. Wipe or wash your hands before using the touch screen. Take extra care when eating and drinking while using your iPad so you don’t spill anything onto it. Or just wear gloves when using your iPad. (Well, maybe you don’t have to go that far…)

If your digitizer touch screen is getting a little too dirty, of course you’ll need to clean it. But you want to do it in such a way that you don’t accidentally cause any damage to the unit.  Here are some tips from Apple on cleaning your iPad’s screen:

Before you begin, turn off the iPad. Make sure it is disconnected from any external power sources, external devices and other cabling before you begin cleaning it.

When wiping off the screen, make sure you use only a clean, soft, lint-free cloth.  Materials with potentially abrasive surfaces, such as cotton or paper towels, may cause damage to your iPad screen. Even with normal usage, the ability of the oleophobic coating to repel oil will be reduced over time; rubbing the screen with an abrasive material will have a negative impact on the coating and may scratch your screen. Wipe the iPad screen with a gentle circular motion until the dirt and grime is removed.

Use only water when cleaning the digitizer screen. Don’t use window cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, or abrasives when cleaning your iPad. These can damage the oleophobic coating on the iPad’s digitizer screen and diminish it’s functionality over time. Do not spray cleaners directly onto the iPad or the screen; spray them into your cleaning cloth before applying them to the screen; the last thing you want to do is get any moisture into any of the iPad’s openings. (If liquid does make its way inside your iPad, seek assistance from an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple Retail Store as soon as possible. Liquid damage is not covered under the Apple product warranty or AppleCare Protection Plans.)

If your digitizer screen is beyond cleaning, say it’s been cracked or broken – you can always replace the screen. Companies like Screen Tek, offer OEM digitizer touch screens that you can replace yourself. Replacing a digitizer screen is an easy DIY project that takes about forty five minutes to complete and requires only a few simple tools. For more information, go here: http://ipad.screentekinc.com.

With the proper care and maintenance your iPad’s digitizer touch screen should keep working for years.

Imagine a world where file portability was ten times better than it is right now; a world where putting an entire collection of movies on a portable hard drive only took a matter of minutes. That time is now, my friends. That world you dream of, it’s a reality thanks to USB 3.0. The newest major revision of the Universal Serial Bus standard is really quite something, but what is all the fuss about? What makes USB 3.0 so much different, and better than 2.0?

To start out, it’s way faster. I don’t just mean a little bit faster, or pretty fast. I mean USB 3.0 is incredibly fast. To be exact, it has a transfer speed of up to 5 Gb/s whereas 2.0 only got up to 480 Mbit/s. Not only has the speed been amped up, but the way in which USB will now deliver and receive information has been changed as well. USB 3.0 defines physically separate channels for sent and received information. This creates a two-way street for data to travel so data coming in does not impede data going out. Additionally, USB 3.0 is much more power efficient than its predecessor.

Some things have stayed the same. For instance, the physical size and shape of the port remains the same. This ensures backward compatibility with USB 2.0 revisions. However, upon closer inspection it is revealed that the USB 3.0 port has 5 new pin connectors inside. In addition, because many new computers come with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, the new revision has been color coded blue to differentiate (This seems unnecessary as you can use USB 2.0 devices in a USB 3.0 port and even use 3.0 devices with a 2.0 port at lower speeds).

USB 3.0 has been around since late 2009, but initially devices were few and far between. Luckily now flash drives, USB hubs, and external hard drives all come with USB 3.0 compatibility. You can even buy card adapters to install USB 3.0 on your existing computer. Windows 7 comes with the appropriate drivers, so installation and use will be a breeze.

So the question remains, “Should you get USB 3.0?” Well, if you don’t mind buying new flash drives and hard drives (all of which can now be purchased at a fairly reasonable price) then yes. Go for it! There’s only one concern that I have with USB 3.0. If you currently own a Mac that isn’t a Mac Pro (You can add USB 3.0 with a PCI Express card), there are two issues. The first issue is that it’s not possible to simply add USB 3.0 to a Mac without hacking it up and taking the whole computer apart. The second issue being that the new Macs are equipped with Thunderbolt connections, which are actually two times faster than USB 3.0. Now, don’t get all huffy yet, and ask me why I’m not writing a blog about Thunderbolt connections.

The fact of the matter is that even with Thunderbolt’s amazing speed, it isn’t worth anything because there aren’t many devices available for it. The devices that can be used with Thunderbolt are absurdly expensive (I’m talking $450 starting price. Heck, a 6ft. T-Bolt cable is $50!), and let’s not forget, the technology is for Macs only.

Instead, just grab a USB 3.0 card, and slap it into your PC (they’re only about $30), and enjoy the upgrade. Personally, if you do find yourself transferring massive amounts of data, then go ahead and get it. The cost is minimal for the speeds you’ll be getting out of it. If you don’t have lots of stuff to transfer it’s not a necessary purchase, but it’s a fairly cheap upgrade, and it should stay useful for a very long time.

One of the easiest ways to stay green is really simple – power down any devices you aren’t using. You’ve got tons of things plugged into your walls – televisions, computers, and laptop chargers are probably among those things. When you aren’t using those devices, unplug them, or if you’re not in the room with them, turn them off. Not only will you be using less electricity, but you’ll save a little bit of money by not using energy while those devices aren’t plugged up.

Another thing you can do is make your paper trail digital. Take those old receipts, high school love letters, and college essays, and scan them. Put them on a disc, and recycle all of that paper. By recycling, some one else will use that old paper that you might not need anymore, and who knows? That thesis you wrote may become a napkin, or a recycled paper shopping bag in its next lifetime.

What else could there be for you to do? Well, why not shoot for the stars…Energy Star that is. Check out your latest and greatest gadgets and see how they rate with Energy Star. Energy Star rated technology means that your products are energy efficient, which in the long term keeps you a little more green.

These are just a couple of things you can think about if you decide to celebrate Earth Day, or if you want to be more green in general. Taking these steps are just little ways that you can save some energy, and do your part to protect the planet.

The new iPad site layout. Yes, it's an iPad!

For the past few weeks, everybody here at ScreenTek has been diligently working toward creating a new iPad site with new services. The goal? To make your iPad repair process as smooth and convenient as possible.

First, a quick look at our sleek new site. We made our iPad site look like an iPad with interactive “App” icons to boot. Since most of the customers coming to our iPad site own an iPad, we wanted to give our customers a familiar interface. We hope you find it as sleek, captivating, and interactive as possible.

We made all of our new site icons look like apps for that familiar iPad feel.

In order to deliver the absolute best service, we needed to give our customer options. We had already added options for shipping, and at this point, sending and receiving your iPad couldn’t get any easier with ScreenTek. What we wanted to implement were more options for repair. After extensive examination of all of our internet avenues, we came up with two major ideas.

The first idea evolved from an existing service. We already allowed our customers to purchase digitizers to repair their iPads themselves, but aside from a few really rough hacks on YouTube using less than adequate methods and tools, there wasn’t a lot of information on how to go about the repair at home. So we researched the best ways to get the job done with the least amount of equipment possible. We created an instructional video and wrote up a blog on digitizer repair so our customers could have something to go off of as well.

The second idea came from the thought that immediacy is often more important to our customers than anything else. To fulfill this need, we are building a repair shop network to facilitate fast, convenient, local repair. Not only does this aid our customers in getting the fastest service possible, we are also attempting to grow the customer base of the repair shop network we already work with for laptop screens, and that’s good for everyone involved.

Furthermore, ScreenTek will be initiating a BuyBack program for used, broken, and worn out iPads. We understand that sometimes, a digitizer replacement just won’t do the job, so ScreenTek wants to help you recover some money on that investment.

Get cash to put toward either a new iPad, or maybe an elephant... But we wouldn't recommend that.

Lastly, ScreenTek knows that accidents do happen. They’re nobody’s fault, but sometimes these things happen. If you purchase a digitizer from us, whether ScreenTek does the repair or not, our customers will have a one-year warranty on their digitizer. Cracks, chips, and breaks, ScreenTek will repair your iPad again no questions asked.

If you crack your iPad digitizer within a year of the purchase date, we've got your back!

Content is everywhere. Pick any subject and there’s multiple blogs and news sources covering it. There’s so much information out there on the web, and sifting through all of it is tough enough, let alone getting the chance to view all of it.

What’s even more frustrating is that even though we live in such a technologically advanced society, there are many places where data isn’t available. When you can’t consume your content for whatever reason, you should reach for a cross-platform app called Pocket. Pocket isn’t exactly new. In fact, it used to go by the name Read It Later, and it was a great app, even with the $0.99 price tag.

Now, Pocket is completely free of charge, and it’s been upgraded to deliver your content in an organized, easy, and web-free way. So if you’re on a plane, or if you just don’t have time to view your content, Pocket is a fantastic way to keep yourself connected. The app also syncs your articles, videos, and images across all of your devices whether it’s iOS, Android, or a  browser.

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