Looking to travel around the world for 2 years, and investing in a car which i’ll be living in! I’ll be spending a lot of time in the sahara and deserts. I hear landcruisers are the most reliables 4×4s. But how reliable are the electronics? Do they fail occasionally? Are they easy to fix by yourself if you’re in the middle of nowhere?! Do you suggest any other cars which are comfortable and provide high performance?

Here’s some basics. Just like that of a manual transmission, the automatic transmission’s primary job is to allow the engine to operate in its narrow range of speeds while providing a wide range of output speeds.
Without a transmission, cars would be limited to one gear ratio, and that ratio would have to be selected to allow the car to travel at the desired top speed. If you wanted a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h elsewhere), then the gear ratio would be similar to fourth gear in most manual transmission cars.
You’ve probably never tried driving a manual transmission car using only fourth gear. If you did, you would quickly find out that you had almost no acceleration when starting out, and at high speeds, the engine would be screaming along near redline. A car like this would wear out very quickly and would not be drivable.
When choosing between manual and automatic, one of the considerations is power.
If you want the most power from your engine, going with a manual transmission versus an automatic is most likely going to be your best bet.
While some modern automatic transmissions, i.e. CVT transmissions, manumatics, and conventional 4 or 5-speed automatic transmissions allow for some excellent acceleration, there is still usually a substantial difference in 0-60 times between these types of automatics and a 5 or 6-speed manual transmission.
For example, an automatic equipped Dodge Neon has a reported 0-60 MPH time of approximately 10.5 seconds.
The same Neon when equipped with a 5-speed manual has a reported 0-60 time of 8.1 seconds; a huge difference.
While most cars do not have this large of a 0-60 MPH gap between auto and manual transmissions, 99 percent of the time you will receive noticeably better performance from a manual gearbox.
The acceleration offered from a vehicle when equipped with a manual transmission is usually superior for a number of reasons; most predominantly due to gear ratios and the availability for more precise shifting. To explain, if you own a car that receives 200 horsepower @ 7,000 RPM, but your automatic transmission will up-shift under full throttle at only 6,000 RPM, you probably will never feel the full amount of power that your engine was made to offer. So, your engine may be stamped with a 200 horsepower rating, but because your car is equipped with an automatic that up-shifts too soon, you may be missing up to 20% of available power. On the other side, with most manual transmissions, you can usually take the engine revs to redline (or past). This enables you to get the most power possible to the front, rear, or all 4 wheels under full throttle take-offs.


So, is fuel economy a huge issue?
If you answered yes, then going with a manual transmission is probably going to be your best bet, although it is far from your only choice.
Many newer cars with automatics have an EPA rating of only 1 or 2 MPG less than the same model car equipped with the manual.
With everything in life, there are exceptions to this rule. Some vehicles get better mileage (5 mpg or more) as an automatic compared to the manual, most notably in Toyota’s like RAV4, and the FJ Cruiser.
If this is the case, most people are not going to save a significant amount of money on fuel costs going with the 5-speed manual (especially if you do a lot of city driving).
Since the majority of drivers do not manually shift for economy (or know how to), the 1 or 2 MPG that is lost with the automatic can easily be gained.
Maintenance/Repair costs:
Even though the automotive world has come extremely far with refining automatic transmissions, most automatic transmissions still need to be serviced far more often than manual transmissions (some auto manufacturers state that their manual transmissions never have to be serviced with fluid changes, etc.
Manual transmissions are also usually slightly/much cheaper to fix when something mechanical goes haywire. This is not always the case, but on average, a manual transmission will cost you less to repair than an automatic in the same type of vehicle.
The clutch disc in manual transmissions does need to be replaced on occasion. There are many factors that determine how long a clutch will last such as driving style, the material the clutch disc is made of, and the amount of city vs. highway driving. Clutch replacement is often a labor intensive task and can cost several hundred dollars if performed at a repair shop.
You need to identify your Needs:
The engine that your car is equipped with makes a huge difference to which type of transmission should be chosen. To explain, if you are looking to buy a car with a 1.5 liter 4-cylinder that pumps out 62 horsepower, and 75 lb-ft of torque you will most likely want/need to go with a manual transmission. Since power in this case is extremely limited, you will need to make the most out of your engine for hill climbing, passing power, etc.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to purchase a car with a

It is well-known that China is one of the biggest consumer electronics factories in the world. Here you can get quality electronic products at reasonable prices. Popular items include MP3, MP4, MP3 Watch, MP4 Watch, Digital Camera, Digital Photo Frame, Digital Camcorder, Car DVD Portable HDD Media Player, Digital Video Recorder and so on. Many made-in-China electronics are the bestsellers in global electronic market

Quality and price are the top two considerations of most consumers. Tradestead Corporation Limited, a leading consumer electronics wholesaler based in China, offers a wide range of superior electronics at competitive prices. Digital Video Camera is one of our bestsellers. Following is an introduction about DCR-008-2SV Digital Video Recorder (Color: Silver), the popular star sought after by many consumers.

If u can not see the picture, please visit our web and put in the number for product search, then you will see it!

(Note: Picture taken from http://www.tradestead.com/wholesale/digital-camcorders/digital-video-camera-p-404 .html)

The DCR-008-2SV Digital Video Recorder is a full-color multifunctional device. Compact and fashionable, it provides high quality video and audio recording as well as super storage capacity for large files. With the built-in speaker and headphone, it can play like a MP3 player. It can also be connected with PC, so you can download pictures via the USB interface which supports file formats including JPEG, ASF, MP3 and WAV. Using the professional picture editing software, you can beautify the picture with your brilliant ideas.

Features:
• A. 5-in-1 multifunctional design: It can function as a digital camera, a digital camcorder, a PC camera, a voice recorder and a MP3 player.
• B. View pictures or videos on the 1.7-inch TFT LCD screen
• C. Download videos or pictures through the USB cable provided
• D. 3.1 mega digital camera
• E. Portable mass storage device
• F. Video recording
• G. Support SD/MMC card
• H. Web camera for video conferencing
• I. Internal memory: 32MB Flash Memory
Package Content:

• 1 x Digital Video Camera
• 1 x USB Cable
• 1 x Installation CD
• 1 x AV Cable
• 1 x English User Guide
• 1 x Earphone
• 1 x Hand Strap
• 1 x  camera Bag

Tradestead is a Chinese based general trading and wholesale company located in the city of Shenzhen, the global manufacturing and sourcing center of electronic products. We are a leading exporter and wholesaler of consumer electronics, IT equipment, and accessories direct from China.

We take advantage of our unique geographical location and cutting-edge B2B E-commerce platform to provide timely product information, real-time price quotes, high-quality products, and value-added services to customers all over the world. To know more about us, please visit www.tradestead.com

tradestead
http://www.articlesbase.com/prepress-articles/digital-video-recorder-from-tradestead-enriches-your-life-702161.html

Regarding those 6-outlet power strip/surge protectors, do you need to start from one end and plug electronics in without skipping any outlets?

For instance, if I need to plug in two DVD recorders and a TV into a power strip, do I need to plug them all into three adjacent, neighboring outlets on the 6-outlet strip, or can I spread them out?

Will plugging one device on one end of the strip and another on the other end cause the unused outlets in the middle to generate electricity as well, thereby wasting energy?


Your choice of outlets makes no difference regardless of plug placement. In all cases, every plug is energized, but those that are not connected will carry no current (i.e. no electricity). Spread them out in a way convenient for you!

No one could have predicted the explosion of electronics that has occurred in the last two decades. Nearly everything we do and have contact with, involves the use of electronics. Even simple wristwatches have become mini computers.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association “Americans own approximately 24 electronic products per household” in the form of computers, iPods, mp3 players, fax machines, printers, cell phones and a host of other products.

This proliferation of electronics has resulted in a huge problem as to how to dispose of electronic waste, known as “e-waste”, when they are no longer operational or wanted. It is estimated that 3.2 million tons of e-waste, most of which is discarded computers and peripherals, is tossed into landfills each year.

A vast array of toxic chemicals, carcinogens and heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, polyvinyl chlorides used in the manufacture of computers are being dumped in those landfills. These materials are known to have toxicological effects ranging from brain damage to kidney disease to mutations, and cancer. The sad part of this is that many of the components of e-waste can be reused.

Prior to the year 2000, much of our e-waste was sent to China. There it is burned, releasing toxic chemicals into the air and water supply. The Chinese then used the by-products to manufacture goods that are shipped out of the country.

In 2006, Jeffrey Weidenhamer, a chemist at Ashland University, published a research paper after studying the components of inexpensive jewelry imported from China. What he found was a very high level of lead in the jewelry. While it was only a theory, the lead from electronic circuit boards was most likely the source.

The only way you can know for sure that the electronic item that you are planning to recycle is truly going to be recycled properly is to check to see if the recycler has an an” E-Steward”designation. Only then will you know that your electronic item is not going to China or to a landfill.

The best way to keep electronics out of the landfills is to reuse them. In the case of computers and peripherals, if they are less than 5 years old, you can send it to a company that refurbishes computers. They will wipe your hard drive clean of any sensitive data and give them to non-profit organizations, schools or other organizations in need of such equipment.

If you are planning dispose of a cell phone, consider donating it to a woman’s shelter. Since the 911 function on a cell phone works even if the service has been terminated, these cell phones are being given to battered women to allow them to call for help when needed.

In addition, many large manufacturers such as Apple, Dell, Gateway, HP, IBM and others, have recycling programs. Information and packing labels are often included with the purchase of a new computer, so you can send back your old computer to the manufacturer for them to recycle.

It may take a little research on your part to locate the proper way to recycle your e-waste, but your efforts will certainly help our environment and help our planet.

Beverly Saltonstall
http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/what-you-should-do-with-ewaste-715838.html

I am in charge of some very old computers. They are older than 10 years old and do not work. I also have some very older printers that do not work either. These electronics are so old I am not looking to repair them. However, maybe there are parts that can be sold? Do you know of any organizations/businesses that buy old electronics that do not work?

sell them on ebay