The ErgoStand improves the flow of air beneath the laptop by raising it half
an inch or so off the supporting surface. A cooler-running laptop increases
the longevity of the battery, boosts system speed, and extends processor life.
I show an ErgoStand in Figure 22-2.Noise, Noise Go Away ..................................................................................
Sound is an important part of the laptop work experience. You may be want-
ing to block out noisy neighbors, extraneous sound from televisions, or the
drone of an airliner in flight. Or you may want to hear the audio from a DVD
movie or a video game while you travel.Noise Stop! Pro-Luxe noise-canceling stereo headphones can help erase back-
ground noise by generating a gentle whoosh of their own. They can also be
plugged in to your laptop to listen to a movie or a music CD, or in to an airplane
seat connection to deliver the audio from the movie that you never wanted to
see in the theater. (Two tips that work with most airline seat connections are
provided.) According to the maker, the neutral sound that is generated by the
single AAA battery within is about -12 dB at 300Hz. dBstands for decibels,
a measurement of sound level; a change of 10 dB down or up represents a
decrease to one-tenth the level or an increase by tenfold.Figure 22-2:
Low tech
but high
design, the
ErgoStand
can raise
the front
or back of
your laptop
to make
it easier
to use,
improving
the flow of
air beneath
the machine
as well.326 Part VI: The Part of Tens