Coolin' Things Down
by Gary Woods

One of the biggest problems experienced with laptop computer is heat dissipation. I've seen laptops literally fry themselves from the heat build-up from the central processing unit, hard drive and DVD player. Heat in laptops just like heat in cars is a most unforgiving element. Once something has over heated there's really no recourse but to start replacing major parts or just dump the whole thing and buy something new.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas I saw something called HeatShift by ThermapPAK www.thermapak.com. The HeatShift is a pad placed under your laptop that uses passive heat dissipation to cool the unit. When the pad is placed under the laptop the material in its core is in a solid crystalline state. As the pad begins to work, the core slowly changes from a solid to a gel and the cooling begins. Cool laptops perform better and their batteries last longer.

When the HeatShift Pad is not in use under your laptop its core material changes back into a solid state, ready to be used again and again. The pads use no energy; have no wires and no batteries. They never wear out and never need replacing. They reduce laptop temperature by 8-11 degrees and are ultra-slim, lightweight and flexible.

The HeatShift comes in 3 sizes, 13" X 9", 13.5" X 11.8" and 16" by 11.5" and two colors black and pink. They retail for $27.99, $29.99 and $34.99 respectively.

If you have any suggestions or questions for me please drop me a note at gandlwoods@earthlink.net or see my column on the Internet at http://www.santabarbaraproperties.com or call me at (805) 729-0910