Author: Dave Farquhar

What is a multi core processor?

Dave Farquhar Hardware
What is a multi core processor?

What is a multi core processor? Why are they necessary? Multi core processors saved Intel’s bacon in 2005 when the Pentium 4 CPU failed to meet expectations, and they led to noticeable changes in the way computers are designed and marketed.

A multi core processor is a processor with multiple processor cores on a single chip. This gives improved performance, though performance doesn’t scale linearly.

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Am I saving enough for retirement? Are you?

Dave Farquhar Investing
Am I saving enough for retirement? Are you?

Am I saving enough for retirement? What about you? It’s not necessarily an easy question to answer off the top of your head. The answer is, most people aren’t. Here’s what you can do about it.

The average person doesn’t have enough saved for retirement. Increasing 401(K) or other IRA contributions is the best way to fix that, and the maximum contribution may be higher than you think.

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Are stocks safe to invest in?

Dave Farquhar Investing
Are stocks safe to invest in?

Are stocks safe to invest in? All the disclaimers that you see at the bottom of stockbroker web pages sure makes it sound like they’re not. But the alternatives aren’t necessarily completely safe either. Here’s how to understand how stocks work, and whether you should put your money in them, or elsewhere.

Fear of stocks generally comes from not understanding what they are or how they work. There are ways to make them safe, and with reasonable precautions, their higher yield makes them safer in some ways than traditional “safe” investments.

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What are keywords for SEO?

Dave Farquhar Writing
What are keywords for SEO?

What are keywords for SEO? They’re absolutely fundamental for understanding SEO, but I think many people overcomplicate them. Here’s an explanation for the rest of us.

Keywords are phrases that people type into search engines. Search engines use them to figure out what a web page is about, and then try to match readers with web pages.

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How big is 1:43 scale?

Dave Farquhar Toys
How big is 1:43 scale?

1:43 scale is a popular size for diecast vehicles. It matches the size of O scale trains in the UK. It doesn’t match the size of US O scale trains. But how big is 1:43 scale? And should you care about the difference?

A 1:43 vehicle is about 4.5 inches long, which is about 10% oversize compared to 1:48. You’ll notice the difference if the two are side by side, but there are ways to compensate for the difference too.

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How much does a blogger make?

Dave Farquhar Writing
How much does a blogger make?

How much does a blogger make? It depends on how much traffic you get. But it’s certainly possible to estimate how much you can make as a blogger and plan accordingly. Some people even manage to make a full-time living off it, though that’s certainly not a guarantee. Nor is it a necessity, in some cases.

A blog that gets 3,300 pageviews per day should generate $30/day in revenue, if not a bit more. A blog that gets less traffic than that only makes a few dollars a day. Over the years I’ve devised a formula that can get you into the $10 per 1,000 pageviews territory.

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Coffee maker leaks? Try this.

Dave Farquhar DIY
Coffee maker leaks? Try this.

I fixed a strange problem with my coffee maker this week. If your coffee maker leaks and nothing anyone else says helps, try this.

In my case, it was my filter. Yes, my filter.

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Should I roll over my 401(K)?

Dave Farquhar Investing
Should I roll over my 401(K)?

Should I roll over my 401(K)? Good question. While there may be reason not to do so, in most cases, you would be better off if you did. Here’s how to decide if you should, and where you should roll it over to.

Rolling over your 401(K) helps you keep all your retirement money in one place and can offer you additional control. In some cases, it also saves you money.

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401(K) asset allocation

Dave Farquhar Investing, Saving money
401(K) asset allocation

When you’re enrolling in your employer’s 401(K) plan, one of the most difficult questions is your 401(K) asset allocation. They’re limited in what advice they can give you, so I’ll share what’s worked for me.

The key to 401(K) asset allocation is to get a good mix of stocks of large companies, medium-sized companies, growth stocks, international stocks, and bonds. This helps you to do well over the long term, even when the market has bad years.

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What can damage a Lionel train?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
What can damage a Lionel train?

What can damage a Lionel train? Neglect and abuse, basically. When well cared for, they’re pretty bulletproof.

There’s not a lot that can damage a Lionel train, as long as you store it in conditions that wouldn’t make you terribly uncomfortable, run it within spec and maintain it occasionally.

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