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Tag Archive | "Computer"
Hot Tech Deals – Rosewill Destroyer Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $39.99 Free Shipping & More!
Posted on 09 October 2011.
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Hot Tech Deals – Rosewill Destroyer Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $39.99 Free Shipping & More!
Posted on 09 October 2011.
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Hot Tech Deals – Rosewill Destroyer Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $39.99 Free Shipping & More!
Posted on 08 October 2011.
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Hot Tech Deals EXPIRING Dell Precision T1600 Quad-Core Xeon Desktop Computer $739 & More!
Posted on 30 September 2011.
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How To Dual-Boot The Windows & Linux OS’s On Your Computer
Posted on 21 September 2011.
Why dual-boot? Maybe you want the security of Linux when you’re browsing the web, but want access to the vast library of games Windows can offer? Perhaps you want to explore Ubuntu and other Linux systems but want to leave Windows around in case you need it?
The easiest way to get dual-boot working is to use
Install Windows First – Then Linux
Put simply, if you want to set up a dual-boot setup, you need to install systems in the proper order. Install Windows first, then install Linux.
Why? Basically, Windows does not recognize the existence of other operating systems. It is a bit of a psychopath, assuming that if you’re installing Windows, you only need Windows. As such, Windows does not provide any way for you to access your other operating systems installed alongside it.
Don’t worry, though. Almost all Linux distros recognize that Windows exists, and are willing to share the computer with Windows. This is why you should always set up Windows first, then set up Linux. This will give you a choice of operating systems when you start your computer.
There are
If you’re installing Windows now, leave some space free on the hard drive. 10GB is probably enough depending on what you plan to do in Linux, but how much space you give each system will ultimately depend on what you plan on doing with them and which system you see as being your primary system. Give this some thought.
Dp you want to install Linux alongside an already-existing Windows installation? This is also possible, although a little more complicated. I’d highly recommend defragmenting your drive before you do anything else, however.
Back Up!
If you plan on dual-booting, you should really backup your data. It’s unlikely, but there’s always a chance when you’re messing around with your disk partitioning that something might go wrong. You can backup your data manually if you like, or you can
Do you need more information? Check out our
Install Linux
Once you’ve backed up your information you’re ready to install Linux. Doing this is easy, just download the ISO file for your Linux distro of choice, burn it to a CD and then boot from the CD.
If you want an easy-to-set-up distribution, I recommend Ubuntu. Its guided installation process will help you make room for itself:
Pay careful attention to your options. You want to install Ubuntu alongside Windows, not replace Windows. Once you select this option you will be taken to the partition editor. If you left empty space, simply use this empty space to install Ubuntu. If you haven’t, you’ll need to shrink your Windows partition first. Do this by right-clicking your Windows partition, then lowering the space it takes up.
Do you want access to your Windows files from Ubuntu? You can. During installation, set up your Windows drive to be mounted every time you boot.
Unfortunately it’s a lot harder to get Windows to see files from your Linux partition. There are some
Your New System
Congratulations! You’ve now got a dual-boot environment set up. It was pretty easy, wasn’t it?
Leave your dual-booting advice below, along with any recommended distros for dual-booting. Also, feel free to ask any dual-booting questions at
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Cold Calling Computer Technicians: Don’t Fall For A Scam Like This [Scam Alert!]
Posted on 16 September 2011.
I’m basing this article on my experience with a would-be scammer who called my parents house last week. This isn’t the first time Mr Windows Repair Guy has so helpfully graced us with his detailed instructions, and this time I was determined to find out exactly what the deal was.
Tell your friends, tell your relatives – Microsoft does not call to fix your PC.
The Call
When the phone rang, the guy on the other end claimed to be from “Windows Technical Support”. Many people would probably notice that something is awry at this point, as Microsoft isn’t known for cold calling to tell you there’s a problem with your computer. Straight away I knew it was the good old “you’ve got viruses, and we can fix ‘em” scam, so instead of the “where’s the Start button on my Linux desktop?” routine I had fun with last time, I thought I’d play along.
I was informed that Microsoft had detected that I had viruses on my computer, and that if I didn’t follow his advice to remove them, my computer could “crash unexpectedly at any time” (tell me something I don’t know).
So I sat down at my parents’ new Windows 7 machine and asked him what sort of viruses I had. He told me to click on Start, right-click on Computer and choose Manage. Then I was told to click Event Viewer, Custom Views then Administrative Events.
This is where the scam gets somewhat believable. This screen displays a log of messages from various services and programs running on your PC. At first glance, there are a lot of red crosses and warning triangles, which could probably look quite serious to an average user.
Apparently, these were my viruses!
The Fix
I was then asked if I could delete any of these new-found viruses with a simple right-click and Delete. As we all know by now – these aren’t viruses. Additionally, you can’t remove the log with the right-click context menu, so I guess they’re just here to stay?
Of course the fix was only round the corner. Once I’d informed my new best friend that I couldn’t remove them, he told me to open Internet Explorer (!) and assured me there was software available to help victims like me.
The website I was told to visit was AMMYY.com (which we are not linking to), but the software didn’t seem to match up. This website claims to provide a remote desktop solution, not the malware dressed up as security software I was expecting.
At this point I had been on the phone for a good 15 minutes, with much of the conversation lost in translation as I struggled to understand the heavy Indian accent. I had words, informed him that I knew exactly what was going on and would be reporting the incident to BT (the telephone provider) as well as shaming him in any way possible and bid him adieu.
Didn’t stop him calling back immediately though did it?
The Cost
There are a plethora of reasons you shouldn’t trust a cold caller, but even more so when it comes to your PC, your personal information and suspicious software. The costs associated with someone gaining remote access to your computer could be devastating. Sensitive information relating to bank accounts, passwords for paid services and documents that could be used to
Goods could be ordered via services that save your billing information and any sites that remember logins will be easily accessible. In addition to theft, safeguards like anti-virus programs might be disabled and further malicious software like keyloggers and trojans could be installed.
There is unfortunately very little that can be done to combat these scams. I phoned BT and was told that the numbers from this type of call are virtually untraceable, but calls came from “somewhere in Asia” and were a persistent problem. If the perpetrators are using
Conclusion
Hopefully this article has provided some brief insight into this kind of scam, which is prevalent all over the world. Unless you fancy becoming part of the big bad botnet, you’d better never trust a caller like this. Variations are common – sometimes it’s bogus anti-virus software that requires payment, or similar – so remain vigilant.
I’m not sure whether AMMYY.com are a legitimate company or not, but Panda’s Firefox plugin doesn’t rate the website and nor does a quick Google search which brings up all sorts of “scam” notices. I’m going to recommend that nobody uses an AMMYY.com product, purely on the basis that there are
Have you had any phone calls like this? Do you know anyone who has? Consider sharing this article, and spreading the word. Comments and discussion are welcome below this article.
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3 Tools To Remind Yourself To Take A Break & Relax While Working At The Computer
Posted on 30 June 2011.
The good news is that short breaks of
EVO is a website helper which runs your selection of a default or custom timer that will remind you of a 5 or 10 minute break. The setup is simplistic and not intrusive. During the screen, EVO can black out your screen and count down the time of your break.
EVO also provides instructions for eye gymnastics that you can go through during your break.
The creators of EVO have also launched a website that has information about the
Big Stretch Reminder is a reminder app designed to remind you to do regular stretches during your work day. It comes with a variety of options, including custom settings. You can select the time between breaks from a list of predefined options or create a custom setting.
For the reminder mode you can choose between a non-intrusive balloon mode or an intrusive popup mode. The third option, the micro-break mode, is of the intrusive popup type. The message that is shown along with your break reminder can be a random tip or customized.
If you’re a workaholic who has no trouble getting lost in work and forgetting the time, then you should try Breaker. It’s a simple software that lets you set up breaks individually in a loop or pattern.
The app runs in the system tray and when you hover over it you can see the countdown to your next break. Once the time has run out, a quiet alarm and a little window in the bottom right of the screen reminds you that it’s time for a break or to get back to work.
Since Breaker allows the creation of custom patterns, it is also a great tool to easily remind yourself of meetings or appointments scattered throughout the day.
You can find more reminder apps
MakeUseOf’s Web Developer James Bruce recently switched from a sitting to a standing desk -
What is your desk setup? Do you have experience working at a standing desk or could you imagine doing it?
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Test Your Computer For Security Misconfigurations With Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
Posted on 28 June 2011.
You can
Getting Started
The startup interface of MBSA is very simple and basically offers only three options: scan a computer, scan multiple computers, or view existing security scan reports. The sidebar also offers links to the program documentation and the Microsoft security website.
Note that you require Administrator rights for all machines that you wish to scan. You can scan a single or multiple systems based on the computer name or IP address. If you select to scan multiple computers, you need to enter a domain name or a range of IP addresses.
For this demonstration I went with scanning a single computer.
The scanning options are straightforward, although not necessarily clear for the inexperienced user. If you don’t understand what some of the options mean, click the > Scanning Options link at the bottom for detailed explanations. The information will load in a separate Internet Explorer window.
The scan merely takes a few seconds and returns an overview of issues found in different categories. Each item is scored and a summary of the result is provided, along with links to further information material.
Checks that were passed receive a green score, items that could not be checked are marked with a grey minus, room for improvements is highlighted by a blue score, a yellow score indicates a non-critical vulnerability and a red score alerts the user to a failed check and thus a critical security issue. Follow the respective links for detailed information about what was scanned or instructions on how an issue can be corrected.
All reports are saved and can be accessed at a later time for reference. You can also print or copy your report to the clipboard.
Conclusion
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer is a very good tool to quickly get an overview of security-related settings on your Windows machine. Instructions for correcting detected security misconfigurations are very clear and should therefore be easy to follow for the average user. Overall, the documentation is surprisingly detailed and well done, almost as if Microsoft expected non-IT folks to use this tool.
It must be said though that fixing most configurations does require some basic understanding of how Windows works. For example an issue with the file system is not necessarily security relevant and the instructions do not provide information on how to find the drive that doesn’t run NTFS. Moreover, some issues require advanced knowledge and should be left to the experts to be fixed, for example setting a password expiration.
For more information, also have a look at this article from Microsoft Patterns & Practices:
What is your opinion? Do you think this is a useful tool? Please share your thoughts!
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Test Your Computer For Security Misconfigurations With Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
Posted on 28 June 2011.
You can
Getting Started
The startup interface of MBSA is very simple and basically offers only three options: scan a computer, scan multiple computers, or view existing security scan reports. The sidebar also offers links to the program documentation and the Microsoft security website.
Note that you require Administrator rights for all machines that you wish to scan. You can scan a single or multiple systems based on the computer name or IP address. If you select to scan multiple computers, you need to enter a domain name or a range of IP addresses.
For this demonstration I went with scanning a single computer.
The scanning options are straightforward, although not necessarily clear for the inexperienced user. If you don’t understand what some of the options mean, click the > Scanning Options link at the bottom for detailed explanations. The information will load in a separate Internet Explorer window.
The scan merely takes a few seconds and returns an overview of issues found in different categories. Each item is scored and a summary of the result is provided, along with links to further information material.
Checks that were passed receive a green score, items that could not be checked are marked with a grey minus, room for improvements is highlighted by a blue score, a yellow score indicates a non-critical vulnerability and a red score alerts the user to a failed check and thus a critical security issue. Follow the respective links for detailed information about what was scanned or instructions on how an issue can be corrected.
All reports are saved and can be accessed at a later time for reference. You can also print or copy your report to the clipboard.
Conclusion
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer is a very good tool to quickly get an overview of security-related settings on your Windows machine. Instructions for correcting detected security misconfigurations are very clear and should therefore be easy to follow for the average user. Overall, the documentation is surprisingly detailed and well done, almost as if Microsoft expected non-IT folks to use this tool.
It must be said though that fixing most configurations does require some basic understanding of how Windows works. For example an issue with the file system is not necessarily security relevant and the instructions do not provide information on how to find the drive that doesn’t run NTFS. Moreover, some issues require advanced knowledge and should be left to the experts to be fixed, for example setting a password expiration.
For more information, also have a look at this article from Microsoft Patterns & Practices:
What is your opinion? Do you think this is a useful tool? Please share your thoughts!
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14+ YouTube Playlists To Watch & Learn Computer Programming Quickly
Posted on 16 June 2011.
Since it never hurts to learn something new, especially a skill set like computer programming in different languages, we will go over some of the best channels that will introduce you to the world of programming. Let’s look at which channels made the cut.
To jump into thenewboston’s tutorials for different computer programming languages, check out:
So you can get a taste of thenewboston’s teaching style, here’s a video from this Java series where Bucky explains
- Playlist For Javascript Tutorials:
thenewboston also has a number of tutorials for different Adobe Products:
There’s a an impressive number of additional topics that thenewboston has covered already. You can check out all his videos sorted by series at the official website’s Tutorials page
Xoaxdotnet has a variety of tutorials (almost 200 videos) on literature, Algebra, and even neural networks and more general Computer Science concepts (such as
Here’s the first video of this series:
Those are probably the most distinctive ones, but be sure to check out the complete list of videos he has produced, sorted by topic
Like the channel name suggests, phpacademy focuses on teaching PHP, and some MySQL.
Here’s the first video of this series:
For more of phpacademy’s videos, check out
Did I miss any YouTube channels with great programming tutorials? Let us know in the comments!
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