It's a horrible feeling when you realize that you are running out of space on your hard drive. Yes, you can purchase a bigger drive, but if you don't want to spend time and money getting it set up, you might wonder if there is anything else you can do to free up space on your drive. Fortunately, there are a few free utilities that can help you!
1) Uninstall Programs - Windows has a built-in utility that will uninstall programs you no longer need. Go to "Control Panel" on the Start menu (In Windows 8/8.1, the Control Panel can be found on the Charms bar under "Settings".) If you are in Category View, look for "Uninstall a Program" at the bottom of the left column. In Icon View, search for "Programs and Features". You will now see a list of all the programs that have been installed. Look through the list to see if there are any you installed that you no longer need, and uninstall them. Do NOT just uninstall any program you do not recognize! Some programs in this list are important for the operation of your computer.
2) Scan for Junk - Your computer produces a lot of files on a daily basis that you don't need to keep. In most cases, it is programmed to delete these files as soon as it is finished with them. However, occasionally a bug or an improper shutdown will cause these files to remain on your computer after they are no longer needed. Fortunately, CCleaner can help you locate and remove these files. Download and install the free program, select or unselect the items you want it to scan for, and then select "Analyze". CCleaner will scan for these files and display a report. Then, click "Run Cleaner" to delete these files from your computer.
3) Scan for Duplicates - Do you have duplicate copies of photos, music, videos, or other files on your hard drive? With all the files on your hard drive, how would you even know if you did? Duplicate Cleaner takes the guesswork out of locating duplicate files. It will scan your drive and locate duplicates for you. While this program will locate duplicates, do not simply trust Duplicate Cleaner's judgment on duplicate files. When I scanned my drive, it flagged a couple sets of files that were not actually duplicates. Look through the list and make sure before you start deleting files.
4) Locate Large Files - Do you know what file is taking up the most space on your drive? WinDirStat can show you. This program will analyze your drive and then show you which folders are taking up the most space. If there are subfolders, you can expand them to locate where the big files are. You can also click where it says "Size" to sort the folders and subfolders by size.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Website Nostalgia
Have you ever wished you could go back in time and see what a website looked like last year or even last decade? Most of us probably don't think about that on a regular basis, but there have been two times when I wanted to rewind the clock and see an older site.
The first time was when I switched hosting providers for my business webpage. I cancelled my service with one provider before I set up my site with the other. I planned to design a new page with my new provider, but I later wished I could recover the text from the front page of my site.
The second incident involved a dispute over terms of service. I purchased something from a company, and they later tried to claim that I had agreed to terms I had not agreed to. Since I had not saved a copy of the terms of service from the time of purchase (and they had changed since), it seemed that I had no way to prove that their terms had changed.
Fortunately, there is a way to rewind the clock on websites, and it worked perfectly in both of the situations above. The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine contains a database of 435 billion pages throughout the internet's history. I was able to easily recover the text off of my home page (and see the pages of other companies that had occupied my domain name), and I was able to show that the terms of service that were in effect both before and after the date of my purchase did not contain the disputed sentence (thus, qualifying me for a refund).
If you need to view a past version of a website or you are just feeling nostalgic, head on over to the Wayback Machine and see what you can find.
The first time was when I switched hosting providers for my business webpage. I cancelled my service with one provider before I set up my site with the other. I planned to design a new page with my new provider, but I later wished I could recover the text from the front page of my site.
The second incident involved a dispute over terms of service. I purchased something from a company, and they later tried to claim that I had agreed to terms I had not agreed to. Since I had not saved a copy of the terms of service from the time of purchase (and they had changed since), it seemed that I had no way to prove that their terms had changed.
Fortunately, there is a way to rewind the clock on websites, and it worked perfectly in both of the situations above. The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine contains a database of 435 billion pages throughout the internet's history. I was able to easily recover the text off of my home page (and see the pages of other companies that had occupied my domain name), and I was able to show that the terms of service that were in effect both before and after the date of my purchase did not contain the disputed sentence (thus, qualifying me for a refund).
If you need to view a past version of a website or you are just feeling nostalgic, head on over to the Wayback Machine and see what you can find.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Listen to Free Audiobooks
If you have a long drive or just don't like to read books, audiobooks are a great way to pass the time. I have a friend who drives a tractor-trailer and listens to 3-5 audiobooks each week while he is driving. However, websites like audible.com can be expensive, especially if you listen to several books each month.
Fortunately, you can download plenty of audiobooks for free from Podiobooks.com. Podiobooks splits books into smaller files of two or three chapters, combining the idea of a podcast with an audiobook (hence its name). While the books are available for free, you also have the ability to donate to your favorite author. If you like a book, make sure to donate to encourage that author (and maybe others) to put more books online.
Fortunately, you can download plenty of audiobooks for free from Podiobooks.com. Podiobooks splits books into smaller files of two or three chapters, combining the idea of a podcast with an audiobook (hence its name). While the books are available for free, you also have the ability to donate to your favorite author. If you like a book, make sure to donate to encourage that author (and maybe others) to put more books online.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
What Apps Protect Your Privacy?
Do you read each privacy policy before you click the "Accept" button? If you don't, you are certainly in the majority of tech users. Wouldn't it be nice if there was someplace we could turn to cut thought the legal junk and quickly explain how each privacy policy impacts us?
Well, for Android apps, there just happens to be a site for that! PrivacyGrade.org looks at the permissions each app requests and compares them to the functions of the app. (For example, it will be fine with GPS mapping software accessing your location, but it will be skeptical if a free game wants the same permissions.)
PrivacyGrade gives each app it analyzes a grade based on the permissions it uses, and it also offers an more detailed analysis of the app's permission requests. If you are concerned about privacy, check the grade and analysis of some of the apps you use most often. You might be surprised!
Well, for Android apps, there just happens to be a site for that! PrivacyGrade.org looks at the permissions each app requests and compares them to the functions of the app. (For example, it will be fine with GPS mapping software accessing your location, but it will be skeptical if a free game wants the same permissions.)
PrivacyGrade gives each app it analyzes a grade based on the permissions it uses, and it also offers an more detailed analysis of the app's permission requests. If you are concerned about privacy, check the grade and analysis of some of the apps you use most often. You might be surprised!
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Four Tips To Protect Your Email
The more we learn about government surveillance and hacking efforts, the less secure email really seems. Yes, there are simple steps we can take to protect our email accounts, but there are also many vulnerabilities in email systems that can be exploited. Here are four reminders to protect your privacy:
1) Strong Passwords - If your email password is "password", it is time for a change! If you don't want your email account hacked, you need to choose a strong password. If you need help selecting a strong password, you can read my tip here.
2) Trust Your Gut - Got an email from someone you don't know? It's probably best not to open it! Did your friend send you a strange-looking link? Better check with your friend before you click it. If anything seems strange, it's probably best to avoid opening it until you're sure it is legitimate.
3) Keep Your Private Information Private - The best way to keep your information private is to not share it at all. Before you send information over email, think about whether or not you would want it posted online. Even if your email is secured, do you know for sure that the recipient is not using an insecure password or being careless about opening emails?
As an additional thought, don't forget that the recipient could choose to forward the email or post it online. I once received a very rude email from the owner of a company, and I chose to reply with a snarky, sarcastic response of my own. I ended up taking the matter all the way to mediation through the Better Business Bureau, and my email was forwarded to the mediator. Even though I was able to pass along multiple rude, insulting, and profanity-laced emails I had received from the business, my case would have looked much better if I had thought before I responded.
4) Watch Who's Watching You - I once was logging into my laptop in the car with a friend sitting in the front seat. My friend was jokingly pretending to spy on my password as I entered it. Fortunately, I can type very fast. (I can regularly hit 70-80 wpm on a typing test and break 100 wpm on a short sprint.) To my friend's amazement, I had my password entered in less than a second.
What happens when that person watching you isn't a friend with a sense of humor, but a man casually chatting with the lady at the computer next to you in the library? If you type with your two pointer fingers (and there's nothing wrong with that!), that man could steal your email address and password from over your shoulder. If you must check your email from a public place, take a look around before entering any sensitive data.
1) Strong Passwords - If your email password is "password", it is time for a change! If you don't want your email account hacked, you need to choose a strong password. If you need help selecting a strong password, you can read my tip here.
2) Trust Your Gut - Got an email from someone you don't know? It's probably best not to open it! Did your friend send you a strange-looking link? Better check with your friend before you click it. If anything seems strange, it's probably best to avoid opening it until you're sure it is legitimate.
3) Keep Your Private Information Private - The best way to keep your information private is to not share it at all. Before you send information over email, think about whether or not you would want it posted online. Even if your email is secured, do you know for sure that the recipient is not using an insecure password or being careless about opening emails?
As an additional thought, don't forget that the recipient could choose to forward the email or post it online. I once received a very rude email from the owner of a company, and I chose to reply with a snarky, sarcastic response of my own. I ended up taking the matter all the way to mediation through the Better Business Bureau, and my email was forwarded to the mediator. Even though I was able to pass along multiple rude, insulting, and profanity-laced emails I had received from the business, my case would have looked much better if I had thought before I responded.
4) Watch Who's Watching You - I once was logging into my laptop in the car with a friend sitting in the front seat. My friend was jokingly pretending to spy on my password as I entered it. Fortunately, I can type very fast. (I can regularly hit 70-80 wpm on a typing test and break 100 wpm on a short sprint.) To my friend's amazement, I had my password entered in less than a second.
What happens when that person watching you isn't a friend with a sense of humor, but a man casually chatting with the lady at the computer next to you in the library? If you type with your two pointer fingers (and there's nothing wrong with that!), that man could steal your email address and password from over your shoulder. If you must check your email from a public place, take a look around before entering any sensitive data.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Create Your Own Custom Office Shortcuts
Yesterday, I gave you some guides to built-in keyboard shortcuts for the most common Office programs. Unfortunately, sometimes you want a shortcut for something that Office does not provide. Don't worry! Microsoft has provided a way to deal with that, too.
This first method is probably the simplest. If the item has a shortcut on the ribbon, right-click on that shortcut and select "Add to Quick Access Toolbar". This will add the item to the very top, where it can be found and clicked quickly. This also gives you a simple way to create a keyboard shortcut: if you hit the Alt key, you will see a number underneath your new shortcut. Pressing Alt+[Number] is your new keyboard shortcut.
If you cannot find an option for it on the ribbon, you can create a macro, which is a small amount of code telling the computer what you want it to do. Fortunately, you don't need any knowledge of programming in order to create this macro. Right-click on the ribbon and select "Customize the Ribbon". Then, on the right side of the window, enable the "Developer" ribbon and press OK.
If you go to the developer ribbon, you will see an option for "Record Macro". Clicking it will bring up a dialog box where you can assign a ribbon button or a keyboard shortcut to your Macro. Once you change your settings and press OK, you will be recording. Everything you do will be translated into the code for your macro until you press the "Stop Recording" button that has replaced Record Macro. Before you start recording, make sure everything is set exactly the way you want it. I have created a few macros to do various types of pasting data (such as pasting values from formulas instead of the formulas I copied). If I am recording in Excel and I click on cell C3, the macro will go to cell C3 of the current sheet every time I run it. If you want it to paste in the current cell, you need to have it set to paste into a cell before you start recording.
While custom keyboard shortcuts are probably a tool for more advanced users, but they can be a great way to save time and automate tasks you perform regularly.
This first method is probably the simplest. If the item has a shortcut on the ribbon, right-click on that shortcut and select "Add to Quick Access Toolbar". This will add the item to the very top, where it can be found and clicked quickly. This also gives you a simple way to create a keyboard shortcut: if you hit the Alt key, you will see a number underneath your new shortcut. Pressing Alt+[Number] is your new keyboard shortcut.
If you cannot find an option for it on the ribbon, you can create a macro, which is a small amount of code telling the computer what you want it to do. Fortunately, you don't need any knowledge of programming in order to create this macro. Right-click on the ribbon and select "Customize the Ribbon". Then, on the right side of the window, enable the "Developer" ribbon and press OK.
If you go to the developer ribbon, you will see an option for "Record Macro". Clicking it will bring up a dialog box where you can assign a ribbon button or a keyboard shortcut to your Macro. Once you change your settings and press OK, you will be recording. Everything you do will be translated into the code for your macro until you press the "Stop Recording" button that has replaced Record Macro. Before you start recording, make sure everything is set exactly the way you want it. I have created a few macros to do various types of pasting data (such as pasting values from formulas instead of the formulas I copied). If I am recording in Excel and I click on cell C3, the macro will go to cell C3 of the current sheet every time I run it. If you want it to paste in the current cell, you need to have it set to paste into a cell before you start recording.
While custom keyboard shortcuts are probably a tool for more advanced users, but they can be a great way to save time and automate tasks you perform regularly.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Almost Every Office Keyboard Shortcut You Could Ever Need
Keyboard shortcuts are wonderful time savers. Instead of needing to switch to your mouse, locate your cursor, move it to the right place, click, and then relocate your hand back to the keyboard, a simple key or combination of 2-3 keys can do the job. Fortunately, Office comes with many built-in shortcuts to do common jobs, such as cut/copy/paste, print, bold/italics/underline, and save.
However, keyboard shortcuts do not help you if you do not know what they are. While there are plenty of guides available that can teach you some of the most common ones, Microsoft has put together a guide that lists the majority of shortcuts available.
(One caution. If you use add-ons, you may find that some of the add-ons have modified keyboard shortcuts either with or without your permission. If you find that one of these does not work, and you use add-ons, an add-on is probably the cause.)
Here are keyboard shortcut guides for the most common Office programs:
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft OneNote
However, keyboard shortcuts do not help you if you do not know what they are. While there are plenty of guides available that can teach you some of the most common ones, Microsoft has put together a guide that lists the majority of shortcuts available.
(One caution. If you use add-ons, you may find that some of the add-ons have modified keyboard shortcuts either with or without your permission. If you find that one of these does not work, and you use add-ons, an add-on is probably the cause.)
Here are keyboard shortcut guides for the most common Office programs:
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft OneNote
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Free Alternatives to Expensive Software, Part 2
Yesterday, we started looking at free alternatives for paid software. Today, we continue our list.
Microsoft Publisher - Microsoft's Publisher provides greater control over your document than a simple word-processing program. However, if you are going to go with LibreOffice (or another free office suite) instead of Microsoft Office, you may need to find a replacement for Publisher. Scribus is a great alternative for creating professional-looking pages.
Adobe Illustrator - Part of Adobe's suite of programs, Illustrator is a vector graphics program that creates items like logos and signs that need to be scalable to a variety of sizes. (Vector graphic images won't pixelate when enlarged like other image formats.) Inkscape is a free alternative to Illustrator for creating vector graphics.
Photoshop - Another Adobe program that I'm sure you have heard about is Photoshop. This software allows you to do image editing. Professionals will probably want to stick with Photoshop (despite its $19.99/month price tag), but amateur photo editors will likely find that GIMP meets all their needs. While it may not contain all of the features of Photoshop, it does contain most of the major ones, and there are many more available through third-party plugins.
Adobe Acrobat - Most of us use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF files, but the full Adobe Acrobat software allows you to create PDFs. However, you can use doPDF to create PDF files from any program. This software installs like a printer. Simply create a file in any program, go to print, and then select the PDF Creator printer. The software will then walk you through the process to create your PDF file.
Quicken - Intuit's personal finance management software is great, but it is also expensive, especially if you want advanced features like rental properties or business income/expense tracking. For most users, KMyMoney will do the job. It is user-friendly and it still syncs with your online banking like Quicken. The only reason I use Quicken instead of KMyMoney to track my business expenses is that Quicken allows me to scan my receipts and attach them to a transaction.
If you want income and expense tracking that can go with you anywhere, consider using Mint.com. Mint is an online program that will sync across all of your devices to keep track of your spending and help you set financial goals. Mint also has Android, iOS, and Windows Phone apps to track spending on the go. Mint was independent when it started out, but it became so popular that Intuit (the makers of Quicken and QuickBooks) bought it in 2009.
QuickBooks - Unless you are a business owner, you probably don't need QuickBooks or a replacement for it. However, if you have your own business and find that Quicken isn't powerful enough for you, check out Front Accounting ERP. It does not currently handle payroll, but there are payroll add-ons available.
Obviously, no one could write a complete list of paid software and available free counterparts. If you are looking for an alternative to a particular program, consider searching for "Open Source alternative for [Program]" and see what results you get. If there is an open-source program available, chances are good that it will show up on the first pages.
Microsoft Publisher - Microsoft's Publisher provides greater control over your document than a simple word-processing program. However, if you are going to go with LibreOffice (or another free office suite) instead of Microsoft Office, you may need to find a replacement for Publisher. Scribus is a great alternative for creating professional-looking pages.
Adobe Illustrator - Part of Adobe's suite of programs, Illustrator is a vector graphics program that creates items like logos and signs that need to be scalable to a variety of sizes. (Vector graphic images won't pixelate when enlarged like other image formats.) Inkscape is a free alternative to Illustrator for creating vector graphics.
Photoshop - Another Adobe program that I'm sure you have heard about is Photoshop. This software allows you to do image editing. Professionals will probably want to stick with Photoshop (despite its $19.99/month price tag), but amateur photo editors will likely find that GIMP meets all their needs. While it may not contain all of the features of Photoshop, it does contain most of the major ones, and there are many more available through third-party plugins.
Adobe Acrobat - Most of us use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF files, but the full Adobe Acrobat software allows you to create PDFs. However, you can use doPDF to create PDF files from any program. This software installs like a printer. Simply create a file in any program, go to print, and then select the PDF Creator printer. The software will then walk you through the process to create your PDF file.
Quicken - Intuit's personal finance management software is great, but it is also expensive, especially if you want advanced features like rental properties or business income/expense tracking. For most users, KMyMoney will do the job. It is user-friendly and it still syncs with your online banking like Quicken. The only reason I use Quicken instead of KMyMoney to track my business expenses is that Quicken allows me to scan my receipts and attach them to a transaction.
If you want income and expense tracking that can go with you anywhere, consider using Mint.com. Mint is an online program that will sync across all of your devices to keep track of your spending and help you set financial goals. Mint also has Android, iOS, and Windows Phone apps to track spending on the go. Mint was independent when it started out, but it became so popular that Intuit (the makers of Quicken and QuickBooks) bought it in 2009.
QuickBooks - Unless you are a business owner, you probably don't need QuickBooks or a replacement for it. However, if you have your own business and find that Quicken isn't powerful enough for you, check out Front Accounting ERP. It does not currently handle payroll, but there are payroll add-ons available.
Obviously, no one could write a complete list of paid software and available free counterparts. If you are looking for an alternative to a particular program, consider searching for "Open Source alternative for [Program]" and see what results you get. If there is an open-source program available, chances are good that it will show up on the first pages.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Free Alternatives to Expensive Software, Part 1
Software can be expensive. Very expensive. The cost of Windows alone runs over $100, Microsoft Office will set you back another $100, and various other software can quickly add up. By the time you're done, the cost of the software you are loading onto a computer can easily exceed the cost of the physical components.
However, for many of these expensive software programs, there are free alternatives available. Before you pay hundreds of dollars for expensive software, it might be worth your time to see if a free program might meet your needs. While these programs will differ in their capabilities and performance, many of them will work similar to their expensive counterparts.
By now, you are probably wondering, "Are these programs really free?" The answer is yes! Many of these programs are considered open-source, which means that the program's code is freely available. If you know how to write code, you could even download the code and edit it to add features. (While I have some familiarity with coding, I prefer to simply contact the software developer and request that they add a new feature in the next version.)
The companies that produce open-source software make their money from selling support and custom development packages to companies that use their software. Many will also ask for a donation when you download the software. A few of the programs on this list are not open-source, but in each case, the company has developed its own way to cover its costs outside of charging for the software.
Now, here is my list of free replacement software:
Windows - Yes, you aren't stuck with Windows on a non-Apple computer. There are many open-source operating systems available for your computer, most of which are based on the Linux kernel. My preferred version is Ubuntu. For geeks, a new version is released every six months, and for typical users, an edition is released every-other April that offers long-term (5 years) support for security flaws.
I recommend sticking with Windows unless you are an advanced computer user. Installing an operating system has become much easier, but it still takes some know-how. Then, you will have to learn an entirely new interface. Finally, most computers come with a Windows license included in the purchase, so there is really no reason to switch to a different operating system unless you are building your own system.
Office - Before you spend over $100 on a version of Office, give LibreOffice a try. Before I started my business and wanted to use some of the more advanced programming features of Access, I was a LibreOffice user exclusively. Writer, Calc, and Impress have almost all of the features of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and they even contain some that are not included in Microsoft's software. Plus, they can open and save documents in Office format, so you can easily share documents with Office users. If I have one criticism, it would be the lack of features in the database program (Base), but most users are not going to be creating complex databases, anyway.
Outlook - One item included with some versions of Microsoft Office that is missing in LibreOffice is a desktop email client. While most people simply connect to their email from a browser window, some people prefer to have desktop software for offline access to email. If you are among the group preferring desktop email access, check out Thunderbird. It contains most of the features of Outlook.
Internet Explorer - Internet Explorer is already a "free" program (included with your purchase of Windows), but you may find that another internet browser may work better for you. Firefox is a great open-source browser that many say works faster and better than Internet Explorer. Google's Chrome browser is my preferred choice, but many people try to avoid using Google products.
Windows Media Player - This one is also "free" with Windows, but once again, there are other options available. One of my favorite media players is VLC. This is a lightweight player that, in my opinion, functions much better than Media Player. It does not require codec installation for different media formats, and it also has the ability to play broken files that other media players will not play.
I'm running out of space for today, but we're not done yet! Tomorrow, I will finish the list for you!
However, for many of these expensive software programs, there are free alternatives available. Before you pay hundreds of dollars for expensive software, it might be worth your time to see if a free program might meet your needs. While these programs will differ in their capabilities and performance, many of them will work similar to their expensive counterparts.
By now, you are probably wondering, "Are these programs really free?" The answer is yes! Many of these programs are considered open-source, which means that the program's code is freely available. If you know how to write code, you could even download the code and edit it to add features. (While I have some familiarity with coding, I prefer to simply contact the software developer and request that they add a new feature in the next version.)
The companies that produce open-source software make their money from selling support and custom development packages to companies that use their software. Many will also ask for a donation when you download the software. A few of the programs on this list are not open-source, but in each case, the company has developed its own way to cover its costs outside of charging for the software.
Now, here is my list of free replacement software:
Windows - Yes, you aren't stuck with Windows on a non-Apple computer. There are many open-source operating systems available for your computer, most of which are based on the Linux kernel. My preferred version is Ubuntu. For geeks, a new version is released every six months, and for typical users, an edition is released every-other April that offers long-term (5 years) support for security flaws.
I recommend sticking with Windows unless you are an advanced computer user. Installing an operating system has become much easier, but it still takes some know-how. Then, you will have to learn an entirely new interface. Finally, most computers come with a Windows license included in the purchase, so there is really no reason to switch to a different operating system unless you are building your own system.
Office - Before you spend over $100 on a version of Office, give LibreOffice a try. Before I started my business and wanted to use some of the more advanced programming features of Access, I was a LibreOffice user exclusively. Writer, Calc, and Impress have almost all of the features of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and they even contain some that are not included in Microsoft's software. Plus, they can open and save documents in Office format, so you can easily share documents with Office users. If I have one criticism, it would be the lack of features in the database program (Base), but most users are not going to be creating complex databases, anyway.
Outlook - One item included with some versions of Microsoft Office that is missing in LibreOffice is a desktop email client. While most people simply connect to their email from a browser window, some people prefer to have desktop software for offline access to email. If you are among the group preferring desktop email access, check out Thunderbird. It contains most of the features of Outlook.
Internet Explorer - Internet Explorer is already a "free" program (included with your purchase of Windows), but you may find that another internet browser may work better for you. Firefox is a great open-source browser that many say works faster and better than Internet Explorer. Google's Chrome browser is my preferred choice, but many people try to avoid using Google products.
Windows Media Player - This one is also "free" with Windows, but once again, there are other options available. One of my favorite media players is VLC. This is a lightweight player that, in my opinion, functions much better than Media Player. It does not require codec installation for different media formats, and it also has the ability to play broken files that other media players will not play.
I'm running out of space for today, but we're not done yet! Tomorrow, I will finish the list for you!
Friday, October 23, 2015
Using the Windows Key
If you use a Windows computer, you have probably figured out that the key with the Windows logo (usually located between the Ctrl and Alt keys on at least one side of your keyboard) will open the Start menu. However, the Windows logo key can be combined with many other keys to create a variety of shortcuts to perform useful features on your computer. Here are a few of the ones I use the most:
Windows + E - Opens a Windows Explorer window, which allows you to view all the files on your computer.
Windows + F - Opens a search box, allowing you to search for files, programs, and Windows tools.
Windows + L - Locks your computer, requiring a login screen (and password, if applicable) to get back to your desktop.
Windows + T - Cycles selection of the programs located on the taskbar. This is helpful if you want to open a program off the taskbar and your mouse is not working.
Windows + [Number] - Using the Windows key plus the number 1 will open the first program on the taskbar, or it will switch to that program if already opened. Using the 2 key will open the second program, etc. This works for all 9 numbers, plus the 0 (10th item).
Windows + [Arrow] - The Windows key can be combined with the arrow keys to resize Windows. Using the up arrow will maximize the window. Using the down arrow will unmaximize the window (restore it to its previous size). Using the down arrow on a window that is already unmaximized will minimize it. Using the right and left arrows will maximize the windows on one-half of the screen (left for the left side and right for the right side).
Windows + E - Opens a Windows Explorer window, which allows you to view all the files on your computer.
Windows + F - Opens a search box, allowing you to search for files, programs, and Windows tools.
Windows + L - Locks your computer, requiring a login screen (and password, if applicable) to get back to your desktop.
Windows + T - Cycles selection of the programs located on the taskbar. This is helpful if you want to open a program off the taskbar and your mouse is not working.
Windows + [Number] - Using the Windows key plus the number 1 will open the first program on the taskbar, or it will switch to that program if already opened. Using the 2 key will open the second program, etc. This works for all 9 numbers, plus the 0 (10th item).
Windows + [Arrow] - The Windows key can be combined with the arrow keys to resize Windows. Using the up arrow will maximize the window. Using the down arrow will unmaximize the window (restore it to its previous size). Using the down arrow on a window that is already unmaximized will minimize it. Using the right and left arrows will maximize the windows on one-half of the screen (left for the left side and right for the right side).
Thursday, October 22, 2015
See World Maps From History
Of the 193 sovereign states recognized by the United Nations, most of them have been founded recently. For example, did you know that five of the seven Central American countries were independent prior to the founding of Italy and Norway?
If you want to discover interesting facts like that, you can look through a map of the world throughout history at geacron.com. Scroll through the map by year, decade, or century, and see how the map looked as early as 3000 BC.
Visit geacron.com
If you want to discover interesting facts like that, you can look through a map of the world throughout history at geacron.com. Scroll through the map by year, decade, or century, and see how the map looked as early as 3000 BC.
Visit geacron.com
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Four Ways to Customize Windows 10
Microsoft clearly wants everyone to upgrade to Windows 10. If you have already made the jump, here are four ways you can tweak Microsoft's latest OS:
1) Pin It - The start menu is the compromise between the start screen tiles of Windows 8 and the start menu of Windows 7. However, you can make a tile for almost anything. Do you have a folder you go to regularly? Create a shortcut tile. Do you keep changing a particular setting? Turn that setting's page into a tile. To create a tile, just right click whatever you want on the tile and look for a "Pin to Start" option.
2) Make It Yours - Windows 10 includes a variety of options to customize its look. You can start with the Personalization section of the Settings app (available on the Start Menu). You might also want to look at the Properties section of the Taskbar. (Right click on the taskbar and select properties.)
3) Sign Out Quicker - One of my complaints with the Windows 10 start menu is that the Sign Out option is so far away from the button. (If you don't know where it is, you click the user account name at the top to access it.) However, you can accomplish the same thing with two different keyboard options. If you only want to lock the screen, you can use Windows+L to quickly lock the screen. If you want to completely sign out, you can go to the desktop and then use Alt+F4 to bring up a list of options, including sign out, shut down, and restart.
4) Save Some Space - When upgrading to Windows 10, Windows saves the details of your previous Windows installation in case you want to revert back to it. However, this installation can cost you a substantial amount of storage space (sometimes as much as 20 GB). The Disk Cleanup application can remove these files for you. Go to the search box and type Disk Cleanup, and then check the options for "Previous Windows Installations" and "Temporary Windows Installation Files".
1) Pin It - The start menu is the compromise between the start screen tiles of Windows 8 and the start menu of Windows 7. However, you can make a tile for almost anything. Do you have a folder you go to regularly? Create a shortcut tile. Do you keep changing a particular setting? Turn that setting's page into a tile. To create a tile, just right click whatever you want on the tile and look for a "Pin to Start" option.
2) Make It Yours - Windows 10 includes a variety of options to customize its look. You can start with the Personalization section of the Settings app (available on the Start Menu). You might also want to look at the Properties section of the Taskbar. (Right click on the taskbar and select properties.)
3) Sign Out Quicker - One of my complaints with the Windows 10 start menu is that the Sign Out option is so far away from the button. (If you don't know where it is, you click the user account name at the top to access it.) However, you can accomplish the same thing with two different keyboard options. If you only want to lock the screen, you can use Windows+L to quickly lock the screen. If you want to completely sign out, you can go to the desktop and then use Alt+F4 to bring up a list of options, including sign out, shut down, and restart.
4) Save Some Space - When upgrading to Windows 10, Windows saves the details of your previous Windows installation in case you want to revert back to it. However, this installation can cost you a substantial amount of storage space (sometimes as much as 20 GB). The Disk Cleanup application can remove these files for you. Go to the search box and type Disk Cleanup, and then check the options for "Previous Windows Installations" and "Temporary Windows Installation Files".
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Six Ways to Improve Your Amazon Experience
Online shopping is one of the greatest innovations to come from the internet. We can comparison ship without having to drive all over town, and we can read reviews of products from customers all around the world. Amazon leads the way in online shopping. If you are an Amazon shopper, here are some ways that you can improve your experience. (If you prefer another site, some of these tips may work there, too!)
1) Stop the Tracking - Yes, Amazon tracks what you look at and then tries to run ads to get you to buy it. To stop this, go to this page, select "Do Not Personalize Ads from Amazon for this Internet Browser", and click submit. (You will need to do this for each browser you use on each computer you own.) You will still see Amazon's ads, but they will be generic ads that are not specific to products you have viewed.
2) Get On the List - Amazon has plenty of great deals, but you can't take advantage of them if you don't know about them. Visit this link and sign up to receive emails in your favorite categories.
3) Availability Alerts - If the product you want is not available, you can sign up to get an email when it comes available again. Next to the product's name will be a button that says "Email me". Click the button and Amazon will let you know when the item is back in stock.
4) Track It - If you can't wait to get your package, Amazon can keep you updated on its progress to you by text message.
5) Share Prime Shipping - If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can share your free shipping with another adult and up to four kids. Go to the "Manage Prime Membership" page and look for the "Share your Prime benefits" section.
6) Make Money on Amazon - Amazon is a great place to spend money, but it can also help you make money. Many items also have a "Sell on Amazon" button that will allow you to sell your item back to Amazon. While you might not make as much as selling it on your own, it is a quick and painless way to get a little extra money to put toward your next purchase.
1) Stop the Tracking - Yes, Amazon tracks what you look at and then tries to run ads to get you to buy it. To stop this, go to this page, select "Do Not Personalize Ads from Amazon for this Internet Browser", and click submit. (You will need to do this for each browser you use on each computer you own.) You will still see Amazon's ads, but they will be generic ads that are not specific to products you have viewed.
2) Get On the List - Amazon has plenty of great deals, but you can't take advantage of them if you don't know about them. Visit this link and sign up to receive emails in your favorite categories.
3) Availability Alerts - If the product you want is not available, you can sign up to get an email when it comes available again. Next to the product's name will be a button that says "Email me". Click the button and Amazon will let you know when the item is back in stock.
4) Track It - If you can't wait to get your package, Amazon can keep you updated on its progress to you by text message.
5) Share Prime Shipping - If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can share your free shipping with another adult and up to four kids. Go to the "Manage Prime Membership" page and look for the "Share your Prime benefits" section.
6) Make Money on Amazon - Amazon is a great place to spend money, but it can also help you make money. Many items also have a "Sell on Amazon" button that will allow you to sell your item back to Amazon. While you might not make as much as selling it on your own, it is a quick and painless way to get a little extra money to put toward your next purchase.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Six Fun Ways to Use Google
Yesterday, we talked about some useful ways to use Google's search. Today's tip will not be nearly as useful, but it will be a lot more fun!
Before we begin, it is important to note that Google adds and removes features regularly, so some of these may not work if you reread this in a few months. (Unless otherwise noted, they do work right now.) I was very disappointed to see that one of my favorites, the "Kayak across the Pacific Ocean" instruction on Google Maps, had been removed. You can read about it here if you didn't see it before.
Now, here are seven ways to have fun on Google's search pages:
1) Give Google Commands - Type "do a barrel roll" into a search box and watch the page...do a barrel roll. Type "tilt" or "askew" and watch the page go slightly off. Around Christmas last year, you could type "Let It Snow" and the page would snow and frost over, allowing you to draw on the window. (But as I tell the kids on my school bus, "Keep it school appropriate!")
2) Calculate More Than Numbers - The Google Calculator is also programmed to handle other questions, such as "what is the loneliest number" (a reference to a song from the 60's) or "what is the answer to life, the universe, and everything" (a reference from the movie, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.) Type anything with a numerical response in and see if Google knows it. Then, amaze your friends who don't know the references (that's what happened to me with both of those examples!)
3) Calculate a Bacon Number - No, this isn't how much bacon you should eat each day, this is a play on the "Six Degrees of Separation" game using Kevin Bacon. Pick any actor or actress and see how many connections must be made in order for Google to connect that person to Kevin Bacon.
4) Fight Off a Zerg Rush - I had never heard of a Zerg Rush before reading this online, but apparently, this is an alien race that attack in swarms in the video game Starcraft. Search for "zerg rush" and a whole bunch of little O's will invade your screen and eat your search results. Keep them from destroying your screen by clicking on them to destroy them.
5) Fly Yourself Anywhere - If you use Google Earth, you can use the flight simulator option to fly anywhere in the world. In Google Earth, click on Tools and select Enter Flight Simulator or press Ctrl+Alt+A.
6) Browse the Google Doodles - Okay, this one is fun and somewhat useful! You have probably noticed that the Google logo often changes based on current or historical events. These are called "Google Doodles". Google actually produces many different doodles for events around the world. If you go to google.com/doodles, you can browse the many recent doodles published around the world. Not only can you have fun looking at the various doodles, but you can learn some history at the same time.
Bonus: Google has released some doodles that are actually games. You can play goalie in this soccer game, race a canoe in this slalom canoe game, jump the hurdles in this race, or play Pacman in this doodle celebrating the game's 30th anniversary.
Before we begin, it is important to note that Google adds and removes features regularly, so some of these may not work if you reread this in a few months. (Unless otherwise noted, they do work right now.) I was very disappointed to see that one of my favorites, the "Kayak across the Pacific Ocean" instruction on Google Maps, had been removed. You can read about it here if you didn't see it before.
Now, here are seven ways to have fun on Google's search pages:
1) Give Google Commands - Type "do a barrel roll" into a search box and watch the page...do a barrel roll. Type "tilt" or "askew" and watch the page go slightly off. Around Christmas last year, you could type "Let It Snow" and the page would snow and frost over, allowing you to draw on the window. (But as I tell the kids on my school bus, "Keep it school appropriate!")
2) Calculate More Than Numbers - The Google Calculator is also programmed to handle other questions, such as "what is the loneliest number" (a reference to a song from the 60's) or "what is the answer to life, the universe, and everything" (a reference from the movie, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.) Type anything with a numerical response in and see if Google knows it. Then, amaze your friends who don't know the references (that's what happened to me with both of those examples!)
3) Calculate a Bacon Number - No, this isn't how much bacon you should eat each day, this is a play on the "Six Degrees of Separation" game using Kevin Bacon. Pick any actor or actress and see how many connections must be made in order for Google to connect that person to Kevin Bacon.
4) Fight Off a Zerg Rush - I had never heard of a Zerg Rush before reading this online, but apparently, this is an alien race that attack in swarms in the video game Starcraft. Search for "zerg rush" and a whole bunch of little O's will invade your screen and eat your search results. Keep them from destroying your screen by clicking on them to destroy them.
5) Fly Yourself Anywhere - If you use Google Earth, you can use the flight simulator option to fly anywhere in the world. In Google Earth, click on Tools and select Enter Flight Simulator or press Ctrl+Alt+A.
6) Browse the Google Doodles - Okay, this one is fun and somewhat useful! You have probably noticed that the Google logo often changes based on current or historical events. These are called "Google Doodles". Google actually produces many different doodles for events around the world. If you go to google.com/doodles, you can browse the many recent doodles published around the world. Not only can you have fun looking at the various doodles, but you can learn some history at the same time.
Bonus: Google has released some doodles that are actually games. You can play goalie in this soccer game, race a canoe in this slalom canoe game, jump the hurdles in this race, or play Pacman in this doodle celebrating the game's 30th anniversary.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Eight Useful Ways to Use Google
When most people think of Google, they usually think of the search engine first. Most of Google's other online products are usually referred to by a different name (such as Gmail) or by something added after Google (Google+, Google Apps, etc.) However, Google's search page has a lot of useful (and some fun but not so useful) features. Tomorrow, I will talk about some of those fun ways to use Google, but today, I will cover some of the more useful ways to use Google's search.
As a side note, most of these work in the search boxes or address bars on Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome if they are programmed to use Google. All of these features are available on various sites, but Google simply makes them all available with just the search box.
Here are eight ways to make your search experience more useful:
1) Weather - You can get the weather without having to leave Google. Simply type a city or zip code followed by "forecast", and Google will display a detailed forecast for today along with simplified forecasts for the week ahead. Type your city or zip code followed by "weather" to get the current weather along with the week's forecast.
2) Translate Words - Typing "translate <word/phrase> to <language>" will quickly access the Google translator and display the result. Just be careful, because while Google Translate is usually pretty good with words, it can be less accurate with longer phrases. People have made blog posts and videos of what happens when you take a poem or song and translate it through several languages before taking it back to English.
3) Check the Time - Can't remember if London is four or five hours ahead of us (it can be either due to the differences in the daylight savings time dates)? Type "time in <location>" and Google will give you the current time and date.
4) Do Math - Instead of taking the time to locate a calculator on the internet or find the one installed on your computer, just type your math problem into a search box. Google will do the math and display the result.
5) Conversions - Need to convert from one unit of measurement to another? Google can handle it. Simply type "<amount> <unit1> in <unit2>" (for example, "100 dollars in pounds") and Google will handle the conversion for you.
6) Check Flight Status - Now you don't need to go to the airport and look through many television monitors to see the status of a flight. Simply type the airline and flight number into a search box to see the status of the flight.
7) Search Public Data - Want to see the latest population estimates or unemployment rate for a particular location? Simply type what you are looking for and the location into the search box and watch Google give you the data. Want historical data? Google gives you a 10-year lookback, and by clicking on "Explore More" underneath the graph, you can view older data.
8) Define Words - If you want a dictionary definition of a word, simply type "define:<word>" to have Google give you its definition.
Tomorrow, we'll look at the fun side of Google by examining some of the little built-in tricks.
As a side note, most of these work in the search boxes or address bars on Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome if they are programmed to use Google. All of these features are available on various sites, but Google simply makes them all available with just the search box.
Here are eight ways to make your search experience more useful:
1) Weather - You can get the weather without having to leave Google. Simply type a city or zip code followed by "forecast", and Google will display a detailed forecast for today along with simplified forecasts for the week ahead. Type your city or zip code followed by "weather" to get the current weather along with the week's forecast.
2) Translate Words - Typing "translate <word/phrase> to <language>" will quickly access the Google translator and display the result. Just be careful, because while Google Translate is usually pretty good with words, it can be less accurate with longer phrases. People have made blog posts and videos of what happens when you take a poem or song and translate it through several languages before taking it back to English.
3) Check the Time - Can't remember if London is four or five hours ahead of us (it can be either due to the differences in the daylight savings time dates)? Type "time in <location>" and Google will give you the current time and date.
4) Do Math - Instead of taking the time to locate a calculator on the internet or find the one installed on your computer, just type your math problem into a search box. Google will do the math and display the result.
5) Conversions - Need to convert from one unit of measurement to another? Google can handle it. Simply type "<amount> <unit1> in <unit2>" (for example, "100 dollars in pounds") and Google will handle the conversion for you.
6) Check Flight Status - Now you don't need to go to the airport and look through many television monitors to see the status of a flight. Simply type the airline and flight number into a search box to see the status of the flight.
7) Search Public Data - Want to see the latest population estimates or unemployment rate for a particular location? Simply type what you are looking for and the location into the search box and watch Google give you the data. Want historical data? Google gives you a 10-year lookback, and by clicking on "Explore More" underneath the graph, you can view older data.
8) Define Words - If you want a dictionary definition of a word, simply type "define:<word>" to have Google give you its definition.
Tomorrow, we'll look at the fun side of Google by examining some of the little built-in tricks.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Fix a Scratched CD/DVD
As careful as we may try to be, sometimes our CDs or DVDs end up getting scratched. However, a scratch does not automatically mean that your disc has become an expensive coaster for your living room table. There still may be ways to restore your disc to optimal condition.
Two quick notes: first, it is important to understand that your best option is to not let your disc get scratched. Any of these methods for repairing a scratch may help, but they also have the potential to hurt the disc. Second, whenever possible, it is advisable to make a backup copy of your disc on your computer or on another disc. Burning a backup copy of a disc is legal as long as it is only for personal use and it does not circumvent any digital rights protections built in.
Once a scratch does occur, the first step to take would be to clean the surface with a jewelry-polishing cloth. These cloths are fairly inexpensive and available at most stores that sell jewelry. This removes some of the dust and dirt that can accumulate in the scratches and eliminates other areas of the disc as the problem. (You might find that the light scratch isn't the problem at all). To avoid causing further damage, rub the disc from the center to the outside and back, not along a circular path.
If this does not work, you can use a variety of substances to try to fill in the scratch. I have heard of people using car wax, furniture polish, petroleum jelly, and even banana to fill it in. I would recommend the car wax personally, but you can choose whatever you have available. Once again, always be sure to rub from the center to the outside of the disc, and make sure you give it plenty of time to dry (overnight would be best) and clean it thoroughly before putting it back in your DVD player.
If you can't find any substance that will repair the scratch, then it might be time to approach it from a different angle. If you have a cheap or older player, find a friend with a new player that was reasonably expensive. Technology is always improving, and it might have improved enough so that the latest players can read what your older device cannot. This might have the lowest probability of success, but it is worth a shot if nothing else is working. If it works on your friend's player, it might be time to upgrade yours.
Finally, when you have run out of options to do it yourself, turn to your local movie rental store. Almost all of them have devices that will buff dics and remove the scratches. Find a friendly-looking clerk, explain the situation, and see if the clerk will help you out. Obviously, they are under no obligation to help you, but it would make business sense for them to do so. You could go the DIY route and buy a machine yourself, but unless you have a lot of scratched discs, your wallet would probably be better off replacing your scratched discs.
If the $500+ machine at the movie-rental store can't help you, then it is time to buy a new disc or say goodbye to your movie or music. Obviously, with a music CD, you can always burn the unaffected tracks to a new CD to use in the meantime.
Two quick notes: first, it is important to understand that your best option is to not let your disc get scratched. Any of these methods for repairing a scratch may help, but they also have the potential to hurt the disc. Second, whenever possible, it is advisable to make a backup copy of your disc on your computer or on another disc. Burning a backup copy of a disc is legal as long as it is only for personal use and it does not circumvent any digital rights protections built in.
Once a scratch does occur, the first step to take would be to clean the surface with a jewelry-polishing cloth. These cloths are fairly inexpensive and available at most stores that sell jewelry. This removes some of the dust and dirt that can accumulate in the scratches and eliminates other areas of the disc as the problem. (You might find that the light scratch isn't the problem at all). To avoid causing further damage, rub the disc from the center to the outside and back, not along a circular path.
If this does not work, you can use a variety of substances to try to fill in the scratch. I have heard of people using car wax, furniture polish, petroleum jelly, and even banana to fill it in. I would recommend the car wax personally, but you can choose whatever you have available. Once again, always be sure to rub from the center to the outside of the disc, and make sure you give it plenty of time to dry (overnight would be best) and clean it thoroughly before putting it back in your DVD player.
If you can't find any substance that will repair the scratch, then it might be time to approach it from a different angle. If you have a cheap or older player, find a friend with a new player that was reasonably expensive. Technology is always improving, and it might have improved enough so that the latest players can read what your older device cannot. This might have the lowest probability of success, but it is worth a shot if nothing else is working. If it works on your friend's player, it might be time to upgrade yours.
Finally, when you have run out of options to do it yourself, turn to your local movie rental store. Almost all of them have devices that will buff dics and remove the scratches. Find a friendly-looking clerk, explain the situation, and see if the clerk will help you out. Obviously, they are under no obligation to help you, but it would make business sense for them to do so. You could go the DIY route and buy a machine yourself, but unless you have a lot of scratched discs, your wallet would probably be better off replacing your scratched discs.
If the $500+ machine at the movie-rental store can't help you, then it is time to buy a new disc or say goodbye to your movie or music. Obviously, with a music CD, you can always burn the unaffected tracks to a new CD to use in the meantime.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Speed Up Your Wi-Fi
Everyone wants the fastest internet speed possible at a price we can afford. However, if your Wi-Fi is slow, the problem may not be your ISP. There are many things that you can do to improve your Wi-Fi speeds that don't include contacting your ISP to increase your speed (which will also increase your price, of course!) Here are four free things you can do that might improve your Wi-Fi speeds:
1) Move the Router - Many people do not know that the maximum speed decreases as you move away from the router. To make sure you have the best speeds, move the router as close as possible to where people will be using Wi-Fi. If you want coverage throughout your house, try to move it somewhere in the center. If most of the Wi-Fi access is done on one side, you might want to move it closer to that end of the house.
Hiding the router away in one corner gives some of your best coverage to your yard and even to the neighbor's house. Obviously, you will not want an unsightly mess of cables right in the middle of your living room, but moving your router closer may improve your speed.
If you must put the router in a corner or at one end of your house, you can use a curved sheet of aluminum foil or an aluminium can behind the router to reflect the signal back into your house.
2) Change the Channel - Your router can be programmed to work on eleven different channels. If most of your neighbors are using one particular channel, that channel can slow from all the transmissions. Access your router's control panel (for exact instructions, check the printed or online documentation for your router) and try changing the channel. The best channels to use will be 1, 6, and 11.
A word of warning: I had one customer whose printer required channel 1 for some reason, but his router was programmed to select the clearest channel. If you suddenly find that a device won't connect after changing the channel, you may be stuck with the channel you are on.
3) Update Firmware - All devices contain small chips with software to operate the device. This software is called firmware. Manufacturers will sometimes release firmware updates for your device to protect against security holes, correct errors, and add new features. Unfortunately, unlike Windows, your devices are rarely programmed to check for firmware updates.
Both your router and your device's Wi-Fi card have firmware that might benefit from an upgrade. To check for new firmware, go to the manufacturer's website.
4) Check for Thieves - Earlier this week, I wrote a tip about how to check for people that might be using your Wi-Fi network. If you did not get this tip, you can check it out here.
However, even authorized devices may be using your bandwidth without your knowledge. Right now, WiFi Guard lists five devices connected to my router, even though I am only using my computer (and at the time I am writing this, I am the only one awake). Shutting off Wi-Fi on your phone, tablet, or streaming device might free up more bandwidth for your computer.
1) Move the Router - Many people do not know that the maximum speed decreases as you move away from the router. To make sure you have the best speeds, move the router as close as possible to where people will be using Wi-Fi. If you want coverage throughout your house, try to move it somewhere in the center. If most of the Wi-Fi access is done on one side, you might want to move it closer to that end of the house.
Hiding the router away in one corner gives some of your best coverage to your yard and even to the neighbor's house. Obviously, you will not want an unsightly mess of cables right in the middle of your living room, but moving your router closer may improve your speed.
If you must put the router in a corner or at one end of your house, you can use a curved sheet of aluminum foil or an aluminium can behind the router to reflect the signal back into your house.
2) Change the Channel - Your router can be programmed to work on eleven different channels. If most of your neighbors are using one particular channel, that channel can slow from all the transmissions. Access your router's control panel (for exact instructions, check the printed or online documentation for your router) and try changing the channel. The best channels to use will be 1, 6, and 11.
A word of warning: I had one customer whose printer required channel 1 for some reason, but his router was programmed to select the clearest channel. If you suddenly find that a device won't connect after changing the channel, you may be stuck with the channel you are on.
3) Update Firmware - All devices contain small chips with software to operate the device. This software is called firmware. Manufacturers will sometimes release firmware updates for your device to protect against security holes, correct errors, and add new features. Unfortunately, unlike Windows, your devices are rarely programmed to check for firmware updates.
Both your router and your device's Wi-Fi card have firmware that might benefit from an upgrade. To check for new firmware, go to the manufacturer's website.
4) Check for Thieves - Earlier this week, I wrote a tip about how to check for people that might be using your Wi-Fi network. If you did not get this tip, you can check it out here.
However, even authorized devices may be using your bandwidth without your knowledge. Right now, WiFi Guard lists five devices connected to my router, even though I am only using my computer (and at the time I am writing this, I am the only one awake). Shutting off Wi-Fi on your phone, tablet, or streaming device might free up more bandwidth for your computer.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Do I Really Need to 'Safely Remove Device'?
Most of us know that we should use the "Safely Remove Device" feature in Windows before removing a flash drive (or any other type of USB device) from our computer. And most of us have probably figured out that you can simply pull the drive out and your files will still be there the next time.
If you don't know what I am talking about, each time you want to remove a USB drive (flash drive, external hard drive, etc.), Microsoft says you should go to the notification area of the taskbar (near the clock), click on the small icon that looks like a flash drive, and then select "Eject [Name of Drive]".
That brings us to the question: Is the "Safely Remove Device" feature even necessary? And the answer is: Definitely!
Yes, it is true that you can usually unplug a drive without any problem, but that is not always the case. There are many things that could be happening in the background that could harm your data if you do not use this feature. First, if the drive is in use, the files in use will most likely be corrupted. Using "Safely Remove Device" will prevent you from corrupting those files.
However, sometimes the drive will be in use when you don't realize it. The drive could be rewriting its file system (the directory of all the files on the drive). You might think it is okay to just pull the drive out because you haven't used the drive for several minutes, but if the file system is being modified and becomes corrupted when you pull the drive out, everything on the drive will be lost. Safely removing the drive will stop the rewrite at a safe place so you can remove the drive.
Second, you can enable performance features on a drive that make it even more important to use this feature. Windows can be programmed to cache data being written to a drive. This saves the data on your hard drive until Windows determines that it is best to write it to the flash drive. (This can keep your system from becoming strained by low resources or demanding programs.) While this feature is disabled by default, you probably cannot tell me for sure that caching has been disabled on your computer without checking. It is best to treat your files as safe as you can!
For these two reasons alone, it is best to always safely remove your device before you remove it. In fact, the only time you should remove a drive without this feature is if you have already shut the computer off. Otherwise, the few seconds you save by not using this feature will be more than wasted if you have to recreate all the files on the drive or spend time and/or money trying to recover data.
If you don't know what I am talking about, each time you want to remove a USB drive (flash drive, external hard drive, etc.), Microsoft says you should go to the notification area of the taskbar (near the clock), click on the small icon that looks like a flash drive, and then select "Eject [Name of Drive]".
That brings us to the question: Is the "Safely Remove Device" feature even necessary? And the answer is: Definitely!
Yes, it is true that you can usually unplug a drive without any problem, but that is not always the case. There are many things that could be happening in the background that could harm your data if you do not use this feature. First, if the drive is in use, the files in use will most likely be corrupted. Using "Safely Remove Device" will prevent you from corrupting those files.
However, sometimes the drive will be in use when you don't realize it. The drive could be rewriting its file system (the directory of all the files on the drive). You might think it is okay to just pull the drive out because you haven't used the drive for several minutes, but if the file system is being modified and becomes corrupted when you pull the drive out, everything on the drive will be lost. Safely removing the drive will stop the rewrite at a safe place so you can remove the drive.
Second, you can enable performance features on a drive that make it even more important to use this feature. Windows can be programmed to cache data being written to a drive. This saves the data on your hard drive until Windows determines that it is best to write it to the flash drive. (This can keep your system from becoming strained by low resources or demanding programs.) While this feature is disabled by default, you probably cannot tell me for sure that caching has been disabled on your computer without checking. It is best to treat your files as safe as you can!
For these two reasons alone, it is best to always safely remove your device before you remove it. In fact, the only time you should remove a drive without this feature is if you have already shut the computer off. Otherwise, the few seconds you save by not using this feature will be more than wasted if you have to recreate all the files on the drive or spend time and/or money trying to recover data.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Check The Value of Your Old Tech
One of my readers sent me the following question: "What do we do with our old, outdated hardware? I mainly mean modems & routers. Is there a way to recycle them? Should we just trash them? Is there a way to check if they have a resale value or not?"
Unless you are one who is constantly upgrading these devices, your old modems and routers probably have little value. Most of us will keep our modem and router until it dies or our internet speed starts slowing down. Even if it still works great, it is probably years behind the current standards, and it may have some security holes that the manufacturer isn't fixing. However, it never hurts to see if your device might have some value left in it.
A good place to start is at Amazon's trade-in site: www.amazon.com/tradein. Some routers qualify for a credit of up to $70 (possibly more, since I didn't check each page on my search). However, others only qualify for 25 cents. If it isn't worth your time to trade it at Amazon, then we can check one more place.
Some people like to purchase old routers and put other software on them to expand their functionality. If your device is still in working condition, you might find someone on eBay willing to buy it. However, if you don't want to go through the process of setting up a listing without knowing how much it might sell for, you can check for completed listings. Simply search for your item's model, and then scroll to the bottom of the options on the left side. Underneath "Show Only", check the box for "Completed Listings". This will show you only the final sale price for your item. If you see a big price, make sure that the model number in the listing is the same before you get your hopes up!
If you know someone who likes to scrap metal, they might be interested in taking your old devices. If you are out of options, you are not supposed to put these devices in the trash due to some of their materials. However, many electronics stores will offer free recycling, or you can try to find a place that accepts hazardous materials for disposal. A local environmental group or government agency should be able to help you find a place that will accept your old electronics for recycling. (Near where I live, there is a monthly "open dumping" day where all types of materials are accepted and there is also an annual household waste clean-up day.)
Unless you are one who is constantly upgrading these devices, your old modems and routers probably have little value. Most of us will keep our modem and router until it dies or our internet speed starts slowing down. Even if it still works great, it is probably years behind the current standards, and it may have some security holes that the manufacturer isn't fixing. However, it never hurts to see if your device might have some value left in it.
A good place to start is at Amazon's trade-in site: www.amazon.com/tradein. Some routers qualify for a credit of up to $70 (possibly more, since I didn't check each page on my search). However, others only qualify for 25 cents. If it isn't worth your time to trade it at Amazon, then we can check one more place.
Some people like to purchase old routers and put other software on them to expand their functionality. If your device is still in working condition, you might find someone on eBay willing to buy it. However, if you don't want to go through the process of setting up a listing without knowing how much it might sell for, you can check for completed listings. Simply search for your item's model, and then scroll to the bottom of the options on the left side. Underneath "Show Only", check the box for "Completed Listings". This will show you only the final sale price for your item. If you see a big price, make sure that the model number in the listing is the same before you get your hopes up!
If you know someone who likes to scrap metal, they might be interested in taking your old devices. If you are out of options, you are not supposed to put these devices in the trash due to some of their materials. However, many electronics stores will offer free recycling, or you can try to find a place that accepts hazardous materials for disposal. A local environmental group or government agency should be able to help you find a place that will accept your old electronics for recycling. (Near where I live, there is a monthly "open dumping" day where all types of materials are accepted and there is also an annual household waste clean-up day.)
Friday, September 18, 2015
Are Expensive Cables Worth It?
Go to your local electronics store and you might find the cable you need for around $25. Go on eBay, and you can probably find the same cable for $1 or less. This substantial difference in price probably makes you wonder if there is a difference in what the cable will do.
For the most part, the answer is no. A cable functions like a tube that allows data to be transmitted but a more expensive cable will (usually) not provide a better experience. Unless there is something wrong with the cable, the data entered on one end will be reproduced on the other end. In most cases, you will want to avoid both the cheapest cables (these are usually extremely poor quality products made in China), and the most expensive ones (these might contain some extra shielding or other features, but are unlikely to be worth the cost).
Furthermore, lifespan is not usually an issue. You can replace a $2 twelve times before you have approached the cost of the $25 cable. If you are not going at the cheapest end of the spectrum, you will find that any reduced lifespan is minimal and does not come close to making up for the additional cost of the expensive cable.
In general, you should go with a cable toward the cheaper end, but not necessarily the cheapest one you can find. Here are a few exceptions:
1) Active HDMI Cables - Generally, a properly-functioning HDMI cable will not make your video quality any better. However, an "active" cable contains a chip that will help boost the signal to provide a better signal over long distances or through thinner cables. If you need a long HDMI run or a thin cable to go around a corner, then spending extra for an active cable is a good choice.
2) USB Charging Cables - Computer USB cables also function as tubes that simply transmit data. However, USB charging cables may not charge at the same rate. You may find that a cheaper cable charges much slower than a more expensive cable. (You may also find cheaper cables that work at the same rate as their more expensive counterparts, so cheap does not necessarily mean slow.) If you are replacing a charging cable, you do not need to go for the most expensive option, but selecting one toward the expensive end of the spectrum may make sense.
3) Ethernet - CAT 5 and CAT 5e cables are certainly fast enough right now, but as average internet speeds appear set to increase at some point in the near future, using these cables may result in slower than necessary speeds. If you are replacing your ethernet cables, it is probably time to upgrade them to CAT 6 or CAT 6a. There is only a small difference in price, but you will have the ability to obtain faster speeds once they become available. That said, there is no reason to go to the expensive end of the CAT 6 price range.
4) Audio Cables - Audio cables are one of the few analog cables still in use today. Although the difference would be small, cable quality could have an effect on the quality of the sound produced. If you work with audio or video or you have a good ear for music quality, this is one area where you might want to go with a higher-quality cable.
For the most part, the answer is no. A cable functions like a tube that allows data to be transmitted but a more expensive cable will (usually) not provide a better experience. Unless there is something wrong with the cable, the data entered on one end will be reproduced on the other end. In most cases, you will want to avoid both the cheapest cables (these are usually extremely poor quality products made in China), and the most expensive ones (these might contain some extra shielding or other features, but are unlikely to be worth the cost).
Furthermore, lifespan is not usually an issue. You can replace a $2 twelve times before you have approached the cost of the $25 cable. If you are not going at the cheapest end of the spectrum, you will find that any reduced lifespan is minimal and does not come close to making up for the additional cost of the expensive cable.
In general, you should go with a cable toward the cheaper end, but not necessarily the cheapest one you can find. Here are a few exceptions:
1) Active HDMI Cables - Generally, a properly-functioning HDMI cable will not make your video quality any better. However, an "active" cable contains a chip that will help boost the signal to provide a better signal over long distances or through thinner cables. If you need a long HDMI run or a thin cable to go around a corner, then spending extra for an active cable is a good choice.
2) USB Charging Cables - Computer USB cables also function as tubes that simply transmit data. However, USB charging cables may not charge at the same rate. You may find that a cheaper cable charges much slower than a more expensive cable. (You may also find cheaper cables that work at the same rate as their more expensive counterparts, so cheap does not necessarily mean slow.) If you are replacing a charging cable, you do not need to go for the most expensive option, but selecting one toward the expensive end of the spectrum may make sense.
3) Ethernet - CAT 5 and CAT 5e cables are certainly fast enough right now, but as average internet speeds appear set to increase at some point in the near future, using these cables may result in slower than necessary speeds. If you are replacing your ethernet cables, it is probably time to upgrade them to CAT 6 or CAT 6a. There is only a small difference in price, but you will have the ability to obtain faster speeds once they become available. That said, there is no reason to go to the expensive end of the CAT 6 price range.
4) Audio Cables - Audio cables are one of the few analog cables still in use today. Although the difference would be small, cable quality could have an effect on the quality of the sound produced. If you work with audio or video or you have a good ear for music quality, this is one area where you might want to go with a higher-quality cable.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Three Add Ons to Block Ad Trackers
The internet has become a dream for advertisers. A small amount of data added through your browser (called a cookie) can be used to track everything you do and send it back to companies that will target ads directly to you based on your interests and browsing habits. In just over one month, my browser has encountered over 3900 of these trackers. Here are three free browser add-ons that can stop these cookies from tracking you.
1) Blur - I use Blur by Abine to block trackers on all of my computers. Blur will not only block trackers on your computer, but it can also be used to provide disposable email addresses that can keep your email account off of spam lists. If you upgrade to a premium account, you can also take advantage of password management features and credit card and phone number masking. Blur is available for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Internet Explorer and also has iOS and Android apps for mobile devices.
2) Ghostery - Ghostery is a simple solution that can block trackers on sites you visit. Simply visit a site, click on the icon, and you can see the trackers on the site along with an option to shut them off. Go into the options, and you can block tracking by default on all sites or whitelist specific sites. Ghostery is available for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer on computers and also on iOS and Android.
3) Privacy Badger - The Electronic Frontier Foundation has an add-on called Privacy Badger available for Chrome and Firefox. While it does not contain many of the customization options or a mobile version like Blur or Ghostery, it is a simple and effective tool to protect your privacy.
1) Blur - I use Blur by Abine to block trackers on all of my computers. Blur will not only block trackers on your computer, but it can also be used to provide disposable email addresses that can keep your email account off of spam lists. If you upgrade to a premium account, you can also take advantage of password management features and credit card and phone number masking. Blur is available for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Internet Explorer and also has iOS and Android apps for mobile devices.
2) Ghostery - Ghostery is a simple solution that can block trackers on sites you visit. Simply visit a site, click on the icon, and you can see the trackers on the site along with an option to shut them off. Go into the options, and you can block tracking by default on all sites or whitelist specific sites. Ghostery is available for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer on computers and also on iOS and Android.
3) Privacy Badger - The Electronic Frontier Foundation has an add-on called Privacy Badger available for Chrome and Firefox. While it does not contain many of the customization options or a mobile version like Blur or Ghostery, it is a simple and effective tool to protect your privacy.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Keep Your Gadgets Safe When Travelling
Remember the days when you couldn't bring your computer with you on vacation because it was too large and bulky? Now, most of us carry a small but much more powerful computer with us in our pockets all day. Even for full computers, most people now prefer the mobility of a laptop to the extra power provided by a desktop.
However, the ability to take our devices with us has resulted in bad practices. Many of us do things with our computers that can harm them or our privacy. Here are four things we should not do when travelling with our mobile gadgets.
1) Leave without a backup - We should all know that we need to make regular backups of the data on our devices, but we all probably fail to do that on a regular basis. However, before you leave with your gadgets, make sure your information is backed up. When travelling, your gadget is not only susceptible to an equipment failure, but also to theft. Forgetting your tablet in your hotel room or losing your phone in a gas station bathroom is bad enough without being exaggerated by the loss of precious photos or important files.
2) Out of sight, out of a thief's mind - Do not ever leave your gadgets on the seat or floor of your car (even when not travelling). With the proper equipment, a thief can break a window and grab your gadget within a few seconds. Leaving your gadgets sitting in plain sight can turn a fun vacation into an awful one.
3) Give it space - When travelling, many people put their laptops into a backpack or briefcase. However, keeping your laptop in such a case--especially when it is still on--can damage internal components. If you can store your laptop in a place where it has some additional breathing room, then do it. If you must store your device in a bag, do not turn your device off and then immediately store it. The heat from the battery can cause problems for your device, even leading to fires.
4) Charge it properly - Over the years, there have been numerous opinions about how you should charge your devices. Much of the bad information out there is actually correct information being stated about the wrong type of battery. Since almost all devices now use lithium-ion batteries, going through a complete discharge cycle (run it until the battery is almost completely dead and then charge it back up to 100%) can shorten the battery's lifespan. It is much better to keep your battery power between 40% and 80% and to charge in small amounts more frequently. Obviously, this can be troublesome when travelling, but using car chargers or portable batteries can make this easier.
However, the ability to take our devices with us has resulted in bad practices. Many of us do things with our computers that can harm them or our privacy. Here are four things we should not do when travelling with our mobile gadgets.
1) Leave without a backup - We should all know that we need to make regular backups of the data on our devices, but we all probably fail to do that on a regular basis. However, before you leave with your gadgets, make sure your information is backed up. When travelling, your gadget is not only susceptible to an equipment failure, but also to theft. Forgetting your tablet in your hotel room or losing your phone in a gas station bathroom is bad enough without being exaggerated by the loss of precious photos or important files.
2) Out of sight, out of a thief's mind - Do not ever leave your gadgets on the seat or floor of your car (even when not travelling). With the proper equipment, a thief can break a window and grab your gadget within a few seconds. Leaving your gadgets sitting in plain sight can turn a fun vacation into an awful one.
3) Give it space - When travelling, many people put their laptops into a backpack or briefcase. However, keeping your laptop in such a case--especially when it is still on--can damage internal components. If you can store your laptop in a place where it has some additional breathing room, then do it. If you must store your device in a bag, do not turn your device off and then immediately store it. The heat from the battery can cause problems for your device, even leading to fires.
4) Charge it properly - Over the years, there have been numerous opinions about how you should charge your devices. Much of the bad information out there is actually correct information being stated about the wrong type of battery. Since almost all devices now use lithium-ion batteries, going through a complete discharge cycle (run it until the battery is almost completely dead and then charge it back up to 100%) can shorten the battery's lifespan. It is much better to keep your battery power between 40% and 80% and to charge in small amounts more frequently. Obviously, this can be troublesome when travelling, but using car chargers or portable batteries can make this easier.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Use Sway for your Next Presentation
PowerPoint used to be the standard for creating presentations. However, new subscription sites like Emaze and Prezi have encroached on PowerPoint's space with new methods for creating presentations. Realizing this, Microsoft developed a new presentation app called Sway.
Instead of slides, Sway presentations appear in a linear fashion. You can scroll forward and backward through the presentation as you like, and it supports additional multimedia features such as embedded tweets, vines, and YouTube videos. Sway will even make suggestions for additional content while you work, and you can search inside Sway for free, public-domain content to add. Plus, if you get halfway through your presentation and decide you don't like the template you chose, you can easily swap it out with another template.
Sway is available as a free download for Windows 10 devices and for iPhone and iPad.
Instead of slides, Sway presentations appear in a linear fashion. You can scroll forward and backward through the presentation as you like, and it supports additional multimedia features such as embedded tweets, vines, and YouTube videos. Sway will even make suggestions for additional content while you work, and you can search inside Sway for free, public-domain content to add. Plus, if you get halfway through your presentation and decide you don't like the template you chose, you can easily swap it out with another template.
Sway is available as a free download for Windows 10 devices and for iPhone and iPad.
Monday, September 14, 2015
How to do a Background Check
If you are hiring a new employee (even a household employee, like a part-time house cleaner or a babysitter), you might want to do a background check. Even if you are not hiring someone, you might want to perform a background check on someone for other reasons, or you might want to make sure what a potential employer or landlord will see about you is accurate.
When performing a background check as a potential employer, landlord, credit provider, or insurance provider, you must use a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA). A CRA must follow certain standards for data protection and dispute resolution. If you reject someone based on information that was not obtained from a CRA, you could end up facing a lawsuit or fine.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) maintains a list of CRAs. It is divided into categories such as Credit Reporting, Employment Screening, and Tenant Screening. You do not have to get one from each category; you only need to select the categories you feel are relevant to the application.
If you are not required to use a CRA (for example, you are checking out a romantic partner or wanting to check up on a potential roommate), you can use some free resources to gather information. PeekYou combs social media sites for information people have made available. Background check company Been Verified has an app that will allow you to make one free check per month. Finally, you can look at the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website. Finally, you can conduct a simple Google search, but you should be careful to make sure any information that comes up is actually about the person you are checking and not someone with the same name.
When performing a background check as a potential employer, landlord, credit provider, or insurance provider, you must use a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA). A CRA must follow certain standards for data protection and dispute resolution. If you reject someone based on information that was not obtained from a CRA, you could end up facing a lawsuit or fine.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) maintains a list of CRAs. It is divided into categories such as Credit Reporting, Employment Screening, and Tenant Screening. You do not have to get one from each category; you only need to select the categories you feel are relevant to the application.
If you are not required to use a CRA (for example, you are checking out a romantic partner or wanting to check up on a potential roommate), you can use some free resources to gather information. PeekYou combs social media sites for information people have made available. Background check company Been Verified has an app that will allow you to make one free check per month. Finally, you can look at the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website. Finally, you can conduct a simple Google search, but you should be careful to make sure any information that comes up is actually about the person you are checking and not someone with the same name.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Keep Your Child Safe Online
The internet can be a wonderful tool for your children, but it can also allow them access to many things you don't want them to see. In yesterday's tip, I discussed how you can set up a separate account for your kids that will keep them from installing software or making major changes without your approval. (If you want to read that tip, you can read it here.) Once you've set up that account, you can also use built-in tools to monitor and control what your kids are doing online.
In my tip yesterday, I mentioned that you could create a single account for all of your kids. However, some of these tools work best if you create a separate account for each child.
Once you have your user account/accounts configured, go to the Control Panel (Start -> Control Panel in Windows Vista/7 or Charms -> Settings -> Control Panel in Windows 8), look for "User Accounts and Family Safety", and select the option for "Set up Parental Controls" (Windows Vista/7) or "Set up Family Safety" (Windows 8). Then, select the first account you want to configure for parental controls.
On/Off - The first option is to turn these controls on or off. Since you are reading this tip, I will assume you want to select "On, enforce current settings". If you accidentally turn this on for an adult's account, you can come back here to turn it off again.
Activity Reporting (Vista/8) - If you want Windows to log the internet activity on this account, select "On". You will then be able to come back to this page and click on "View activity log" on the right-hand side to view the logs.
Activity Reporting (Windows 7) - In Windows 7, Microsoft moved the activity log and content filtering to a separate utility. To enable this, you will need to go here to download and install Windows Essentials. You can either choose to install all programs, or you can choose to only install the Family Safety program. Once installed, you can type "Windows Live Family Safety" into the search box to set up monitoring on specific accounts. The activity reports will be accessible through the Family Safety website.
Web Filtering (Vista/7/8) - The Web Filtering tool allows you to set filters on the content your kids can see. You can also allow or block specific websites to override the filter settings. This is included in the Control Panel utility on Vista/8, and it is included with the Windows Live Family Settings program in Windows 7.
Time Limits (Vista/7/8) - You can limit the amount of time each account can be logged in. This is very useful if you have several kids and need to make sure they are sharing one computer. You can also set curfew times so your kids are not able to sneak on the computer while you are sleeping.
Games (Vista/7/8) - This allows you to control the games (and Windows Store apps in Windows 8) that your kids can use. You can filter by rating, and you can also allow or block specific games.
Programs/Desktop Apps (Vista/7/8) - Like the Games section, you can limit the programs that your kids are allowed to use. Although this feature may only have limited uses, it can be very helpful for a computer that is used for both work and home purposes. If you have programs that you installed for work, you can block access so your kids are unable to get into them.
In my tip yesterday, I mentioned that you could create a single account for all of your kids. However, some of these tools work best if you create a separate account for each child.
Once you have your user account/accounts configured, go to the Control Panel (Start -> Control Panel in Windows Vista/7 or Charms -> Settings -> Control Panel in Windows 8), look for "User Accounts and Family Safety", and select the option for "Set up Parental Controls" (Windows Vista/7) or "Set up Family Safety" (Windows 8). Then, select the first account you want to configure for parental controls.
On/Off - The first option is to turn these controls on or off. Since you are reading this tip, I will assume you want to select "On, enforce current settings". If you accidentally turn this on for an adult's account, you can come back here to turn it off again.
Activity Reporting (Vista/8) - If you want Windows to log the internet activity on this account, select "On". You will then be able to come back to this page and click on "View activity log" on the right-hand side to view the logs.
Activity Reporting (Windows 7) - In Windows 7, Microsoft moved the activity log and content filtering to a separate utility. To enable this, you will need to go here to download and install Windows Essentials. You can either choose to install all programs, or you can choose to only install the Family Safety program. Once installed, you can type "Windows Live Family Safety" into the search box to set up monitoring on specific accounts. The activity reports will be accessible through the Family Safety website.
Web Filtering (Vista/7/8) - The Web Filtering tool allows you to set filters on the content your kids can see. You can also allow or block specific websites to override the filter settings. This is included in the Control Panel utility on Vista/8, and it is included with the Windows Live Family Settings program in Windows 7.
Time Limits (Vista/7/8) - You can limit the amount of time each account can be logged in. This is very useful if you have several kids and need to make sure they are sharing one computer. You can also set curfew times so your kids are not able to sneak on the computer while you are sleeping.
Games (Vista/7/8) - This allows you to control the games (and Windows Store apps in Windows 8) that your kids can use. You can filter by rating, and you can also allow or block specific games.
Programs/Desktop Apps (Vista/7/8) - Like the Games section, you can limit the programs that your kids are allowed to use. Although this feature may only have limited uses, it can be very helpful for a computer that is used for both work and home purposes. If you have programs that you installed for work, you can block access so your kids are unable to get into them.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Keep Your Computer Safe From Others
A customer recently brought in a computer that was running slow and stated that her kids had installed all kinds of games and other programs on it. This week, she told me that the computer is working much better, and she also stated that she was only letting her kids use it when they were supervised. I told her that it was possible to create a separate user account for her kids that would stop them from installing any programs without her permission. When I told her that I would write out instructions, I thought that this would make a great subject for a tip.
Windows comes with the ability to create several different types of accounts. By default, most accounts become Administrator accounts. Administrator accounts have full permission to use the resources of the computer (unless the user is blocked by other means). Standard User accounts have permission to use most of the resources on the computer, but not to change them. This means that standard users cannot install programs, delete system files, or change settings without entering an administrative password. There are a few other types of users, but these are the two types you will need to know.
My suggestion was to create a password-protected administrator account for the adults and a second standard user account (which may or may not have a password) for the kids. Here is how you would set this up:
Windows Vista/7:
1) Log in with an administrator account. If you are not sure if an account is an administrator account, we will check that in a minute.
2) Go to the Start Menu and choose Control Panel.
3) Choose "Add or Remove User Accounts" under "User Accounts and Family Safety".
4) Check the account you logged in under and see if it says "Administrator" underneath. If it does, continue. If not, log out and log back in under an account that does say Administrator.
5) If the account is already has a password, you may skip this step. If your account does not have a password, select the administrator account, and then choose "Create a password" in the next window. Do NOT skip this step! If you do not have a password on the administrator account, anyone using the standard user account will be able to perform the tasks of an administrator with one click.
6) Click the back arrow in the top-left corner to go back to the original screen. Then, select "Create a new account".
7) Type in an account name (such as "Kids") and be sure to select "Standard user". Then, click "Create account".
Windows 8/8.1:
1) Log in with an administrator account. If you are not sure if an account is an administrator account, we will check that in a minute.
2) Go to the charms bar and select Settings -> Control Panel.
3) Click on "Change Account Type"
4) Check the account you logged in under and see if it says "Administrator" underneath. If it does, continue. If not, log out and log back in under an account that does say Administrator.
5) If the account is already has a password, you may skip this step. If your account does not have a password, select the administrator account, and then choose "Create a password" in the next window. Do NOT skip this step! If you do not have a password on the administrator account, anyone using the standard user account will be able to perform the tasks of an administrator with one click.
6) Click the back arrow in the top-left corner to go back to the original screen. Then, select "Add a new user in PC settings". In the new window, select "Add a new user".
7) Follow the prompts to create either an online Microsoft account (by linking it to an email address) or a local account (by selecting "Sign in without a Microsoft account"). By default, the account will be a Standard User account unless you change it to administrator.
Now, when your kids (or anyone else) logs in with the standard user account, they will be asked to enter an administrator password if they attempt to install a program or change a setting. If they want to install a legitimate program, they will only need to get you to enter the password for your administrator account.
Creating a separate account for your kids also gives you the opportunity to enable parental controls on the account. I will address this in tomorrow's tip!
Windows comes with the ability to create several different types of accounts. By default, most accounts become Administrator accounts. Administrator accounts have full permission to use the resources of the computer (unless the user is blocked by other means). Standard User accounts have permission to use most of the resources on the computer, but not to change them. This means that standard users cannot install programs, delete system files, or change settings without entering an administrative password. There are a few other types of users, but these are the two types you will need to know.
My suggestion was to create a password-protected administrator account for the adults and a second standard user account (which may or may not have a password) for the kids. Here is how you would set this up:
Windows Vista/7:
1) Log in with an administrator account. If you are not sure if an account is an administrator account, we will check that in a minute.
2) Go to the Start Menu and choose Control Panel.
3) Choose "Add or Remove User Accounts" under "User Accounts and Family Safety".
4) Check the account you logged in under and see if it says "Administrator" underneath. If it does, continue. If not, log out and log back in under an account that does say Administrator.
5) If the account is already has a password, you may skip this step. If your account does not have a password, select the administrator account, and then choose "Create a password" in the next window. Do NOT skip this step! If you do not have a password on the administrator account, anyone using the standard user account will be able to perform the tasks of an administrator with one click.
6) Click the back arrow in the top-left corner to go back to the original screen. Then, select "Create a new account".
7) Type in an account name (such as "Kids") and be sure to select "Standard user". Then, click "Create account".
Windows 8/8.1:
1) Log in with an administrator account. If you are not sure if an account is an administrator account, we will check that in a minute.
2) Go to the charms bar and select Settings -> Control Panel.
3) Click on "Change Account Type"
4) Check the account you logged in under and see if it says "Administrator" underneath. If it does, continue. If not, log out and log back in under an account that does say Administrator.
5) If the account is already has a password, you may skip this step. If your account does not have a password, select the administrator account, and then choose "Create a password" in the next window. Do NOT skip this step! If you do not have a password on the administrator account, anyone using the standard user account will be able to perform the tasks of an administrator with one click.
6) Click the back arrow in the top-left corner to go back to the original screen. Then, select "Add a new user in PC settings". In the new window, select "Add a new user".
7) Follow the prompts to create either an online Microsoft account (by linking it to an email address) or a local account (by selecting "Sign in without a Microsoft account"). By default, the account will be a Standard User account unless you change it to administrator.
Now, when your kids (or anyone else) logs in with the standard user account, they will be asked to enter an administrator password if they attempt to install a program or change a setting. If they want to install a legitimate program, they will only need to get you to enter the password for your administrator account.
Creating a separate account for your kids also gives you the opportunity to enable parental controls on the account. I will address this in tomorrow's tip!
Thursday, September 3, 2015
How to Clean Your Devices, Part 2
Yesterday, we covered how to clean a desktop computer. Today, we will look at how to clean our mobile devices.
Laptop - Obviously, you will want to unplug the laptop and remove the battery before any cleaning. To clean the monitor, use the same procedure for cleaning a desktop monitor. (Monitor wipes or soap and water.)
To clean underneath a laptop's keyboard, compressed air is your best option. If you are comfortable removing the keyboard, you may want to remove it for easier cleaning. Next, use isopropyl alcohol to clean the keys. (You can use a soap and water mixture, but be sure to squeeze any excess water off the towel before wiping and give your computer plenty of time to dry before starting it.)
Space has to be sacrificed in order to create a portable computer, so the ability to thoroughly clean a laptop is limited unless you are comfortable completely disassembling your computer. Your only remaining option is to try and remove dust from any place you can. Use compressed air to clean the vents. Remove any panels on the bottom and blow dust out of those areas. If you removed the keyboard earlier, blow dust out before putting it back in place.
Phone/Tablet - Smartphones and tablets are generally not made to be disassembled, so cleaning dust out of them will be difficult. Fortunately, these devices do not attract as much dust since they have limited ventilation. If there are any vents, try using compressed air inside of them. I also found that my mother's smartphone had trouble charging due to dirt and dust inside the charging port. A couple shots of compressed air in the charging port solved the problem.
If your phone has a battery that can be easily removed, take the cover off and remove it. Then use compressed air to clean any exposed areas. You can also clean these areas with a cotton swab using a soap and water mixture. Use a damp microfiber cloth to clean your screen. If the screen is cracked, use a dry cloth to prevent moisture from entering your device. When cleaning the screen, do not use a circular motion, as this can scratch the screen.
Laptop - Obviously, you will want to unplug the laptop and remove the battery before any cleaning. To clean the monitor, use the same procedure for cleaning a desktop monitor. (Monitor wipes or soap and water.)
To clean underneath a laptop's keyboard, compressed air is your best option. If you are comfortable removing the keyboard, you may want to remove it for easier cleaning. Next, use isopropyl alcohol to clean the keys. (You can use a soap and water mixture, but be sure to squeeze any excess water off the towel before wiping and give your computer plenty of time to dry before starting it.)
Space has to be sacrificed in order to create a portable computer, so the ability to thoroughly clean a laptop is limited unless you are comfortable completely disassembling your computer. Your only remaining option is to try and remove dust from any place you can. Use compressed air to clean the vents. Remove any panels on the bottom and blow dust out of those areas. If you removed the keyboard earlier, blow dust out before putting it back in place.
Phone/Tablet - Smartphones and tablets are generally not made to be disassembled, so cleaning dust out of them will be difficult. Fortunately, these devices do not attract as much dust since they have limited ventilation. If there are any vents, try using compressed air inside of them. I also found that my mother's smartphone had trouble charging due to dirt and dust inside the charging port. A couple shots of compressed air in the charging port solved the problem.
If your phone has a battery that can be easily removed, take the cover off and remove it. Then use compressed air to clean any exposed areas. You can also clean these areas with a cotton swab using a soap and water mixture. Use a damp microfiber cloth to clean your screen. If the screen is cracked, use a dry cloth to prevent moisture from entering your device. When cleaning the screen, do not use a circular motion, as this can scratch the screen.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
How to Clean Your Devices, Part 1
One of the most common questions I am asked is how to clean a particular device. Most people know that they should not use a wet rag with soap, but they are unsure exactly what is appropriate.
Obviously, you will want to shut down your computer and remove the battery (if possible) prior to cleaning it.
Desktop Computer Case (Exterior) – Cleaning a desktop case is the one instance where it is appropriate to use soap and water. Use a moist (not wet) rag with a light amount of soap, and stay away or use caution around any ports or vents.
Desktop Computer Case (Interior) – Once the side panel of the case has been removed, use of water must stop! However, isopropyl alcohol is a great substitute for water, and it is safe to use around most computer components because it dries quickly and will not conduct electricity. Some people say that you can even take out most components and dip them in an alcohol bath, but I do not recommend this unless you are working with a computer that you can spare.
For a quick clean, I recommend taking the computer outside and using compressed air to blow the dust out of the case. This is a cheap and quick way to get most of the dust out. A can of compressed air usually costs between three and five dollars, and you can find them at any electronics store or Walmart/Meijer. Use short bursts of air; don’t just push the trigger and keep spraying!
If you want to give specific components a more thorough cleaning, read on:
Case Fans – Case fans are fans that are actually attached to the metal case itself. If compressed air isn’t getting the job done, use a Q-tip with isopropyl alcohol. You may want to remove the fan to be able to get both sides of it, but make sure that you make note of the arrows that point the direction of airflow and replace the fan in the same direction.
CPU/GPU Fans and Heat Sinks – Your processor is covered by a large series of metal fins, called a heat sink. In most cases, a fan then sits on top of the heat sink. If you have a separate graphics card, this it may have a heat sink and fan. Again, compressed air is best, but for a more thorough clean, use isopropyl alcohol. Be careful if you choose to remove the heat sink from the processor. If you do remove it, be sure to clean the heat sink surface and the top of the processor with isopropyl alcohol, and then reapply thermal compound (available at most electronics stores) once it is dry.
Motherboard and Expansion Cards – If compressed air is not cleaning your motherboard or expansion card, then your best option will again be a Q-tip with isopropyl alcohol. Be sure to leave enough time for the alcohol to dry before restarting your computer.
Hard Drives / Optical Drives – Due to the sensitive nature of these components, do not use ANY liquid on a hard drive or optical drive. If compressed air is not cleaning an area, try using a dry rag. Otherwise, the dirt or dust is something you will have to live with.
Power Supply – The power supply is the unit that receives the cord from the wall and then distributes power through a variety of wires. Like your hard drive, do not use any liquid with the power supply. Use compressed air and a dry cloth.
Desktop Keyboard – Use compressed air to blow out any dust or debris under the keyboard. (Flip the keyboard over or remove the keys to allow it to escape easily.) If you remove the keys, you can use isopropyl alcohol on the contacts underneath.
Mouse – For an optical mouse (with a laser), use a Q-tip with isopropyl alcohol in the area of the LED. For a ball mouse, remove the ball and wipe with alcohol. If the buttons on the mouse come off, then remove them and clean underneath with alcohol.
Monitor - The easiest way to clean a monitor is to buy a package of monitor wipes and keep them on hand. Carefully wipe the screen without pressing too hard (this can damage the pixels). If you want to do it by yourself, you can use water with a light amount of soap, but be careful not to let the water run into the bottom and sides of the screen.
Obviously, you will want to shut down your computer and remove the battery (if possible) prior to cleaning it.
Desktop Computer Case (Exterior) – Cleaning a desktop case is the one instance where it is appropriate to use soap and water. Use a moist (not wet) rag with a light amount of soap, and stay away or use caution around any ports or vents.
Desktop Computer Case (Interior) – Once the side panel of the case has been removed, use of water must stop! However, isopropyl alcohol is a great substitute for water, and it is safe to use around most computer components because it dries quickly and will not conduct electricity. Some people say that you can even take out most components and dip them in an alcohol bath, but I do not recommend this unless you are working with a computer that you can spare.
For a quick clean, I recommend taking the computer outside and using compressed air to blow the dust out of the case. This is a cheap and quick way to get most of the dust out. A can of compressed air usually costs between three and five dollars, and you can find them at any electronics store or Walmart/Meijer. Use short bursts of air; don’t just push the trigger and keep spraying!
If you want to give specific components a more thorough cleaning, read on:
Case Fans – Case fans are fans that are actually attached to the metal case itself. If compressed air isn’t getting the job done, use a Q-tip with isopropyl alcohol. You may want to remove the fan to be able to get both sides of it, but make sure that you make note of the arrows that point the direction of airflow and replace the fan in the same direction.
CPU/GPU Fans and Heat Sinks – Your processor is covered by a large series of metal fins, called a heat sink. In most cases, a fan then sits on top of the heat sink. If you have a separate graphics card, this it may have a heat sink and fan. Again, compressed air is best, but for a more thorough clean, use isopropyl alcohol. Be careful if you choose to remove the heat sink from the processor. If you do remove it, be sure to clean the heat sink surface and the top of the processor with isopropyl alcohol, and then reapply thermal compound (available at most electronics stores) once it is dry.
Motherboard and Expansion Cards – If compressed air is not cleaning your motherboard or expansion card, then your best option will again be a Q-tip with isopropyl alcohol. Be sure to leave enough time for the alcohol to dry before restarting your computer.
Hard Drives / Optical Drives – Due to the sensitive nature of these components, do not use ANY liquid on a hard drive or optical drive. If compressed air is not cleaning an area, try using a dry rag. Otherwise, the dirt or dust is something you will have to live with.
Power Supply – The power supply is the unit that receives the cord from the wall and then distributes power through a variety of wires. Like your hard drive, do not use any liquid with the power supply. Use compressed air and a dry cloth.
Desktop Keyboard – Use compressed air to blow out any dust or debris under the keyboard. (Flip the keyboard over or remove the keys to allow it to escape easily.) If you remove the keys, you can use isopropyl alcohol on the contacts underneath.
Mouse – For an optical mouse (with a laser), use a Q-tip with isopropyl alcohol in the area of the LED. For a ball mouse, remove the ball and wipe with alcohol. If the buttons on the mouse come off, then remove them and clean underneath with alcohol.
Monitor - The easiest way to clean a monitor is to buy a package of monitor wipes and keep them on hand. Carefully wipe the screen without pressing too hard (this can damage the pixels). If you want to do it by yourself, you can use water with a light amount of soap, but be careful not to let the water run into the bottom and sides of the screen.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Mac vs. PC, Part 2
After depressing any Apple fans who subscribe yesterday, it is now time to discuss areas where Apple's products excel.
Security, Part 2
PC users have heard it over and over from Mac fans: Macs don't get viruses. Macs certainly can get viruses (the first virus was written for Unix, which formed the basis for OS X), but OS X is naturally more secure.
Yes, OS X has some features that make it more difficult to write an effective virus. However, a Mac's biggest security feature has been its low share of the overall market. It is much easier and more profitable to attack Windows.
Apple also reviews iOS apps for malware before approving them for the App Store, although there is some dispute over how thorough Apple is with its screening process. While Google has promised to be more effective at screening Android apps,
Mobile Software
Macs are well behind PCs in the software field, but iOS has a great variety of apps available. Some of this may be because Apple was the first to get into the consumer smartphone market, and some is because there are a relatively small number of iOS devices. It is much easier to test an iOS app on Apple's limited number of iPhones than to test an Android app on the large number of Android devices.
The one complaint I have with iOS apps is the fee that Apple charges developers. While large companies like Facebook and Google won't have a problem paying the fee, small developers might choose to ignore iOS all together or to charge for an app they give to Android users for free. I know of several free Android apps I use that charge you for the iOS version.
Stability
Because Apple develops its own hardware and software together, OS X and iOS are much more stable than Windows and Android. Both Windows and Android have to be designed so that it can be run on a large number of hardware platforms. OS X and iOS are both designed specifically for one hardware profile: the one developed by Apple. (It is possible to install OS X on a non-Apple computer, creating something popularly called a "Hackintosh".) Apple's ability to develop hardware and software together means its products will generally experience fewer crashes and glitches.
Arts
Yesterday, I mentioned that if my life had taken a different course, I would probably be a Mac user. I studied music in college and did a substantial amount of composing and arranging music. If I were still doing this today, I would almost certainly be a Mac user. If there is one academic area where Macs excel, it is the fine arts. If you are considering a career in this field, expect to need a Mac at some point.
Intangibles
A few other reasons to like Apple. First, Apple makes nice-looking products. I distinctly remember seeing a Mac as a kid and thinking about how cool it looked compared to the old, boxy computers we owned.
Second, I have heard good things about (although I have not personally experienced) Apple's customer care services. I know people who have broken their screen and had Apple repair it for free, even though they should have been charged a fee under the Apple Care plans.
Finally, Apple's devices can be counted on to hold their value. I know one couple that always purchases the newest Apple devices and then sells the previous model. They usually end up receiving most of the cost of their new devices from the sale of their old ones.
Security, Part 2
PC users have heard it over and over from Mac fans: Macs don't get viruses. Macs certainly can get viruses (the first virus was written for Unix, which formed the basis for OS X), but OS X is naturally more secure.
Yes, OS X has some features that make it more difficult to write an effective virus. However, a Mac's biggest security feature has been its low share of the overall market. It is much easier and more profitable to attack Windows.
Apple also reviews iOS apps for malware before approving them for the App Store, although there is some dispute over how thorough Apple is with its screening process. While Google has promised to be more effective at screening Android apps,
Mobile Software
Macs are well behind PCs in the software field, but iOS has a great variety of apps available. Some of this may be because Apple was the first to get into the consumer smartphone market, and some is because there are a relatively small number of iOS devices. It is much easier to test an iOS app on Apple's limited number of iPhones than to test an Android app on the large number of Android devices.
The one complaint I have with iOS apps is the fee that Apple charges developers. While large companies like Facebook and Google won't have a problem paying the fee, small developers might choose to ignore iOS all together or to charge for an app they give to Android users for free. I know of several free Android apps I use that charge you for the iOS version.
Stability
Because Apple develops its own hardware and software together, OS X and iOS are much more stable than Windows and Android. Both Windows and Android have to be designed so that it can be run on a large number of hardware platforms. OS X and iOS are both designed specifically for one hardware profile: the one developed by Apple. (It is possible to install OS X on a non-Apple computer, creating something popularly called a "Hackintosh".) Apple's ability to develop hardware and software together means its products will generally experience fewer crashes and glitches.
Arts
Yesterday, I mentioned that if my life had taken a different course, I would probably be a Mac user. I studied music in college and did a substantial amount of composing and arranging music. If I were still doing this today, I would almost certainly be a Mac user. If there is one academic area where Macs excel, it is the fine arts. If you are considering a career in this field, expect to need a Mac at some point.
Intangibles
A few other reasons to like Apple. First, Apple makes nice-looking products. I distinctly remember seeing a Mac as a kid and thinking about how cool it looked compared to the old, boxy computers we owned.
Second, I have heard good things about (although I have not personally experienced) Apple's customer care services. I know people who have broken their screen and had Apple repair it for free, even though they should have been charged a fee under the Apple Care plans.
Finally, Apple's devices can be counted on to hold their value. I know one couple that always purchases the newest Apple devices and then sells the previous model. They usually end up receiving most of the cost of their new devices from the sale of their old ones.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Mac vs. PC, Part 1
Those who have been reading my daily tips for some time probably already know that I am not a big fan of Apple's products, whether it be a Mac computer, an iPhone, or an iPad. Therefore, I am very careful to give an answer when I am asked whether a Mac or PC--or an iPhone/iPad or Android--are better. Determining which one is best for you is a matter of deciding what you need and choosing the device that best excels in those areas. For me, that is my custom-built PC running Windows. For others, that might be a Mac. I am certainly not critical of those who choose to buy a Mac. Had my life taken a different course, I would almost certainly be using a Mac because it would better fit my needs.
Over the next two days, I will attempt to answer this question as fairly as I can. Today, I will write about the areas where PCs and Androids excel over Apple's devices, and tomorrow, I will cover the areas where Apple's devices excel.
Value
If you compare spec sheets for a PC laptop and a Macbook, you will find that the PC always gives you a better specs for your money. I have no problem with Apple charging more for its products; if its customers are willing to pay more, I believe they should be able to charge whatever they want. However, if you are looking to get the fastest and best components on the market, you will get them at a much better price from Dell or HP than from Apple.
The same is true for the iPad and iPhone compared to devices from Samsung or HTC. Comparable specs tend to put the "i" Devices at a $100-200 premium. Again, I have no problem with Apple charging as much as the market is willing to pay, but it is a factor you must consider in making your choice.
Variety
There is no doubt that Apple's products are more aesthetically pleasing overall (more on that tomorrow), but the truth is that with all of Apple's products, you are limited to just a few devices. Because Windows and Android are distributed software, there are a large variety of devices from many manufacturers available to fit your needs.
Apple has further hurt this variety by limiting the number of options and the ability to upgrade a device. When you buy an Apple device, you will have a difficult time changing any of the items inside it once you get it. For example, if you want more storage space for your iPhone or iPad, you will have to upgrade to a new device with more storage. (By contrast, Android allows you to add an SD card to your device.)
Desktop/Laptop Software
We will deal with software again tomorrow, but PCs definitely win in the software category. Many important programs are not available for Macs, or they are only available at a premium price. I recently set up a virtual machine inside a Mac for someone who discovered that the Mac versions of the programs she used did not have the features she needed.
While the virtual machine is one option and emulators have gotten better recently, software is still a major reason to choose a PC. (It is also the reason why I switched back to Windows after being a Linux user for several years.) Before considering a Mac, make sure that the software you use regularly is available for Mac (or that there is a suitable substitute program available).
Security, Part 1
You might be surprised to see security on a list of areas where PCs and Androids excel over Macs and iOS devices. Yes, it is true that Apple's products are generally more secure, but PCs do have one security advantage over Macs. Most PCs have security software on them that protect them from attacks that affect both types of devices.
Most attacks today are not the viruses that spread by installing a device (like a flash drive or external hard drive) on an infected computer and then bringing it back to your own computer. They are social engineering attacks designed to get you to give up your personal information and passwords. It doesn't matter if you are using a PC, a Mac, an iPhone, or a Galaxy Tab, if you click that link in the email you received from "your bank" and hand over your online password, your information will be in the wrong hands.
Fortunately, security software is recognizing this change and adapting to protect us. However, security software does you no good if you do not have it installed on your system. As a whole, PC users recognize these threats and install security software better than Mac users. Yes, you may not need an antivirus program for your Mac, but software that helps you recognize shady sites and phishing schemes would be a plus.
Over the next two days, I will attempt to answer this question as fairly as I can. Today, I will write about the areas where PCs and Androids excel over Apple's devices, and tomorrow, I will cover the areas where Apple's devices excel.
Value
If you compare spec sheets for a PC laptop and a Macbook, you will find that the PC always gives you a better specs for your money. I have no problem with Apple charging more for its products; if its customers are willing to pay more, I believe they should be able to charge whatever they want. However, if you are looking to get the fastest and best components on the market, you will get them at a much better price from Dell or HP than from Apple.
The same is true for the iPad and iPhone compared to devices from Samsung or HTC. Comparable specs tend to put the "i" Devices at a $100-200 premium. Again, I have no problem with Apple charging as much as the market is willing to pay, but it is a factor you must consider in making your choice.
Variety
There is no doubt that Apple's products are more aesthetically pleasing overall (more on that tomorrow), but the truth is that with all of Apple's products, you are limited to just a few devices. Because Windows and Android are distributed software, there are a large variety of devices from many manufacturers available to fit your needs.
Apple has further hurt this variety by limiting the number of options and the ability to upgrade a device. When you buy an Apple device, you will have a difficult time changing any of the items inside it once you get it. For example, if you want more storage space for your iPhone or iPad, you will have to upgrade to a new device with more storage. (By contrast, Android allows you to add an SD card to your device.)
Desktop/Laptop Software
We will deal with software again tomorrow, but PCs definitely win in the software category. Many important programs are not available for Macs, or they are only available at a premium price. I recently set up a virtual machine inside a Mac for someone who discovered that the Mac versions of the programs she used did not have the features she needed.
While the virtual machine is one option and emulators have gotten better recently, software is still a major reason to choose a PC. (It is also the reason why I switched back to Windows after being a Linux user for several years.) Before considering a Mac, make sure that the software you use regularly is available for Mac (or that there is a suitable substitute program available).
Security, Part 1
You might be surprised to see security on a list of areas where PCs and Androids excel over Macs and iOS devices. Yes, it is true that Apple's products are generally more secure, but PCs do have one security advantage over Macs. Most PCs have security software on them that protect them from attacks that affect both types of devices.
Most attacks today are not the viruses that spread by installing a device (like a flash drive or external hard drive) on an infected computer and then bringing it back to your own computer. They are social engineering attacks designed to get you to give up your personal information and passwords. It doesn't matter if you are using a PC, a Mac, an iPhone, or a Galaxy Tab, if you click that link in the email you received from "your bank" and hand over your online password, your information will be in the wrong hands.
Fortunately, security software is recognizing this change and adapting to protect us. However, security software does you no good if you do not have it installed on your system. As a whole, PC users recognize these threats and install security software better than Mac users. Yes, you may not need an antivirus program for your Mac, but software that helps you recognize shady sites and phishing schemes would be a plus.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Keep Your Privacy Online
It seems like not a day goes by where we do not hear about some privacy or security breach. Whether it is an iCloud hack, a credit card breach, or a new way of gathering data about you, there is someone out there determined to gather your information. This tracking can come from your internet history, your emails, your social networks, or your purchases. If you are doing it online, there are companies out there trying to get it so they know more about you.
The major browsers have all created a "Do Not Track" option, but this is not effective because it is currently voluntary on the part of the marketers. If a marketer wants to ignore this option, you can do nothing about it.
Fortunately, there is a free third-party tool that is effective: Blur by Abine. It will block many of the cookies designed to track you, and it will also protect your personal information. At the bottom of the page is also a link that allows you to install a premium version for $5/month. Blur is also available for Android and iOS.
While this program is not perfect, it is constantly being improved to protect your data. We may never be able to have both perfect connection and perfect privacy, but this is one tool to help you in your battle to take back your privacy.
The major browsers have all created a "Do Not Track" option, but this is not effective because it is currently voluntary on the part of the marketers. If a marketer wants to ignore this option, you can do nothing about it.
Fortunately, there is a free third-party tool that is effective: Blur by Abine. It will block many of the cookies designed to track you, and it will also protect your personal information. At the bottom of the page is also a link that allows you to install a premium version for $5/month. Blur is also available for Android and iOS.
While this program is not perfect, it is constantly being improved to protect your data. We may never be able to have both perfect connection and perfect privacy, but this is one tool to help you in your battle to take back your privacy.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Catch Wi-Fi Thieves
Securing your wireless network is important. Your network uses your internet connection, which means that any activity will be traced back to you. If you don't secure your network, someone sitting in their car could implicate you for trafficking drugs or child porn. (Yes, it has happened.) If you don't know how to secure your network, you can read the tip I wrote on this last year here.
However, what do you do if you think that someone is on your network (even if it is secured). You can try logging into the router's home page, but my router's home page gives me very little information about the devices that are connected. In order to determine which device is which, I have to disconnect each device and refresh the page to see what disappeared. Plus, if you forget about a device (like I forgot about the Roku player when I tried doing this), you may think there is an intruder on your network.
Fortunately, there is an easier way. SoftPerfect's WiFi Guard will scan your network and give you additional information about connected devices. Looking at my network, I can clearly see my computer, my network printer, my MagicJack phone, and my Roku. There is one other device that is not recognized, but I believe that it is probably a smartphone or tablet.
WiFi Guard will put a green or red light next to each connected device to show whether or not it recognizes it. When I scanned the first time, only my computer and the router were listed as green. If you recognize the device and want it to stop flagging it, simply double-click the device and check "I know this computer or device".
If you want to get even more advanced, you can set the program to email you when an unrecognized device connects to your network. This is the perfect way to monitor your network when you're not around.
This program is NOT a substitute for a secure network. Even if you quickly recognize and block an intruder, they still have had time to use your network for whatever nefarious purpose they might have. However, it is good for keeping track of your connected devices and determining if someone is accessing your network without your permission.
This program is free for Windows and Linux users, but it costs $9.99 for Mac users. You can download SoftPerfect's WiFi Guard using one of these links:
SoftPerfect WiFi Guard - Windows/Linux
SoftPerfect WiFi Guard - Mac
However, what do you do if you think that someone is on your network (even if it is secured). You can try logging into the router's home page, but my router's home page gives me very little information about the devices that are connected. In order to determine which device is which, I have to disconnect each device and refresh the page to see what disappeared. Plus, if you forget about a device (like I forgot about the Roku player when I tried doing this), you may think there is an intruder on your network.
Fortunately, there is an easier way. SoftPerfect's WiFi Guard will scan your network and give you additional information about connected devices. Looking at my network, I can clearly see my computer, my network printer, my MagicJack phone, and my Roku. There is one other device that is not recognized, but I believe that it is probably a smartphone or tablet.
WiFi Guard will put a green or red light next to each connected device to show whether or not it recognizes it. When I scanned the first time, only my computer and the router were listed as green. If you recognize the device and want it to stop flagging it, simply double-click the device and check "I know this computer or device".
If you want to get even more advanced, you can set the program to email you when an unrecognized device connects to your network. This is the perfect way to monitor your network when you're not around.
This program is NOT a substitute for a secure network. Even if you quickly recognize and block an intruder, they still have had time to use your network for whatever nefarious purpose they might have. However, it is good for keeping track of your connected devices and determining if someone is accessing your network without your permission.
This program is free for Windows and Linux users, but it costs $9.99 for Mac users. You can download SoftPerfect's WiFi Guard using one of these links:
SoftPerfect WiFi Guard - Windows/Linux
SoftPerfect WiFi Guard - Mac
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
A Simple Fix That Solves Many Problems
If you have called tech support, one of the questions you will usually hear is "Have you tried restarting?" Yes, turning your device off and back on may actually fix many of the problems you are having.
There are many reasons why a restart can fix a problem. The data that your computer is actively using (in open programs and files) has to be refreshed by the computer regularly. If data gets corrupted on a refresh, it can remain corrupted until you restart. Depending on what got corrupted, this error might never cause a problem or it might crash the entire system. (The most likely outcome is somewhere in between the two.) Restarting your computer will force the computer to use the original data instead of constantly refreshing the corrupted data.
Memory leaks are another problem that can be solved with a restart. A memory leak occurs when a program constantly requests more and more memory. You may not be using that program anymore, but the memory may still be reserved for it. This limits the memory available for other tasks. (To visualize, think of memory like employees. If you keep taking employees away from their regular duties to work on one project, you can accomplish fewer tasks with the remaining employees.)
Restarting can also be a diagnostic tool. Even if the problem returns after a restart, you can use the restart to determine if a program is causing the problem. When the problem appears, think about the last program you opened. Then, test it by restarting and using only that program. If the problem appears, restart again and try using your computer without opening that program. If the problem does not surface, then you can check for updates or uninstall and reinstall that program.
Restarting even works on devices like routers and modems. I have saved many phone calls to my internet provider by simply unplugging my router and modem for a few seconds. Plug it back in, and the internet works fine again.
There are many reasons why a restart can fix a problem. The data that your computer is actively using (in open programs and files) has to be refreshed by the computer regularly. If data gets corrupted on a refresh, it can remain corrupted until you restart. Depending on what got corrupted, this error might never cause a problem or it might crash the entire system. (The most likely outcome is somewhere in between the two.) Restarting your computer will force the computer to use the original data instead of constantly refreshing the corrupted data.
Memory leaks are another problem that can be solved with a restart. A memory leak occurs when a program constantly requests more and more memory. You may not be using that program anymore, but the memory may still be reserved for it. This limits the memory available for other tasks. (To visualize, think of memory like employees. If you keep taking employees away from their regular duties to work on one project, you can accomplish fewer tasks with the remaining employees.)
Restarting can also be a diagnostic tool. Even if the problem returns after a restart, you can use the restart to determine if a program is causing the problem. When the problem appears, think about the last program you opened. Then, test it by restarting and using only that program. If the problem appears, restart again and try using your computer without opening that program. If the problem does not surface, then you can check for updates or uninstall and reinstall that program.
Restarting even works on devices like routers and modems. I have saved many phone calls to my internet provider by simply unplugging my router and modem for a few seconds. Plug it back in, and the internet works fine again.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Performing Effective Backups
One of the most common things I am asked to do is to recover files from a computer that has failed. Fortunately, many things happen to a computer that do not destroy your files, but occasionally, I encounter a failed hard drive. When this happens, it will be costly to recover your data.
If you perform effective backups of your important files, then you will rarely have to worry about losing them. If your hard drive crashes or your computer is melted in a fire, a backup will keep your files safe. Here are some thoughts to consider when planning how you will backup your data:
1) Importance vs. Cost - How much time and money you want to invest in backing up your files should be proportional to the importance of those files. If the only files on your computer are a few letters that you probably won't need, then backing them up is of little importance. If your computer has the only copy of your wedding photos, then backing them up should be a little higher priority. If recreating lost files could cost your business days or weeks of lost productivity, then backups need to be one of your top priorities.
2) What Can Happen? - Planning your backup needs to take into account everything that could happen to your computer. A hard drive crash is the most common problem, but it is certainly not the only thing that can destroy your data. A natural disaster--such as a fire or tornado--could also destroy your computer. And if your only backup is on an external hard drive or flash drive sitting next to the computer, your backup will probably not survive either. For this reason, some of your backups should be stored elsewhere: either online, in a bank's safety deposit box, or at another location. It could even be to occasionally trade backups with a friend who lives on the other side of town. (Obviously, you would not want to trade any sensitive data.)
3) Automate It - No one usually thinks about performing a backup until it is too late. Therefore, the best idea is to set up your computer automatic backups. This can be programmed through Windows or using third-party software.
4) Consider the Cloud - Storing your backups online has become the latest trend in data security. This keeps your files safe from just about any disaster, and it can be easily automated. There are many options when backing up files to the cloud. To start, I would recommend using Google Drive or Dropbox. Both of these services offer a generous amount of space free, and you have the option to purchase more at a reasonable price. Furthermore, both have programs you can download to your computer. Simply place a file in the Google Drive or Dropbox folder, and the program automatically syncs it with the server. Then, your "backup" happens every time a file is changed, not just when you schedule it. There are also paid options available that will perform more comprehensive backups of your computer. If you are considering this option, I would start with Carbonite.
5) Test, Test, Test - I was recently called to the site of a business that had suffered a server hard drive failure. I asked if they had a backup, and they informed me that someone had installed a second hard drive to store backups and had set the server to backup automatically. I began to work on recovering the backups, and I discovered that the second hard drive had become corrupted, and no backups were being performed. If you have extremely valuable data (such as business data), then you need to schedule times for testing your backups! If you do not test your backups, you have no idea if you are actually backing up your data properly.
For personal files, testing may be as simple as opening a few files off of the DVD to ensure they were copied correctly. For businesses, testing may mean restoring a backup to an older machine to make sure everything works correctly. As I mentioned in the first point, the amount of testing you do will be related to the importance of the files.
If you perform effective backups of your important files, then you will rarely have to worry about losing them. If your hard drive crashes or your computer is melted in a fire, a backup will keep your files safe. Here are some thoughts to consider when planning how you will backup your data:
1) Importance vs. Cost - How much time and money you want to invest in backing up your files should be proportional to the importance of those files. If the only files on your computer are a few letters that you probably won't need, then backing them up is of little importance. If your computer has the only copy of your wedding photos, then backing them up should be a little higher priority. If recreating lost files could cost your business days or weeks of lost productivity, then backups need to be one of your top priorities.
2) What Can Happen? - Planning your backup needs to take into account everything that could happen to your computer. A hard drive crash is the most common problem, but it is certainly not the only thing that can destroy your data. A natural disaster--such as a fire or tornado--could also destroy your computer. And if your only backup is on an external hard drive or flash drive sitting next to the computer, your backup will probably not survive either. For this reason, some of your backups should be stored elsewhere: either online, in a bank's safety deposit box, or at another location. It could even be to occasionally trade backups with a friend who lives on the other side of town. (Obviously, you would not want to trade any sensitive data.)
3) Automate It - No one usually thinks about performing a backup until it is too late. Therefore, the best idea is to set up your computer automatic backups. This can be programmed through Windows or using third-party software.
4) Consider the Cloud - Storing your backups online has become the latest trend in data security. This keeps your files safe from just about any disaster, and it can be easily automated. There are many options when backing up files to the cloud. To start, I would recommend using Google Drive or Dropbox. Both of these services offer a generous amount of space free, and you have the option to purchase more at a reasonable price. Furthermore, both have programs you can download to your computer. Simply place a file in the Google Drive or Dropbox folder, and the program automatically syncs it with the server. Then, your "backup" happens every time a file is changed, not just when you schedule it. There are also paid options available that will perform more comprehensive backups of your computer. If you are considering this option, I would start with Carbonite.
5) Test, Test, Test - I was recently called to the site of a business that had suffered a server hard drive failure. I asked if they had a backup, and they informed me that someone had installed a second hard drive to store backups and had set the server to backup automatically. I began to work on recovering the backups, and I discovered that the second hard drive had become corrupted, and no backups were being performed. If you have extremely valuable data (such as business data), then you need to schedule times for testing your backups! If you do not test your backups, you have no idea if you are actually backing up your data properly.
For personal files, testing may be as simple as opening a few files off of the DVD to ensure they were copied correctly. For businesses, testing may mean restoring a backup to an older machine to make sure everything works correctly. As I mentioned in the first point, the amount of testing you do will be related to the importance of the files.
Monday, August 24, 2015
Find Out What Is In Your Computer
Have you ever wanted to upgrade your computer or needed information about exactly what components were inside it? Regardless of the circumstances, there are times when you might need to know more information about what is inside your computer, and it is difficult to find exactly what you need.
Fortunately, this is where Speccy comes in handy. Speccy will scan your system and provide you with plenty of information about your computer's individual components (probably more information than you could ever need to know!) If you are looking to upgrade or just want to know what is inside, Speccy is a handy little tool.
Find out more about Speccy here.
Fortunately, this is where Speccy comes in handy. Speccy will scan your system and provide you with plenty of information about your computer's individual components (probably more information than you could ever need to know!) If you are looking to upgrade or just want to know what is inside, Speccy is a handy little tool.
Find out more about Speccy here.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Suspend Tabs to Browse Faster
How many tabs do you have open on your browser right now? How many of them do you absolutely need open right now Each tab you have open is using up memory and slowing down your browser. If you have tabs open that you don't need (but you also don't want to close), you can use this browser add on.
The Great Suspender will suspend those tabs in Chrome, closing them so they don't hog your resources but keeping the tab so you remember to return to it. When you do return, it reloads the page. The Great Suspender also has many customization features. For example, you can change the idle time before a tab is automatically suspended or whitelist sites so that they are never suspended.
If you use Firefox, you can use Suspend Tab, which has much of the same functionality.
The Great Suspender will suspend those tabs in Chrome, closing them so they don't hog your resources but keeping the tab so you remember to return to it. When you do return, it reloads the page. The Great Suspender also has many customization features. For example, you can change the idle time before a tab is automatically suspended or whitelist sites so that they are never suspended.
If you use Firefox, you can use Suspend Tab, which has much of the same functionality.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
A Great Android Email Client
If you need an app to access email on your phone, I usually recommend the app for your email provider (the Gmail app for Gmail accounts, the Yahoo for Yahoo, etc.) While these may not be the best email apps, they are designed to work with all the major features that you are used to for your particular email provider.
However, if you have email accounts with several different providers, this can lead to a proliferation of email apps on your device. I have two Gmail accounts, one Yahoo account, and three accounts using the mail provider from the company that hosts my business website. It is much easier to use one app that keeps all these addresses in one place.
For the past year, I have used K-9 Mail to manage my various email accounts. K-9 Mail has support for most email accounts, and it can set up most accounts automatically. It also has support for the majority of email features. You will need to make a few adjustments in how you interact with the app (for example, you swipe right to select an email), but after some time you will become adjusted to it.
You can try out K-9 Mail by clicking here.
However, if you have email accounts with several different providers, this can lead to a proliferation of email apps on your device. I have two Gmail accounts, one Yahoo account, and three accounts using the mail provider from the company that hosts my business website. It is much easier to use one app that keeps all these addresses in one place.
For the past year, I have used K-9 Mail to manage my various email accounts. K-9 Mail has support for most email accounts, and it can set up most accounts automatically. It also has support for the majority of email features. You will need to make a few adjustments in how you interact with the app (for example, you swipe right to select an email), but after some time you will become adjusted to it.
You can try out K-9 Mail by clicking here.
Monday, July 13, 2015
Learn Office with These Webinars
Microsoft Office has changed substantially from its first version. I can remember my first experience with Office 2007 (the first to introduce ribbons instead of toolbars). I was in a college computer lab, and I sure had quite the time trying to figure out how to do simple things. Now that I am using Office 2013, ribbons seem like second nature, and switching back to an older version of Office would probably cause the same reaction now.
If you want to learn more about how to use Office, Microsoft has created a series of webinars that will help you learn the features. Scroll through and see which topics interest you.
Office 15-Minute Webinars
If you want to learn more about how to use Office, Microsoft has created a series of webinars that will help you learn the features. Scroll through and see which topics interest you.
Office 15-Minute Webinars
Friday, July 10, 2015
How to Get Your Annual Credit Report
One important part of keeping your identity secure is performing regular checks on your credit report. Even if you have had no signs of identity theft, checking your credit report can uncover signs before it gets out of hand. Your credit report gives potential lenders a quick summary of how risky it is to lend you money. Even if you have no plans to apply for a loan or credit card, it is still important to make sure your credit report is 100% accurate.
Under federal law, you are entitled to a free credit report every year from each of the three credit bureaus. If you space them out, you can obtain one every four months. You are also entitled to a free report if you have been denied credit because of negative information in a credit report or if you believe you may have been the victim of identity theft. If you have the opportunity to request a free credit report, then get one and check it out!
The three credit bureaus set up a site that will assist you in obtaining your free annual reports. Annualcreditreport.com will walk you through the process of requesting your credit report from any or all of the credit bureaus. DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT give your credit card number to any site claiming to offer you a free credit report. You may get your credit report, but you are also signing up for trial offers that you will have to cancel. Even worse, if the site is not legitimate, you could be giving your social security number to identity thieves.
Finally, the report should have information on what to do if any claim is inaccurate. Be sure to promptly report anything that is not accurate. You also have the opportunity to add a statement of up to 100 words on the report to explain items. However, most people recommend that you not do this except in very rare circumstances because your credit report is probably going to be processed by a computer and the statements that most people make only hurt their case. (For example, writing "I was late on this payment because I forgot to pay it while I was on vacation in Bermuda." is not going to help your report.)
Under federal law, you are entitled to a free credit report every year from each of the three credit bureaus. If you space them out, you can obtain one every four months. You are also entitled to a free report if you have been denied credit because of negative information in a credit report or if you believe you may have been the victim of identity theft. If you have the opportunity to request a free credit report, then get one and check it out!
The three credit bureaus set up a site that will assist you in obtaining your free annual reports. Annualcreditreport.com will walk you through the process of requesting your credit report from any or all of the credit bureaus. DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT give your credit card number to any site claiming to offer you a free credit report. You may get your credit report, but you are also signing up for trial offers that you will have to cancel. Even worse, if the site is not legitimate, you could be giving your social security number to identity thieves.
Finally, the report should have information on what to do if any claim is inaccurate. Be sure to promptly report anything that is not accurate. You also have the opportunity to add a statement of up to 100 words on the report to explain items. However, most people recommend that you not do this except in very rare circumstances because your credit report is probably going to be processed by a computer and the statements that most people make only hurt their case. (For example, writing "I was late on this payment because I forgot to pay it while I was on vacation in Bermuda." is not going to help your report.)
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