Back again

Well, it's been a while .... too long ...  again....
But, I'm back.  I will be working on posting useful tech nuggets again. 

One of the questions I have gotten lately is can older laptops be upgraded?  My answer is ... yes, most of the time.  I have been doing two specific things recently to upgrade laptops.  

1. Upgrade RAM.  Most laptops can have more memory added to it.  From a tech cost, adding memory is very inexpensive (especially from a cost to benefit analysis). 

• The first thing is to find out how much memory your laptop has.  I frequently use crucial.com, it has a scanner that your can use to find out how much memory your laptop has and how much it can have.
• With that information, you can then browse that web for the best prices for the memory.
• Installing memory (on most laptops) is fairly easy, if you don't have a geek at your disposal, try searching the Internet for the service manual for your particular laptop.

I will post the second piece tomorrow.

G33k

Free Alternatives to MS Office

   Microsoft Office is one of most widely recognized and used office software suites world wide.  Most of us have used or are using currently.  The problem has become what to use (especially at home), when MS Office isn't on the computer.  As many of us know, to purchase MS Office for your computer can get very expensive.  So are there any other options (especially free ones) that can open, edit and save office documents?  The short answer is YES (and they are FREE)!!!!
   There are two software packages that I like to use.  OpenOffice and LibreOffice are both open sources packages.  LibreOffice is actually an off shoot from OpenOffice.  Both are great alternatives.  They are easy to download and install.  The both have pieces to create word documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.  These can be saved as MS Office documents or the native ODF file format (there a # of other file formats that one can choose while saving documents).
   One of the few consistent complaints that I get is that when you start either OpenOffice or LibreOffice for the first time, the software takes a minute to load so that you can start using it.  Once the software has been loaded once, it opens quickly after that.  Once the computer gets restarted, OpenOffice or LibreOffice will load slowly the first time you start it again.  Trust me, it's barely even an inconvenience compared to the functionality of the two software packages. 
   My next post will discuss a couple of cloud computing options that can be used as an alternative to MS Office.

Tech G33k

Fun geek stuff/gear

I will get back to more serious posts soon, but I did want to share this with you.  With graduation time upon us as well as Father's Day soon arriving, it's inevitable that is or will be a geek in your life.  One of the best places to find fun geek gear is thinkgeek.com.  There is everything from great t-shirts to office toys and even zombie gear (since that is all the rage right now).  Every year on April 1st, this site is known for posting some great April Fools items (a well known and published event every April).  There are some great laughs on the site, have fun browsing.

Tech G33k

Choosing a CPU

   When I first started in the tech world, a Pentium II running at 400 Megahertz was screaming fast.  Things have changed greatly since then.  One of the more recently conversations that I've had with people has been revolving around what processor should they get with their new device. Again, back in the day, when you bought a computer, you did so with the idea of upgrading/replacing the processor and newer/faster processors hit the market.  Those time have definitely gone by the wayside.  Now when you get a device, the basic assumption will be that you won't be changing out the components (for the most part).  There are more processor out there than I would want to shake a stick at, even so, there are some good things to know about some of the process offerings out there.
   Intel has introduced the Core i7 processor.  So the question is i5 vs. i7 processor.  My advice usually revolves around the planned use of the new device. 
   For the majority of people, the processor (whatever it is will be more than enough).  Most of the new processor will easily handle the common tasks of internet access, email, document creation and other everyday tasks.  For those who are more of the gamer variety or video rendering/creation, a faster processor is a better idea.
   PCMag.com has a great article about the i5 processor vs. the i7 processor.  The article isn't very long and does a good job of breaking down some the tech jargon.  It's worth a read if you are going to be in the market for a new device soon.

Tech G33k

Browser wars are continuing

    For years, Internet Explorer has been the top web browser.  It comes installed with all versions of Windows and thus is used by many.  Though IE has been replaced as the top browser.  Google Chrome has taken over the top spot.  That's the story that StatCounter is reporting.  Whether the survey is accurate or off some, they underlying story is that Chrome is rising and moving past FireFox (a personal favorite of mine) and IE is losing users.  If you haven't tried Chrome or Firefox, I would encourage you to install it and give them both a try.

   One of my favorite things about Firefox is all the add ons that you can add.  There are ad blockers, download helpers, customizations and on and on and on.  Once you have Firefox, just start Firefox and click on "Tools" and "Add-ons."  Google Chrome also has add-ons, click on the wrench (located to the right of the address bar), click on "Settings" and then on "Extensions."  From there you can browse the gallery of available extensions.  To start with, you may want to look at the popular extensions/add-on for Chrome or Firefox. 

Tech G33k

Parental Monitoring Software

Recently, I was asked about ways to monitor their children's Internet usage.  For the moment, I don't have a lot of experience with parental monitoring software.  So while I'm researching it, I'm going to post information around tools parents can use to monitor the Internet activity at home (for the purpose of helping keep their children safe).  Here one article at PCMag.com that give some good advice and help understand some the areas that parents should be aware of.

Tech G33k

Follow up to FBI turning off servers

    In a previous post, I mentioned that the FBI will be turning off some servers that could cause some people to lose their Internet Access. 

    Here is a link that is being offered to test whether your computer could be infected with the DNS changer virus.  It's simple website that will tell you if your computer may have been compromised by this virus.

   Here is some additional information about the virus and the site that you can use to check your computer.

Tech G33k

15 Things you should know

    While doing some research, I stumbled upon this article at PCWorld.com.   Its titled "15 Things Every PC User Should Know."  Being a tech geek, number 3 held particular interest to me as this is one of the most useful pieces of advice I always give.  I can't begin to tell you the headaches avoided and time saved when people follow this rule.

3. Record the exact error message. When your PC crashes, it'll usually try to tell you why it is doing so--albeit with a string of numbers and letters that you won't understand. Write the message down in its entirety (or take a screenshot, if possible) so you can later plug it into Google or give it to your tech support agent. If your PC didn't provide an error message, go to Action Center (in the Control Panel) and see if it shows up under 'View archived messages' or 'View problems to report'.

    The rest of the article has some great tips and it is definitely worth a read.

Tech G33k

Removing Spyware

    Yesterday, I listed some anti-virus tools that are free for the home user.  The catch is that spyware (or software like spyware) sometimes gets through/past the antivirus software on your computer.  So the question becomes how to remove the spyware.

     I have found that Malwarebytes is an excellent tool to remove spyware and its free for home use.  Depending on the severity of the infection, you might have to install Malwarebytes while in safe mode.  I would choose Safe Mode with Networking in case you needed to download download the software or if the software needs to be updated.  Once the software is updated and running, just have it perform a full system scan.

     There is no guarantee that Malwarebytes will remove all the infections or that the computer will be returned completely back to normal (as sometimes, infections have some lingering effects).  I do find that Malwarebytes does an excellent job though and recommend it frequently. 

Tech G33k

Free AntiVirus Software (Home Use)

In my previous post, I spoke about options for free online virus scans.  In this post, I have listed some free options for anti-virus software that you can load on your computer.  

I have listed below some options you have for free anti-virus software (for home/personal use).

1. Microsoft Security Essentials

2. Free AVG

3. Avast

4. Panda

As good as any of these are, they don't necessarily stop all spyware.  Stay tuned for my next post on tools you can use to scan for and remove spyware.

Tech G33k

Online Anti-Virus Scan

Good afternoon:
  It has been a while (quite a while) since I did an update.  Recently there have been reports where some people might lose their internet access due to the FBI turning off a few servers.  So a few questions have been tossed my way about how to check to see if a computer is infected.  My first recommendation is to use a free online scanner like:

1. F-secure

2. Trendmicro

3. Bitdefender

These are some good sites to start with.  They should not be used in place of installed anti-virus software.  My next post will have some suggestions for free home use anti-virus software.  C-ya soon.

Tech G33k

Interesting Tech Stuff

In my daily tech travels, I visit a handful of websites for tips, tricks and information. One of my favorites is:

http://www.makeuseof.com/

This website has tricks for just about anything from promoting your blog and website to getting free stuff.

It's a great website with "Cool Websites and Tools" that is posted each day. You can even get updates from them on Twitter.

James

Automated Answering Services....

Most people I speak with absolutely hate getting "the machine" instead of a real person when they call a 800 phone number. Someone got annoyed enough to create a website dedicated to help people get around those systems. Gethuman.com is a site that has most major companies listed and the best way to beat the phone system so you can talk to a real person.

James

Ah how times flies....

It's been quite a while since my last post, so I figure that this one better be good. If you are like me, you have been very skeptical about Microsoft Vista. As a matter of fact, I only started using Vista on my main computer at work a couple of months ago. I wasn't overly impressed with Vista, seemed slow and for the most part, it really didn't add any value to my daily activities.

Microsoft has seemed to admit that Vista hasn't gone well for them. So much so that Microsoft is busy developing it's new operation system (Windows 7) to replace Vista. Rumors are that Windows 7 will be out before the end of the year.

If you want to get an early look at Windows 7, you can download and install the "Release Candidate (RC)." The Windows 7 RC is a unpolished, FREE, download that you can install on your own computer and begin using. There are some considerations though. The RC is not a finished product and issues/problems are likely to pop up. Not a lot of software or hardware manufacturers have gotten their products up to speed with Windows 7 RC either (though that is changing quickly). Also in June 2010, Windows 7 RC will expire and you will have to buy the full version to continue using it on your computer.

I went ahead and grabbed the RC and installed it on the work computer and I must say that it does run better than Vista (that computer seems faster for the most part). The install was easy. I have run into some issues with my video card and the RC but I'm working through those. At this point, I can say that I'm looking forward to Windows 7 once it is released commercially.

James

Lisbon High School SADD PSAs

The Lisbon High School chapter of SADD has produced some great Public Service Announcements that are currently being shown on tv. You can view the videos at:

http://www.youtube.com/lisbonschools

James

Google Voice

Google recently announced a new service, Google Voice, that Google feels will help make your life more manageable. How many different phone #'s do have, how about voicemail boxes?

"Google Voice is a service that gives you one number for all your phones, voicemail that is easy as email, and many enhanced calling features like call blocking and screening, voicemail transcripts, call conferencing, international calls, and more." - Google.com

So you get one phone # to manage your office #, home #, cell phone and voicemail. Interesting.

James

More online tools

My last post introduced you to Skydrive (a free online tool for storing and sharing) files, pictures, etc. To continue with this theme, I want to look at some more online tools. These days, more and more tasks can be accomplished via web tools/services. It is becoming easier to create, store, and share information via the web. The major advantage of this is that the computer is becoming less ... necessary. As long as you can get on the internet, you can do a lot of what you need regardless of what computer you are using.

Today, I want to look at Google docs. Like Skydrive, you can store docs at google docs, but unlike Skydrive, you can create new docs/spreadsheets/presentations or edit existing ones. Google docs also allows you to share the files so people can view them or even help edit them. Again, this reduces the need to work at the same computer to create files or even to carry your documents with you. Even if you use Google docs for some personal tasks, it is worth taking the time to look at it and try it out.

James

Reach for the sky......

Pcworld.com has an article today about 5 great web services that Microsoft make available to you (but you may not know about). I read the article and decided to try out Skydrive. Let me tell you that it is pretty good at first glance. You have 25 Gigabytes of space to work with (and trust me that's a lot by web standards). You can store docs, files, favorites, photos and choose to make them public or private. Best of all, it's free to use.

It's definitely worth a look. SkyDrive

James

Online Safety

Wired.com is running an article on how the Internet is being used to lure children into prostitution. An interesting discussion is touched upon in the article. A recent Harvard study found the the dangers to children on the Internet has been over blown. I would encourage you to read the Wired article and Executive Summary from the Harvard study so you can draw your own conclusions.

James

Netbooks (continued)

There has been a lot of energy around the arrival of netbooks and they are selling like hotcakes. I wanted to post this article (from PCWorld.com) that contains more info and reviews on netbooks.

Netbooks

James

PS. Just this morning Wired.com has an article about Netbooks.