When the PC first started becoming commonly used at home, one of the most popular programs was the screen saver. It was new, many of them were entertaining to watch, and everyone wanted to save their monitor from phosphor burn. Having those images move all around the screen in random directions prevented the icons from searing themselves permanently into the screen.
Then, the newer monitors came out. Not the new LCD flat-panel screens; just newer versions of the big ones (also known as CRT, for Cathode Ray Tube). With those monitors, you didn't really need a screen saver because the phosphor burn-in problem had been fixed. Still, you get a selection of screen savers with every version of Windows, and people really liked watching those pipes getting connected and filling up the screen, so a lot of people continued to use them anyway.
Now, the LCD flat-panel monitors are commonplace. In fact, the old CRT monitors have virtually no value - they are just being discarded. Initially I thought that the LCD monitors would not require a screen saver. That is not correct. I got mine a couple of years ago, and I have noticed now that if I leave the icons on the screen with no change for a couple of days, their shadowed image stays there even after they are gone. The ghost images are not there permanently, however - once the icons are changed or moved, the shadows are completely gone after about a day.
So, in spite of telling people for some time that they no longer need to use a screen saver, I now need to change that advice. Use one. To activate your screen saver, or change it, just do a right-click on a blank area of the desktop and choose Properties. Then click the Screen Saver tab, and choose the one you like from the drop-down menu.
Important: Do NOT go looking for a cool screen saver by searching on Google. Most of the ones you see advertised (such as "get your FREE waterfall screensaver!") are spyware, and will install all kinds of garbage on your computer. Only get software from a reliable source that you know and trust.
This week's video...I have zero tolerance for drunk drivers. If it were up to me, the first time failing a sobriety test would mean mandatory ten years, with no chance of early release (and that's just for getting caught - if they caused an accident and killed someone, life sentence). Get caught a second time, spend the rest of your life in prison. Too bad I'm not in charge.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Your home network
These days it is quite common for one household to have several computers online, connecting to the internet via a wireless router. In our house, we have 4 computers. Mine is connected by cable to the router, and the others connect wirelessly. Of course, you want to make sure your network is secured with at least a password or passphrase - that keeps your neighbors (or anyone else nearby) from accessing your network.
There are a couple of advantages of this scenario, aside from everyone being able to connect to the high-speed internet signal.
We only use one printer. It is located in the office and connected by cable to my computer. I designated it as a "shared" printer, so that anyone on the network can use it. We might use more ink in that printer, but that's still cheaper than buying 4 printers. Also, if someone comes over with a wireless laptop and needs to print something, they can use the password to get on the network and use the same printer.
Another feature of this system is that it makes backups easier. I have an external hard drive connected to my computer, so I designate it as "shared", and then each person on the network can create their own folder on that drive. Everything important is sent to that drive on a regular basis, so the critical data is always in two places. Incidentally, having the data in two different places at all times is the critical rule of backup strategy. Sometimes people will tell me that they are going to put their valuable family pictures on a CD, so that they could delete them from the computer hard drive. What if the CD somehow gets damaged? Always keep the data in two places.
There are other advantages of having all computers on the same network (such as making it very easy to share files). If you don't already have your computers set up this way, I recommend doing it or having someone help you do it.
This week's video clip is a collection of bloopers from a fishing show. The show is hosted by a guy named Bill Dance, and I cannot imagine anyone being so accident-prone. I bet some people tune in just to see what this guy will do next.
There are a couple of advantages of this scenario, aside from everyone being able to connect to the high-speed internet signal.
We only use one printer. It is located in the office and connected by cable to my computer. I designated it as a "shared" printer, so that anyone on the network can use it. We might use more ink in that printer, but that's still cheaper than buying 4 printers. Also, if someone comes over with a wireless laptop and needs to print something, they can use the password to get on the network and use the same printer.
Another feature of this system is that it makes backups easier. I have an external hard drive connected to my computer, so I designate it as "shared", and then each person on the network can create their own folder on that drive. Everything important is sent to that drive on a regular basis, so the critical data is always in two places. Incidentally, having the data in two different places at all times is the critical rule of backup strategy. Sometimes people will tell me that they are going to put their valuable family pictures on a CD, so that they could delete them from the computer hard drive. What if the CD somehow gets damaged? Always keep the data in two places.
There are other advantages of having all computers on the same network (such as making it very easy to share files). If you don't already have your computers set up this way, I recommend doing it or having someone help you do it.
This week's video clip is a collection of bloopers from a fishing show. The show is hosted by a guy named Bill Dance, and I cannot imagine anyone being so accident-prone. I bet some people tune in just to see what this guy will do next.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Screenshots made easy
This is a topic I have covered in the past, but it has been a while so it is worth repeating here.
I have done a lot of tech support via telephone. Part of that process is trying to determine what is happening on the screen, when all I have to go by is what the other person is telling me. I have learned that there are potentially three different things that could be happening:
1. What the customer says is happening,
or
2. What I think is happening based on the verbal description and level of expertise of the customer,
or
3. What is actually happening.
Well, you know what they say - a picture is worth a thousand words. If I can see the screen, that often clears up exactly what is going on. That's the first step toward a solution.
There is an easy way for me to see the screen. It's called a screenshot, and it is just what it sounds like it is - a picture of the screen. It's quick and easy to send a screenshot by email.
First, when the screen is showing evidence of whatever the problem is (such as an error message), hit the "Print Screen" button on the keyboard. This does not mean anything is going to print.
Next, open a new email and enter the recipient's email address and a subject line. Then put the cursor in the body of the email, and click Edit - Paste. There it is - a picture of your screen, right there in the email! Send it to whomever is helping you, and you might be surprised at how quickly it sheds light on the problem. It's the next best thing to being there!
(had some trouble finding a good video this week - that feature should be back next week though)
I have done a lot of tech support via telephone. Part of that process is trying to determine what is happening on the screen, when all I have to go by is what the other person is telling me. I have learned that there are potentially three different things that could be happening:
1. What the customer says is happening,
or
2. What I think is happening based on the verbal description and level of expertise of the customer,
or
3. What is actually happening.
Well, you know what they say - a picture is worth a thousand words. If I can see the screen, that often clears up exactly what is going on. That's the first step toward a solution.
There is an easy way for me to see the screen. It's called a screenshot, and it is just what it sounds like it is - a picture of the screen. It's quick and easy to send a screenshot by email.
First, when the screen is showing evidence of whatever the problem is (such as an error message), hit the "Print Screen" button on the keyboard. This does not mean anything is going to print.
Next, open a new email and enter the recipient's email address and a subject line. Then put the cursor in the body of the email, and click Edit - Paste. There it is - a picture of your screen, right there in the email! Send it to whomever is helping you, and you might be surprised at how quickly it sheds light on the problem. It's the next best thing to being there!
(had some trouble finding a good video this week - that feature should be back next week though)
Monday, April 2, 2007
Make a custom Google home page
Wouldn't it be great if you could have all of your vital information, news, email, etc all come up on your home page? It is possible - courtesy of Google. You wouldn't believe all that is available.
First, you need a Google account. If you already use Gmail for your email service, that account will work. Otherwise, go to www.gmail.com and create a free account.
Next, go to www.google.com and sign in if you are not already signed in. Then click on the "Get Started" link to personalize your home page (alternatively, you might see a link for "personalized home page which can also be used).
The first thing to customize is the theme (click on "Select Theme" in the top right). I like the sunrise/sunset theme.
Then, click on "Add stuff". What stuff is there to add, you ask? Almost anything you can think of. I have the weather conditions and forecast for Safety Harbor, Florida and Waldoboro, Maine. I also have news headlines, my Gmail inbox, Mortgage Rate watch, the "Interesting Thing of the Day" and a few other things. Be prepared to spend some time - there are many little widgets that you can add to this page. And you can move them around to where you like them just by dragging!
Once you have it the way you like it, set this to be your home page (under Tools - Options - click on Use Current Page).
Here is a wonderful video about a soldier coming back home from Iraq and surprising his 6-year old son:
First, you need a Google account. If you already use Gmail for your email service, that account will work. Otherwise, go to www.gmail.com and create a free account.
Next, go to www.google.com and sign in if you are not already signed in. Then click on the "Get Started" link to personalize your home page (alternatively, you might see a link for "personalized home page which can also be used).
The first thing to customize is the theme (click on "Select Theme" in the top right). I like the sunrise/sunset theme.
Then, click on "Add stuff". What stuff is there to add, you ask? Almost anything you can think of. I have the weather conditions and forecast for Safety Harbor, Florida and Waldoboro, Maine. I also have news headlines, my Gmail inbox, Mortgage Rate watch, the "Interesting Thing of the Day" and a few other things. Be prepared to spend some time - there are many little widgets that you can add to this page. And you can move them around to where you like them just by dragging!
Once you have it the way you like it, set this to be your home page (under Tools - Options - click on Use Current Page).
Here is a wonderful video about a soldier coming back home from Iraq and surprising his 6-year old son:
Monday, March 26, 2007
How to make a music CD from MP3 files
A lot of people have a big collection of MP3 (music) files on their computer. Many people have hundreds of these files that have been downloaded through iTunes or elsewhere - you might even have thousands of them. These files can be played on your computer, or on your iPod or other MP3 device. But what if you want to play them on a regular CD player, such as in your car?
To do that, you need to do two things: convert them to CD format, and then burn them to a CD. Fortunately, you can do this in one easy procedure using software that you already have on your computer.
If you already know how to do this with a program such as Nero or Roxio, then there is no reason to change and do it a different way. The procedure that I will describe here uses Windows Media Player, only because virtually every Windows based computer already has it installed. You can open Media Player by going to Start - All programs - Accessories - Entertainment - Windows Media Player. Of course, you will also need a CD burner drive and some blank CD-R discs.
First, put a blank CD-R in the burner. Wait for the computer to recognize it, then close the window that automatically opens. Now, open Windows Media Player. You should see a tab somewhere called "Burn" - click that.
Now, open the folder where your music files are stored in MP3 format (just about any music file that you download will be an MP3). What you want to see are two windows open on the desktop - the folder that contains your music files, and the Media Player window. One at a time, drap the MP3 files to the "burn list" portion of the Media Player window.
When moving files over, remember that most CD-R discs can hold up to about 80 minutes of music (you should see a running total at the bottom of the window so you can tell when you are getting close to the maximum).
When you have the files moved over, you are ready to convert and burn. Click the link at the top of Media Player that says "Start Burn". I recommend that you not have any other windows or programs running during the burn process - if anything messes it up, you have wasted that CD-R and you have to start over again with a new one. You will see Media Player go through and analyze each file, convert it to CD format, and then burn it to the CD. When it is done, the CD drive should open, so you can just pick up the newly recorded CD and go try it in your CD player.
Happy listening!
Video clip - well, sort of a video. There is a group based in New York City called Improv Everywhere. Their motto is "causing scenes of chaos and joy in public places". What they do is create some great studies in human psychology. You can spend a lot of time on their site reading about what they have done. For today, here is the story of how one of them got lost at Yankee Stadium during a baseball game.
To do that, you need to do two things: convert them to CD format, and then burn them to a CD. Fortunately, you can do this in one easy procedure using software that you already have on your computer.
If you already know how to do this with a program such as Nero or Roxio, then there is no reason to change and do it a different way. The procedure that I will describe here uses Windows Media Player, only because virtually every Windows based computer already has it installed. You can open Media Player by going to Start - All programs - Accessories - Entertainment - Windows Media Player. Of course, you will also need a CD burner drive and some blank CD-R discs.
First, put a blank CD-R in the burner. Wait for the computer to recognize it, then close the window that automatically opens. Now, open Windows Media Player. You should see a tab somewhere called "Burn" - click that.
Now, open the folder where your music files are stored in MP3 format (just about any music file that you download will be an MP3). What you want to see are two windows open on the desktop - the folder that contains your music files, and the Media Player window. One at a time, drap the MP3 files to the "burn list" portion of the Media Player window.
When moving files over, remember that most CD-R discs can hold up to about 80 minutes of music (you should see a running total at the bottom of the window so you can tell when you are getting close to the maximum).
When you have the files moved over, you are ready to convert and burn. Click the link at the top of Media Player that says "Start Burn". I recommend that you not have any other windows or programs running during the burn process - if anything messes it up, you have wasted that CD-R and you have to start over again with a new one. You will see Media Player go through and analyze each file, convert it to CD format, and then burn it to the CD. When it is done, the CD drive should open, so you can just pick up the newly recorded CD and go try it in your CD player.
Happy listening!
Video clip - well, sort of a video. There is a group based in New York City called Improv Everywhere. Their motto is "causing scenes of chaos and joy in public places". What they do is create some great studies in human psychology. You can spend a lot of time on their site reading about what they have done. For today, here is the story of how one of them got lost at Yankee Stadium during a baseball game.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Using special characters
Here's a cool trick:
Open Word (or WordPad or any other word processor program). While viewing the blank document, hold down the Alt key and type the numbers 0161. Instead of those numbers showing up on the screen, you see an inverted exclamation point. Now, this might not be of any use to you (unless you type in Spanish). However, there are lots of special "characters" available for you to use in a document - and many of them are not on your standard keyboard.
To see these characters, go to Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Character Map. A new window will open, and you can see those fun little characters in a grid. You can copy and paste directly from this window into your document. However, if you use a particular character often, it is cumbersome to have to open this new window each time. Click on one of the characters to highlight it, and then look in the lower right corner of the window. You will see the Alt-key number combination that will display that character. Just make a note of it, and use that key combination whenever you want to type that character.
Video clip: the worst weatherman ever! Actually, this is a local college television station in Athens, Ohio. The "weatherman", Louis, was actually filling in for someone that day and had no experience. He has become somewhat famous for this clip, which has been circulating on the internet for a few years.
Open Word (or WordPad or any other word processor program). While viewing the blank document, hold down the Alt key and type the numbers 0161. Instead of those numbers showing up on the screen, you see an inverted exclamation point. Now, this might not be of any use to you (unless you type in Spanish). However, there are lots of special "characters" available for you to use in a document - and many of them are not on your standard keyboard.
To see these characters, go to Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Character Map. A new window will open, and you can see those fun little characters in a grid. You can copy and paste directly from this window into your document. However, if you use a particular character often, it is cumbersome to have to open this new window each time. Click on one of the characters to highlight it, and then look in the lower right corner of the window. You will see the Alt-key number combination that will display that character. Just make a note of it, and use that key combination whenever you want to type that character.
Video clip: the worst weatherman ever! Actually, this is a local college television station in Athens, Ohio. The "weatherman", Louis, was actually filling in for someone that day and had no experience. He has become somewhat famous for this clip, which has been circulating on the internet for a few years.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Help find an abducted child
This has got to be one of the best uses of technology today - and just about everyone can get involved. From the website:
"Statistics show that the first three hours after an abduction are the most critical in recovery efforts. By signing up for wireless AMBER alerts you could play an integral role in the recovery of an abducted child."
How it works is pretty simple. You go to the website https://www.wirelessamberalerts.org and sign up for a free account. You just enter your cell phone number and your zip code (it's safe and your data remains private). Whenever there is a child abducted in that geographical area, you will receive a text message with all available information such as a description of the child and perhaps a description of the abductor, vehicle, etc. With hundreds of people in the vicinity of the abduction all aware of what is going on, the chances of spotting the child, and maybe saving a life, is greatly increased. And it costs you nothing. Go and sign up now!
Sign up here
"Statistics show that the first three hours after an abduction are the most critical in recovery efforts. By signing up for wireless AMBER alerts you could play an integral role in the recovery of an abducted child."
How it works is pretty simple. You go to the website https://www.wirelessamberalerts.org and sign up for a free account. You just enter your cell phone number and your zip code (it's safe and your data remains private). Whenever there is a child abducted in that geographical area, you will receive a text message with all available information such as a description of the child and perhaps a description of the abductor, vehicle, etc. With hundreds of people in the vicinity of the abduction all aware of what is going on, the chances of spotting the child, and maybe saving a life, is greatly increased. And it costs you nothing. Go and sign up now!
Sign up here
Monday, March 12, 2007
Know what your computer is doing
I like to always know what is running on my computer. As you probably are already aware, the more programs you have running, the slower they all run. Why have programs running when you aren't using them? The problem is, you most likely don't even know they are running.
When you use the default settings for your Windows desktop, part of your system tray is usually hidden. The system tray is that row of icons in the lower right corner of your screen. The way Windows usually sets it is so that you might see a few of those icons, and the rest are hidden. The reason for this is that it won't take up much space on your taskbar (the taskbar is the bottom bar on the screen, on the same level as the Start button). You can tell if yours is set that way - just look for a small circle with an arrow inside it. When you click that circle, your row of icons expands to show all of them - for about 2 seconds. Not really long enough for you to see what is there and decide if you want to keep all of those programs running.
My personal preference is for those icons to show all of the time. To do that, find an empty space on your taskbar and right-click. Choose Properties. A new window will open. Under the Taskbar tab, UNcheck the box that says "Hide inactive icons" and click OK.
When the window closes, you will see your whole row of icons there. Probably more than you expected to see! You can right-click and Exit whatever ones you don't need at the moment. If you are not sure what something is, don't close it. Your goal should be to only have the essential programs running at any given time, and nothing more.
Video: See a professional pickpocket demonstration
When you use the default settings for your Windows desktop, part of your system tray is usually hidden. The system tray is that row of icons in the lower right corner of your screen. The way Windows usually sets it is so that you might see a few of those icons, and the rest are hidden. The reason for this is that it won't take up much space on your taskbar (the taskbar is the bottom bar on the screen, on the same level as the Start button). You can tell if yours is set that way - just look for a small circle with an arrow inside it. When you click that circle, your row of icons expands to show all of them - for about 2 seconds. Not really long enough for you to see what is there and decide if you want to keep all of those programs running.
My personal preference is for those icons to show all of the time. To do that, find an empty space on your taskbar and right-click. Choose Properties. A new window will open. Under the Taskbar tab, UNcheck the box that says "Hide inactive icons" and click OK.
When the window closes, you will see your whole row of icons there. Probably more than you expected to see! You can right-click and Exit whatever ones you don't need at the moment. If you are not sure what something is, don't close it. Your goal should be to only have the essential programs running at any given time, and nothing more.
Video: See a professional pickpocket demonstration
Monday, March 5, 2007
Get back that embarassing email!
Have you ever typed an email, and hit the Send button too quickly? I know I have. Right after you hit Send, you see a blatant typo that you would have preferred to fix before sending the email. Or you realize that you just sent the email to the wrong recipient. Or (and this is the worst) you send an email that has some rather harsh language, and you wish you had thought it out more before sending it on its way.Wouldn't it be great to be able to just reach out and grab that email back? Well, it just may be possible!
Now, in order for this to work, you and your recipient have to be using Outlook 97 or later (such as Outlook 2000, Outlook XP or Outlook 2007). This won't work with Outlook Express, Thunderbird, or any of the web-based emails such as Yahoo or Hotmail. I use Outlook 2007.
After you have sent the offending email, as soon as possible open Outlook and open the "Sent" folder. Find the email and double click to open it. Click on Actions, then click on "Recall this message". You can either just delete the message, or replace it with a different one. Don't rely on this to save you though - even though you might use Outlook, the majority of people still use Outlook Express or a web-based email account. The best policy is to be deliberate about writing and sending your emails, so you don't have to worry about being able to recall one.
Video: interesting guest on David Letterman:
Monday, February 26, 2007
CounterSpy - don't let it expire
Important -2 weeks ago, I announced here that the new version of CounterSpy is now available. I know many of you downloaded it for the free 15-day trial. This is the program that I use and recommend for detection and removal of spyware. If you took advantage of the free trial, you are now almost out of time - be sure to purchase it for $19.95 so that it will continue to update and protect you for the next year (following years are only $9.95 per year).
Right-click on the CounterSpy icon in the lower right corner of the screen (the system tray) and choose "Open CounterSpy". In the program window, click File - Activate CounterSpy. Then just follow the instructions for activation.
Right-click on the CounterSpy icon in the lower right corner of the screen (the system tray) and choose "Open CounterSpy". In the program window, click File - Activate CounterSpy. Then just follow the instructions for activation.
Are you looking for someone?
Certainly one thing the internet has done is connect people from all over the world. We now have communication like never before. It is hard to imagine the amount of data that is exchanged every hour across the globe.
One way to use that to our advantage is to find people. I'm not talking about people that are fugitives from justice or anything like that (although that is a good use of technology). I mean people with whom you have lost contact over the years. High school or college friends, former co-workers from ten or twenty years ago - wouldn't you like to know what they are doing now? There is a website that is devoted to that purpose - it is called Long Time Lost.
The concept is simple - it is based on the fact that most people, at some time, will go on Google and do a vanity search. That means that they will just go there and type in their own name to see what comes up (come on, you know you have done it!). What you need to do is go to the Long Time Lost website, create a free account, and put in the name of the person you are looking for. When that person does the search for their own name on Google, the website pops up and tells them that you are trying to contact them. Nifty!
If you want, you can also just go to the site and type in your name, to see if anyone has registered to look for you. I did that, and one result came up. It said that someone named Annette Thomas Hart was looking for Brandon Scott Johnson. The reason given: "son". That was a little mysterious! Even though I was not the one being searched for, it made me wonder what the story was behind that entry.
Give it a try - it is completely free.
Video - not hilarious, but amusing...
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
I don't hibernate and neither does my computer
Guess what - your computer does not need to sleep.
There are different levels of "slumbering" for your computer. You can use a screen saver, which just means that the screen changes to different pictures after a period of no keyboard activity. Then there is "hibernation" - this is where your computer's hard drive first takes a picture of everything that is happening at the moment (open programs, unsaved documents, etc.), then the hard drive actually shuts down. This is a deeper level of sleep than the screen saver provides.
I don't use either one. It's really just a personal preference, I guess - but you really don't have to have your computer go to any level of sleep if you don't want to. And if you are getting tight on hard drive space, you definitely don't want to use the hibernation mode. Hibernation uses part of your hard drive to store the "picture" of all the activity before it hits the sack. Problems could arise if you don't have enough hard drive space to accommodate that function.
Update - received this email question: "When the "hibernate" mode for a laptop is activated, the hard drive saves information and shuts down, the screen goes blank, etc. However, is it still drawing power from the laptop's battery? Could we end up with a problem whereby the laptop is put into "hibernation" mode and then the battery is drained until it goes flat and the laptop can't start up anymore?"
Actually the opposite is true - hibernation would save the battery power. Hibernation stores the data temporarily on your hard drive while the computer is powered down. In fact, you could change the battery during hibernation and not lose any data.
Here's a video of a prank that I am definitely going to do sometime:
There are different levels of "slumbering" for your computer. You can use a screen saver, which just means that the screen changes to different pictures after a period of no keyboard activity. Then there is "hibernation" - this is where your computer's hard drive first takes a picture of everything that is happening at the moment (open programs, unsaved documents, etc.), then the hard drive actually shuts down. This is a deeper level of sleep than the screen saver provides.
I don't use either one. It's really just a personal preference, I guess - but you really don't have to have your computer go to any level of sleep if you don't want to. And if you are getting tight on hard drive space, you definitely don't want to use the hibernation mode. Hibernation uses part of your hard drive to store the "picture" of all the activity before it hits the sack. Problems could arise if you don't have enough hard drive space to accommodate that function.
Update - received this email question: "When the "hibernate" mode for a laptop is activated, the hard drive saves information and shuts down, the screen goes blank, etc. However, is it still drawing power from the laptop's battery? Could we end up with a problem whereby the laptop is put into "hibernation" mode and then the battery is drained until it goes flat and the laptop can't start up anymore?"
Actually the opposite is true - hibernation would save the battery power. Hibernation stores the data temporarily on your hard drive while the computer is powered down. In fact, you could change the battery during hibernation and not lose any data.
Here's a video of a prank that I am definitely going to do sometime:
Friday, February 16, 2007
Shivering in Florida!
I had to laugh when I read this local headline on the internet and thought about our friends and relatives who are still in the frozen state of Maine. Please keep us in your thoughts, as we suffer through temperatures that only reach the upper 50s this weekend!
Monday, February 12, 2007
The new CounterSpy is here!
I have been using and recommending CounterSpy for quite some time. In my opinion, it is the best anti-spyware program available, and it is very reasonably priced. You can try it free for two weeks. Then, if you want to keep it, just pay $19.95 for the first year and $9.95 per year after that. Spyware is a bigger problem than viruses now, so I would not be without it.
And now - CounterSpy version 2 is available! It is faster than the previous version. Probably has some other improvements as well, but the speed is the biggest thing for me.
If you already use CounterSpy, you can upgrade to the new version for free. Just click here and download it, then install it.
If you do not yet have CounterSpy, give it a try. It will probably find all kinds of bad stuff on your computer that should not be there. Just click here to download it, then install it.
UPDATE: Sunbelt Software, the maker of CounterSpy, has just issued this notice: Definitions 497 (released Friday evening) includes a file trace that is causing an unusual type of false detection for Trojan.Gromozon. I'm characterizing this detection as "unusual," because nothing is being removed. In effect, you're seeing a "phantom" detection on a non-existent file that's being caused by an unusual interaction between a file trace in our database and a little-known aspect of the Windows file system (DOS reserved file names). Windows is telling CounterSpy that the file is on the drive when in fact it isn't.
Put very simply: the file isn't there, the Trojan.Gromozon isn't there, and your boxes are not at risk. This will be corrected in the next update to CounterSpy's definitions.
So, the point is...just update CounterSpy and the problem is solved.
Video: Cheerleader bloopers (some of these look painful!)
Monday, February 5, 2007
Make a photo book
I just discovered a website called Tabblo. If you are into photography, or just like taking pictures to create memories, you might find it interesting.
Tabblo does some things that other online photo sites do, such as allowing you to upload and share your photos with other people. This is a free service and there is no advertising or upload limitations. Video: Isn't it nice when you find a great parking spot?
They also offer other services, such as the one shown in the image here. You can make your own hardcover photo book, measuring 4 x 4 or 9 1/2 by 8. These are not free, but they are affordable ($10 or $30, for up to 40 pages). This is a fantastic gift idea.
You can also make posters and postcards. This site is worth a visit.
Click here to check out Tabblo.
Monday, January 29, 2007
AVG Free version 7.1 expires in about 3 weeks!
I know that many of you use the free version of AVG as your antivirus program. It is what I personally use and recommend. It does a great job, and it is not bloated and slow like Norton.
Version 7.1 will expire on February 18. You may have seen some windows popping up to advise you of this. The most common email I have been receiving lately is, "What do I do now? I guess I have to buy the paid version, right?"
Wrong.
AVG is not discontinuing the free version. It is still available. It is just being updated to version 7.5. I actually wrote about this in my blog back in November when this upgrade was first announced. Some people upgraded then, but many did not. Now is the time! Below you will see a repeat of my November instructions. Do it now, while you are thinking about it!
All you need to do is get the new free version, which is version 7.5. You can get it at this download link. When you get to that page, you will see box that says "AVG Free for Windows installation files" and under that will be a link to download the actual file (the file name will end with .exe).
When you click on that, the file will start downloading (it is a fairly large file, so it might take a while if you are on a dialup connection). If you are using Firefox, choose "Save to disk" and the file will end up on your desktop, where you will double click to install the program. If you are using Internet Explorer, just choose "Run" and the file will automatically start installing when the download is complete.
You do not need to remove the current version before installing the new one.
Under "Component Selection", just leave all boxes checked.
Finally, you will need to restart the computer when the installation is finished, so be sure to save all of your open documents first.
If you are still using CounterSpy as your antispyware program (which you should), then you don't need to download the AVG anti-spyware program. And you don't want to download the "Trial Version" of the AVG paid antivirus program. Just get the free version, and you will have what you need.
This week's video: The Blink Count
Version 7.1 will expire on February 18. You may have seen some windows popping up to advise you of this. The most common email I have been receiving lately is, "What do I do now? I guess I have to buy the paid version, right?"
Wrong.
AVG is not discontinuing the free version. It is still available. It is just being updated to version 7.5. I actually wrote about this in my blog back in November when this upgrade was first announced. Some people upgraded then, but many did not. Now is the time! Below you will see a repeat of my November instructions. Do it now, while you are thinking about it!
All you need to do is get the new free version, which is version 7.5. You can get it at this download link. When you get to that page, you will see box that says "AVG Free for Windows installation files" and under that will be a link to download the actual file (the file name will end with .exe).
When you click on that, the file will start downloading (it is a fairly large file, so it might take a while if you are on a dialup connection). If you are using Firefox, choose "Save to disk" and the file will end up on your desktop, where you will double click to install the program. If you are using Internet Explorer, just choose "Run" and the file will automatically start installing when the download is complete.
You do not need to remove the current version before installing the new one.
Under "Component Selection", just leave all boxes checked.
Finally, you will need to restart the computer when the installation is finished, so be sure to save all of your open documents first.
If you are still using CounterSpy as your antispyware program (which you should), then you don't need to download the AVG anti-spyware program. And you don't want to download the "Trial Version" of the AVG paid antivirus program. Just get the free version, and you will have what you need.
This week's video: The Blink Count
Monday, January 22, 2007
Try Google Earth
I think one of the most amazing tools available on the internet today is the Google Earth program. I have been using it for quite a while and I still get a kick out of it. You can pick almost any place in the world and get an overhead picture of it. Here's an example of one - this is a neighborhood right here in Clearwater, Florida:
Of course, the actual picture would appear much larger in the program. You can plug in just about any address, and the program will zoom right to that spot. Or you can just "browse the world" and check out your choice of locations. Or look at some famous world landmarks.
Here are a couple of great things about Google Earth:
1. It's free! You can download it at http://earth.google.com
2. For you people in Maine that have had crummy, low-resolution satellite images in the past - check out the new Google Earth version 4. You can see your house now, even in Waldoboro, Maine!
This week's video: The "skunk prank" at the park bench
Of course, the actual picture would appear much larger in the program. You can plug in just about any address, and the program will zoom right to that spot. Or you can just "browse the world" and check out your choice of locations. Or look at some famous world landmarks.
Here are a couple of great things about Google Earth:
1. It's free! You can download it at http://earth.google.com
2. For you people in Maine that have had crummy, low-resolution satellite images in the past - check out the new Google Earth version 4. You can see your house now, even in Waldoboro, Maine!
This week's video: The "skunk prank" at the park bench
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Another fun, wild ride!
Anyone that has ever seen a rubber band break might be a little hesitant to try this one...
Monday, January 15, 2007
Clearing Google search history
Got this question from my friend Ken in Maine:
The question id like to ask Scott as i use firefox and it is great. Also Google for searches. Only thing i find with google is my searches are still in there. I highlighted then and click delete but i still see they are there. Could you please explain the steps to get rid of those searches.
Good question, Ken - a lot of people ask about that. Here is how you do it:
If you use Firefox, the quick and easy way to delete a specific search term from the Google home page search history list is to just use your "Down" arrow key on the keyboard to highlight the particular search word or phrase. Then, hold down the Shift key and hit the Delete key. This removes that one from the drop-down list.
The more general way to clear the list is to click on Tools - Options and select the Privacy tab. In the area titled "Saved Forms", click the "Clear Saved Form Data Now" button. Remember, however, that this will clear information that is saved from other websites also.
If you use Internet Explorer, click on Tools - Internet Options and choose the tab titled "Content". In the area called "Personal Information", choose Autocomplete. Then click on Clear Forms. As with Firefox, this will clear the data saved from other website forms as well, so be sure this is what you want to do.
This week's video: Why men die sooner than women
The question id like to ask Scott as i use firefox and it is great. Also Google for searches. Only thing i find with google is my searches are still in there. I highlighted then and click delete but i still see they are there. Could you please explain the steps to get rid of those searches.
Good question, Ken - a lot of people ask about that. Here is how you do it:
If you use Firefox, the quick and easy way to delete a specific search term from the Google home page search history list is to just use your "Down" arrow key on the keyboard to highlight the particular search word or phrase. Then, hold down the Shift key and hit the Delete key. This removes that one from the drop-down list.
The more general way to clear the list is to click on Tools - Options and select the Privacy tab. In the area titled "Saved Forms", click the "Clear Saved Form Data Now" button. Remember, however, that this will clear information that is saved from other websites also.
If you use Internet Explorer, click on Tools - Internet Options and choose the tab titled "Content". In the area called "Personal Information", choose Autocomplete. Then click on Clear Forms. As with Firefox, this will clear the data saved from other website forms as well, so be sure this is what you want to do.
This week's video: Why men die sooner than women
