Scott's Thoughts

Automatic notification of items on sale

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:00:00 +0000

This is the time of year when everyone is looking for a bargain. Perhaps you were one of the crazy people that stood outside a retail store last Friday at 4 am to get in on the best deals of the season. You definitely would not have found me in one of those lines.

How do you find out about the best deals? You have a few options. The Sunday newspaper is stuffed with them this month, but that is only a once-a-week announcement. There are lots of commercials on television but you might miss the commercial that talks about the product you are looking to buy.

Once again, technology and the internet come to the rescue.Zingsale (www.zingsale.com) is a website that offers this free service. Just go there and type in the name of the product you want to buy on sale (and your email address), and whenever it goes on sale, you will be notified by email. Then you can rush to the store, or you can buy it through a link right there on the Zingsale site.

What is a firewall, and do you need one?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:00:00 +0000

(Thanks to my friend Paul for suggesting this topic. If you have a question that you would like to see answered here, email me at pctutor@gmail.com.)

A firewall is a form of protection for your computer. It prevents unauthorized access to your computer by another computer. When you are on the internet, you are connected to other computers all the time. If you view a website, you are connecting to the server that hosts that website. If you get email, you have to connect to the computer that stores your email.

So, for the question "Do you need a firewall?", the answer is definitely YES.

The next question is, what kind of firewall should you use? There are basically two fundamental choices: a hardware firewall or a software firewall.

The most common hardware firewall is your router. If you have more than one computer in your house and they all use the same internet connection, you are most likely using a router to make that happen. Your router has a firewall built in, and that prevents unauthorized access to your computer when you are on the internet. For most people, this level of protection is sufficient.

If you don't use a router, then you should have a software firewall installed on your computer. Fortunately, Windows comes with one already - you just need to make sure it is turned on. Go to Control Panel and click on "Windows Firewall" to see if it is turned on. You can actually have this turned on even if you do use a router, just for an extra level of protection.

For those that are really concerned about comprehensive protection, you can get a third-party firewall program such as ZoneAlarm (they offer a free version that works fine). If you go this route, be prepared to configure the software so that your normal daily activities (email, web browsing, antivirus updates, etc.) are allowed to access the internet.

Sometime in December you will probably be at a party with friends or family. That's when you can bring out this little trick - a game you are sure to win.

Friday - The Internet Effect

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Password strength

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

What makes a strong password? There are several factors that go into this. When you choose a password, you should use a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and characters. Do you know what the most commonly used password is? It's the 3-digit sequence "123". Lots of sites or programs won't even allow a password that weak.

Here's an example of a strong password: @ElPaso596

Want to see how strong your passwords are? Check out The Password Meter. Just plug in your password and it will immediately give you a percentage score based on specific criteria. Looks like this:

Choose a theme for your Gmail account

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

As you probably already know, I use Gmail as my email service exclusively. I have several different Gmail accounts that I use for different purposes. There are lots of advantages to the Gmail service, compared to other services such as Hotmail or Yahoo.

Gmail just got better!

Now, if you go to Gmail.com to access your email, you can choose a theme to make the page look more interesting. You can choose from a variety of color themes, or some interesting picture themes such as beach, mountains, planets, etc. There are also a few wacky ones like Ninja, Candy, and Graffiti.

To check out the themes, log into your email account at www.Gmail.com. Then, click on Settings (top right area of the page). Click on the "Themes" tab and then just experiment to see the one you like. If you don't like any of them just click on "Default" and you can go back to your boring, miserable original configuration.

This week's video...little kids always have a thing about playing with frogs. This little girl likes to hide them. Several of them.

Friday fun: a logic-defying optical illusion

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

I have seen lots of optical illusions - the web is full of them. Usually when I view some on any given website, I have seen most or all of them before. But I recently came across one that had me scratching my head. Take a look at the image below:
Here's the question. Look at the shade of the square labeled "A" and the shade of the square labeled "B". Which one is darker?

Any normal, sane human being would say that obviously square A is darker than square B. I am talking about the color of the square itself, not the letter A or B. Then I read that they are actually the same shade. No way! I said to myself. The maker of this optical "illusion" must have made a mistake, because it was very clear that B was a lighter shade than A.

To prove that I was right, I brought the entire image into Photoshop. I copied square B and dragged it up to square A. Incredibly, they are the same color! See for yourself below. I copied a couple of the B squares in between the two, and as you can see, they are all the same.

The Wayback Machine

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered what the internet looked like10 years ago?

There's a website that has archived internet content back as early as 1996. It's called the Wayback Machine: see it here.

Just plug in the URL of any website, and see what it looked like at a particular point in time. Here are a few examples (you can click on the image to see it full size).

Microsoft.com from the early 2000s:

I actually remember when Yahoo looked like this:

And Google has not changed a whole lot:

AVG antivirus - nobody's perfect

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

For several years, I have used and recommended AVG Anti-virus (my review of the latest version, and why you need it, is here). It uses much less of your system's resources than Norton, and it does a very good job of detecting and removing viruses and spyware.

Even the best make mistakes sometimes. Earlier this month, AVG incorrectly identified a file called "user32.dll" as containing a couple of viruses. When this came up on the screen, the user was instructed to delete the file. The only problem was, this was not a virus - it was a legitimate Windows file. For those that deleted the file, the solution was to boot from the original installation CD/DVD that came with your computer and run the "Repair" option. For most people it was a fairly simple fix (and the problem was not widespread to start with, since AVG caught and fixed the problem in the next update).

AVG has apologized for any problems this mistake caused. Here's what we can learn from this:

1. When you buy a new computer, always get the Windows Installation CD/DVD. You might need it.

2. Make sure you have an automated backup system in place, because the unexpected can happen and will happen. I have set this up for many of my clients, and I can do it remotely. Once this is in place, you don't have to worry about remembering to do a backup - it will be done every day automatically. Don't risk losing your documents and your irreplaceable pictures!

This week's video shows that driving a golf cart isn't as easy as it looks:

Friday fun

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

I am sure I will never own a local pub, but if I did, this is what I would call it.

Save some space with the Recycle Bin

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

The Recycle Bin...that ever-present repository that is ready to receive all of the computer's data that you no longer need. Is yours using more space than it needs to?

Do a right-click on the Recycle Bin icon, and choose Properties. You should see an indication of the maximum size allowed for the amount of data being held in the Bin. In Windows Vista, I generally set mine to about 1000 mb (1 gb). If you use XP, you have a slide bar that allows you to set it to be a certain percentage of the hard drive. 5% is probably fine, and it should never be more than 10%.

By limiting the amount of data that can be stored in the Recycle Bin, you are freeing up hard drive space. For older computers with smaller hard drives, this can be an important factor.

Flip your text upside down

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Want to really amaze your friends? They will want to know how you did this. Whatever text you can type, you can turn it upside down. It looks like this:

ʇxǝʇ uʍop ǝpısdn sı sıɥʇ

It is super-simple to do. Just go to this website:
http://www.revfad.com/flip.html

Type your text in the top half, and it appears in the bottom half upside down. Then just copy and paste it wherever you want to use it. You can do it in emails, blog posts (obviously), Word files, just about any place where you type text.

This week's video...hmmm...how can I describe this. The guy in the video is trying to win the heart of some girl by making her this video. Have you ever seen someone doing something so sincerely, yet looking so foolish, that you feel uncomfortable and embarrassed for that person? Get ready for that feeling again. Oh - watch for a special treat at the 2:05 mark.

Bill Gates last day at Microsoft

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

You probably know by now, Bill Gates has retired from Microsoft. Here's a video that documents his last day on the job.

The Popularity Dialer

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Have you ever been in a situation where you wished your cell phone would ring? Maybe you wanted to look extra important or popular on that hot date. Or maybe you just needed an excuse to escape from an unpleasant meeting.

With "The Popularity Dialer", you can plan ahead. Via a web interface, you can choose to have your phone called at a particular time (or several times). At the elected time, your phone will be dialed and you will hear a prerecorded message that's one half of a conversation. Thus, you will be prompted to have a fake conversation and will easily fool those around you.

EULA analyzer

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Just about anyone who has used a computer has seen a window like this while installing some software:

That is called an EULA, or End User License Agreement. Most people just blindly click "I Accept" or "I Agree" and go ahead with the installation. I must confess I do this too, if I know and trust the creator of the software.

However, not every software distributor deserves that blind trust. Sometimes there is wording in that agreement that you would NOT agree to, if you knew it was there and if you knew what it meant. But who has time to read that whole long diatribe of legal language? And unless you are a lawyer, you really can't know for sure exactly what you are agreeing to anyway.

Now there is a free program that will analyze that EULA language for you, and tip you off to any "red flags" that it finds.

EULAlyzer (free download here) is easy to install and works on XP or Vista. Once you have it, all you have to do is copy and paste the text of the EULA you are considering into the EULAlyser window and hit "Analyze". It will very quickly scan the document and point out any potential problems.

Of course, the site also has this disclaimer:

*Note: This program does not provide legal advice. It can only highlight information that you may want to consider before making your own decision whether to agree to a license agreement or not. You should always consult a lawyer (or other authorized individual) for advice on legal issues.

This week's video shows a situation where disaster was avoided with about a second to spare:

Disable automated Adobe Reader updates

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

It's a question that is continually asked by computer users everywhere: why does Adobe Reader need to be so big and have to get all those updates, when it's only task is to open PDF files?

It always seems that those Adobe updates come at the most inconvenient time - right when you are in the middle of doing something. The good news is, you don't have to put up with those automatic updates - here's how to disable that "feature".

1. Click on My Computer (or just Computer), then click your primary hard drive (usually drive C)
2. Open Program Files, then Common Files, then Adobe, then Updater5
3. In that folder, run the file called "AdobeUpdater.exe"
4. UNcheck the box that says "Automatically check for Adobe Updates"
5. Click OK

Now Adobe Reader will just read PDF files, which is really all you need it to do.

Using MS Word - the real story

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Emergency patch for Windows - you need this

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Microsoft normally issues Windows updates and patches once a month. However, sometimes a security problem is discovered that is serious enough that an immediate emergency patch is warranted. That's what happened last week.

Rather than repeat all the details here, I will direct you to the Windows Secrets website that describes it: read it here.

At that site you can see what is going on, and there are also links to download the patch for whatever version of Windows you are using. You should get this patch right away to avoid having your PC exploited and infected.

Halloween is this week, so we have a video clip of various people getting scared:

Toot tone

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

I guess Friday is the best day for some juvenile humor. At least it is technology-related.

Enjoy the fall foliage, without all the raking

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Since moving to Florida a couple of years ago, I have to say I still don't miss the winter one bit. The bitter cold, and driving on icy roads, I can do without.

However...when we lived in Maine, I really did enjoy the fall. The suddenly cooler air felt great, and one of the best things was seeing the beauty of the leaves turning all different colors.

If you love seeing the great colors in the fall, but are not in an area where you can enjoy them, the internet is the next best thing. Here are some ways you can enjoy autumn from your computer.

Mount Washington webcam - this is a live webcam from Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire. Not too exciting at night, but great during daylight hours.

Weather.com has a site that keeps track of where the best colors are throughout New England - at peak, peak, near peak and patchy.

And over at WXnation.com, there is a whole list of fall foliage webcams from all over. Just choose what section of the country you wish to view.

Don't trust your surge protector!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Here in Florida, we are pretty much past the summer rainy season. During that time, just about every afternoon there is a thunderstorm passing through. With it comes lightning, and the potential destruction of computer equipment.

When that happens, all of the computers in our house get unplugged from the wall (after properly shutting them down, of course).

But wait a minute, you say - doesn't Scott use surge protectors? Of course I do.

A surge protector is designed to protect against just that: a surge. The voltage that comes out of your wall socket goes up and down, and the surge protector keeps a surge that is too strong from getting to your computer. However - a surge protector is no match against a nearby (or direct) lightning strike. If that happens, anything plugged into the wall could be fried to a crisp.

Yes, the chances are low that it will happen; but I have seen it happen several times. For the relatively small inconvenience of unplugging my computer for 30-60 minutes, I am eliminating the risk of having to replace it.

Not everyone is technically oriented. Maybe you can identify with this poor woman.

Learn a language online - free

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

With our world becoming smaller and smaller, we are seeing many more people that want to learn a language other than their native one.

And what's the most cost-effective way to do that? On the internet, of course.

LiveMocha calls itself "the social way to learn a language". There are lessons (you proceed at your own pace), but the different angle is that you can actually communicate with speakers of other languages from around the world.

The site currently supports 11 languages, with plans to add more soon.

Windows XP extended

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

For those of you that love Windows XP (and who doesn't), the popular Windows operating system will be around for a while longer.

A while back, Microsoft had issued a decree to retailers that they had to stop selling copies of XP. But, there was a little loophole that allowed a customer purchasing a new computer with Vista to also get a "downgrade" to XP. That option was originally set to expire on January 31 of next year. Now, that deadline has been extended to July 31, 2009.

You still can't buy a regular copy of XP in a box off the shelf, but the more they stretch it out, the more likely it is that you might just be able to wait it out and buy your next computer with Windows 7 - skipping Vista completely.

Some interesting screensavers

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

I've pointed out a few interesting screensaver programs here before, and since then I have come across a few more. You might enjoy one or more of these.

Uniqlock - This one is probably more different than any screensaver I have ever seen. You can check out the video and if you want to install it, just click on the "Menu" on the left side. You are pretty certain to be the only one in your office with a screensaver that has Japanese girls dancing in a public library. For those of you that like the "look how esoteric my tastes are" reputation, it's perfect.

SETI@home - You might be familiar with the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) project. Basically, radio telescopes accumulate data so fast that one (or several) computers don't have the processing power to analyze it. But there are personal computers all over the world that have spare processing power. So if you volunteer to be a part of the team, your computer will receive data to process in its spare time. That's what the screen saver does.

Holding pattern - if you like the window seat when you fly, this one's for you.

This week's video is an example of my daughter's greatest fear (she is probably not alone on this one):

Make Word 2007 look like Word 2003

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

I've heard from more than a few people that they don't really like the changes to the layout that came with Microsoft Office 2007. Things sort of got moved around so until you get used to using it, finding those familiar functions is not quite the same as it was before.

For some users, the solution was clear: this is the way it is, so just keep using it and get used to it. I personally adopted this mindset, knowing that people would be asking me questions about how to do this or that, and I would need to have answers. I have adapted and I don't really even think about it any more.

For others, there is the "I-don't-want-to-change-and-I-won't-change" mentality. That's fine, as long as you can keep using your old Microsoft Office 2003 version. And now, with the availability of a new add-on, you can make your Word 2007 look like Word 2003. This software just adds a tab called "Classic" to your Word 2007 interface, bringing you back into your comfort zone. More information and download here.

Life without Microsoft Office

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Johnson) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0000

If someone sends you a text document, chances are very good it was created in Word. What if you don't have Word installed on your computer? Can you still read that document?

Yes, and you have several options.

Microsoft offers the Word viewer - download here. That's fine if you just want to read a Word file that someone has sent you.

If you want to actually create a Word file without having Microsoft Word installed, you can use the Open Office suite of programs (information here). This is a free set of applications that will allow you to create and edit files that are compatible with not only Word, but also Excel and Powerpoint.

You can even do all this without installing any new software on your computer - thanks to Google Docs. Completely web-based and free, Google Docs allows you to create and edit files that are viewable in Word or Excel. Since it's all online, you can go to any computer that has an internet connection, log in to your Google account, and start working.