Tame Your Technology - Computer Repair Zone

For those of us addicted to the Internet a world full of cyber cafes can be a dream come true. On vacation in Costa Rica recently I was able to stay in contact with family and friends easily and cheaply.

But the question is, how do you stay safe when using an internet cafe? After all, you’re using someone else’s computer that could harbour all sorts of viruses and keyloggers. From a combination of my own experiences and research here are 6 tips to keep your personal information safe when using a cyber cafe.

1) Use A Reputable Internet Cafe

Is the cafe full of people? Is it welcoming? Consider asking for recommendations at your hotel. Do they seem to have anti-virus on their computers such as Norton or AVG? Windows will now flash up warnings if it’s own security systems sense a problem though just because Windows *isn’t* complaining doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem. Are the computers “closed systems” or are people downloading pictures from digital cameras, uploading videos and mp3s etc. The more interaction between the computers and other technology, the greater the chance to pass on viruses.

Having considered these factors, if at first glance all seems positive, then let’s look at the next factor to consider…

2) Choose Firefox Over Internet Explorer

For now, far fewer viruses attack Forefox as it is such a new piece of software. Likely this will change with tie but most experts agree that the Forefox browser is safer to use than Internet Explorer. Take a look at GetFirefox.com so you can see what it looks like so if you encounter it in an Internet cafe, it’sa good sign. Just because they use Explorer isn’t a reason not to use them, but given the choice, go for Firefox.

3) Run A Spyware Sweep

If in any doubt at all, use an online spysweeper tool to check the computer you’re using for viruses and any other programs that may cause you problems. One example of such a piece of software is HouseCall but there are plenty to choose from.

4) Don’t Autosave Any Of Your Details

I’m still shocked in most Internet cafes how many people stupidly leave their login details on the computer. If you use a username and password to log into a site - such as your emails or banking details - make sure you don’t select the option to save your details. Simply by visiting Hotmail, Gmail and so on I have gone straightinto someone else’s emails because either they didn’t log out, or they saved their details on the computer.

5) Delete Cookies And Internet History

At the end of your session, to leave less of a trace, if you’re using Internet Explorer, clear your cookies (small text files saved on the computer that can identify you and what you did) plus the internet histiry which lists the sites you visited.

By doing this, the next user won’t be able to see where you went so there is less chance of prying eyes working out what website you use for your email and so on.

To do this, select Tools, then Internet Options, then click the Delete Cookies and Clear History buttons before OK. It may well “idle” for a few minutes as it is deleting these files (there may be hundreds) so make sure you do this several minutes before you run out of time on your internet session.

6) Delete Any Saved Information

Even if you elect not to let Windows save your information, it may still try to save a few bits. To ensure you’re safe, again select Tools, then Internet Options but this time click the Content tab at the top. Then click the “Autocomplete” option and in this additional menu click both the Clear Forms and Clear Passwords buttons before clicking OK to finish.

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Stylish Web Design is a design blog that has just got my attention as a related blog on topics such as web design, computer programming and related topics.

The first thing I noticed on arriving at the site (besides the weird logo that I personally found hard to read) is that the general design - the Wordpress theme - is beautiful. I mean stunning. One of the nicest, most crisp designs going.

But it’s not just attractive - I also found it easy to navigate thanks to having links at the top of the page to all the various categories of posts.

Whilst the mix of posts is pretty broad, several of the more “technical” posts gave me quite a bot of food for thought.

For example here is a very interesting (from a security point of view) article on the subject of effectively managing user accounts in Windows and thus reducing the chances if malware installations and the subsequent threats to your personal data.

Another computer security article that warrants your attention (but is only a quick read) discusses how much information to send to Microsoft on spyware interacting with your computer. Author Gombos Atila gives a very clear description of the spyware community and how it works.

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In recent discussions a number of otherwise highly computer-literate people have mentioned how they haven’t got a clue how to find good-quality blogs on topics of interest to them.

This is a real shame because I am a keen blogger and also a keen visitor of other blogs. I enjoy visiting them on a regular basis, I enjoy getting to know the characters who write them and I find I can learn a lot from them to boot.

Finding blogs actually isn’t too hard.

They do, of course, appear in normal search engines like Google, Yahoo or MSN though they appear alongside normal web sites, PDF files and so on.

If you’re looking specifically for blogs, we need to use some slightly different tools.

Firstly we can include words in our standard search engines such as “blog” so we search for “gardening blog” rather than just gardening which will likely turn up a few.

But there are numerous search engines designed specifically (and only) for blogs.

Generally the blogs they list have been manually verified at some point in the past so are reasonable quality.

My own two favorite blog search engines of all though are Technorati and Google’s Blog Search.

In my experience both of these bring uo the highest quality results.

Note that Technorati will allow you to search for either individual posts *or* whole blogs. It’s up to you which option you choose. I personally tend to search for blogs if I’m searching for a general word or phrase (”computers”, “cell phones”, “cookery”) and blog posts when I’m doing a more indept search (”best places to stay in Morocco”, “is Windows Vista any good?”).

Lastly, don’t forget that thanks to bloggers, linking is alive and well.

A good number of the dozen or so blogs I visit on a regular basis were found because another blog linked them. Many blogs now have a links section or what is commonly known as a “blogroll” (simply a list of related blogs the blogger themselves like to visit) so follow some links and get exploring

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Can’t get your PC to do what you want it to? Wouldn’t it be nice to have an IT helpdesk like at work that you can just call up and they’ll solve your problem for you in a couple of minutes?

Well surprisingly this is now possible thanks to the digital age - and for a cost that might surprise you.

There are a number of companies now who specialize in IT support and will deal with general members of the public meaning even at home you can have the level of suppot you’d expect working for a large company.

Costs and tariffs vary from either a monthly subscription charge to a per-case basis with it costing as little as $20 to resolve a serious problem you’re having.

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When building a website it is often very useful to know it’s dimensions. Knowing so will help you lay out a site neater and will also enable you to specify the dimensions in the HTML files so allowing the  page to load faster.

It is therefore of use to be able to very quickly tell these dimensions so here’s a simple tip…

Fire up Microsoft Paint which comes free built into Windows, open up the image you need to know the dimensions of and select ….

Easy as that!

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When I worked with cell phones this was one of the most common questions of all - and yet the easiest to resolve.

So let’s take you through a simple guide to linking (or “pairing”) your cell phone and Bluetooth headset.

Basically what we are going to do is play an electronic version of find and seek. We’re going to get your headset to say “come and find me!” then your cell phone to search for him and track him down.

OK, let’s get prepared. Best have your manuals for your cell phone and headset to hand as each model is slightly different and you might get stuck part way.

Here are the steps:

1) Turn the Bluetooth on your cell phone on.

Typically this will either be in a “Tools” or “Settings” menu. Taking my Samsung as an example, I open the menu, select “Organizer And Tools” and there 4 options down is Bluetooth. I go into this menu and notice by “Activation” it says “Off”. I need it to be on, so I toggle it with the menu button. It says says “On” and that’s stage 1 complete.

2) Prepare You Cell Phone To Search

Still within the Bluetooth menu look either for an option called “Search For Devices” (or similar) or look my “My Devices”. Taking my Samsung again I select the “My Devices” option and inside that menu there is an option to “Search New Device”. Basically where we end is in such a place that you can just click an option and your handset will start “looking” for any Bluetooth-enalbed device within range.

3) Put Your Headset In Pairing Mode

By putting your headset in pairing mode, it is essentially sending out a message so your cell phone can locate it and create the necessary link between the two. This differs greatly between headsets but generally involves pushing in and then holding down one or more buttons. You’ll know it’s right because the lights will change - typically rather than an ocassional blue flash you will get alternate red and blue flashing lights. When you see this, you’re ready.

4) Begin The Search

Your Bluetooth headset will only remain in pairing mode for a matter of 30 seconds of less (which is why we did that last) so quickly press the search option on your handset and within a few moments you should find the name of your Bluetooth headset appear on the screen. Wait till your phone has finsihed searching then highlight and select your headset on the screen. If you phone asks you for a password to link the two devices simply enter 0000 and that should work.

All done!

You should now be able to pop your headset on and make a call without holding your cell phone! You should onlt need to do this once and your phone and headset will continue to recignise each other when in range in the future.

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So you bought an mp3 player but now you need to put some music on it?

Well you’ll be pleased to hear that turning your existing CDs into mp3 files is very easy indeed.

The easiest piece of software to use is Windows Media Player which comes free with Windows.

All you need to do is insert a CD into the CD drive of your computer and Windows Media Player *should* start automatically (if not then locate it in the menu by selecting Start -> etc and once it’s fired up, open up your CD menu from within it).

You will notice that you have the option to “rip” files which is the name given to taking files from a CD and turning them into a digital format.

So select the “rip” option, select the files you’d like to rip (all of them, typically) and click the button.

You’ll see the progress meter moving as the files are created and saved onto your computer.

Then all you need to do is to link your mp3 player to your pc and transfer the files across - job done!

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Cell phones have a unique identifying number like the chassis number of your car.

If and one gets stolen it gets blacklisted by the cell phone networks - which stops calls being made on that handset and theres no way to resolve the issue unless the network remove the bar. Bizareely they often *can* send texts, just not make calls.

A common occurence in “cheap” phones bought off a friend, off ebay or suchlike is this very problem.

So if you buy a new phone but can’t make a call when you can send a text think - dodgy phone and get your money back as quickly as possible.

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Renting the latest movies has come a long way from the small, dirty video stores we used to frequent years ago.

Now movie rental is huge business, which combined with the power of the internet and the small size of DVDs has resulted in an exciting new way to watch your favourite films.

That is - internet DVD rental.

In short, you sign for an account with one of the various internet DVD rental companies, add on a list of the movies you’d like to see and they post them out to you.

Depending on the plan you opt for you may have 1, 2 or even 3 DVDs at a time.

Whenever you’ve finished watching one, you simply post it back in the prepaid envelope the rental company provides, and they then send out the next one on your list.

It means of course no long walks down to the rental shop, no wasted time, just a constant supply of high quality DVDs through your door.

I personally am a huge fan of online rentals and have been renting movies this way for about 2 years now having jumped between a variety of companies to try out their services.

There are currently dozens of companies offering online dvd rentals but my experience suggests that you’re best to stick to the few main players if you want the best service and selection of DVDs.

The top 3 in the market at the moment are:

Blockbuster - in my opinion the best internet dvd rental company in the UK, Blockbuster combined arguably the largest range of films with monthly packages that start from just 3.99 making them affordable. Best of all they are currently running a time-limited 14 day free trial.

Amazon - currently being taken over by LoveFilm there are some questions about how long the Amazon DVD rental service will continue so while Amazon is where this model first started, I wouldn’t want to spend time finding and then saving lists of DVDs I’m interested in because it may all be for nothing in a few weeks time.

LoveFilm - rapidly growing all the time, I think that in time LoveFilm will grow into the biggest internet dvd rental firm in the UK. Their packages start from just 3.99 - the lowest monthly fees I have seen - though the select of films is smaller than that of Blockbuster and of course

At the end of the day my suggestion to you is to give Blockbuster a spin with their free 14 day trial. I’ve always been happy with their service and you’re risking nothing by trying them out. Find out more by clicking here.

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Text messages get routed through a specific number and the single most common reason for your phone to not be sending texts is simply that the number, hidden deep in the menu of your phone, is wrong.

The most common one is it’s missing the last digit because you accidentally changed it when you meant to do something else (did your handset used to send texts then just suddenly stopped?). Other options are that there is no number in the menu at all, or the incorrect number.

What you need to do is to contact your network and find out what the correct *message center number* for texts is on their network.

Then looking in your “Message Settings” in your cell phone look for SMS settings and locate the Message Center Number option.

In 90% of cases you’ll find it’s wrong. Just correct it by typing in the correct number, press save, restart the phone and you’ll likely be sending texts again in no time.

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