This blog is intended for all internet users. I assume that since you're reading this, you use the internet!
There's a recent worm that hit the market recently called "Downadup" or "Conflicker". If you haven't heard of this, I'm about to blow your mind.
The Conflicker worm is estimated to have been released around October of 2008. It spreads rapidly, like wildfire, throughout connected computers. So far, experts believe it has infected around 15 to 20 million computers, and the number is growing every day. There was a patch released that will supposedly grant immunity to this worm, but since then it is believed that a new version of Conflicker came out that is capable of passing that 'immunity', leaving the majority of computer's still vulnerable.
Why is this worm a big deal? Well, every day, Conflicker tries to connect to 250 random domain names (websites, in a sense), and it checks for updates. So far, there have not been any updates released for Conflicker, but the team that designed this worm only has to release one update in order to harm all infected users. These users include general consumers as well as French naval ships, American air force networks, the U.K. Ministry of Defense, and a number of other major networks around the globe. Security analysts are working around the clock to find out where this worm will get it's updates from so that they can stop it from happening, but the 250 domain names are completely randomized and change with each spread of the worm. All the domain names that have been analyzed give no indication of when it will give an update, nor where the update will come from.
This blog is merely intended to notify you of this threat, and to urge you to tread carefully in the online world. Follow these easy security practices to ensure that you don't fall victim to online threats:
- Do NOT open emails unless you personally know the sender. Even if you know them, look for signs that indicate it's a spam message that found it's way into their email and forwarded itself to you. These include anything that is trying to sell you something or sign up for a service.
- Do NOT click on advertisements that usually have flashing messages of some sort. These messages include "Winning a free laptop or other electronic device" as well as "You have two messages waiting for you! Click here to view". Know the website that you're at. To be safe, when traveling to a website from an email message, don't click on the link in the email. Instead, open up your internet browser and type out the address. Example - "www.ebay.com" or "www.amazon.com" instead of just trusting the links that an email provides.
- Do NOT browse the internet without Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware. This is like walking into a war zone with no weapons or protection. Viruses and worms can easily penetrate something that isn't well protected, and would love nothing more than to get into your computer to steal files.
- Pay attention to your computer. If you have a message pop up in the lower right corner of your screen saying "Please update Windows" or "Your Anti-Virus is out of date", fix the problem by updating or renewing your subscription.
- Are you getting pop ups? Are they coming up without you browsing the internet? If so, your computer could potentially have a virus. Use your Anti-Virus program to scan and see if it finds anything.
- Clear cookies on a daily or weekly basis. You can do this by going to (for Flock and Firefox users) "Tools" at the top of the window, then "Options". Open the "Privacy" tab and click the "Clear Now" button. Make sure that the option for "Cookies" is checked, then click "Clear Private Data Now". I'm not going to tell you how to do this with Internet Explorer, because you shouldn't be using it! For Safari users, click on the "Safari" tab at the top once it's open, then click "Empty Cache". You could also "Reset Safari" to clear out all temporary files.
These are simple security methods that you can implement to help double or triple your security online.
I hope you have found this blog informative. Feel free to subscribe or add me to your RSS reader! This blog will be updated daily, so keep checking back! If you have any questions or would like to see a blog about a certain topic you're curious about, email me.
Thanks for reading,
-Nick
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Password Protected Discs In Mac!
Hello and welcome!
This blog is intended for Macintosh users. Windows users will not be able to do this without access to a Macintosh computer.
It is recommended that you have the latest version of Mac OS X. At the time of this writing, the latest version is 10.5.6. Though this will work for previous versions, it's simply good practice to stay updated.
Today, you're going to learn how to create your own disk images. But first, what is a disk image? Well, a disk image is, simply put, like a small(or large) partitioned amount of space that you've set aside in order to store files. There are many uses for this, but today I'll show you how you can make a disk image into your own personal vault secured with a password for storing sensitive information.
The uses for this include:
- Storing files that have saved log-ins and passwords for frequently visited websites
- Locking away your latest and greatest of business plans so no one else can steal it!
- Securely locking away important emails, pictures, videos, or audio files
- Anything that would require a password to access!
First, we need to open up an application called Disk Utility. Go to spotlight and type that program name in.
Once Disk Utility opens, we're going to create a "New Image". You can do this by clicking the circled icon near the top of the window, as shown on the right.
Now, select a name for the Disk Image. I've called mine "Protected Files"(pictured above) to be generic. Specify the location in which you wish to save this personal vault. After that, name the 'folder' that you will be making. I've called mine "Secret Documents" and added a clever deterrent for those wanting to snoop into my personal files. Select the amount of size you'd like to dedicate towards this personal vault. I don't have a lot of secret information, so I've given only 10 MB to this folder. However, depending on what you're putting in there, you can have terabytes of storage (that's 1000 gigabytes!) for this folder. For the format, select "Mac OS Extended". Here's a quick look at what the other formats do:
_____________
- The 'journaled' format allows you to make a bootable image, which would be useful if you were making a Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 boot image to start a computer off of.
- The 'case-sensitive' format allows you to create multiple images under the same name, while keeping the cases as unique. For example, in the same folder I could have "Disk Image", "disk image", and "dIsK iMaGe" since the case in each varies. This can get confusing, though, and some third-party applications have a hard time interacting with case-sensitive images.
- The 'standard' format allows for previous versions of Mac OS to use the disk images, such as Mac OS 9.0, 8.0, 7.0, and so on.
_____________
Now, back to the project! Keep the format as "Mac OS Extended" for simplicity reasons. Select the type of encryption you want. Selecting "none" will allow anyone to access it without the need for a password. Selecting "128" or "256" will add an encryption and password to the disk image. 256 encryption is safer, but takes much longer to make.
In the "Partitions" drop down menu, select "Hard Disk".
Select "Create" and you're almost done! Disk Utility will now ask you to type in your password, if you opted to have one. Make sure it's difficult to guess, otherwise people close enough to you can guess it and get into your files!
Now, Disk Utility may need a minute or two depending on the size of your Disk Image and the encryption method you selected. Once it's done, you can now store files into your image! The place to store files is circled in red on the left.
Once you've added what you wish to add, right click that same partition (circled on the left) and click "Eject..." You can now move the "Protected Files.dmg" (or your equivalent) where ever you'd like! You can put it hidden away in a folder somewhere or add it to your flash drive for mobile use.
When you want to access your personal vault, find the "Protected Files.dmg" file and double click it. Once you put in your password correctly, you'll have access to your files again!
I hope you've enjoyed this blog! To keep up with my latest tech-tips, subscribe or add me to your RSS reader!
Thanks for reading,
-Nick
This blog is intended for Macintosh users. Windows users will not be able to do this without access to a Macintosh computer.
It is recommended that you have the latest version of Mac OS X. At the time of this writing, the latest version is 10.5.6. Though this will work for previous versions, it's simply good practice to stay updated.
Today, you're going to learn how to create your own disk images. But first, what is a disk image? Well, a disk image is, simply put, like a small(or large) partitioned amount of space that you've set aside in order to store files. There are many uses for this, but today I'll show you how you can make a disk image into your own personal vault secured with a password for storing sensitive information.
The uses for this include:
- Storing files that have saved log-ins and passwords for frequently visited websites
- Locking away your latest and greatest of business plans so no one else can steal it!
- Securely locking away important emails, pictures, videos, or audio files
- Anything that would require a password to access!
First, we need to open up an application called Disk Utility. Go to spotlight and type that program name in.
Once Disk Utility opens, we're going to create a "New Image". You can do this by clicking the circled icon near the top of the window, as shown on the right.
Now, select a name for the Disk Image. I've called mine "Protected Files"(pictured above) to be generic. Specify the location in which you wish to save this personal vault. After that, name the 'folder' that you will be making. I've called mine "Secret Documents" and added a clever deterrent for those wanting to snoop into my personal files. Select the amount of size you'd like to dedicate towards this personal vault. I don't have a lot of secret information, so I've given only 10 MB to this folder. However, depending on what you're putting in there, you can have terabytes of storage (that's 1000 gigabytes!) for this folder. For the format, select "Mac OS Extended". Here's a quick look at what the other formats do:
_____________
- The 'journaled' format allows you to make a bootable image, which would be useful if you were making a Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 boot image to start a computer off of.
- The 'case-sensitive' format allows you to create multiple images under the same name, while keeping the cases as unique. For example, in the same folder I could have "Disk Image", "disk image", and "dIsK iMaGe" since the case in each varies. This can get confusing, though, and some third-party applications have a hard time interacting with case-sensitive images.
- The 'standard' format allows for previous versions of Mac OS to use the disk images, such as Mac OS 9.0, 8.0, 7.0, and so on.
_____________
Now, back to the project! Keep the format as "Mac OS Extended" for simplicity reasons. Select the type of encryption you want. Selecting "none" will allow anyone to access it without the need for a password. Selecting "128" or "256" will add an encryption and password to the disk image. 256 encryption is safer, but takes much longer to make.
In the "Partitions" drop down menu, select "Hard Disk".
Select "Create" and you're almost done! Disk Utility will now ask you to type in your password, if you opted to have one. Make sure it's difficult to guess, otherwise people close enough to you can guess it and get into your files!
Now, Disk Utility may need a minute or two depending on the size of your Disk Image and the encryption method you selected. Once it's done, you can now store files into your image! The place to store files is circled in red on the left.Once you've added what you wish to add, right click that same partition (circled on the left) and click "Eject..." You can now move the "Protected Files.dmg" (or your equivalent) where ever you'd like! You can put it hidden away in a folder somewhere or add it to your flash drive for mobile use.
When you want to access your personal vault, find the "Protected Files.dmg" file and double click it. Once you put in your password correctly, you'll have access to your files again!
I hope you've enjoyed this blog! To keep up with my latest tech-tips, subscribe or add me to your RSS reader!
Thanks for reading,
-Nick
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Five Websites Everyone Should Know About
This blog is intended for any operating system that has access to the internet!
These are five websites that I visit on a daily basis. Not all of them are related to technology, but since it involves the online web, we'll go ahead and say that the web is the technology reference for now!
=== BBC === Link: www.bbc.co.uk ===
No matter what field you practice in, keeping up with today's world is as important as ever. Though I use to follow CNN, Fox, and a few other news sites, I've found that BBC is the easiest way to keep up with happenings outside the United States. Sure, all news sites mention the rest of the world frequently, but they all seem to focus on the US. To be honest, I really find the rest of the world a bit more interesting. Plus, I still get the United States news since BBC has an 'America' section. The site is well organized and designed without 'fluff', so getting news doesn't involve sitting down and being absorbed into a TV, nor does it involve hours of internet scouring. I can just read what I want and walk back out the door I came in, so to speak.
With the current state of the world (over-complicated economic issues, frequent talk of a Global Warming phenomenon, history being made in the US presidential chain, chaotic fires in Australia, etc) there's plenty of news to keep up with. Though I can't say I keep up with every country, I do feel it's important to stay on top of large issues. With that said, I hope you enjoy the immense amount of information available on that site!
=== Give Away Of The Day === www.giveawayoftheday.com ===
I am on this site every day, and I make an effort not to miss anything. Free stuff is always nice! And this place has plenty of it. On a daily basis, they post some software for free, but after they post the next bit of software, all older software has a price tag on it. So, it's worth checking every day for about two minutes simply because it changes every day and has incredible offers. They have everything from audio & video editors to folder and file management, as well as PC health software. Even if you don't think you need the software they're giving away, download it anyways in case you know someone who can put it to good use. Or, suppose you expand your business or hobbies and suddenly need one of the programs that was offered recently? The first thing that comes to mind is "Hey, I downloaded that awesome software from the website Nick recommended for me! Great! Let's go use it!" See? It happens to the best of us, and the last thing you want is to think "Man, I'd love to convert MIDI files to MP3 files, or start my own task management system, but I forgot to download that software I saw the other day! Drat, now I need to pay $10/$30/$50/$100 for something I could have had for free!" I know I'd be mentally kicking myself for that. Enjoy! And happy software hunting.
SIDE NOTE: Sometimes, if you see something that is no longer free, you can search in Google for it and find another location where it's still available for free. Good luck!
=== Stumble Upon === www.stumbleupon.com ===
Aside from hours of entertainment, StumbleUpon is a great tool for learning about the magnitude of information out there in the online world and how you can find out literally anything online. After you create a quick account, fill out their profile quiz. Once that's done, you can start stumbling! (Or stumble without an account, but it's more of a general search) You can give a thumbs up and thumbs down for websites you found interesting or irrelevant, and read to your hearts content! This is how I learn about most of the tech-related material that I know. I stumble typically for an hour or so a day, and the knowledge I gain from that is almost always useful!
Also, I'd recommend installing their toolbar. Having to go to the website for stumbling doesn't really make sense if you do it often. The toolbar allows you to start stumbling no matter where you are in the online world. Enjoy!
=== Pandora === www.Pandora.com ===
Though I'd love to sit here and talk about how amazing Pandora is, I won't. Well, okay, maybe I will.
Pandora is the result of a project called the Music Genome Project. Yes, this is similar to the Human Genome Project. The difference, obviously, is music. All you have to do is type a song name or artist in, and Pandora takes care of the rest for you. It creates an online radio station for that song name or artist, and will play songs that are related to the content you typed in. For obvious copyright reasons, you can't just search for a song and play it. Instead, it will analyze the song of your choice and find key qualities that your song or artist has, and then match it up with other songs of similar features! Last time I checked, you get three free songs, then it will ask you to sign up. This is a very painless process for those who typically flee at the thought of signing up for something. Don't worry. I don't recommend scams or anything of the like. At the time of this writing, Pandora doesn't even email you a verification page to finish signing up. After that, you're good to go! Unlimited listening to your favorite music! Just remember, interact with Pandora frequently. Give a thumbs up or thumbs down on a few songs every now and then and you should be fine! Enjoy the endless world of music!
=== Digg === www.digg.com ===
This is yet another incredible knowledge tool. You can pick your favorite field and start reading. It's that simple. You don't have to sign up if you don't want to, but it seems like it's typically safe to sign up for. The security looks solid. Overall, Digg is a centralized location for knowledge and events. People will post news events as well as articles and story's! Happy reading!
The online world has so many ununsed capabilities. It makes me disappointed when I see that people overlook opportunity. Each of these five websites serve an intense, very deep purpose in my life. I'm a music lover, but I am also passionate about technology. I hope that you, the reader, can find a way to use these sites to your benefit!
Enjoy!
-Nick
These are five websites that I visit on a daily basis. Not all of them are related to technology, but since it involves the online web, we'll go ahead and say that the web is the technology reference for now!
=== BBC === Link: www.bbc.co.uk ===
No matter what field you practice in, keeping up with today's world is as important as ever. Though I use to follow CNN, Fox, and a few other news sites, I've found that BBC is the easiest way to keep up with happenings outside the United States. Sure, all news sites mention the rest of the world frequently, but they all seem to focus on the US. To be honest, I really find the rest of the world a bit more interesting. Plus, I still get the United States news since BBC has an 'America' section. The site is well organized and designed without 'fluff', so getting news doesn't involve sitting down and being absorbed into a TV, nor does it involve hours of internet scouring. I can just read what I want and walk back out the door I came in, so to speak.
With the current state of the world (over-complicated economic issues, frequent talk of a Global Warming phenomenon, history being made in the US presidential chain, chaotic fires in Australia, etc) there's plenty of news to keep up with. Though I can't say I keep up with every country, I do feel it's important to stay on top of large issues. With that said, I hope you enjoy the immense amount of information available on that site!
=== Give Away Of The Day === www.giveawayoftheday.com ===
I am on this site every day, and I make an effort not to miss anything. Free stuff is always nice! And this place has plenty of it. On a daily basis, they post some software for free, but after they post the next bit of software, all older software has a price tag on it. So, it's worth checking every day for about two minutes simply because it changes every day and has incredible offers. They have everything from audio & video editors to folder and file management, as well as PC health software. Even if you don't think you need the software they're giving away, download it anyways in case you know someone who can put it to good use. Or, suppose you expand your business or hobbies and suddenly need one of the programs that was offered recently? The first thing that comes to mind is "Hey, I downloaded that awesome software from the website Nick recommended for me! Great! Let's go use it!" See? It happens to the best of us, and the last thing you want is to think "Man, I'd love to convert MIDI files to MP3 files, or start my own task management system, but I forgot to download that software I saw the other day! Drat, now I need to pay $10/$30/$50/$100 for something I could have had for free!" I know I'd be mentally kicking myself for that. Enjoy! And happy software hunting.
SIDE NOTE: Sometimes, if you see something that is no longer free, you can search in Google for it and find another location where it's still available for free. Good luck!
=== Stumble Upon === www.stumbleupon.com ===
Aside from hours of entertainment, StumbleUpon is a great tool for learning about the magnitude of information out there in the online world and how you can find out literally anything online. After you create a quick account, fill out their profile quiz. Once that's done, you can start stumbling! (Or stumble without an account, but it's more of a general search) You can give a thumbs up and thumbs down for websites you found interesting or irrelevant, and read to your hearts content! This is how I learn about most of the tech-related material that I know. I stumble typically for an hour or so a day, and the knowledge I gain from that is almost always useful!
Also, I'd recommend installing their toolbar. Having to go to the website for stumbling doesn't really make sense if you do it often. The toolbar allows you to start stumbling no matter where you are in the online world. Enjoy!
=== Pandora === www.Pandora.com ===
Though I'd love to sit here and talk about how amazing Pandora is, I won't. Well, okay, maybe I will.
Pandora is the result of a project called the Music Genome Project. Yes, this is similar to the Human Genome Project. The difference, obviously, is music. All you have to do is type a song name or artist in, and Pandora takes care of the rest for you. It creates an online radio station for that song name or artist, and will play songs that are related to the content you typed in. For obvious copyright reasons, you can't just search for a song and play it. Instead, it will analyze the song of your choice and find key qualities that your song or artist has, and then match it up with other songs of similar features! Last time I checked, you get three free songs, then it will ask you to sign up. This is a very painless process for those who typically flee at the thought of signing up for something. Don't worry. I don't recommend scams or anything of the like. At the time of this writing, Pandora doesn't even email you a verification page to finish signing up. After that, you're good to go! Unlimited listening to your favorite music! Just remember, interact with Pandora frequently. Give a thumbs up or thumbs down on a few songs every now and then and you should be fine! Enjoy the endless world of music!
=== Digg === www.digg.com ===
This is yet another incredible knowledge tool. You can pick your favorite field and start reading. It's that simple. You don't have to sign up if you don't want to, but it seems like it's typically safe to sign up for. The security looks solid. Overall, Digg is a centralized location for knowledge and events. People will post news events as well as articles and story's! Happy reading!
The online world has so many ununsed capabilities. It makes me disappointed when I see that people overlook opportunity. Each of these five websites serve an intense, very deep purpose in my life. I'm a music lover, but I am also passionate about technology. I hope that you, the reader, can find a way to use these sites to your benefit!
Enjoy!
-Nick
Friday, February 20, 2009
The Power of Google At Your Fingertips
This blog is for Windows, Mac, and Linux users.
If you haven't heard of Google, I wonder how you've gone through life so far without it. The tools they offer can completely revolutionize the way you go about your daily routine. If you have, I hope you find that this blog only reinforces the awesome power that you could potentially have within your grasp.
NOTE: All of these features can be used with the SAME Google account. You don't need to make a new one per feature. Everything is fully integrated for your convenience.
===== Google =====
- Gmail -
This email set up is genius. Though I pull my email into Thunderbird (which will be included in another blog), the set up that Google has for reading emails is clearly designed to not waste your time. All your mail is well organized and most spam is naturally caught by their algorithmic web. One could easily sit down and sort through about 200 emails inside of an hour. This includes reading some, if not most, in detail, and even responding to them. Everything from their quick response feature, starred items capabilities, and mass sorting makes them great for productivity. There's never an issue with slow internet connections making the mail a bit slow to respond from what I've seen. I've tried sorting through mail in Yahoo! and Hotmail and have never felt such a fast response. If you don't have a gmail account, you definitely need one.
- Reader -
Do you have an overflowing inbox of RSS feeds that you never seem able to read through? Well, now you can. Google Reader is also designed for productivity, as are most things created by Google. I love staying connected to as much of the web as possible. I like knowing what's going on in technology world, politics, astronomy, and online marketing. Though I'm no guru, Google Reader allows me to stay up to date with the latest and greatest with just a few clicks. Every morning, I could easily read through 100 RSS feeds while I drink my tea. The layout allows you to glance over titles and find ones that pique your interest. It integrates with many social networking sites so you can share your discoveries with your friends, family, and market. I have yet to find an RSS reader that is designed as flawlessly as this one.
Go to www.google.com/reader , make an account, and sign up to ten of your favorite websites RSS feeds. Check back in a few days and time how fast you can get through the accumulated feeds. After that, go to the websites individually and see if you can catch up on the same amount of information in less time. You'll find yourself smiling knowing how much time you're going to save yourself from now on. While you're at it, add this blog to your Google Reader!
- Calendar -
Technology has finally out-dated those wonderful day-timers, personal agenda's, and even palm or smart-phone calendar's. How would you like to access your calendar anywhere you could access the internet? How would you like it to sync up to your PDA or smart-phone? Google Calendar is for you. Adding an event is as easy as clicking and dragging a mouse. Advanced editing features include sending invitations to your contacts, utilizing color-coordinated schedules to keep your business schedule, home life, workout schedule, and hobbies separate or together for the 'big picture' view on your day, week, or month. Printable versions are available for all of these time ranges, and apparently they're working on an annual view as well. Print your daily schedule before you even get to work, or print out your weekly schedule to post in the kitchen for family and/or room mates to see. Heck, have them make one, too. Google Calendar has many more features that can be harnessed to make your day-to-day life much easier. Go check it out at www.google.com/calendar
- Documents -
Google Documents can be summed up by the phrase "Microsoft Office On-The-Go", or for Mac users "iWork On-The-Go". There's really not much to say aside from giving you a link. Words cannot fully express the potential that this has. For the regular technology user, having your documents where ever you have internet can be incredibly useful. Google Docs, however, extends much farther than this. It has collaborative capabilities that beat emailing revised documents back and forth over the internet. Why send and download documents when you can simply click save and know that your coworkers or project partners will be able to log in and see what you've done? This isn't just limited to text documents. Google Docs offers these products: Documents (Word or Pages equivalent), Spreadsheet (Excel or Numbers equivalent), Presentation (PowerPoint or Keynote equivalent), and Forms, which doesn't seem to have a direct equivalent. All of them come with many diverse features that can easily help you create quick, professional, collaborative files that are easy to convert into Windows or Mac formats. They all come with easy print capabilities, as well, which means that converting may not even be necessary. Overall, I'd highly recommend them for both personal and business use. You can check them out at www.google.com/documents
- Web Search -
The final feature that I'll discuss today is Google's web search capabilities. Eventually, I'm going to have a blog with advanced searching techniques, because that deserves plenty of attention. For now, I'll simply highlight the tip of the iceberg. Suppose you want to find out more about the war in Iraq, tutorials on Microsoft Excel, or more information on that ski trip you've been wanting to take. Google can help. You can enter an "exact phrase" to search for, or a series of words. Whatever you type in, Google will make the best of it. Plus, it's location based. Your search is going to include finds that correlate with your area. A search in New York, NY will differ from San Diego, CA. Overall, it's the most comprehensive web search online today. With Google at your fingertips, there's very little that you can't find in today's world.
I hope you have found this blog helpful. Feel free to bookmark this page or add me to your RSS reader! Despite recently missed days, I'll make sure this blog is updated daily with valuable technology information. Thanks for reading!
-Nick
If you haven't heard of Google, I wonder how you've gone through life so far without it. The tools they offer can completely revolutionize the way you go about your daily routine. If you have, I hope you find that this blog only reinforces the awesome power that you could potentially have within your grasp.
NOTE: All of these features can be used with the SAME Google account. You don't need to make a new one per feature. Everything is fully integrated for your convenience.
===== Google =====
- Gmail -
This email set up is genius. Though I pull my email into Thunderbird (which will be included in another blog), the set up that Google has for reading emails is clearly designed to not waste your time. All your mail is well organized and most spam is naturally caught by their algorithmic web. One could easily sit down and sort through about 200 emails inside of an hour. This includes reading some, if not most, in detail, and even responding to them. Everything from their quick response feature, starred items capabilities, and mass sorting makes them great for productivity. There's never an issue with slow internet connections making the mail a bit slow to respond from what I've seen. I've tried sorting through mail in Yahoo! and Hotmail and have never felt such a fast response. If you don't have a gmail account, you definitely need one.
- Reader -
Do you have an overflowing inbox of RSS feeds that you never seem able to read through? Well, now you can. Google Reader is also designed for productivity, as are most things created by Google. I love staying connected to as much of the web as possible. I like knowing what's going on in technology world, politics, astronomy, and online marketing. Though I'm no guru, Google Reader allows me to stay up to date with the latest and greatest with just a few clicks. Every morning, I could easily read through 100 RSS feeds while I drink my tea. The layout allows you to glance over titles and find ones that pique your interest. It integrates with many social networking sites so you can share your discoveries with your friends, family, and market. I have yet to find an RSS reader that is designed as flawlessly as this one.
Go to www.google.com/reader , make an account, and sign up to ten of your favorite websites RSS feeds. Check back in a few days and time how fast you can get through the accumulated feeds. After that, go to the websites individually and see if you can catch up on the same amount of information in less time. You'll find yourself smiling knowing how much time you're going to save yourself from now on. While you're at it, add this blog to your Google Reader!
- Calendar -
Technology has finally out-dated those wonderful day-timers, personal agenda's, and even palm or smart-phone calendar's. How would you like to access your calendar anywhere you could access the internet? How would you like it to sync up to your PDA or smart-phone? Google Calendar is for you. Adding an event is as easy as clicking and dragging a mouse. Advanced editing features include sending invitations to your contacts, utilizing color-coordinated schedules to keep your business schedule, home life, workout schedule, and hobbies separate or together for the 'big picture' view on your day, week, or month. Printable versions are available for all of these time ranges, and apparently they're working on an annual view as well. Print your daily schedule before you even get to work, or print out your weekly schedule to post in the kitchen for family and/or room mates to see. Heck, have them make one, too. Google Calendar has many more features that can be harnessed to make your day-to-day life much easier. Go check it out at www.google.com/calendar
- Documents -
Google Documents can be summed up by the phrase "Microsoft Office On-The-Go", or for Mac users "iWork On-The-Go". There's really not much to say aside from giving you a link. Words cannot fully express the potential that this has. For the regular technology user, having your documents where ever you have internet can be incredibly useful. Google Docs, however, extends much farther than this. It has collaborative capabilities that beat emailing revised documents back and forth over the internet. Why send and download documents when you can simply click save and know that your coworkers or project partners will be able to log in and see what you've done? This isn't just limited to text documents. Google Docs offers these products: Documents (Word or Pages equivalent), Spreadsheet (Excel or Numbers equivalent), Presentation (PowerPoint or Keynote equivalent), and Forms, which doesn't seem to have a direct equivalent. All of them come with many diverse features that can easily help you create quick, professional, collaborative files that are easy to convert into Windows or Mac formats. They all come with easy print capabilities, as well, which means that converting may not even be necessary. Overall, I'd highly recommend them for both personal and business use. You can check them out at www.google.com/documents
- Web Search -
The final feature that I'll discuss today is Google's web search capabilities. Eventually, I'm going to have a blog with advanced searching techniques, because that deserves plenty of attention. For now, I'll simply highlight the tip of the iceberg. Suppose you want to find out more about the war in Iraq, tutorials on Microsoft Excel, or more information on that ski trip you've been wanting to take. Google can help. You can enter an "exact phrase" to search for, or a series of words. Whatever you type in, Google will make the best of it. Plus, it's location based. Your search is going to include finds that correlate with your area. A search in New York, NY will differ from San Diego, CA. Overall, it's the most comprehensive web search online today. With Google at your fingertips, there's very little that you can't find in today's world.
I hope you have found this blog helpful. Feel free to bookmark this page or add me to your RSS reader! Despite recently missed days, I'll make sure this blog is updated daily with valuable technology information. Thanks for reading!
-Nick
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Very simple yet frequently forgotten security practice...
I know this will be old news for most of you, but I see this problem too often for me to not mention it.
One of the most important precautions you can take to protect yourself from viruses, spyware, and malicious hackers is updating your computer. You know that little text box that pops up on the bottom right corner of your screen saying "There are updates ready to be installed onto your computer"? Yeah, those are always important.
Here's a quick method to make sure your computer is always up to date. I'm going to talk you through telling your computer to automatically check for, download, and install updates.
***** Mac Users -
Click on the apple in the top left corner of your screen. Click on "Software Update..." and let your Mac check to see if there are any updates available. If there are, click the install button at the bottom right of the window. Mac will take care of everything else. If your computer needs to restart, it will prompt you. If not, you should be good to go! Feel free to keep using the computer while this goes on. Download times may range from a few minutes to a few hours depending on the speed of your internet.
***** Vista Users -
Click on the start button, go to "All Programs", and click Windows Update. It should be above all of the folders. If you can't find it, type "Windows Update" into the search bar and you should see it come up. Now, opening this should make Windows search for updates. If there are updates, ignore them for now. You'll be able to get them in just a few minutes.
On the left hand side of the window, click "Change Settings". Here, you can have your computer do one of four things:
-- Check for, download, and install all updates automatically.
-- Download the updates, but wait don't install them until you choose to
-- Check for updates but do not download or install them until you choose to
-- Never check for updates
The option you want is the top one. Once selected, you can set how often Windows checks for updates, and at what time. Mine is set to check daily at 3:00 am since I'm typically asleep by then. I leave my computer running 24/7 and it never shuts off, so this is okay for me. If you don't leave your computer running around the clock, pick a time in which you normally have it on, but may not necessarily be using it. The only reason I say this is because updates sometimes require a restart, and that can interrupt your work day sometimes.
***** XP Users -
Open up "Control Panel" and double-click on the "Security Center" icon. At the bottom of that window, click "Automatic Updates". You're now presented with four options. I'll restate them in case you've skipped the Vista Users section. The options are:
-- Check for, download, and install all updates automatically.
-- Download the updates, but wait don't install them until you choose to
-- Check for updates but do not download or install them until you choose to
-- Never check for updates
We want the top one. Set it to some obscure time when you're not at your computer. On my XP machine, I have mine set for 3:00 am. If you don't leave your computer on all the time, have it check when you're out to lunch or dinner. You could even schedule it weekly to go along with meetings or some task that pulls you away from your computer on a regular basis.
I hope this article has helped! It's fairly common knowledge to update your computer, but I've seen it ignored too many times for me to look it over. If you enjoy these blogs, feel free to subscribe or add me to your RSS feed reader. There'll be more to come every day! Keep checking back!
-Nick
One of the most important precautions you can take to protect yourself from viruses, spyware, and malicious hackers is updating your computer. You know that little text box that pops up on the bottom right corner of your screen saying "There are updates ready to be installed onto your computer"? Yeah, those are always important.
Here's a quick method to make sure your computer is always up to date. I'm going to talk you through telling your computer to automatically check for, download, and install updates.
***** Mac Users -
Click on the apple in the top left corner of your screen. Click on "Software Update..." and let your Mac check to see if there are any updates available. If there are, click the install button at the bottom right of the window. Mac will take care of everything else. If your computer needs to restart, it will prompt you. If not, you should be good to go! Feel free to keep using the computer while this goes on. Download times may range from a few minutes to a few hours depending on the speed of your internet.
***** Vista Users -
Click on the start button, go to "All Programs", and click Windows Update. It should be above all of the folders. If you can't find it, type "Windows Update" into the search bar and you should see it come up. Now, opening this should make Windows search for updates. If there are updates, ignore them for now. You'll be able to get them in just a few minutes.
On the left hand side of the window, click "Change Settings". Here, you can have your computer do one of four things:
-- Check for, download, and install all updates automatically.
-- Download the updates, but wait don't install them until you choose to
-- Check for updates but do not download or install them until you choose to
-- Never check for updates
The option you want is the top one. Once selected, you can set how often Windows checks for updates, and at what time. Mine is set to check daily at 3:00 am since I'm typically asleep by then. I leave my computer running 24/7 and it never shuts off, so this is okay for me. If you don't leave your computer running around the clock, pick a time in which you normally have it on, but may not necessarily be using it. The only reason I say this is because updates sometimes require a restart, and that can interrupt your work day sometimes.
***** XP Users -
Open up "Control Panel" and double-click on the "Security Center" icon. At the bottom of that window, click "Automatic Updates". You're now presented with four options. I'll restate them in case you've skipped the Vista Users section. The options are:
-- Check for, download, and install all updates automatically.
-- Download the updates, but wait don't install them until you choose to
-- Check for updates but do not download or install them until you choose to
-- Never check for updates
We want the top one. Set it to some obscure time when you're not at your computer. On my XP machine, I have mine set for 3:00 am. If you don't leave your computer on all the time, have it check when you're out to lunch or dinner. You could even schedule it weekly to go along with meetings or some task that pulls you away from your computer on a regular basis.
I hope this article has helped! It's fairly common knowledge to update your computer, but I've seen it ignored too many times for me to look it over. If you enjoy these blogs, feel free to subscribe or add me to your RSS feed reader. There'll be more to come every day! Keep checking back!
-Nick
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Which browser is the safest?
This blog is for Mac, Linux, and Windows users.
There are dozens of internet browsers out there on the internet and they all claim to be the best. But, in the end, what really matters when browsing the web is safety. Sure, you could have the fastest browser on the web, but the moment a virus floods through your network, that browser won't be going far.
=== Internet Explorer
Let's take a look at the most common browser: Internet Explorer (IE). Is it safe? Well, in the end, no. Internet Explorer is hard-coded into the Windows operating system. A virus has a much easier time getting through your browser and into your computer because of this. IE is literally attached to your Windows environment, which is supposedly great for integration. It's also great for easy viral spreading. So, let's go ahead and lock IE away for good.
=== Firefox
The next most common browser is Mozilla Firefox. For general use, I would highly recommend this application. It's a separate program from Windows. What does this mean? Well, a virus needs to get through Mozilla Firefox's defense. After that, it needs to penetrate your Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, and natural Windows defenses. It has a lot more ground to cover in comparison to Internet Explorer. This is the second most common browser, and for good reason. To sum it up, it's fast, free, easy to use, and safe. If you're not looking for a lot of bells and whistles and just want an easy browser to work with, I'd say this is the browser for you. Firefox is available on all platforms. Check it out at: www.firefox.com
=== Safari
Let's take a look at Safari. If you're running a Mac, I'd say you could either stick with this or go over to Mozilla Firefox. Since Mac already seems to have decent immunity to viral infections, it really doesn't matter what you use. However, since Apple doesn't really need to focus strongly on Internet Security, Safari is very unsafe for Windows users. If you use Windows, don't use Safari.
Now, you may be thinking, "What other browsers are there besides these three? And how do they differ?" Well, I'm glad you asked!
=== Flock - The Social Web Browser
Do you like to blog, tweet, post on facebook/myspace/youtube/flickr/digg, check your mail frequently, or are simply very socially involved in the online world? This is the browser for you. It's based off of the Mozilla Firefox engine, so it's fast, safe, and secure. In addition to the already great Firefox capabilities, it has so much more. It's easily integrated with your social networking websites that were previously mentioned in this paragraph. I use Flock as my main browser, and I've grown very fond of it's capabilities and how it speeds up a lot of my daily internet tasks. Flock is available on all platforms. Feel free to check it out: www.flock.com
=== Google Chrome - Browse the web on steroids!
This internet browser is fairly new, but very powerful and fast. At the time of this writing, it is not available for Mac computers yet, but they're currently developing one, so it shouldn't be long. Overall, this browser is one of the fastest I've seen. I haven't taken a whack at analyzing the security of it, but from what I've heard it's safe and secure. The only reason I wouldn't recommend this over Firefox is because I don't personally don't know a lot about it's safety online. I feel confident that anything made from Google will be fairly safe and secure, though. I'll probably have a whole blog dedicated to this once I take a look at it. Google Chrome is available for Windows users only at the moment. It can be downloaded at www.google.com/chrome
=== Opera - Browse the web, both inside and out!
This is the last browser I will be covering today. Overall, Opera is a fantastic browser. It seems as though it was designed for those that frequently partake in file-sharing and security analysis. Opera has capabilities that no other browser has in reference to Internet and Information Security. I typically use Opera on Linux because of it's security capabilities. It's very fast and incredibly safe. Opera also has a BitTorrent client integrated into it, which means you can download torrents and file-sharing without having to go through multiple applications. Everything from it's "Speed Dial" and "Bookmarking" capabilities, all the way to it's flawless business solutions makes this one of my top three favorites. If I'm not using Flock, I'm most likely using Opera. I'll end up blogging about Opera's capabilities in more detail fairly soon. It deserves that much attention!
That's all for now. I hope you've found this blog informative. If you have, feel free to comment, subscribe, or toss it onto your RSS reader!
Thanks for reading,
-Nick
There are dozens of internet browsers out there on the internet and they all claim to be the best. But, in the end, what really matters when browsing the web is safety. Sure, you could have the fastest browser on the web, but the moment a virus floods through your network, that browser won't be going far.
=== Internet Explorer
Let's take a look at the most common browser: Internet Explorer (IE). Is it safe? Well, in the end, no. Internet Explorer is hard-coded into the Windows operating system. A virus has a much easier time getting through your browser and into your computer because of this. IE is literally attached to your Windows environment, which is supposedly great for integration. It's also great for easy viral spreading. So, let's go ahead and lock IE away for good.
=== Firefox
The next most common browser is Mozilla Firefox. For general use, I would highly recommend this application. It's a separate program from Windows. What does this mean? Well, a virus needs to get through Mozilla Firefox's defense. After that, it needs to penetrate your Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, and natural Windows defenses. It has a lot more ground to cover in comparison to Internet Explorer. This is the second most common browser, and for good reason. To sum it up, it's fast, free, easy to use, and safe. If you're not looking for a lot of bells and whistles and just want an easy browser to work with, I'd say this is the browser for you. Firefox is available on all platforms. Check it out at: www.firefox.com
=== Safari
Let's take a look at Safari. If you're running a Mac, I'd say you could either stick with this or go over to Mozilla Firefox. Since Mac already seems to have decent immunity to viral infections, it really doesn't matter what you use. However, since Apple doesn't really need to focus strongly on Internet Security, Safari is very unsafe for Windows users. If you use Windows, don't use Safari.
Now, you may be thinking, "What other browsers are there besides these three? And how do they differ?" Well, I'm glad you asked!
=== Flock - The Social Web Browser
Do you like to blog, tweet, post on facebook/myspace/youtube/flickr/digg, check your mail frequently, or are simply very socially involved in the online world? This is the browser for you. It's based off of the Mozilla Firefox engine, so it's fast, safe, and secure. In addition to the already great Firefox capabilities, it has so much more. It's easily integrated with your social networking websites that were previously mentioned in this paragraph. I use Flock as my main browser, and I've grown very fond of it's capabilities and how it speeds up a lot of my daily internet tasks. Flock is available on all platforms. Feel free to check it out: www.flock.com
=== Google Chrome - Browse the web on steroids!
This internet browser is fairly new, but very powerful and fast. At the time of this writing, it is not available for Mac computers yet, but they're currently developing one, so it shouldn't be long. Overall, this browser is one of the fastest I've seen. I haven't taken a whack at analyzing the security of it, but from what I've heard it's safe and secure. The only reason I wouldn't recommend this over Firefox is because I don't personally don't know a lot about it's safety online. I feel confident that anything made from Google will be fairly safe and secure, though. I'll probably have a whole blog dedicated to this once I take a look at it. Google Chrome is available for Windows users only at the moment. It can be downloaded at www.google.com/chrome
=== Opera - Browse the web, both inside and out!
This is the last browser I will be covering today. Overall, Opera is a fantastic browser. It seems as though it was designed for those that frequently partake in file-sharing and security analysis. Opera has capabilities that no other browser has in reference to Internet and Information Security. I typically use Opera on Linux because of it's security capabilities. It's very fast and incredibly safe. Opera also has a BitTorrent client integrated into it, which means you can download torrents and file-sharing without having to go through multiple applications. Everything from it's "Speed Dial" and "Bookmarking" capabilities, all the way to it's flawless business solutions makes this one of my top three favorites. If I'm not using Flock, I'm most likely using Opera. I'll end up blogging about Opera's capabilities in more detail fairly soon. It deserves that much attention!
That's all for now. I hope you've found this blog informative. If you have, feel free to comment, subscribe, or toss it onto your RSS reader!
Thanks for reading,
-Nick
Monday, February 16, 2009
Are YOU paying for someone else's internet?
I often see wireless connections available that are not password protected. This opens up a large hole in the security of your home computers and, more importantly, your personal information.
How can you tell if your wifi is password protected? Simple! You can use any wireless capable device to determine this. Take your wireless device (laptop, iPhone or iPod Touch, palm, etc.) and scan the area for networks. Once you find your network, take a look at it. There should be a lock next to your network which shows that it is password protected. If not, consult the manual of your wireless router on password protecting your network.
Why is this important? When someone connects to your wireless internet, they're using the internet you pay for in order to connect to the online world. That, alone, would hopefully convince you to lock your network. However, the possibilities don't stop there. Once connected to your network, someone has the ability to easily get inside of any other device connected to that network. From there, they have access to everything, including saved passwords from your internet browser. They could also install a program that records everything you type. After that, they have the program email the records to themselves, and from there it only takes a bit of reading to learn your social security number, bank account numbers and passwords, and anything else you've visited since the program was installed.
There are hundreds, if not thousands of other possibilities that a malicious person could do once connected to your network. I won't go into all of them, but each one has its own dangers to your personal life and the security of you and your loved ones. Putting a password on your network shouldn't take more than five to ten minutes, and could end up saving your bank accounts one day.
I hope you found this helpful. If you have questions, feel free to comment or email me.
Thanks for reading,
-Nick
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