Solid State Hard Drives

"I'm checking out laptops, and some say they have a solid state hard drive. Is this a good thing? How does a solid state hard drive compare to a regular hard drive?

Continue reading: "Solid State Hard Drives"

Posted by Bob Rankin on January 05, 2009 | Category: Hard Drives


Free Registry Cleaners

"I've heard conflicting stories on the effectiveness of registry cleaners. Do they really help? If so, which registry cleaner do you recommend?"

Continue reading: "Free Registry Cleaners"

Posted by Bob Rankin on December 17, 2008 | Category: Software


What's New With Zune?

It's been a year since I compared the newest Zune and the iPod. So let's see what's new with Microsoft's music player and if it is a force that Apple has to reckon with for the holiday season and beyond...

Continue reading: "What's New With Zune?"

Posted by Bob Rankin on December 16, 2008 | Category: Music


Virtual Memory

"What's the difference between virtual memory and real memory? And how can I add more virtual memory to my computer?"

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Posted by Bob Rankin on December 15, 2008 | Category: Windows


Watch Television on Your Computer

"What's the best way to watch TV on my computer? I know some websites have selected shows, but I've also heard that you can buy a gadget that will pretty much turn your computer into a television set. What are my options for watching TV on the PC?"

Continue reading: "Watch Television on Your Computer"

Posted by Bob Rankin on December 11, 2008 | Category: Television


Is Blu-ray Doomed?

"I'm thinking about buying a Blu-ray player, but I've read some reports that claim Blu-ray may not survive in the marketplace. What's your take on Blu-ray's chances of long-term success?"

Continue reading: "Is Blu-ray Doomed?"

Posted by Bob Rankin on December 03, 2008 | Category: Video


How To Mess Up Your Computer

Aside from actually drop-kicking it or smashing it with a sledge hammer, it's fairly difficult to actually "break" a computer. That said, there are a number of ways to render your computer just slightly more useful than a doorstop. Certain careless acts can cause crashes, freezes, painfully slow performance, loss of data or invasion of your privacy. Here's my list of Ten Stupid Things You Can Do To Mess Up Your Computer...

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Posted by Bob Rankin | Category: General


Passport 9500ci Radar Detector

Escort bills it as "The World's Most Intelligent Custom Installed Radar and Laser Defense System." With a price tag of $1600, the Passport 9500ci had better be. Let's check out what makes this little dashboard device smarter, quieter and more accurate than the competition...

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Posted by Bob Rankin on November 30, 2008 | Category: Gadgets


Online Shopping Discounts

Saving money is something that everyone is interested in, and because of this many sites have been created to help shoppers find good deals on the products they want to buy. Here's the scoop on the best price comparison websites, and where to find killer coupons for online deals...

Continue reading: "Online Shopping Discounts"

Posted by Bob Rankin on November 26, 2008 | Category: Cool Stuff


Cloud Computing

"I'm hearing the term Cloud Computing more and more. One friend told me that it means computers will soon not need a hard drive. Is that correct?"

Continue reading: "Cloud Computing"

Posted by Bob Rankin | Category: Software


Great Gadget Gifts

Are you going nuts over the selection of electronics that are available for this holiday season? There are so many choices -- cell phones, music players, PDAs, video cams and more. Read on for my personal recommendations to help you in your gift giving decisions...

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Posted by Bob Rankin on November 24, 2008 | Category: Gadgets


Speed Up Vista

"I upgraded to Windows Vista on my desktop PC, and instead of speeding up, it seems to run slower than ever. Do you have any tips or tweaks to make Vista run faster?"

Continue reading: "Speed Up Vista"

Posted by Bob Rankin on November 20, 2008 | Category: Vista


Make Vista Look Like XP

"I just got Windows Vista, after using XP for many years. Frankly, I'm not crazy about the Vista look and feel... are there some tweaks I can use to make Vista look more like XP?"

Continue reading: "Make Vista Look Like XP"

Posted by Bob Rankin on November 13, 2008 | Category: Vista


Download YouTube Videos

So you found the coolest video on YouTube, and you want to download it to your computer. But how do you download YouTube videos? There's no obvious way on the YouTube site, but there are some easy ways to download a YouTube video to your hard drive. Here's how...

Continue reading: "Download YouTube Videos"

Posted by Bob Rankin on November 04, 2008 | Category: Video


Mini Laptops

"I'm considering buying one of those new mini-laptops for my daughter. Can they do everything that the larger laptops do? Can you recommend any specific mini laptop models?"

Continue reading: "Mini Laptops"

Posted by Bob Rankin | Category: Hardware


Free People Search

Are you searching for someone? Free people search tools online can help you find college classmates, high school sweethearts, long lost relatives, even dig up facts about neighbors, potential tenants or job seekers. Here are my recommendations for the best people search tools...

Continue reading: "Free People Search"

Posted by Bob Rankin on October 23, 2008 | Category: Search Engines


Avira Free Anti-Virus

"I'm confused by all the free antivirus products. I've read in some forums that Avira is the best, others claim that AVG or Avast is definitely the way to go. Which one do you recommend?"

Continue reading: "Avira Free Anti-Virus"

Posted by Bob Rankin on October 17, 2008 | Category: Anti-Virus


Avast Free Anti-Virus

"It seems there are lots of choices for a free anti-virus program. My neighbor swears by Avast! Anti-Virus and says it's better than Avira, which I currently use. Is Avast! worth looking into, or are they all pretty much the same?"

Continue reading: "Avast Free Anti-Virus"

Posted by Bob Rankin on October 16, 2008 | Category: Anti-Virus


Internet Security Cameras

"I have someone in my home during the day to clean and do childcare. Can I install a wireless security camera that can be monitored over the internet? I'd like to be able to look in during the day from my office computer. If so, how expensive are internet security cameras, and what features do you recommend?"

Continue reading: "Internet Security Cameras"

Posted by Bob Rankin on October 15, 2008 | Category: Gadgets


Free Fax Software

"I want to send a fax, but I don't have a fax machine. Can I use fax software on my computer to send or receive a fax? If so, what free fax software is available for Windows? I have a laptop with Vista and XP at home."

Continue reading: "Free Fax Software"

Posted by Bob Rankin on October 13, 2008 | Category: Fax


Is Free Wifi Illegal?

"Sometimes when I'm away from home, I'll park my car, fire up the laptop and get online with a free unsecured wireless signal. Is this legal?"

Continue reading: "Is Free Wifi Illegal?"

Posted by Bob Rankin on October 08, 2008 | Category: Wireless


Wifi Sniffers

"I'm thinking about buying a Wifi sniffer to help me find wireless networks when I'm travelling. How good are the various devices, and are they legal?"

Continue reading: "Wifi Sniffers"

Posted by Bob Rankin | Category: Wireless


Gmail Labs

Gmail has been my favorite web-based email service for several years, and one of the things I like is that they're always adding new features and experimenting with various options to make it easier to use. Have you heard what's simmering in the secret Gmail Labs?

Continue reading: "Gmail Labs"

Posted by Bob Rankin on October 03, 2008 | Category: Email


Malware Scanners

"There are so many malware scanners to choose from, when trying to protect against adware, spyware and other online threats. Which one(s) do you recommend?"

Continue reading: "Malware Scanners"

Posted by Bob Rankin on September 23, 2008 | Category: Security


What is Scribd?

Scribd is a type of a social networking website that allows you to publish all kinds of documents and images to the web. It's great for people who have something to share with the world but don't have a website, technical skills or the patience to publish things in the traditional way. Here's how it works...

Continue reading: "What is Scribd?"

Posted by Bob Rankin on September 22, 2008 | Category: File Sharing


Cell Phone Signal Boosters

Sometimes your cell phone can't pick up a good signal inside a building, on the road, or in remote areas. In some cases, a cell phone signal booster might help. Here's the scoop on which ones work and which to avoid...

Continue reading: "Cell Phone Signal Boosters"

Posted by Bob Rankin on September 12, 2008 | Category: Gadgets


Wanna Wubi?

If you've always wanted to try out Linux but were afraid it would mess up your current Windows system, Wubi is a free, painless solution for installing Ubuntu Linux. Here's how...

Continue reading: "Wanna Wubi?"

Posted by Bob Rankin on September 09, 2008 | Category: Linux


The Chrome Browser

Google is now in the browser business. Chrome is the name of Google's new web browser, aimed squarely at competing with Microsoft Internet Explorer. So how does Chrome differ from IE, Firefox, Safari and other browsers? Read on for details and the Chrome download link...

Continue reading: "The Chrome Browser"

Posted by Bob Rankin on September 02, 2008 | Category: Browsers


The Top Twenty

Every few months I go through the Ask Bob logs and see which articles were the most popular. Here is the current Top Twenty, ranked by readership volume...

Continue reading: "The Top Twenty"

Posted by Bob Rankin | Category: Cool Stuff


Gmail - New Features

Google recently added some nifty new features to Gmail, their free web-based email service. Here's a look a what's new in Gmail...

Continue reading: "Gmail - New Features"

Posted by Bob Rankin on August 30, 2008 | Category: Email


Free Internet Faxing

Why use an expensive and complicated fax machine when there are so many Internet alternatives? Some even allow you to send and receive faxes online for free. Here's a roundup of free Internet fax services...

Continue reading: "Free Internet Faxing"

Posted by Bob Rankin on August 18, 2008 | Category: Fax


Partitioning Your Hard Drive

"I just got a new computer and I'm wondering about hard drive partitioning strategies. A friend told me to create a very small C: partition for a swap file, put Windows on the D: drive, and create several other parititions for different types of data. Is this a good idea?"

Continue reading: "Partitioning Your Hard Drive"

Posted by Bob Rankin on August 12, 2008 | Category: Hard Drives


Online Photo Editing

"What do you recommend for quick photo editing when you're away from your own computer and you don't have PhotoShop or something similar available?"

Continue reading: "Online Photo Editing"

Posted by Bob Rankin on August 06, 2008 | Category: Software


AVG Review

Is your computer safe from viruses? Without the proper protection, your computer can catch a virus faster than you can recite your email address three times. Viruses can destroy files, compromise your privacy, and make you vulnerable to identity theft. What to do?

Continue reading: "AVG Review"

Posted by Bob Rankin on August 01, 2008 | Category: Anti-Virus


Future Input Devices

We're tethered to our computers right now, but the future of input devices will give computer users a freedom that is nearly unfathomable. Can you control your computer by speaking, blinking your eyes, or waving your hand? Some of these futuristic input devices are already available...

Continue reading: "Future Input Devices"

Posted by Bob Rankin on July 29, 2008 | Category: Gadgets


What is a Botnet?

"I've read warnings about getting caught up in a botnet, but I still don't understand the danger. Can you explain in simple terms what a botnet is, and how to avoid them?"

Continue reading: "What is a Botnet?"

Posted by Bob Rankin | Category: Security


Online Health Records

Recently, a few organizations have begun offering an alternative to paper documentation of health records. Would you trust your personal health records to an online company?

Continue reading: "Online Health Records"

Posted by Bob Rankin on July 23, 2008 | Category: General


Wireless Printers

"I'm looking for a truly wireless printer, one that can connect to my laptop with no cable, and also runs on batteries. What do you recommend for the business traveler who needs to print wirelessly?"

Continue reading: "Wireless Printers"

Posted by Bob Rankin on July 14, 2008 | Category: Printing


Free Inbound Faxing

"I occasionally need to receive an inbound fax, but I don't own a fax machine. Going to Kinko's or the local drugstore to pick up a fax is a nuisance, and nothing is private there. Is there some way to get my faxes online, but still have a real phone number that people can use to send faxes to me? Oh, and free is nice..."

Continue reading: "Free Inbound Faxing"

Posted by Bob Rankin on July 11, 2008 | Category: Fax


External Hard Drive Security

"I want to backup my home computers to an external hard drive, but I'm worried about security. If the drive is lost or stolen, all my sensitive personal and financial data goes with it. Is there a way to password protect a hard drive, encrypt it, or protect it with some other security device?"

Continue reading: "External Hard Drive Security"

Posted by Bob Rankin on June 26, 2008 | Category: Hard Drives


Vista ReadyBoost

What exactly does Vista ReadyBoost do? Is it the same as adding RAM, or is it more like a disk cache? I've read varying reports as to whether or not it really boosts performance on Vista. What do you know about ReadyBoost?

Continue reading: "Vista ReadyBoost"

Posted by Bob Rankin on June 24, 2008 | Category: Vista


Accessing Blocked Websites

If you are a student, employee, or part of the military, you've probably experienced the frustration of not being able to access certain websites or even your webmail. Fortunately there are some things you can do to access these blocked sites. Here's how...

Continue reading: "Accessing Blocked Websites"

Posted by Bob Rankin on June 20, 2008 | Category: Software


Five Geeky Gadgets

Anyone can plug in a computer and attach a printer. But that's not all there is to being a serious computer jockey these days. Are you ready to get your geek on? Check out these five must-have gadgets to enhance your computing experience or find a great Father's Day gift...

Continue reading: "Five Geeky Gadgets"

Posted by Bob Rankin on June 10, 2008 | Category: Gadgets


Defrag Your Hard Drive

If you have noticed your computer running a little sluggish and slow lately, it might be time to defragment your hard drive. Your hard drive does need to be cleaned out regularly and defragmented in order to keep everything working better. Here's the why and how of defragging...

Continue reading: "Defrag Your Hard Drive"

Posted by Bob Rankin | Category: Hard Drives


My Favorite Software

In the course of doing my job, I use certain programs on a regular basis. On any given day, I might be doing word processing, web design, programming, image editing, trouble shooting, and of course email and web surfing. Here are some of my favorite software applications to get the job done...

Continue reading: "My Favorite Software"

Posted by Bob Rankin on June 09, 2008 | Category: Software


Do I Need a Registry Cleaner?

"My computer seems to get slower and slower. A friend told me I need a registry cleaner. Will that really help? If so, where can I get a good free registry cleaner to do the job?"

Continue reading: "Do I Need a Registry Cleaner?"

Posted by Bob Rankin on May 29, 2008 | Category: Windows


Samsung Instinct Review

Samsung recently introduced the Instinct at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association Wireless 2008 show. The Instinct was rated the top cell phone presented at this year's show by CNET. But how does this slick mobile device compare to the iPhone?

Continue reading: "Samsung Instinct Review"

Posted by Bob Rankin on May 28, 2008 | Category: Gadgets


Password Protection for Windows XP

"How can I password protect a file on my Windows XP system? I want to add a password so that nobody can open the file without knowing the password. I tried the Sharing and Security option, but there was no place to enter a password. There must be a way..."

Continue reading: "Password Protection for Windows XP"

Posted by Bob Rankin on May 22, 2008 | Category: Security


Search Privacy

"I've heard that Google keeps a log of everything that people search for. If this is true, can I delete my search history? Who else is keeping track of what I search for?"

Continue reading: "Search Privacy"

Posted by Bob Rankin on May 16, 2008 | Category: Privacy


iPhone Accesories

There's no shortage of accessories out there when it comes to the iPhone. So I've compiled a list of the coolest and most useful add-ons to complement your iPhone.

Continue reading: "iPhone Accesories"

Posted by Bob Rankin on May 15, 2008 | Category: Gadgets


Bonzai - It's a New Puppy!

I know I'm supposed to write about computers, the Internet and nifty gadgets, but life is more than all that electronic stuff. I'm so happy with my new puppy that I've just got to show him off...

Continue reading: "Bonzai - It's a New Puppy!"

Posted by Bob Rankin on May 12, 2008 | Category: Whimsy


Is Privacy History?

What information about you is publicly available on the Web? In the past, only government agencies and businesses with a 'need to know' were able to access personal information. Today, Internet search engines allow almost anyone to find information about friends, co-workers, job applicants, etc. What information that YOU thought was private is available online?

Continue reading: "Is Privacy History?"

Posted by Bob Rankin on May 09, 2008 | Category: Privacy


Upgrade to Windows XP SP3

"I've heard that Microsoft just released a new service pack for Windows XP. Is SP3 going to make my XP machine run faster and jump higher? Or should I avoid it? I remember the SP2 hassles... What's your take on XP SP3?"

Continue reading: "Upgrade to Windows XP SP3"

Posted by Bob Rankin on May 08, 2008 | Category: Windows


Voyager Versus iPhone

"Some people are calling the new LG Voyager a potential iPhone killer. I'm considering buying the Voyager so I'd like your take on how it stacks up against the Apple iPhone."

Continue reading: "Voyager Versus iPhone"

Posted by Bob Rankin on May 06, 2008 | Category: Gadgets


What is Hulu?

"I checked out Hulu and was impressed by the amount of popular TV shows available for free there. Almost seems too good to be true, so… is it?"

Continue reading: "What is Hulu?"

Posted by Bob Rankin on April 28, 2008 | Category: Television


Disable Vista UAC

"I'm getting popups on Vista saying "Windows needs your permission to continue." Is this spyware or something I need to deal with? If it's part of Vista, can I turn this annoying 'feature' off?"

Continue reading: "Disable Vista UAC"

Posted by Bob Rankin | Category: Vista


Ubuntu Hardy Heron

"I'm hearing good things about the latest Ubuntu Linux. Is there anything compelling enough in the latest release to save me from installing Vista on my next machine? Kinda hoping so..."

Continue reading: "Ubuntu Hardy Heron"

Posted by Bob Rankin on April 27, 2008 | Category: Linux


Automatic Backups

"My hard drive failed last week, and my latest backup was a year old. So I lost pretty much ALL of my important files. Can you recommend an AUTOMATIC backup that just works?"

Continue reading: "Automatic Backups"

Posted by Bob Rankin on April 04, 2008 | Category: Backup


What is Google Sky?

Google Sky is a virtual planetarium that is a part of the Google Earth software, which allows you to explore the cosmos from the comfort of your own PC. Read on to learn what you can discover with this and other astronomy software tools...

Continue reading: "What is Google Sky?"

Posted by Bob Rankin on March 31, 2008 | Category: Astronomy


Converting FAT to NTFS

“A tech support guy told me my system is running FAT, and advised me to convert my hard drive to NTFS. I didn’t really understand his explanation… can you explain the difference and when it makes sense to convert FAT to NTFS?”

Continue reading: "Converting FAT to NTFS"

Posted by Bob Rankin | Category: Hard Drives


iPhone Jailbreak Applications

"I've heard that there are a bunch of really cool programs that will run on my iPhone, but it requires something called a jailbreak. How is that done? Is it safe, and will it void my iPhone's warranty?"

Continue reading: "iPhone Jailbreak Applications"

Posted by Bob Rankin on March 27, 2008 | Category: Gadgets


DRM-Free Music

"I've run into problems trying to transfer my iTunes music to an MP3 player. I am told that the problem is DRM, some sort of copy protection built into the songs. Are there ways to get around this? Can I buy DRM-free music, or remove the DRM code?"

Continue reading: "DRM-Free Music"

Posted by Bob Rankin on March 20, 2008 | Category: Music


What Is My House Worth?

"I'm worried about the worth of my house in today's economy. The mortgage crisis is wreaking havoc on property values. What online tools can you suggest to help determine the value of my home?"

Continue reading: "What Is My House Worth?"

Posted by Bob Rankin | Category: Search Engines


Vista SP1 - Do You Need It?

"I've heard that Microsoft just released Vista SP1, a package of updates that will make Vista run faster. Should I install it? If so, how do I get Vista SP1?"

Continue reading: "Vista SP1 - Do You Need It?"

Posted by Bob Rankin on March 19, 2008 | Category: Vista


10 Ways To Boost Your WiFi Signal

You finally got that wireless router, but the wifi signal is not so great in some parts of the house. Here's how to boost your wireless signal strength...

Continue reading: "10 Ways To Boost Your WiFi Signal"

Posted by Bob Rankin | Category: Wireless


Content Management Systems

If you maintain a website, a content management system (CMS) can make it easier to add or update information, whether it has 10 pages or 10,000 pages. Read on to learn what a content management system can do for you, and which CMS is right for your site…

Continue reading: "Content Management Systems"

Posted by Bob Rankin on March 18, 2008 | Category: Webmaster


Video Hosting

If you've already decided that you want to find stardom on YouTube, good luck with that. With over 100 million videos watched every day, chances are mighty slim that you will be a star on that site. Let’s explore the good, the bad, and the easily accessible of video hosting sites...

Continue reading: "Video Hosting"

Posted by Bob Rankin on February 08, 2008 | Category: Video


Low Disk Space Warning

"Windows is giving me a warning that says 'You are running out of disk space on Local Disk (C:).' My friend told me this is not important and offered to disable the warning popup for me, but I'm not sure. Can I safely ignore these 'Low Disk Space' warnings?"

Continue reading: "Low Disk Space Warning"

Posted by Bob Rankin | Category: Hard Drives


Free Online Word Processors

"Microsoft Word is so expensive... are there free alternatives? I'd really like a full featured web-based word processor that allows me to access and store documents online, instead of my hard drive."

Continue reading: "Free Online Word Processors"

Posted by Bob Rankin on February 06, 2008 | Category: Software


Inexpensive Photo Printers

I've already shared some of my favorite portable inkjet printers, but here is my list of photo printers that are compact, inexpensive, and perfect for family photos...

Continue reading: "Inexpensive Photo Printers"

Posted by Bob Rankin on February 01, 2008 | Category: Printing



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