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Geekly Update September 29

Here's your Geekly Update for the week of September 29th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......

Geekly Update September 21

Here's your Geekly Update for the week of September 21st, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......

Geekly Update September 15

Here's your Geekly Update for the week of September 15th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......

Geekly Update September 8

Here's your Geekly Update for the week of September 8th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......

Geekly Update September 2

Here's your Geekly Update for the week of August 24th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......

Secure Your Software

Is your computer really secure? If you have antivirus software, malware scanners and a firewall, you might think you'e safe from hackers, crackers and identity thieves. But chances are, you're missing one critical piece of the security puzzle. Read on...

Geekly Update August 10

Here's your Geekly Update for the week of August 10th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......

Hard Drive Backup Image

If you do everything just right, you'll end up with a perfect hard drive. Your operating system will be bug-free; your applications will play well together; your data will be neatly organized in folders; everything will be just perfect. And...

Geekly Update July 21

Here's your Geekly Update for the week of July 20th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......

Geekly Update July 13

Here's your Geekly Update for the week of July 13th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......

Geekly Update - July 6

Here's your Geekly Update for the week of June 29th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......

Geekly Update - June 29

What is Scareware?

"I've heard of software, shareware, freeware and malware. And I think I know what all those things are. But what exactly is scareware?"...

The Lexicon of Online Evil

Hackers, black hats, cyber-criminals, identity thieves, and spam kings -- these are some of the Bad Guys in the online world. And because of them, we've had to invent a whole new vocabulary to describe the dastardly deeds they do....

Magic Jack - Good or Evil?

Perhaps you've read reports about spyware in Magic Jack, or heard claims that the company sells your private information to third parties. Here's the scoop......

Best Web Browser?

"I have friends who have stopped using Internet Explorer and they're always telling me that Firefox or some other browser is better. What are my choices, and which one is best for the average internet user?"...

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...

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...

Do I Need A New Computer?

"Our computer is three years old, and my teenager says it's obsolete. He wants us to buy a new computer with more speed, more memory, etc. Can you give me some pointers on how to determine if I really need...

Is Genuine Advantage Spyware?

"I read in another newsletter that Microsoft's Genuine Advantage for Windows is spyware. Microsoft seems to be forcing it on me every time I try to update my system. Is Microsoft trying to poke into our private files with spyware?"...

Windows on a Mac

"I've heard that Apple is now making Mac computers with Intel chips, which power Windows PCs. Does this mean I can now install Windows on a Mac?"...

Reformat hard drive under XP?

"I have Windows XP and the system has gotten very slow and flaky. I would like to learn how to reformat the drive. Can you teach me in simple English how to completely format the drive and then re-install the...

Cannot Access Secure Sites

I have Windows XP SP2, and within the past two weeks I have not been able to get into any secure (https) sites. I can get to the web page, but when I enter my userid and password, it says...

Windows Update Problem

Recently I have had problems with the Windows Update site. I keep getting the following message: [Error number: 0x80070005] The website has encountered a problem and cannot display the page you are trying to view. I have followed all the...

Make Windows XP Run Faster!

"My Windows startup seems to be taking a long time, and once it finally stops churning, everything seems to run slower than it used to. Can you suggest any maintenance tips to make Windows XP start and run faster?"...

Making Windows XP Start Faster

"My computer startup seems to be taking a long time. It's sometimes three or four minutes before the hard disk stops churning and I can launch a program. I'm sure it used to boot up faster -- can you suggest...

Downloading Security Patches

"I get messages informing me of viruses and asking me to download patches at www.spw5e.com and www.updatepatch.info. Are these downloads safe?" Ackkkk, NO! Run for the hills!...

How can I avoid computer viruses?

When I wrote in a previous entry "Do I need anti-virus software?" that "You CANNOT get a virus just by opening or reading your email" I fully expected it would unleash a torrent of emails in response. I knew this...

Do I need anti-virus software?

I have an unorthodox strategy for dealing with computer viruses. It doesn't involve the use of firewalls or anti-virus software. But if everyone understood the simple virus safety tips I'll outline here, the virus writers would get very bored very...

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