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Bob Rankin is a translator for the technology impaired -- a writer and computer programmer who enjoys exploring the Internet and explaining technology in plain English.
His work has appeared in Computer World, NY Newsday, and other publications. Bob is also publisher of Internet TOURBUS, author of several computer books, and creator of the Lowfat Linux tutorial.
See Bob's bio for more information...
Need Help? Ask Bob Rankin
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All Articles
Best Browser for Malware Protection?
Download Free Clip Art and Stock Photos
The Truth About Discount Ink Cartridges
HOWTO: Clean Up Your Hard Drive
Secure Backup: Solves TWO Problems
Awesome 3D Printers for Everyone
HOWTO: Convert VHS Tapes to DVD
Can Roku Replace Cable TV Service?
Backing Up Your Online Accounts
Reverse Mobile Phone Number Search
Can I Have Multiple Antivirus Programs?
HOWTO: Securing Your Smartphone
Extra Security: Windows Defender Offline
Switching to Windows 8 Made Easier
GOING FREE: Replacing Your Paid Software
Chrome 27 and the BLAM! Factor
Should You Invest in Bitcoins?
Is The Two-Year Mobile Contract Dead?
TeamViewer: Free Tech Support Software
ALERT: Internet Taxes Due Today!
How To Detect and Defeat Keyloggers
Free Online Photo Storage and Sharing
Still Holding on to XP or Windows 7?
BOTNET ALERT: Are You Vulnerable?
VICTORY: You Can Sell Your Stuff!
How to Get Your Free Credit Score
Is This the Future of Hard Drives?
Hard Drive Data Recovery Services
Is Your Web Browsing Really Private?
TEN TIPS: Identity Theft Protection
Free Windows Repair and Recovery Tools
Can You Really Get Kicked Off the Internet?
The Worst Place to Buy a Mobile Phone?
Geekly Update - 27 February 2013
Ten Ways To Boost Your WiFi Signal
Finally: The End of Next, Next, Next...
Office 2013: Fear, Loathing and Misinformation
Is Your Hard Drive Going to Crash?
Lab Tests Reveal Top AntiVirus Programs
Geekly Update - 13 February 2013
TIPS: Buying An Inkjet Printer
Connect Your PC to a TV, Wirelessly!
Speed Up Your Internet Connection!
Geekly Update - 06 February 2013
The Big Problem With Free Wifi Hotspots
Do You Need Mobile Security Protection?
SECURITY ALERT: Universal Plug and Play Vulnerability
Geekly Update - 30 January 2013
Five Inexpensive Photo Printers
DOWNLOAD ALERT: Foistware Warning
BACKUP: Carbonite, Mozy, or Crashplan?
Time to Upgrade Your Computer?
Geekly Update - 23 January 2013
Is Your Password Strong Enough?
Is The FBI Holding Your Computer for Ransom?
Seven Reasons For Computer Crashes
Geekly Update - 16 January 2013
Are You Protecting Your Online Reputation?
Is Java Safe and Do I Need It?
Geekly Update - 09 January 2013
Five Things You MUST Do On Your New PC
Nine Free Cloud Backup Services
Top Five Android Phones for 2013
Geekly Update - 02 January 2013
AskBob's Best of 2012 - Part Two
AskBob's Best of 2012 - Part One
Convert Vinyl Records to CD or MP3
Geekly Update - 26 December 2012
Twelve Online Tools for Savvy Consumers
Geekly Update - 19 December 2012
Is Software Piracy Really a Crime?
Geekly Update - 12 December 2012
Make Your Own Stuff With 3D Printing
Five Reasons Desktop PCs Won’t Die
Geekly Update - 05 December 2012
Can I Get Sued For Watching Online Video?
Seven Tips for Online Holiday Shopping
Five Common WiFi Security Mistakes
Geekly Update - 28 November 2012
Home Security and Surveillance Cameras
Geekly Update - 21 November 2012
Which AntiVirus Has the Best (and Worst) Protection?
The Five Most Common Internet Security Mistakes
Geekly Update - 14 November 2012
Are Online Universities Accredited?
Geekly Update - 07 November 2012
Seven More Free Antivirus Programs
Will Your AntiVirus Program Protect You?
Free Remote Access and Screen Sharing Tools
Find a Lost or Stolen Cell Phone
Geekly Update - 31 October 2012
Geekly Update - 26 October 2012
How To Get Free Movies Online - Legally
Five Web Radio Services You'll Love
Is Your iPhone Tracking Every Move?
Missing Email? Tweak Your Spam Filter
Google Chrome vs Microsoft Internet Explorer
Can The Boss See What I Do Online?
Is a Paperless Office Really Possible?
How Secure is Internet Faxing?
Geekly Update - 10 October 2012
Are Digital Signatures Secure and Legal?
Satellite Internet - A Good Choice?
Fix and Optimize Your PC with Free Glary Utilities
Online or Local Backup: Which is Best?
Windows 8 Pricing (Plus Other Confusing Facts and Rumors)
Free Tools to Recover Deleted Files
Geekly Update - 26 September 2012
Save Your Bacon With Acronis True Image Backup
Can a Virus Destroy Your Hard Drive?
Is Bing Twice as Good as Google?
The Most Dangerous Person on the Internet?
ALERT: Kindle Fire HD Takes Aim at iPad
Geekly Update - 06 September 2012
Do You Have a Digital Estate Plan?
Carbonite, Mozy, or Crashplan?
Should You Download Firefox 15?
Review: Kaspersky Labs Internet Security 2013
Geekly Update - 29 August 2012
Upgrade Your Memory for Better Performance
Geekly Update - 24 August 2012
One Cool Solution to Weak Wifi Signals
Defeat the Google Redirect Virus
Seven Free Cloud Services You Should Try
Can I Get a Virus Just By Opening an Email?
Geekly Update - 16 August 2012
Important Security Tip: Two-Factor Authentication
Blast From the Past: The Internet Archive
Amazon Cloud Player - Your Music Everywhere
Speed Tip: Faster Web Surfing with Alternate DNS
Geekly Update - 08 August 2012
Is Google's Nexus 7 Tops in Tablets?
Geekly Update - 02 August 2012
Seven More Alternative Search Engines
Google Fiber: Ultra-Fast Internet
AVG Threat Report: Are YOU Vulnerable?
Can Boxee Outfox Your Set-Top Box?
What's Hiding On Your Hard Drive?
What's New in Microsoft Office 13?
Five Super-Secure External Hard Drives
Seven Steps to Create Your Own Website
Five Cool Things You Can Do With Skype
Spice Up Your Photos With Instagram
Five Free PowerPoint Alternatives
Should I Buy That Cheap Inkjet Printer?
Why NOW is a Good Time to Buy a New PC
Solving the Out of Memory Error
Announcing: The Microsoft Surface Tablet
Free Online College Courses - Part Three
Warning: Skype Urgent Online Repair Scam
Revealed: Macbook Pro with Retina Display
Skydrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox?
Can QR Codes Spread Computer Viruses?
Is Chrome OS the Next Big Thing?
Yahoo Axis: A Better Web Browser?
Wolfram Alpha - Join the 0.1 Percent!
Is Google's Knowledge Graph Good or Evil?
Free Windows 7 Repair and Recovery Tools
Should You Pay Microsoft $99 To Remove Unwanted Software?
Windows 8: Will You Be Pleasantly Surprised?
Do I Need an OUTbound Firewall?
Do Those 'Speed Up Your PC' Programs Really Work?
Are Prepaid Wireless Phones a Good Deal?
How to Test and Fix Your Computer Hardware
Will Microsoft Security Essentials Take Over the World?
Is This the Future of Laptops?
OnLive Desktop - Windows on Your Tablet?
Google Drive: Stash Your Stuff in the Cloud?
Warning: You Could Lose Your Internet Access!
SSD Hard Drives Offer Blazing Speed
WPS Security Flaw: Are You Vulnerable?
Which Kaspersky Internet Security Product is Best For Me?
Laptop Batteries: Replace or Revive?
The Missing Link in Computer Security
Wifi Sidejacking: Are You Vulnerable?
Should I Buy a Netbook, Ultrabook or a Tablet?
Do Your Taxes Online, For Free!
Make Your Computer Indestructible With Deep Freeze
Which AntiVirus Software is Best?
Is Amazon Instant Video the Netflix killer?
Will Slimcleaner Optimize Your PC?
The Windows 7 Problem Steps Recorder
Download the Free Windows 8 Consumer Preview
Geekly Update - 29 February 2012
Is Google's Privacy Policy Evil?
Do Hackers and Spammers Get Away With It?
Sync Your Passwords on Windows, Mac and Smartphones
Geekly Update - 21 February 2012
How Did My Email Account Get Hijacked?
Ten Steps to Securing Your New PC
Geekly Update - 15 February 2012
Survey Results and Twenty Questions
Free Tech Support Software Tools
Free Skype Calls on a Cell Phone?
How Do Spammers Get My Email Address?
Geekly Update - 07 February 2012
The Best Mobile Phone Web Browser?
Top Five Android Phones for 2012
How Can I Sell My Stuff Online?
Geekly Update - 01 February 2012
Beware the Fedex Shipment Notification Scam
Free Conference Calls With Skype
Geekly Update - 25 January 2012
Geekly Update - 17 January 2012
Opera: The Best Worst Browser?
Seven Search Alternatives to Google
Do I Still Need Anti-Spyware Protection?
Geekly Update - 11 January 2012
Cheap Phone Calls - MagicJack Alternatives
Ten Awesome Chrome Browser Addons
Geekly Update - 04 January 2012
What's The Smallest, Fastest and Best AntiVirus?
AskBob's Best of 2011 - Part Two
AskBob's Best of 2011 - Part One
Ten Identity Theft Protection Tips
How to Learn Almost Anything For Free
How to Find The Lowest Airfare Online
Free Online Backup With CrashPlan
Free Online Storage With Box.net
Tap to Pay with Google Wallet?
Five Free Alternatives to Quicken
Seven MORE Free Software Downloads
Can VoIP Replace Your Landline?
Portable Solid State Hard Drives
Are Hybrid Hard Drives Faster?
Is BitDefender the Best Antivirus?
What is Cloud-Based Antivirus?
10 Ways To Boost a WiFi Signal
Can DuckDuckGo Beat Google at Search?
Have You Made These Five Computing Mistakes?
Web Hosting for Small Business
What is Windows Live Essentials?
Virus Alert: Fake Anti-Virus and Celebrity Scams
How to Run a Deep AntiVirus Scan
Radio Apps For Your Smartphone
Digital Scanners To The Rescue
Replacing Your Graphics Adapter
Upgrade Your Hard Drive To SSD?
Dual Monitors: Five Good Reasons to Upgrade
How Do I Get Free Satellite TV?
The Copyright Police Are Coming!
AVG Internet Security 2012 - Review
Five Good Reasons to Trash Your Fax Machine
Traditional Anti-Virus May No Longer Protect You
How to Fix 'Low Virtual Memory' Errors
Should You Update Your Drivers?
ASCII Art - An Internet Treasure
Personal VPNs for Anonymous Web Surfing
Time Travel with System Restore
Why Is My Internet Connection Slow?
Are You Addicted To Social Media?
How I Got Hacked... And Why You MUST Have a Backup!
Help, I’m Stuck in a Wifi Dead Zone!
All External Hard Drives are Not Created Equal
Are You Drowning in Your Inbox?
Free Online JavaScript Courses
Is Your Operating System Secure?
Does "Intel Inside" Really Matter?
How To Get Academic Discounts On Hardware and Software
Seven Great Laptops for Business Travelers
Convert Internal to External Hard Drive
Don't Fall For Online Financial Aid Scams
Five Reasons NOT To Buy a Digital SLR Camera
The Feature Phone is Dead! Long Live the Feature Phone!
What Is The Ultimate Gaming PC?
Five Annoying Things About Windows 7
Is Macbook Air The Best Laptop Ever?
Which Portable Hard Drive Should You Buy?
Do I REALLY Need Antivirus Software?
Save Money With Online Travel Booking
Which Browser is The Most Secure?
I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me
Free Online Photo Storage and Backup
Is Your Wireless Router REALLY Secure?
Is Your Smartphone Bill About to Explode?
Why Did My Computer Get a Virus?
Which Netbooks Cost Under $300?
Free Online File Sharing With Dropbox
Is Windows 7 More Secure Than XP or Vista?
Boost Your Smartphone Battery Life
Is Your Phone Bill Being Crammed?
Is Facebook Tracking Your Online Activity?
How to Run Office Apps On Your iPad
Which Online Colleges Are Scams?
Should I Encrypt My External Hard Drive?
How to Remove Spyware Toolbars
Free Conference Calls With Google Voice
Don't Fall For the Fake Tech Support Scam
Free Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop
Facebook Malware: Are You Protected?
Should Your Next Laptop Be a Chromebook?
Do Download Accelerators Really Work?
Where Do Viruses And Spyware Come From?
How to Backup, Sync and Share Your Bookmarks
How Often Should I Change My Password?
Beware the Free Credit Report Scam
What is The Fastest Internet Connection?
What is Microsoft System Sweeper?
DiskInternals Data Recovery Software
Virus Alert - XP Total Security 2011
Email Marketing Best Practices
TeamViewer Remote Access Software
Should Unsafe Users Be Quarantined?
Free Online Photography Classes
Which Free AntiVirus Software is Best?
Online Vacation Planning Resources
Who's Watching You On the Web?
Why You Should Dump Outlook and Windows Live Mail
What To Do When Your AntiVirus Fails
Free Online College Courses - Part Deux
I Just Googled Myself, And I Feel Fine!
Free Windows Troubleshooting Tools
Is Your Security Software Working?
Recovering Data From Online Backup
Is Your Smartphone Telling Secrets?
Should I Backup ALL of My files?
Spear Phishing and Internet Security
Is the Internet Getting Safer?
Can a Sandbox Improve Security?
Dump Norton and McAfee Anti-Virus?
Streaming Internet Movies to Your TV
Recovering Deleted Files on Windows 7
University of Phoenix Online Degrees
Best Registry Cleaner for Windows 7
Blue Screen of Death on Windows 7
Has Your Identity Been Stolen?
Free Internet Faxing With FaxZero
Discount Toner Cartridges - A Real Bargain?
What To Do With a Used Cell Phone
Free Phone Calls with Google Voice
The Internet Is Full... Go Away
Has Your Wireless Router Been Hacked?
Mobile Payments with Smartphone
What Kind Of Memory Do I Need?
Microsoft Security Essentials 2
Online Backup or Local Backup?
Digital Photo Image Management
Wireless Network Security Checklist
Should You Call The Geek Squad?
Restoring Backup Data After Hard Drive Crash
International Cell Phone Rental
Best Internet Filtering Software
How Good is AVG Anti-Virus Free 2011?
Microsoft Security Essentials - Good Enough?
Replace IDE Hard Drive With SATA Drive
Cannot Connect to Wireless Router
How Can I Check for Hard Drive Damage?
Is My Hard Drive Going To Crash?
Is it Legal to Jailbreak an iPhone?
Run Older Programs on Windows 7
Reverse Mobile Phone Number Lookup
How Can I Find Out Who I Am Related To?
How Can I Check a Company Background?
Do Identity Theft Protection Services Work?
Prepaid Wireless Phone Service
Online College Or Campus College?
Speakers for Laptop Or Notebook
Are Online Colleges Accredited?
Financial Aid for Online College
Protect Yourself From Identity Theft
Has Your Computer Been Hijacked?
Should You Get 64-Bit Windows?
Five Things You Didn't Know Windows 7 Could Do
More Than One Antivirus Program?
Windows Taskbar Tips and Tricks
Recovery Disc for Windows Vista or Windows 7
How Long Do Flash Drives Last?
Are Online Backup Services Safe?
Is Javascript the Same As Java?
My Cholesterol Level is Too High!
Add a Search Engine To My Site
Malicious Software Removal Tool
Does PCTools Threatfire Boost Security?
External Hard Drive For Backups
Internet Explorer 8 Versus Firefox
Transfer Programs from XP or Vista to Windows 7
Which Linux Version Is Right For Me?
What is Data Execution Prevention?
What Is Silverlight And Do I Need It?
Can My Boss See What I Do Online?
Google Results By Date And Time
Which Online Backup Service Is Best?
Which Blackberry Should I Buy?
Free Phone Calls With iPod Touch
File Sharing Student Fined $675K
Upgrade From Windows XP to Windows 7
Windows 7 Desktop Customization
Five Reasons Blu-Ray Will Fail
Free Apps for iPhone and iPod Touch
TrapCall Reveals Blocked Caller ID
Turn Your PC Into a Home Theater
Watch Television on Your Computer
Passport 9500ci Radar Detector
Password Protection for Windows XP
Analog to Digital TV Conversion
Top Ten Sites for Homeschoolers
Top Ten Sites for College Students
Switching From Windows To Linux
Airports, Airlines, And Airplanes
Going Viral - Internet Classics
Fiddling While Your Hard Drive Crashes
Directory Information Overload?
Hard Drive Makes a Clicking Sound
Red X appears instead of image?
Inkjet Cartridges - Replace or Refill?
Should I Buy Anti-Spyware or Anti-Virus Software?
Shell Script Programming - Loops
Get an Uninterruptible Power Supply
Remote Access to Your Computer
Web Moments That Changed the World
Does IP Address Reveal my Physical Location?
Is Your Printer Spying on You?
Access local IP address without dialing up
Paypal and Ebay Phishing Scams
Friend Claims You Sent a Virus
Blue Security - Spam Solution?
Mozilla Interferes With McAfee
Copying Old Hard Drive to New PC
Deleting Files That Are in Use
Spammer Using My Email Address!
Removing Files from Hard Drive
Can't Delete Email in Outlook Express
Wrong Font for Outlook Express Printing
Emails converted to attachments
MS Fax doesn't work with XP SP2
Turning F-Lock key ON automatically
Scandisk doesn't work on Windows XP?
Help with Basic Linux Commands