The Top Twenty
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Reference
Every night a friendly robot looks through the Ask Bob logs to see which articles were the most popular over the past week. Here are the current Top Twenty, ranked by readership volume. If you missed any of these, take a few minutes to read and comment! |
- Beware the Fedex Shipment Notification Scam
Recently, I received an email, apparently from Federal Express, advising me that a package I shipped had been delivered. That surprised me, because I didn't recall shipping any packages via FedEx lately. Read on to learn about the package delivery scam, and how to avoid it… - Should You Buy Discount Ink Cartridges?
"Are discount ink cartridges a good deal? I've heard they can ruin your printer, void your warranty, and that the quality is lacking. Others have told me they're great and can save you lots of money. What's the scoop on cheap ink cartridges?" - Where to Download Free Fonts
Search for "free fonts" and Google will turn up over 14 million hits. Many of these free font sites are simply duplicates of each other, and some contain malware or pirated material. But after scouring the web and reviewing the recommendations of several typography-related sites, I narrowed the field to a handful of useful sites. Here are some of the best places to look for free fonts, without worrying about viruses or copyright violations... - Geekly Update - 01 February 2012
Is it true that stupid cat videos now get more views than the "laughing babies" genre on YouTube? Why did McDonalds have an epic fail on Twitter? And what is Facebook's latest ploy to make money from the details of your personal life? Get answers to these burning questions, and the scoop on the latest tech news, in this edition of the Geekly Update. It's guaranteed to make you 146% smarter, read on...Geekly Update - 01 February 2012 - How Can I Sell My Stuff Online?
So you want to sell your stuff on the Internet? Lots of people have great ideas for selling their own products, be they handcrafted goods, print on demand items, or a beanie baby collection. Here are some tips for using online marketplaces, or easily creating your own storefront on the Web... - Convert iTunes to MP3
"Is there a way to convert iTunes to MP3? I've purchased a bunch of music from iTunes and enjoy listening to it on my computer. But my portable music player is not an iPod, so I can't take my songs with me. Is there any way I can convert my iTunes music to MP3 format to get around this unfair restriction?" - Free Satellite TV on PC?
"I saw a website advertising software that's supposed to give you free satelite TV on your PC. The program costs $40, but they claim it lets you watch hundreds of live worldwide channels free of charge. Sounds too good to be true... is this a scam?" - Free Conference Calls With Skype
"Does Skype offer a good conference calling experience if you have multiple participants? I know Skype is free, but are there any limitations on conference calls with Skype? Are there other free conference calling services I should check out?" - How Can I Speed Up My Internet Connection?
Want to speed up your Internet? A slow, crawling Internet connection is a source of great frustration. Sometimes the slowdown is beyond your control; the Internet is subject to traffic jams just like any other highway. But there are some things you can do to maximize whatever speed you are able to get. - Ten Awesome Chrome Browser Addons
"I'm just getting started with Chrome, after becoming fed up with both Internet Explorer and Firefox. What addons do you recommend to make it even more useful? I'm especially interested in productivity apps and things that integrate with other tools on the web." - Make Windows XP Run Faster!
"How do I make Windows XP run faster? My Windows startup is taking longer than ever, and once it finally stops churning, everything runs slower than it used to, when my computer was new. Any maintenance tips or tweaks to speed up Windows would be appreciated!" - Geekly Update - 25 January 2012
How is game maker Sega taking "real-time streaming" to bizarre new levels in Japanese pubs? Will your light fixtures soon be hogging all the wifi? Zappos was hacked and Kodak is bankrupt - why should you NOT worry? And why are there so many neurotic narcissists on Facebook? Get answers to these burning questions, and the scoop on the latest tech news, in this edition of the Geekly Update. It's guaranteed to make you 146% smarter, read on... - Microsoft Word vs Google Docs
"Is Google Docs a good alternative to Word? My new computer has no word processing software, and I'm thinking about just using Google's online word processor instead of spending the money on Microsoft Word. Are there are significant features I'd have to live without, or other factors to consider?" - MagicJack Phone Service
"Is Magic Jack phone service for real? I've seen commercials for Magic Jack, a device you can plug into your computer for really cheap phone service. It sounds too good to be true... is MagicJack a scam, or does it really work?" - Free Anti-Virus Programs
"I've been using the free Norton antivirus package that came with my computer, but the subscription will expire in a few days. Are the free anti-virus programs any good? What do you recommend?" - What is YouTube?
YouTube is a video-sharing website that is changing American culture. It seems that every day, some short video clip on YouTube makes headline news. Here's the story behind the phenomenal success of YouTube, and some tips on how you can join the fun... - 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... - 10 Ways To Boost a WiFi Signal
"How can I boost my wifi signal? I finally got high-speed internet with a wireless router, but the wifi signal is weak in some parts of the house. What tweaks or gadgets do you recommend to boost wireless signal strength and distance?" - Convert Vinyl Records to CD
For seasoned audio purists, nothing compares to good old-fashioned analog recordings on vinyl records. But those old records are fragile... here's a step-by-step guide to help you convert vinyl to CD so you can enjoy them for years to come. - Has Your Computer Been Hijacked?
Computer hijacking happens when someone snatches control of your computer and makes it do his evil bidding. This is bad not only for the owner of the computer but also for the millions of Internet users against which the hijacked machine is used. Here's how to defend yourself against computer hijacking...
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Posted by Bob Rankin on 4 Mar 2009
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Article information: AskBobRankin -- The Top Twenty (Posted: 4 Mar 2009)
Source: http://askbobrankin.com/the_top_twenty.html
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Most recent comments on "The Top Twenty"
(See all 31 comments for this article.)Posted by:
Jean Lockwood
09 Dec 2009
In a previous existence, circa 1960, I was a programmer who morphed into a tech writer before retiring in 1990. Now, I live in a retirement home where there are lots of people trying to deal with computers. I do what I can (and some of the challenges are immense) and your site is a big help.
I especially like the article about "how much computer do you need". Right now I'm confronted by a very nice woman who is from Afghanistan, and totally computer illiterate. She went out and bought a laptop---the HP Pavilion Entertainment PC---which she would have no idea how to use, even if she could affort the internet hookup. A netbook would have been all that she needs--she just wants to send email to her relatives in Afghan.
Just thought you'd like an "attaboy".
Jean Lockwood
Virginia USA
jeanlock@cox.net
Posted by:
pete
07 Oct 2010
to repalce dell laptop fan can only be bought at
dell ....(inspiron 5000) I can not find any one that has them.
Thanks
Posted by:
William Breen
12 Oct 2010
Recently we received an email message from a friend with an attachment promoting a Canadian distributors products like Viagara. Our friend says she did not send it. It appears that they were able to use her address and some of her addresses on her contact list. How can they legally steal her address?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Her account was compromised by hackers who guessed or otherwise obtained the email password. Changing the password should solve the problem.
Posted by:
DAVIDMACK
13 Nov 2010
I go into an existing Favorite of mine and I get a warning message that says,
Security Warning
Do you want to view only the web page content that was delivered securely?
This web page contains content that will not be delivered using a secure HTTPS connection, which could compromise the security of the entire web page. How do I prevent this from appearing every time?
Posted by:
pampasamir
30 Mar 2011
my pc stuck in motherboard logo at the time of booting and i am not able to enter BIOS setup. The situation occur while, i was installing windows7, meanwhile i had press alt+ctrl+del to restart my pc, after that this hard drive (80Gb, i was using it since 3 years) is not supporting to my pc's motherboard, and the hard drive still working fine with other system (but not mine). Now i have purchased a new hard drive for my system and its working cool.Everything is ok in my pc. Please give solution.
Posted by:
Don
08 Nov 2011
I have a Gateway MX8738 that won't power up. I checked the power supply/charger and its putting out 18V at the computer. Also checked the CMOS battery and it appears to also be OK. What kind of problem am I looking at?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Do you get nothing at all when you power up? Any lights burning, or fans turning? If you get lights and fans, maybe the hard drive is at fault. You could try hooking it up to another machine with a USB enclosure to test.
Posted by:
John Munro
22 Jan 2012
Good day Mr. Rankin,
Your top twenty article mentions "...Every night a friendly robot looks through the Ask Bob logs to see which articles were the most popular over the past week. Here are the current Top Twenty, ranked by readership volume..."
Would that daily data be available for a few weeks or more and, if it is kept, might I get a copy to use for some assignments in my Computer Business Software course at the University of the Virgin Islands?
It would be much more interesting than end-of-chapter sanitized problems, and we could look at patterns of progress/place for various articles, whether weekly "updates" are initially hot and taper off (or not), etc.
I realize this request is somewhat off-the-wall, but after my 16+ yrs tourbus ridership, I figured it's worth the inquiry. Whatever the response, I'll certainly continue to read and enjoy your newsletters/articles. Thank you!
Posted by:
John Boney
25 Jan 2012
i am runing vista the video is when i play a video i can paus the video but the sound keeps playing when i play the video the sound is playing two sounds at same time. what can i do to stop this
Posted by:
Edward Drummond
30 Jan 2012
Bob, Having been a fairly avid reader of yours, I obviously respect your opinion and would like another one on the subject of forums if you would. (grin)
Specifically, your take on the Vanilla forum software.
Does doing an article on the various types of forums interest you? I have no experience with any of them but the Vanilla forum is something new my web host just added to their script list. It looks very user-friendly. If you prefer to avoid this issue for now that's cool but I had to ask somebody and I wanted it to be you first. Any thoughts?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Have not used Vanilla. But forums are a very common attack vector, so I'd only use one that's known to be secure, and be diligent to apply updates. I've used vBulletin in the past, and it has a good reputation.
Posted by:
Billy Ross
31 Jan 2012
Hi Bob
Just felt like saying a very big THANK YOU for all the very valuable and fascinating information you present us with.
It really is invaluable, especially to an 'oldie' (only 70). My Bob Rankin file has all the best of 'Top Twenty' items and more, for me to use, and it's pretty full! Best wishes.