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Fake Antivirus Software
"Recently I got a popup warning me that a virus had infected my computer, and I needed to download some antivirus program to get rid of it. I did so, and later discovered it was a very slick FAKE security...
Computer Overheating
"My computer sometimes shuts down at random times. A friend said it's probably overheating. How can I find out for sure, and what can be done about overheating?"...
Geekly Update October 13
Here's your Geekly Update for the week of October 13th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, computer security, online happenings, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......
Securing Your Router
Your router is the box that feeds your high-speed internet connection into your computer. But is it also an open door to hackers, crackers and wifi moochers? Learn how to secure your router…...
Social Networking Backup
"A huge chunk of my life social life is stored on Facebook and Twitter. What would happen if I could no longer access that information? Is there a way to backup my social network postings?"...
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?"...
Note Taking Tools
When I was a kid, research meant spending hours in the library, poring over dusty tomes, making notes on index cards, and then trying to organize it all. Today the wealth of information on the Internet can be tapped, annotated,...
Free Online Research Tools
The Internet is at once a gold mine and a cesspool, so how can you find the helpful, authoritative information you need? Check out my list of the best free online reference and research tools......
What is TiVo?
What's the big deal with TiVo? Is it just a glorified VCR, or is it really a revolutionary new way to watch television? Get the scoop on TiVo here......
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...
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......
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...
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......
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...
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....
Free Online Translations
"I have a site that attracts visitors from all over the world, so I often get emails in Spanish, French, and German language. Sometimes even Russian and Japanese! Is there a tool that will help me translate to English? I...
Gmail: Beyond the Basics
You've opened a Gmail account and now you can send and receive email on the web. Lots of email... 5.2 gigs and counting. But beyond all that space, Google's Gmail can give you better control over how you manage your...
Clean Hard Drive
Do you have a clean hard drive? If you're selling a computer or discarding a hard drive, you'll want to clean off your personal files first. Or maybe you're getting that annoying "low disk space" message. Don't ignore it, or...
Vista to XP Downgrade
Windows Vista was launched with much fanfare and was touted as the operating system for a new generation with a slick graphical interface and many new features. But the reaction to Vista has been mostly lukewarm, and many customers are...
Top Ten Sites for Teachers
Back to school time seems to sneak up on us each year, but with the assistance of the Internet it is easier than ever for teachers to formulate lesson plans or spice up the ones they already have....
Forgot Facebook Password
Did you forget your Facebook password? Having trouble logging in? Or did you forget the email address for your Facebook login? Maybe your email account is not working, so you can't change your password. Or maybe it's something with a...
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...
Hard Drive Recovery
If it hasn't happened yet, be sure that it will... you're working away on an important project and the computer freezes. You reboot, but instead of the familiar startup screen, you black screen with one of these ominous messages: DISK...
Switching From Windows To Linux
If you thought computers only came in two flavors, think again. There are other operating systems besides Mac and Windows. In fact, most of the computers that power the Internet are running Linux. This free operating system is robust, secure...
Secure Passwords
"With identify theft so common now, I'm concerned that my passwords may not be good enough. Can you give me some tips to picking good passwords that can't be easily guessed by hackers?"...
Recover Deleted Files
It's happened to all of us at some point. One stray mouse click, and poof! You've deleted a file that you did not mean to. But must it really be the final goodbye to that file? Happily, there are tons...
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...
Windows PreFetch
"I've heard that Windows XP will run faster if you disable something called PreFetch. Apparently Windows remembers everything you have done and, in a misguided attempt to be helpful, pre-loads all the files and links when XP boots. What's your...
Spam Blocker
"I'm having a terrible time with spam emails. Suddenly I started getting dozens per day, and I can't seem to get rid of them. Is there a spam blocker or spam filter that's easy and just works?"...
Google SMS
You've got a burning question... but you're stuck somewhere with no internet connection. News Flash... Google SMS lets you search the web from your mobile phone! Google SMS serves up answers to specialized queries, and it's as simple as sending...
Blocking Myspace
"My daughter is 12 years old and I just found out she has a Myspace account with some stuff that's not appropriate. The account was deleted, but I want to make sure she has no access to Myspace in the...
Private Myspace Profile
"My child is 16 and has a Myspace page. He tells me the only way to make his Myspace profile private is to set his age to 14 or 15 years old. Is there a way to set the Myspace...
Searching in Myspace
"I understand that once I'm logged in to my Myspace account, I can search for people that meet certain criteria. For example, I may want to search for guys over 40 within 60 miles of my city that have "softball"...
Is public wi-fi access safe?
If you use wireless Internet access in public places like Starbucks or the airport, you should take some simple precautions to make sure you're not broadcasting your passwords and other personal info to others in the vicinity......
Identity Theft
Remember that 1995 movie "The Net", starring Sandra Bullock? Okay, I didn't see it either. Somehow I couldn't imagine Sandra as a software engineer after watching her in "While You Were Sleeping". But I digress... the movie was a story...
Backup Outlook Express
"How can I backup my Outlook Express emails and address book? I tried the Export function but that doesn't work. I can't even drag and drop from the Inbox folder to a diskette or CDROM. Help!"...
Create a Blog
"Blogs, bloggers and blogging... they seem to be everywhere I look. I have lots to say, but I'm not a techie and have no idea how to start my own blog. Can you help?"...
Wireless Security
"Is it safe to use wireless Internet access in my home? I've heard that neighbors or even people driving by can tap in to my wireless signal. There must be a way to do it safely, since it's so common...
Windows XP Security Tips
"Some of my geeky friends are telling me that Windows XP is full of security holes, and that I am putting my privacy at risk by going online with a Windows PC. Can you offer some tips to help me...
Saving Word Files as HTML
"When I use the 'Save As' feature in Microsoft Word to save a document as a web page, the resulting HTML is a bloated mess. Is all that formatting stuff really needed? If not, is there a way to get...
Paypal and Ebay Phishing Scams
"I keep getting warnings and alerts from Paypal, eBay, my bank, and various other banks and financial institutions that I don't even have accounts with, all telling me to log in and verify my account information. I've read about something...
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...
Search Tips
For best results, use just ONE or TWO keywords. This search engine looks for all words in any order. To search for an exact phrase, enclose the phrase in quotes. You may also use AND, OR, and NOT keywords to specify boolean expressions. For example:
"format drive"
spyware OR virus
phone NOT cell