AskBob's Best of 2013 - Part Two

1. Free Online College Courses
   
   What's the deal with online college courses... how can they be offered for free? Is there some catch involved, and will I get actual college credit if I take free online college classes?

   See also: Part Two and Part Three.

2. No Frills Cell Phone Services
   
   Choosing a cell phone and a mobile service provider can be frustrating and confusing. So many plans to compare, so many phones with so many features. Isn't there an easy way to find a no-frills phone and a simple, inexpensive plan? Actually, YES! Read on for details...



3. Free Internet Faxing Services
   
   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...
4. Avoid Cable and Phone Company Money Grabs
   
   Approximately 44 percent of U.S. broadband subscribers get their phone, TV or high-speed Internet from one of the top ten companies. Many, probably most of them, pay far more than they should for those services. Here’s why, and how to avoid money grabs from your phone company or cable operator...
5. Free Windows Repair and Recovery Tools
   
   A hard drive glitch, a virus, or other data catastrophe can delete or damage critical system files in any operating system. Learn about free repair and recovery tools that can fix damaged Windows installations without having to reformat and reinstall everything from scratch...
6. HOWTO: Test Your Internet Speed
   
   'How fast is my internet speed?' is a common question. There are quite a few definitions of internet speed and several free ways to test it. Here's the scoop on Internet speed tests, and why you definitely should check your speed every once in a while. See also: Speed Up Your Internet Connection
7. Five Things You MUST Do On a New PC
   
   A brand-new computer is something to get excited about. It’s tempting to plug it in and just start exploring. But a new computer requires some initial fine-tuning in order to optimize performance and avoid problems later on. Here are five things every user should do to a new desktop or laptop PC as soon as it comes out of the box...
8. HOWTO: Clone Your Hard Drive
   
   To clone a hard drive means to make an exact copy of it. This is more than simply backing up data files; even hidden, protected operating system files are copied in a clone operation, and the exact position of every file on the original drive is preserved. Hard drive cloning (also called imaging) is useful for backup, disaster recovery, and other applications. Read on to learn more...
9. Ten Ways To Boost Your 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?
10. Five Free PC Maintenance Tools
    
    A reader asks: 'I know I need to defrag my hard drive every once in a while. Are there any other regular PC maintenance tasks you recommend doing on a regular basis?' Yes! Here are five free programs you can use to clean up and tune up your Windows computer...

This is a two-part article. See AskBob's Best of 2013 - Part One!