Keep it Clean and Virus Free!
Posted on | February 9, 2010 | No Comments
Keep two things in your PC clean, and you’ll be a happy camper. The first is your hard drive, and the second is your registry.
The first is easy because you already know how to keep your hard drive clean. Just delete all of the old music you never listen too, clear out your browser temp files, and you should be fine.
It’s an absolute necessity to have anti-virus software… and every one is looking for the Best Antivirus 2010. It’s a constant battle. Programmers keep making security better and hackers keep hacking that security. A virus will ruin your computer files… so it’s always important to have anti-virus software…. and it’s also a good idea to always back up your files.
We also get a lot of question about speeding up the computer…. anti-virus software protects your computer but that usually slows it down just a little. It’s well worth it. You likely have doors and locks on your house as well… and it slows you down when trying to get in and out… but most people believe it’s well worth it to have doors and windows! Security software is the same thing for your computer and trust us, your computer is a door (or window) into your home… a little scary… so protect yourself!
As far as speed goes, you can upgrade memory, upgrade graphics cards…. but sometimes it’s a matter of your registry… and keeping your registry clean is a bit harder, and I recommend using a registry cleaner to help out. The registry structure can be complicated, and you don’t want to screw it up.
Start with a good registry editor so you can see what you are dealing with. They are easy to use, and are very similar to a typical text editor.
Then, get ready to clean registry – that’s kind of like spring cleaning for your pc. Clean out the junk you no longer want loading, and you will see a performance improvement the next time you boot up.
Don’t take my word for it, but ask around. Any computer geek will tell you that I’m write. I mean right!
Also, don’t forget the first step, which is cleaning your hard drive. That also makes a huge impact, and you would be surprised how many people over look that step.
Watches that you fellow geeks can appreciate
Posted on | January 8, 2010 | No Comments
If you are anything close to as geeky as I am, you probably find the time to do some research before purchasing a watch. right? Well, I was in the process of building a computer for my daughter last weekend. She’s four by the way. Gotta start her in the pc word now so she’s ready to go in Kindergarten!
Anyway, I digress, sorry about that. So, I was building this computer for my daughter. It was a laptop, so the build was pretty easy. When, my wife mentioned to me that she really needed a new watch. She’s pretty down to earth, so she wasn’t asking for a rolex or anything. She just needed something kind of cool to wear. And, she wanted a larger format that would be feminine, yet masculine at the same time. Yeah, I know, that sounds odd, but what could I do other than try to find that perfect gift so I could get back to my computer building!
After a bit of research, I found a titanium watch at this website that seemed to fit the bill. It was a killer price, and I figured I would get some brownie points for sure. So, I sucked it up, put in the order, and crossed my fingers. The retailer shipped it right away, and thankfully she loved it.
Of course, the good will goes a long way. The laptop kit is also complete, and my daughter is surfing the Nick Jr website looking for the next cool dora the explorer game. Nothing was that cool when I was a kid!
Free Stuff
Posted on | January 1, 2010 | No Comments
Everyone likes free stuff. Did you know that free stuff is searched over ten thousand times a day! There’s a website out there now that specializes in auctioning “free stuff”. It’s really a lot like a bartering system except they do have a medium of exchange which are in the form of credits instead of money. The website is Listia and they way it works is that you get credits when you give away stuff. Later, you can use those credits to bid on “free stuff” that you want. It’s a very interesting concept. We’re spending a couple of hours today looking for things that we consider new ideas and this came across our computer screen. I certainly know I have some “free stuff” that I would like to get out of my house. With the two kids, I have more stuff than I know what to do with… so this appears to be a great way to help organize my new year! Currently, they’re giving away 300 credits for just signing up and you may be interested in the Texas Insturments laptop that’s up for auction.
Radar
Posted on | January 1, 2010 | No Comments
Certainly, there are all kinds of ways technology can help us. Most of the time, we’re all about computers, improving computers, and making them run more efficiently. However, this morning I asked my 7 year old nephew what his goals were for the new year and he wants to be the starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. I told him that it might be a little unrealistic to make that happen before he turned eight given that spring training is only a few months away.
So, I convinced him to set some more intermediate goals for just this year. Now, he wants to throw a 100 MPH fast ball. For starters, I don’t want him to overthrow so we control that by making sure he knows to stop throwing when his arm feels at all tired but most kids get bored of throwing before their arms get tired!
So, what we’ve done is set up a target in his yard. It’s a net that we’ve painted a basic strike zone. We made it oversized to catch the stray balls as well. We used a Halloween scare crow for a batter and the thing that keeps his attention the most is the radar gun we’ve set up behind the net. His friends come over and they practice. For now, it’s all about getting the ball across the plate and in the strike zone. The radar gun keeps their interest because of course they all want to throw fast. Again, I don’t want them over throwing which is why I’ve set up the zone. If they focus on accuracy more than speed, they can incrementally improve their speed with control… and, of course, speed means nothing without control.
I guess the point is that technology is everywhere and can help us monitor goals. We still use the computer to track his progress!!!
How do you sleep at night?
Posted on | December 23, 2009 | No Comments
Well, I distinctly remember watching a movie and a man was questioned about his morality and conscience. They said, “how do you sleep at night?” He answered quite seriously, “well, I have a machine that simulates the sound of the ocean. Well, that made me laugh. For years, I’ve used various tools to block out the white noise. I’ve used fans, music and machines that simulate the sound of the ocean. Just recently, I came across this website that’s all about finding the perfect sound machine. There are many uses including sleeping
If you’re looking for a sound machine or a white noise machine, the linked site is worth a look. Be careful because not all models are compatible with the US. They state clearly on the description so make sure you click “more info”. Some of the models let you preview the sounds right on the website. There are rain forests, ocean sounds and other steady sounds that will help give you stability and block out random noises.
I feel like it’s hard enough to sleep so I give myself every advantage I can find; I like cooler temperatures, comfortable sheets, a very dark room and a sound machine!
Quick Preview
Posted on | December 19, 2009 | No Comments
Want to know what’s out there to watch on demand? Movie Monitor keeps track of thousands of movies that are available for download from itunes, Amazon, Blockbuster, Hulu and many others. It’s just a one stop shop to see what’s available. So rather than go to every website to see what they have to offer, check out the movie monitor and they’ll send you to the place you want to go.
Free Laptop?
Posted on | December 13, 2009 | No Comments
I haven’t seen this in the US yet, but have you heard about these free laptops they give away in Europe? I guess it’s part of a hook related to getting broadband service, but it still seems like a good deal for the consumer. Even cheap laptops, are still a good chuck of change, so these free laptop deals are still worth checking out.
I think I got a deal in California when I purchased my cable, TV and Internet all from Comcast. I didn’t have a year contract or anything, but I certainly would have considered it if they offered up a free laptop! Wouldn’t you? I mean, that’s a killer deal.
If you are in the market for broadband, then I suppose one possible thing to consider to moving to Europe. I’d say England would be best, because their Internet is in English like ours. I’m kidding, of course.
Check out all of your options when you get your next contract for Internet connectivity. Now that dial-up is finally behind us, we can move on to bigger and better things. Who would have know though that the bigger and better things could include a free laptop. I just hope the deals for broadband keep getting better. Maybe we can get a BMW when we buy HBO for a year. Or, maybe not.
Learn All About Hosts
Posted on | December 12, 2009 | No Comments
You love computers and you probably love websites. So, if you love websites, any chance you have a site of your own? Of course, who doesn’t nowadays?
I was getting ready to launch another blog and I was trying to figure out where the best place was to host it, and I came across a cool site that reviews tons of web hosting providers.
Their review appear to be pretty objective, so I would recommend taking a quick peak. To make things really easy on you, they group the various hosts into logical categories. As an example, those of you with big websites can go right to the dedicated server section.
In addition to reviews, they also do a great job of giving awards to the best of the best. I believe they have used many of the hosts themselves and as such seem to have a real inside scoop on the pros and cons of all the options.
When you stop to think about it, there are tons of place you could host your site, and doing the proper research would take a long time. I started down the research path and then got lucky and happened upon the site when I was trying to find vps hosting for my new blog. I was fine with their research findings and it ended up saving me a lot of leg work!
Back to my original point, everyone has a computer, and almost everyone nowadays has a website. It goes without saying that there are many hosting providers around the world and that they all offer difference services and different prices, and some are frankly better than others. Look before you leap on your next site and make sure you pick a solid host.
There is nothing worse than a poor quality host because they can ruin the experience for your visitors!
Awesome Gift Resource
Posted on | December 11, 2009 | No Comments
This website shopwiki is great because they can do a lot of your gift research for you. I know there are many other shopping sites out there, but the primary difference is that this site is not paid to advertise other websites. Instead, they use their own search engine to find products for sale on the web. Since they are not paid, you get better information. And you get more complete information.
One category they offer products in is Travel Essentials. That could be perfect for you to explore all of the products you will need for your next Road Trip. You could spend tons of time searching the web on your own, but I’m sure this site will save you some time.
So, wether you are looking for Travel gift for your friends and family, or for yourself, check it out. By the way, it’s not just travel they offer, of course. You can also review their other product categories like Personal Audio and Video products.
Registry Cleaners
Posted on | December 10, 2009 | No Comments
There’s nothing worse than a computer that gets slow, has time delays and simply doesn’t work very well. It’s possible that you need to upgrade your RAM or get a new hard drive. You can check the available capacity through your task manager or by checking the properties of the hard drive. However, sometimes your registry is outdated, disorganized and overloaded which is where good registry cleaners can help.
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