Posts of Off The Wire

What to do with old computer equipment?

2011-04-26T22:27:39.629Z

I get asked this question a lot. If your old PC does not meet the donation specifications of a computer refurbisher your options were perhaps limited to your local hard rubbish collection. A new program by the Sustainability Victoria called Byteback allows you to deposit up to 10 computer related items and designated depots. Read more at the website.

Creating A Secure Password

2011-04-07T06:58:19.240Z

This short video demonstrates some techniques for developing a secure password for your online identity. If you have not got a secure password, start tomorrow.

http://video.about.com/netsecurity/Create-a-Secure-Password.htm

What is a web app?

2010-12-16T04:22:46.622Z

With development of google's Chrome OS, a cloud based operating system, the chrome web shop has been launched. If you want to understand all the hype surrounding the press releases have a look at some of the you tube tutorials google has posted. Open the full post and watch the tutorial "What is a web app"

YouTube Video

OpenDNS

2010-08-22T07:04:10.090Z

The Domain Name Servers (DNS) are the computers around the web that are provided by ISP's to translate IP numbers to human friendly names. Its easier to remember nab.com.au rather than 203.34.54.21 and thats exactly what DNS does.

Your home or business broadband connection is normally setup to use your providers DNS, which is ok, however OpenDNS are offering you the ability to use their DNS and utilise the following features

OpenDNS servers store the IP addresses of millions of websites in their cache so it would take less time to resolve your requests. So if you have asked for a website that has been previously requested by another OpenDNS user, you will get the reply instantly.
OpenDNS blocks phishing websites from loading on your computer. It uses data from Phishtank, a community site that is also used by Yahoo! Mail to determine if some particular website is part of any online phishing scam.
OpenDNS also takes care of any typos that you commit while typing the name of popular websites. For instance, if you type www.gogle.com omitting the additional “o” by mistake, OpenDNS will open the main www.google.com site automatically.
If you are a parent worried about kids visiting adult websites on the home computer, you can configure OpenDNS to block any adult website from loading on the computer. You could use OpenDNS to block social sites like MySpace and Facebook on employee or family PC's.

You will not see any quantifiable improvement in browsing speed since OpenDNS only improves the cycle between your computer and the DNS server.

Using OpenDNS you do get a the ability to peer into what sites are being visited from your business or home from a easy to navigate web page.

There are free and paid accounts. The free account is perfect for the home user.

If you would like any further explanation or advice please email or call me.

Notebookhunter.com.au

2010-06-28T11:30:17.695Z

Notebook Hunter is a service provided by APC Magazine - Australia's longest- published computer magazine.

You can search by cost or by the tasks you will be using the notebook for. When you input your prerequisites the system will sort by the highest rating so you can start with a wish list and then work down to your budget.

It's a totally free and independent service - they do not receive sales commissions from retailers.

If you are in the market for a notebook and you want to discuss your requirements you can always email or call me and bounce your ideas off me.

Digital TV Reception

2010-07-01T01:52:04.617Z

David Braue, a contributing author to APC magazine, has written a great HOW TO article on troubleshooting digital TV reception problems using contemporary tech. An iPhone\Android phone and google earth. For most of us this little bit of antenna tweaking may fix those pesky signal issues. Read More

OpenToChoice.Org

2010-04-06T00:43:10.122Z

If you are confused as to what browser you should be using or just want to see the alternatives on offer, the Mozilla organisation has put together a dedicated website http://opentochoice.org that aims to empower the internet user.
Check out this page which lists a swag of browsers that may suit your needs.

The Joys of Dropbox

2010-03-14T06:06:55.308Z

I have been using Dropbox for 12 months now. It's a cross platform file sync service that enables you to automatically backup and sync photos, documents and music across different computers you work on. A great example is..... your office XP PC at work has the dropbox client installed. You copy files to or work from your dropbox folder (by default under the my documents folder), this automatically syncs to your secure web space and when you get home and connect your macbook to the net those work files come down to your mac's dropbox folder. Likewise the work you do on the files at home are syncronised to the web and ready for your work PC when you start next morning.

It works on many levels

Automatic backup & redundancy - If any of your linked computers gets stolen or you get a new PC from the IT dept, once you reinstall the dropbox client your files are pushed back down to your new PC.
Works in progress - No more do you need to worry about moving data about on USB sticks and wondering whether you are working on the right version. Your dropbox is always syncronised as long as you have an internet connection.
Sharing your dropbox - You can share your public dropbox folder with anyone you give permissions to. Great for doc collaboration.
You can access your files anytime from the internet by going to http://dropbox.com and signing in.

The Dropbox plans - Dropbox is free for 2Gb space, 50Gb for $10 a month or 100Gb for $20 a month.

Complement your backup solution with Dropbox.

Netspace Broadband Offer

2010-03-08T10:19:56.597Z

ISP Netspace are offering an ADSL2+ Super 15 Anytime plan, which includes 15Gb for $39.95 per month. If you bundle your phone as well, it comes down to $29.95 per month. Netspace are one of the top 12 ISP's in Australia. They are based in Hawthorn, Victoria and service Australia wide. The call centre is based in Australia.

Contact Anthony to discuss migration.

geekapedia

2010-03-02T11:56:29.239Z

eLearning specialist geekula, has formalised his travels around the net with a new site, geekapedia. Whilst at times it has an educational bent, he reviews the weird and wonderful flotsam jetsam from the interwebs.