Android Apps for Preppers

The Best Android Apps for Preppers (and a few complete duds!)

Today’s episode is all about Android apps for preppers. Since being prepared for life’s unexpected events is really something everybody should do, this is really Android apps for everybody! After all, how could knowing a little first aid or being aware about natural disasters not be good for everyone?

I’ve been wanting to do this episode for a while but let me tell you that it wasn’t so easy! The android market is loaded with thousands or apps that might fit into the categories of “survival” or “prepping”. Just go do a search for yourself. Obviously I can’t single handedly review every android app for preppers. So I limited my choices to apps that had at least a four star rating and mostly ones that had LOTS of reviews. Even then I came accross a couple of complete duds. But there are a few gems to be found.

Prepper App Categories

The apps I’m reviewing today fall into these categories:

• Police / Fire / Emergency Scanners – People all over the world have real scanners hooked up to the Internet allowing people without a scanner to listen in on their local emergency services. This can come in handy during a local or regional emergency or disaster to find out what is going on and stay informed.It can also be entertaining just to listen in.
• Survival Guides – These are generally just books on survival that have been converted into an Android app. I tried out six different ones for this episode.
• First Aid – These apps are just basic first aid guides. I’m reviewing four different ones.
• Alerts – These are Android apps designed to provide emergency alerts of things like extreme weather, floods, earthquakes, riots, etc. I’ve got two for you today. Well actually only one because the other was a complete dud.
• Misc – Just a few interesting apps that really didn’t fall into a specific category.

One Android app for preppers that I completely dropped the ball on though is this one:
The Survival Podcast – By Droidworks, Inc. and from the amazing Jack Spirko at The Survival Podcast.
This app lets you easily keep up with not only Jack’s great podcast but also connects you to his YouTube channel as well. This is a great app to have especially if you have never listened to Jack’s podcast. Definitely check this one out.

Resources / Show Notes

• Scanner Apps
  Police Scanner Radio Scanner
  Police Scanner FREE
  Police Scanner 5-0 (FREE)
  Scanner Radio – RECOMMENDED!
• Survival Guides
  US Army Survival Guide – MILITARYDROID
  U.S. Army Survival Guide – milodroid – GOOD
  Survival Guide – SusaSoftX – RECOMMENDED
  SAS Survival Guide – Lite – Trellisys.net – RECOMMENDED!
• First Aid Apps
  iTriage Health – iTriage, LLC
  First Aid – American Red Cross – GOOD
  WebMD for Android
  First Aid – Health Team
• Alert Apps
  ELERTS – ELERTS Corporation (complete dud … let me know if it works for you)
  Disaster Alert – Pacific Disaster Center – RECOMENDED
• Miscellaneous Apps
  Swiss Army Knife – Gianni Trevisti – RECOMENDED
  Dangerous Goods Manual – Knorre – RECOMENDED
  Knots Guide – SusaSoftX – RECOMENDED
  

The post Android Apps for Preppers – Episode 022 appeared first on Tech Preps.

Lets make a bootable USB Stick

A Bootable USB Stick?

What is a that? How do you make a USB stick bootable? That’s what I’m going to discuss in today’s episode. I’ve got six uncommon uses for the common USB stick to tell you about.

Almost everybody knows what a USB stick or thumb drive is. These are mostly used as ways to easily transfer data between two computers that aren’t connected in any other way. They’re greet for files that are too big to email or for taking the latest batch of pictures of your kids to Grandma’s house.

But’s what’s this talk about “bootable”? Making a USB stick bootable means that you put an actual operating system on the USB stick in a way that you can actually boot a computer straight from the USB stick. I’ll go into this in more detail in the episode.

Solve PC Problems With a Bootable USB Stick

With the right tools you can use a USB stick to scan your computer for viruses. You can repair hard drive issues. You can also recover deleted files from your hard drive.

If your computer won’t boot from its hard drive you can even use one of the rescue tools that I talk about in today’s show to get online and browse the Internet to search for solutions to whatever problem you’re having with Windows.

Run Your Favorite Applications

Did you know that you can run some of your favorite applications straight from a USB stick? This doesn’t even require that it be bootable!

So what kinds of apps can you run from a USB stick? How about:

• Mozilla Firefox
• Skype
• Libre Office
• KeePass
• ClamWin Antivirus
• and many more!

I’ll tell you my favorite platform for running apps straight from a USB stick.

Try Out An Alternative OS Like Linux

Have you wanted to try out Linux but don’t want to commit to it yet? You can put it on a bootable USB stick. You can even put multiple versions of Linux on the same USB stick. This is a great way to try out Linux and start to get familiar with it, without actually installing it on your hard drive.

More Uses for a Bootable USB Stick

I can’t tell you everything that is in today’s show, you’ll just have to listen in for all the details!!

Resources / Show Notes

• AVG Rescue CD
  YouTube Tutorial to Install AVG Rescue CD
  AVG Rescue CD Guide
• Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10
  How to Use the Kaspersky Rescue Disk to Clean Your Infected PC
• BitDefender Rescue CD
  How to Use the BitDefender Rescue CD to Clean Your Infected PC
• PortableApps.com
  CCleaner – Portable
  Defraggler – Portable
  Recuva – Portable
• Universal USB Installer
  YUMI – Multiboot USB Creator (Windows)
• T r u e C r y p t – Free open-source disk encryption software for Windows 7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X, and Linux
  Portable Mode for TrueCrypt
• How To: Install Windows 7 Or Windows 8 From USB Drive
• Create a password reset disk

This is the USB stick I use :
ADATA Value-Driven S102 Pro Effortless Upgrade 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive (Gray)

The post Six Uses for a Bootable USB Stick – Episode 021 appeared first on Tech Preps.

Is your personal data safely locked up?

Image by: walknboston

Yep, Another Security Breach

It seems like you can hardly go a day without news of another security breach. Hackers are targeting big companies left and right. And these companies have your personal data! So what can you do?

Well knowledge equals independence and freedom, so one of the best defenses is to be knowledgeable by following sources online that report on these types of things. Like this podcast!

In today’s show I’ve got a lot of security news for you. Some good and some bad.

Security Breach News – Bad

In the “bad news” part of the show I discuss three different issues. I always talk about keeping all your software up to date. Sometimes that isn’t enough. Listen in as I discuss:

• Hackers dump 1 million Apple UDIDs found on FBI laptop
• Google warns of using Adobe Reader – particularly on Linux
• Latest Java Software Opens Your PC To Hackers!

Security Breach News – Good!

Additionally I have a quick review of a new service called “Should I Change My Password”. This service monitors the internet for information anytime there is a security breach. They compile it all into a big database and let you check your email address. It then lets you know if your email address was found in their database. Listen to the show for all the details.

Also Dropbox has now made available two-step verification. If you use Dropbox for anything important this is a must use feature. If you’re not sure what two-step verification is go back and listen to Episode 017 – Don’t Get Hacked! Protect Yourself Online. In that episode I talk about what two-step verification is and why it is important.

Misc Items

Twitter … is there anything it can’t do? Well sure, it can’t cook my dinner, but it can function as an earthquake detection network!

In the market for a laptop with a long lasting battery?

Do you use Firefox?

What new cool technology was announced at the European IFA conference?

Can the soon to be released iPhone 5 cook my dinner?

You’ll just have to listen to the show to find out.

Show Notes / Resources

• 1 Million Apple Device IDs Leaked, 12 Million Total Stolen
• Apple UDID Leak: There’s No Proof (Yet) Of FBI Involvement, But Here’s Why You Should Still Care
• Why You Shouldn’t Freak Out If Hackers Leaked Your Apple Device ID
• Latest Java Software Opens Your PC To Hackers!
• ZERO-DAY SEASON IS NOT OVER YET
• [UPDATE 1] : Security Alert for CVE-2012-4681 Released
• [UPDATE 2] : Critical flaw found in just-patched Java
• Java is Insecure and Awful, It’s Time to Disable It, and Here’s How
• Google warns of using Adobe Reader – particularly on Linux
• Adobe closes numerous critical holes in Reader and Acrobat
• Adobe Flash Player update patches six critical holes
• Should I Change My Password?
• Dropbox Adds 2-Step Verification
• Tweets used as earthquake warning system
• In the market for a new laptop? With long battery life?
• Firefox 15 Released
• IFA 2012 wrap-up
• LCD and E-ink dual-screen prototypes show up at IFA
• Two Kindle Fire devices coming next week

The post News and Reviews – Security Breach! – Episode 020 appeared first on Tech Preps.

Image by: Aalborg Stift

Text Message Tutorial and Using Text to Twitter

Today’s episode is a text message tutorial. I’m going to tell you how to use various services on the Internet to enhance what you can do with simple text messages. And none of these tips require a smart phone. During an emergency or disaster, sometimes text messages are the only thing that can get through. So this episode also applies to people who use smart phones.

Text to Twitter

Did you know that you can use Twitter through plain text messaging? I’ll talk about how to add your phone if you already have a Twitter account on the web. But I’ll also tell you how to start using Twitter directly from your phone. So why would you need Twitter if you can send a text message? Twitter turns regular text messaging into group messaging. You can send out a single message that can be received by multiple people at once and when they reply, everybody gets the reply. Listen to the episode for all the details on how to text to Twitter.

Weather on Your Phone and More

Additionally in this episode I talk about:

• How to receive severe weather alerts on your phone. Including tornado warnings, freeze alerts, extreme heat alerts and more.
• How to search Google by sending a text message.
• How to create and update a blog straight from your phone using just text messages.
• A free service that lets you do things like send a text to an email address, update your Facebook status and much more.
• What “Wireless Emergency Alerts” are and why they are important.

Show Notes / Resources

• Google
  • Using Google via SMS
  • How to Blog via Text Messages
  • Tech Preps mobile test blog
  • Accessing your Google Calendar via SMS or Text
• Weather
  • Alerts from Weather.com
  • SMS Number for Weather.com – 42278 or 78676
• Twitter
  • How to subscribe to Twitter from your mobile phone.
  • Twitter SMS Commands
  • Twitter @ and d messages – who can see what?
  • Twitter accounts to follow: @TechPreps, @NHC_Atlantic, @NHC_Pacific, @FEMA, @CDCemergency
• If This Then That IFTTT.com
• Wireless Emergency Alerts on Your Mobile Device
• Bonus Links:
  • Package Tracking : http://www.usetrackthis.com/
  • Group SMS Messaging : https://groupme.com/sms

I hope you enjoy listening to this text message tutorial. Please leave me comments, like this post and share it with your friends! Thanks for listening.

The post Advanced Text Message Tutorial – Episode 019 appeared first on Tech Preps.

Why Save For Offline Use

In today’s show I’m going to discuss ways that you can save for offline use all the info that is important to you. The internet is the biggest source of information that we have ever had available to us. But nothing is 100% reliable. Even the internet can go down. Right now Tropical Storm Isaac is churning up the Gulf of Mexico. Sometime today it will become a hurricane. Could a hurricane take down the internet? You bet! Besides Mother Nature, a careless backhoe operator could take out the internet in your area. There are many other types of disasters that could bring it down.

Even if the internet doesn’t go down, other reasons to save for offline use are:

• For use on the road when you don’t have dependable internet access.
• You only have dial-up where you live.
• Organizing a homework or research project.

What Can Be Saved for Offline Use?

Basically there are three types of content on the internet:

1. Articles/pages/text – stuff you read.
2. Audio – stuff you listen to.
3. Video – stuff you watch.

There are different ways to handle each of these types of content. I’ll be giving you suggestions on how you can save each of theses types.

How to Save for Offline Use

There are many ways to save information for offline use. From built-in functions in your browser to browser extensions and plug-ins to desktop applications. I’ll be reviewing options that work in multiple browsers including chrome and Firefox. Listen to the show for all the details!

Resources / Links

• Pocket (formerly Read It Later)
• Readability
• Instapaper
• Read Later Fast : Chrome Extension | Firefox Extension
• Evernote
• NeverNote
• Audacity
• Tutorial on using Audacity to record any PC sound
• Miro

Two RSS Feed URL Formats for YouTube Channels:
http://www.youtube.com/rss/user/[username]/videos.rss
http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/[username]/uploads

Replace [username] with the user or channel name.

The post Episode 018 – The Internet : Save For Offline appeared first on Tech Preps.

Image by: Feral78

Steps to Protect Yourself Online

In today’s show I talk about a couple of high profile security breeches that occurred in the past week. The first is the editor of Wired Magazine’s Gadget Lab, Mat Honan. Mat is a computer professional and yet he still go hacked. Listen in to hear me discuss the steps you can take to protect yourself online so you don’t become another statistic like Mat.

I’ll be discussing:

1. How Mat was hacked and how he lost something priceless as a result.
2. Why if you have multiple email accounts, that they should never be linked.
3. What is “two factor authentication” and why it may be the most important thing you learn today.
4. Backups, backups, backups!!! You must use one of the many backup options for Windows or whatever OS you use. Have I mentioned this before?

How to create and manage strong passwords

Another vital thing I discuss today that you must do to protect yourself online from hackers is to use strong passwords. Not only must your passwords be “strong” but they must also be different or unique between your different accounts. I have over 190 online passwords for everything from my multiple email accounts to Twitter and Facebook, multiple different forums that I access, and lots more. And I don’t know a single one of my passwords by heart!

Wait what?

You read that correctly. I don’t have any of them memorized. How do I manage that? You’ll have to listen to the show to find out!

I will give you multiple ways to manage lots of passwords and also give you some tips on creating strong passwords if you’re not a geek like me and only need to remember a few.

The bottom line is that we as a society are becoming more and more dependent on the Internet. Learning to protect yourself online is a vital skill that everybody needs to know. Don’t become another victim, but instead arm yourself with the information you need to stay safe.

The post Episode 017 – Don’t Get Hacked! Protect Yourself Online appeared first on Tech Preps.

Image by: AbdillahAbi

Blackout Bag/Kit 101

Welcome to another episode of the Tech Preps Podcast! Today I’m going to talk about putting together a blackout bag or kit.

A blackout bag is one of the most basic and easy to assemble items that you can have for being prepared. The main purpose is simply to have everything together in one place that you would need to get through a short term power outage. That way you’re not scrambling through the house trying to find a flashlight that has a working battery or candles in the dark.

A basic blackout bag will have the following categories of items:

• Lighting – You need to see things right?
• Communications – You need to hear and be heard.
• Entertainment – No point in being bored in the dark.
• Other – Listen to the episode for all the details!

This should just be a basic “ah crap the power went out” bag for times when you expect the power to come back on quickly and you don’t feel like dragging the generator out of the shed.

Why Is a Blackout Bag Important?

In a nut shell, Murphy’s Law.

No matter where you live, at some point in time you will experience a power outage. Being prepared even for something as small as a three hour power outage from a small storm or a drunk driver that hit a light pole, can mean the diffeence between being bored out of your flipping gourd or dealing with scared children to enjoying a nice time with a good book or playing some board games with the kids.

Listen to the full episode for more ideas and tips for assembling your own blackout bag.

As always please leave me comments and suggestions and like or share this post with your friends!
Thanks for listening!

The post Episode 016 – Putting Together a Blackout Bag appeared first on Tech Preps.

Image by: Terry Presley

Build a Computer – Parts Selection

This is part two of a series on how to build a computer. Today’s show is about the specific parts chosen. You’ll get to hear me commit technical sacrilege when I say there’s no real difference between Intel and AMD for a general use computer. (Here come the hate mails! ) There are several parts or components that are common between both the Intel build and the AMD build. There are also some parts that I have chosen to not include in this build like a keyboard or mouse. These parts don’t have any real effect on performance so I’m leaving those choices to you.

The parts I have chosen for this computer meet these goals:

1. Small size : This computer build won’t be a desk hog.
2. Low power : This also means cool and quiet.
3. Long term upgrade path : You won’t have to build a computer again for a while. You can upgrade this one.

Common Parts

Here is a list of the parts mentioned in the episode that are common to both the Intel based computer build and the AMD based build. You’ll have to listen to the show for my reasons behind these choices.

• Antec New Solution NSK3480 Black/ Silver Computer Case
• ASUS 24X DVD Burner – Bulk Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS
• Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5″ SATA 6.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
• G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory

Intel Specific Parts

These are the Intel computer parts that you will need in addition to the common parts listed above if you go the Intel route.

• Intel Pentium G630T 2.3GHz LGA 1155 Dual-Core Desktop Processor
• ASRock H77 Pro4-M Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

AMD Specific Parts

These are the AMD computer parts that you will need in addition to the common parts listed above if you go the AMD route.

• AMD A6-3500 2.1GHz (2.4GHz Max Turbo) Socket FM1 Triple-Core Desktop APU (CPU + GPU) with DirectX 11 Graphic
• ASRock A75M Micro ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

Other Parts

These are things that you will need to complete the build but are more a matter of personal choice.

• Logitech MK120 Black Wired Desktop
• Acer G235HAbd 23” WideScreen LCD monitor
• Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit
• Even more … the following parts are recommended if this is your first computer build.
• Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
• 18″ SATA 6 Gbps Cable

Thoughts and Other Notes

First off a disclaimer. All the links above go directly to NewEgg and I do have an affiliate account with them. But even if I didn’t I would still be recommending them. Every part in every desktop computer in my house has come from them. I have been a customer of theirs for years and have absolutely zero complaints about them.

The next episode will be on putting it all together. I’m planning on having a video or two to go along with the podcast episode so stay tuned!!

As always please leave me comments and suggestions and like or share this post with your friends! Thanks for listening!

The post Episode 015 – How to Build a Computer Step by Step – Part 2 appeared first on Tech Preps.

Destroy your data! (aka wipe a hard drive)

Destroy your data? After all my episodes on backups, redundancy and software inventory, why would I be telling you to wipe a hard drive? Because sometimes, removing data can be as important as backing it up. If you have an older computer that you want to donate or sell. Or you want to give it to a relative or a friend, you don’t want any trace of personal data left on the hard drive. Identity theft is a big problem and you want to make sure you don’t expose yourself from data left on an old hard drive.

Backup before you wipe a hard drive!

Wiping a hard drive is serious. When done right, the data is completely unrecoverable (by anybody with fewer resources than say a three letter government agency). That’s a good thing since that is the entire point of doing this! Just be 100% sure before you use the tools mentioned in this episode that you are 110% sure that all your important data is backed up before you wipe a drive. Need a backup refresher? Check out Episode 006 – Backup Options for Windows.

Fortunately getting rid of that old data is easy. Wiping a hard drive using freely available tools will make sure that you’re protected when that old drive leaves your hands. Listen in as I discuss:

• Erasing files isn’t enough … they can be recovered!
• Physical forms of destruction may not be enough and are not practical.
• How to burn an ISO to a blank CD or DVD using the free program ImgBurn.
• How to wipe a hard drive with DBAN

Resources / Links

• Hard Drive Data From Space Shuttle Columbia Recovered
• YouTube video of a hard drive shredder in action
• Darik’s Boot and Nuke (DBAN)

The post Episode 014 – Wipe a hard drive with DBAN appeared first on Tech Preps.

Image by: Jaroslaw W

Build a Computer From Scratch

Today’s episode is part one of a series on how to build a computer. While the internet is full of guides on building a computer from scratch, this guide will stray from the usual type of computer build. My focus is on a computer that would be more appropriate to a prepper, homesteader or survivalist than a power user or gamer. Part one will cover some basics. Part two will be on picking the right parts. Part three will be about putting it together. There may be a part four on installing the operating system but I’m thinking about making that it’s own series with about both Windows and Linux. By the end of this series you’ll have the info you need to build a computer on your own with the following benefits:

1. Small and easy to transport
2. Low power consumption
3. Easy to maintain and upgrade
4. Secure

Build a Computer vs Buy a Computer

So why build a computer when you can buy one already made? There are pros and cons to both. After listening to today’s show I think that you will agree that the pros of building it yourself outweigh any cons. And really there aren’t any! Everybody loves DIY and you don’t have to make an exception just because it’s a computer!

Computer Basics

Part 1 of this series is mostly for someone that has never tried to build a computer on their own. Parts two and three (and maybe four) will also be for a beginner, but I’ll be putting my own “prepping” twist on the choice of parts so there may be some good info for even someone that has done this once or twice before.

In today’s show I’ll be discussing the main parts that make up your average desktop computer. Parts like CPU’s and motherboards. The two kinds of “memory”, RAM and hard drives and why they are different. Also covered are power supplies and what some of the specs like “80 Plus” mean.

Don’t forget to leave your comments and a “Like” is always appreciated!

The post Episode 013 – How to Build a Computer Step by Step – Part 1 appeared first on Tech Preps.

By: Tsahi Levent-Levi

Whole Home Generators – So Many Options!

Back in episode eight I discussed alternatives to a whole house generator. I wanted to do a follow up show on whole home generators for those that want to go that direction. But with so many options, how do you know where to start?

Factors that Affect Cost of a Whole Home Generator

In today’s show I talk about many factors that can make the price of a home generator go up or down. These include items like:

1. Output Power
2. Included Accessories
3. Engine RPM
4. Engine Size
5. Installation Requirements

There can be a wide range in price even with generators that put out the same wattage. Today’s show covers these cost issues. I also explain why one 10kW generator can cost 50% more than another 10kW home generator.

How Many Watts Does My Home Generator Need?

Watts or wattage is the main thing that controls the price of a home generator. Determining how many watts you need can be simple or it can be hard. Calculating watts needed depends on the size of your home, where you live, and how many circuits you want you home generator to power. A professional’s estimate is always good to have but it’s kind of like buying a car. If you do your research first, you’ll know BEFORE you get to the dealership how much you “should” be paying for a specific car. Doing your own estimate of wattage for a home generator will give you a leg up when shopping.

If you’re in the market for a generator then today’s show will give you some useful information. The more you know before you buy will help you get the most bang for your buck.

Resources / Links

• Gillette Generators Sizing Calculator
• Generac Residential Sizer
• Yamaha Generator Sizing Worksheet

The post Episode 012 – Buying a Whole Home Generator appeared first on Tech Preps.

Android Security

No, I’m not talking about having a guard robot! (although that would be awesome!) I’m talking about security for your android O/S phone or tablet. I came across an article the other day about how the latest version of Google’s Android operating system, 4.1 or “Jelly Bean”, is the most secure yet. The article get’s pretty deep but what it actually led me to discuss in today’s episode is not android security, but the security obtained from being “up to date”.

Best Tablet Apps for Android

I also go over Gizmodo’s list of the best Android apps for tablet users. I have a tablet myself so I compared what I have already on my tablet versus their list. I found that I was already using several of their recommended apps and I tried out a couple of new “social media” apps. You’ll have to listen for my thoughts!

Replacements for WHS

Third up in today’s show is the news from Bit-Tech that Microsoft has decided to drop Windows Home Server and replace it with Windows Server 2012 “Essentials”. For a home user the price jump is huge so Bit Tech has come up with a list of open source alternatives to WHS. If you are already using WHS or have been considering it, check out the link in the show notes to the full article.

New Hard Drives from Western Digital

Also in storage new is a new hard drive line from Western Digital. After the reliability issues that some people have had with their “Caviar Green” line when used in NAS boxes or in RAID arrays, they have now come out with their “Red” line. The new Red line has been designed specifically for use in NAS and RAID. Listen to the show for more details and check out the link below for the full article.

UPDATE 7/24: Just one day after I released this episode, Tom’s Hardware released their full review of these drives. They haven’t done any kind of torture testing but they released a full performance review comparing these drives to their competition. I’ve added a new link to the show notes for those that are interested.
UPDATE 7/26:Storage Review also now has a review of these new drives and gives them an “Editor’s Choice” rating. Link below.

The final item in today’s show is a bit of sci-fi geek fun. All I’m gonna say is “Star Trek” and “Neil deGrasse Tyson”! Listen to the show or jump down below for the link if you can’t wait.

Resources / Links

• Android Security – Serial hacker says latest Android will be “pretty hard” to exploit
• Gizmodo – The Best Android Tablet Apps
• bit-tech – Open source alternatives to Windows Home Server
• Engadget – WD Red HDDs aim to improve company’s NASty reputation
    NEW : Tom’s Hardware – Western Digital Red: NAS-Specific SATA 6Gb/s Drives, Reviewed
    NEWER : StorageReview.com – Western Digital Red NAS Hard Drive Review
• Neil deGrasse Tyson explains …

The post Episode 011 – Android Security, Tablet Apps, WHS and WD Red Storage News appeared first on Tech Preps.

Gmail by Google

Back in episode six I discussed backup options for Windows as part of your technology preps. However more and more of our data is ending up in the cloud or stored online. This includes email. Online email or “webmail” is very popular. I’ve used Gmail since 2004 when it was an invite only beta product. I was tired of changing my email address due to changing my internet provider and saw, as many people do, webmail as a way to never have to change my personal email address again. Over the years my Gmail account has accumulated thousands of emails from friends and family and I’d hate to lose it. So in today’s episode I discuss several ways for backing up Gmail (and other webmail like Hotmail, Live Mail, Yahoo Mail) to your local PC as part of your tech preps so that if your provider crashes or if you have no internet for an extended period, you can still access your complete email history along with all attachments.

Listen in as I discuss:

• Using a local email client like Thunderbird or Windows Live Mail
• Pros and cons of third party applications like GMVault or Mailstore Home
• Why Yahoo Mail isn’t a good option if you want to have a backup of your email

Resources / Links

• Google’s official Gmail backup method : Backing up Gmail with POP
• General POP setup for GMail
• Gmvault Gmail backup
• MailStore Home : Free Email Archiving and Email Backup Software for Home Users
• Chrome App : Offline Google Mail
• Export Google/Gmail contacts
• Google Takeout : Export all your Google data

The post Episode 010 – Guide to Backing Up Gmail and Other Webmail appeared first on Tech Preps.

ZBOX NANO AD10 Nettop

Today’s news and reviews episode has some great stuff from around the web. My goal with these episodes is to let you know about the latest technology trends, developments and resources in technology that would appeal to a “high tech prepper”. Today you’ll hear me talk about:

• Low powered, desktop PCs so small you can hide them behind a monitor.
• An article about a great AAA LED flashlight from 4Sevens.
• A kit for a DIY, portable, battery powered cell phone charger.
• An awesome video about how a lead-acid battery works. (ok … I’m a geek and I thought it was awesome!)
• Scientists at Stanford University develop a way to charge Edison batteries 1,000 times faster.
• Bicycle powered computing!

I also give a quick review of two open source apps for editing and managing your ebook collection.

Resources / Links

• Good Things In Small Packages: Seven Nettop Platforms, Tested
• FourSevens Preon P1 Flashlight Review and Clicky Tailcap Modification
• Maker Shed: Minty Boost USB Charger
• How a lead-acid battery works
• Charging an Edison Battery 1000 times faster
• Bicycle powered ARM servers
• Pedal-A-Watt
• Sigil – a multi-platform EPUB ebook editor
• Calibre

The post Episode 009 – News and Reviews for July 9, 2012 appeared first on Tech Preps.

Whole House Generator

A whole house generator is the ultimate solution for keeping your tech (and everything else) running during a power outage. But what if your situation won’t let you install one? What if:

• It’s too much money?
• Live in an apartment or condo?
• Renting your house?
• Move a lot due to job / military?

Listen in to hear about the pro’s and con’s of:

• Inverter for your car
• Portable power packs
• Small & quiet portable generators
• Larger portable generators

Comments, questions and suggestions are welcome. Thanks for listening!

The post Episode 008 – Alternatives to a Whole House Generator appeared first on Tech Preps.

By: James DiBianco

Knowledge Equals Independence

To everyone in the USA – Happy Independence Day!!

Today is a short episode, but appropriate for Independence Day, regardless of where you live in the world. Today I’m going to talk about developing technical self-reliance. Technical or not, self-reliance is of critical importance to anyone that wants to be prepared. We all use and depend on technology every day. Learning how to troubleshoot and maintain these things ourselves is just one more way to be self-reliant.

Listen to hear:

• Identifying where you’re “dependent”.
• Steps to becoming more self-reliant.
• What is a hackerspace?

Resources / Links

• Google Search Basics
• Enhancing Search with Operators
• Becoming a Power Searcher
• Teach Parents Tech – learning site from Google
• Info on Hackerspaces
• TONS of free college classes online

The post Episode 007 – Knowledge Equals Independence appeared first on Tech Preps.

Is all your valuable data backed up?

In episode 3 I discussed taking a software inventory. I had wanted to mention backups in that episode but it went longer than I intended so as promissed, today I’m going to talk about backing up your computer or computers. I’m sure that I don’t have to convince you that backups are important. Everybody knows that hard drives can crash and everyone probably at least knows somebody that has lost data due to a failed hard drive or even a virus infection. And if you’re a “prepper” I really don’t have to explain why backups and redundancy are important.

Listen in to find out:

• The three biggest reasons people don’t backup.
• The three principals of a good backup plan.
• Ways to protect your data before you suffer a hardware failure.
• Multiple options for backup software.
• Free things you can do to protect your data.
• How to have your cake and eat it too with online backups.

Resources / Links

• Create Synchronicity
• Cobian Backup
• CrashPlan

The post Episode 006 – Backup Options for Windows appeared first on Tech Preps.

Today is my first “News and Reviews” episode. I’m planning on making this a regular feature of the site. There is just so much “stuff” out there and with technology there is always something new, so I don’t think I’ll ever run out of things to report on.

Listen in today as I talk about:

• An LED light bulb I picked up at Costco for $28… Is it any good?
• CyanogenMod 9 (I run this on my Nook Color)
• What the heck Facebook did now!
• The first large-scale analysis of hardware failure rates on a million consumer PCs.
• Firefox gets an Android update.
• Size DOES matter! (I’m talking about desktop PCs here!)
• Is your computer full of crap? Clean it up!

Resources / Links

• PAR38 Dimmable LED Reflector Bulb
• CyanogenMod 9.0-RC1
• Facebook’s shenanigans
• An Empirical Analysis of Hardware Failures on a Million Consumer PCs
• Firefox for Android
• Why small is the future for desktop PCs
• Piriform – CCleaner v3.20

The post Episode 005 – News and Reviews for 6-27-2012 appeared first on Tech Preps.

In the last episode we discussed the importance of taking a technology inventory. I ran out of time to get into doing a software inventory, so that is what I’ll be covering in today’s episode. The main purpose of this exercise is to put together a “quick recovery” kit for each PC you own.

Listen in as I talk about:

• Software can “break” just like hardware
• Your PC’s OS is the most important piece of software on it
• The importance of drivers and how to get the latest ones for your PC
• Why you should keep a copy of your “recovery kit” offsite
• How to find all the software installed on your PC

Also, after I recorded this episode I realized that in the beginning I mention that I would talk about backups a little, and then I didn’t! Sorry! That is definitely a topic that will be covered in great depth in the future.

Resources / Links

• Software Checklist (PDF)
• ProduKey
• Ninite

The post Episode 004 – Tech Prepping 101 – Software Inventory appeared first on Tech Preps.

By: Al Pavangkanan

Taking inventory is a prepping basic. If you don’t know what you have, you don’t know what you need. This is true whether you’re talking about food storage, survival tools, or in the case of today’s episode, your technology preps.

Technology is fragile and this makes keeping track of what we have even more important. An inventory of your important items is just the first step in ensuring that you have some redundancy for when things do break. You don’t have to be a computer or technology expert to do this but even an expert might learn something from this exercise (I did!)

Originally I had planned to cover hardware, software and data in this episode, but the hardware portion ran much longer than I expected. So I’ll be covering the software and data portion in the next episode.

Listen in as I cover:

• Why taking inventory is important.
• What kinds of items should be included.
• What details should you include in your inventory list.
• What benefits are there to having this list even if there is no disaster to deal with.

Resources / Links

• Inventory – Main List (PDF)
• Inventory – PC – Details (PDF)
• PC Wizard 2012

The post Episode 003 – Tech Prepping 101 – Taking Inventory appeared first on Tech Preps.