FrugalTech

Chrome OS

2009-11-19T21:10:00.001-05:00

Have you been waiting to check out the Google Chrome OS? Here's a video. Looks like we can take Windows XP and make Chrome Browser the Shell to get a similar effect!

Below is the video Google Released

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Thunderbird 3 RC Due Out Next Week

2009-11-06T13:48:00.000-05:00

Thunderbird is one of the best FREE email applications out there. It is full of options and it's easy to use. If you already use it, you'll be happy to know the release candidate for Thunderbird 3 is due out next week.

Some new features are:

New Search with Advanced Filtering Tools: Search results now include advanced filtering tools. You have the option to filter your results by sender, tag, attachments, people, folder, and mailing list. You can also filter your email using the timeline tool.

Smart Folders: The folder pane offers a Smart Folders mode which combines special mailboxes, like Inbox, from multiple accounts. Smart Folders is now on by default.

Improved Gmail Integration: Better recognition and integration of Gmail's special folders such as Sent and Trash including non-English versions of Gmail. Thunderbird also uses All Mail as the Archives folder.

Thunderbird works very well with your GMail account. If you are new to Thunderbird, you can find out more about it here.

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5 Windows 7 Security Tips You Should Know

2009-11-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

Windows 7 is touted to be the most secure version of Windows yet. Of course the more popular this OS gets, the less it will be secure. Here are five things you should know about Windows 7 Security.

Protect The Core - Windows 7 uses Adddress Space Layer Randomization (ASLR) to keep attackers guessing about where to attack by randomizing the memory locations of key OS functions.
Safer Web Browsing - Windows 7 comes with IE8, which I use occasionally. It is much more secure than IE 7. It has InPrivate Browsing, which can come in handy at public terminals. Protected Mode is
The UAC - This has not changed much from Windows Vista (by default), but there is an added slider so you can totally disable it (like you did in Vista) or turn it way up!
Security Tools and Apps - Due to the kernel changes mentioned in number 1 above, older anti-virus applications will not work in Windows 7. Make sure you use the Firewall and Windows Defender if you don't have other protective software in place. Otherwise, you can probably find the latest versions from your anti-virus vendor.
Action Center - The familiar Windows XP Security Center is now called the Action Center. It does more than what XP's security center did. Check it out if you have Windows 7.

Will you make the switch to Windows 7? If you have already, leave a comment about what you like best.

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Apple TV 3.0 Released

2009-10-30T09:00:00.012-04:00

Those of you with Apple TV can upgrade for free to the latest version 3.0. It features a revamped user interface, access to iTunes LP, iTunes extras, Genius mixes and Internet radio.

With iTunes LP you get new additional information such as lyrics, photos, writing, memorabilia, liner notes, chonology, credits, videos, and much more. As for iTunes extras, think of it like DVD extras, but a little more interactive.

On the music front, you can access Genius Mixes available currently on iTunes. Apple will configure a playlist of songs similar to the selected song. Version 3.0 supports up to 12 endless mixes, according to Apple. The Internet radio option provides access to the thousands of internet radio stations already out there.

Do you have an Apple TV? Upgrade and let us know what you think of the latest update.

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Ubuntu Karmic Koala Released

2009-10-29T19:13:00.005-04:00

The latest version of Ubuntu, version 9.10 also known as Karmic Koala has been released. If you are a fan of Ubuntu, get your copy. If you don't know what Ubuntu is, it's one of the easiest to use Linux distributions out there - for the average person. Here is an online preview of the features.

The new desktop is built around “Ubuntu One,”a collection of backup, note and contact synchronization and file-sharing services integrated into the operating system, offering 2 Gigabytes of free storage and more by subscription.

Some new Ubuntu features for the deasktop include:

Ubuntu One - An umbrella name for an exciting suite of online services
Quickly toolset - Helps developers automate mundane functions and package code
Ubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix (UNR) - Improving netbook and small machine experience
Faster, simplified, better-looking boot experience for most users
Audio revamp allowing improved sound control across multiple applications
Firefox 3.5: latest, fastest, most secure web browser yet from Mozilla

I've used Ubuntu on and off and it functions well as a general desktop system. It's free and it works well right out of the box for most online activities. Looks like Windows 7 won't be he only OS to keep people busy.

Do you use Ubuntu? Have you already tried Ubuntu? Let me know what you think of it.

Cheaper Than Air!

2009-09-03T09:00:00.002-04:00

The MSI X340-023US 13.4-Inch Laptop - Silver is a laptop I recently saw in a magazine for under $800. It was said to be lighter than Air - the Apple MacBook Air. At this price, you can buy two lighter than air laptops for the price of one. It has some very good reviews on Amazon and has a host of features considering the light weight status (2.8 lbs). At this time, it is the world's lightest and slimmest laptop. It is more feature rich than most of the netbooks out now.

The MSI X340-023US 13.4-Inch Laptop includes:

HDMI audio and video
Wifi
Bluetooth
1.3 MP Webcam
13" display among other features

If I were to need a light weight laptop now, I'd definitely pick this one up. Have you bought a laptop recently? What model did you buy and why? If you have the MSI X340, I'd love to hear your review of this.

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Save Money - Print To PDF

2009-08-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

Mac OSX and Ubuntu Linux (other Linux distributions do as well) already come preset with PDF printing capabilities. Once you have this “printer” setup, you can save your company and yourself a lot of money. Not to mention saving trees and the environment in the process.

Once you print to a PDF file, you can always print a paper version, should you need one in the future. Another plus, you know the files are in your computer, which saves you from digging through a filing cabinet – another costly investment, when you go looking for the file.

If your windows PC does not already have a PDF printer already setup, I highly recommend CutePDF.

If you need help installing software or need any computer related help, contact Pixel Perfect Group.

Better Looking Search Box

2009-08-18T12:16:00.002-04:00

I found this via a tweet on Twitter. It's a way of making your WordPress blog search look much nicer, and it helps save some space on your blog/website.

The script is found via arcanepalette.com, which is full of other useful tips and tweeks for your site.

VLC Media Player for Ubuntu

2009-08-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

VLC is by far one of the best media players out there. The reason I say this is because it can play nearly any media you throw at it. I use it to watch DVD discs in Ubuntu Linux, though I tend to forget how to get it installed from time to time. Here is one way to do so, from the VLC website.

Ubuntu Jaunty Jackalope 9.04,
Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex 8.10,
Ubuntu Hardy Heron LTS 8.04

Open Synaptic (System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager). In Settings -> Repositories, make sure you have a "multiverse" repository activated.

Search for vlc and install it. You should also install vlc-plugin-esd, mozilla-plugin-vlc (and libdvdcss2).

Command line way

You need to check that a "multiverse" mirror is listed in your /etc/apt/sources.list.

% sudo apt-get update
% sudo apt-get install vlc vlc-plugin-esd mozilla-plugin-vlc

Free Site Map Generator

2009-08-13T19:17:00.002-04:00

Have a website? Do you have a site map? If you don't, you can generate one quickly and for free using XML-sitemaps.com. Tried it out with a small website and it worked in seconds! If you own a website and want a sitemap, but don't want to spend time creating it, try this free service.

Twitter Under DOS Attack

2009-08-06T11:29:00.004-04:00

Twitter is under a DOS (Denial of service) attack this morning. Those of you trying to get to the home page or your own twitter pages via the Twitter website will not be able to get through until this DOS attack subsides or they figure out how to circumvent it.

If you are like me, you've been trying to get to the Twitter page for the last couple of hours. I'm now imagining the Twitter IT staff fighting the horde of attacking DOS monster with their Shields and swords. ;)

Twitter is more popular than ever and along with that popularity comes such problems. If you are tweeting via non-web methods, you can still get your tweets through. You can find a list of such tools on our Interesting Twitters blog post.

*Update* as of 11:38 AM EST, reports are saying the site is back up.

How did you spend your time while twitter was down?

I Don't Hear Anything

2009-07-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've often had to help someone figure out why their computer does not play music or produce any sound from the speakers. Often times, it could be a bad software driver and sometimes it could be other newly installed software that is interfering with the sound system. Then there are the obvious reasons, that most people forget or don't bother to look at.

Is it plugged in?

Many times I have come across a computer with no sound, only to find that the speakers were never plugged in! Sometimes it is because it was plugged into the wrong jack. Other times it could be due to someone pulling it out by accident. Whatever the case, checking to make sure your speakers are plugged into the audio out jack should be the first thing you want to check.

Does it have power?

The second most likely culprit is power. Sometimes the speakers may have blown due to electrical problems. Other times, someone may have unplugged the ac outlet to plug something else in temporarily. You can check for the power

Yes, I know these are very simple and elementary issues. However, they are issues that are often overlooked in the field of IT, by the customers and sometimes even by technicians. So next time, before calling the IT guy, save yourself and your company some time and money, check the above two items before hitting the IT 911 line.

Once you get past these basic issues, you can fiddle with the software settings and volume controls for the OS and the applications.

Can you think of other items are often overlooked? Have you had to deal with basic issues like this as an IT guy?

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Labeling

2009-07-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

You might be thinking of labels like that employed on Firefox, Gmail or other recent software. That is not what I am writing about today. I'm writing about the plain old sticky labels that you write a description on and you stick on the item you want identified!

Why am I writing about this? I recently read an article in smart computing magazine and thought it was very accurate. I've often had to help a client plug in a new piece of hardware, but only to find that there are no AC jacks free. Since I am doing the install, I need to make sure everything works. I have to unplug something! If everything was labeled, this would only take a few seconds, but it usually takes pulling and poking to try and figure out what cord connects to what electronic equipment and if it is currently on. The worst thing you can do to a computer is to unplug it in the middle of something.

The best thing you can do for your computer or any other electronic equipment is to label it when you plug it in. This makes it easy down the road. This is proper planning.

Do you label your electronic cords? Do you label other things that need to be organized?

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Google OS

2009-07-08T09:00:00.003-04:00

So after years of rumors, it is finally coming to fruition. Google is building their Linux based OS called, Google Chrome OS. According to the Google blog, it is trying to help the world by bringing a new OS that does not need anti-virus and other malware prevention tools. I doubt that will ever happen, but I am glad to hear Google is entering this field.

Microsoft, undoubtedly will be shaking in their boots, once again. Though Microsoft does have some time to think and strategically out-do Google, if they have smart brains behind the controls. Time will tell. Apple may finally get some competition, just maybe, for their planned mini notebook device.

What I like about the concept of the Google Chrome OS is the speed. If it lives up to the Chrome Browser, I would be very happy and will definitely have a go at it. As it is, I'm a fan of Ubuntu Linux, Google's OS may replace that, if it is done right.

What do you think about the Google Chrome OS announcement and what it means for computing in general?

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7 Things That Run On Linux

2009-06-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

Linux has caught on to the mainstream even more, and thanks to Ubuntu and other similar projects, it is easier to use. I'm working from a Ubuntu laptop as I write this! Below are a list of things that run on Linux.

Linux Alarm Clock! - Why you would want one? I'm not sure, but I do find it interesting.
Routers - Most consumer routers sold run one form of linux or another. You can even do more with your router by using DDWRT or Tomato - alternative software for your router.
Cell Phones - T-Mobile G1 running Android
Web Sites - Nearly all websites are run on Linux and Apache!
Your Computer - Desktop and Laptop Computers of course. Where it all started.
Netbooks - Netbooks are the biggest item in computing currently. It will get even bigger once Apple enters the market.
MediaCenter hardware - you can even create your own using GeeXboX

What else do you know of that runs linux?

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Hibernation Mode

2009-06-09T12:33:00.003-04:00

I've found myself using my laptop's Hibernation Mode more and more lately.

In the past, I have used it from time to time. Though never regularly. Now that I use it regularly, I find it to be very handy and it is a time-saver! I use a laptop that is several years old. In today's standard, it is ancient. Though it performs very well, doing what I need it to do, sometimes I find the boot-up process a bit slow (mostly due to applications loading after boot.

Now there are problems to watch out for using hibernation mode. More problems can crop up and memory leaks may become an issue longer term. I find that Hibernation mode works much better in Windows XP than in my machine running Ubuntu.

What about you? Do you use your Hibernation mode? Why do you use it and what benefits do you see from it?

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Google Chrome - Out Of Beta

2009-05-21T15:00:00.000-04:00

Google has released a non Beta version of Google Chrome. I've been using the "Beta" version for some time now and have enjoyed using its speedy response to most sites I visit. You can read more about the Chrome release here.

Though my current browser of choice is still Firefox, Google Chrome comes in at a near second choice. The only thing holding me back from using it as my primary browser is maturity of the product and the fact that I can't get the full install to download easily. On a slow or shared connection, this can be a bit of a hassle.

What about you? What is your favorite browser and why?

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WolframAlpha VS Google?

2009-05-14T10:00:00.001-04:00

I just found out about a new service called WolframAlpha that is supposed to be a search site that gives you the actual answers to your questions. It's touted as a computational engine, not a search engine. It's currently in a test phase and only available to invited folks. I'll give it a go when I get access or when it becomes public.

I doubt Google will take a back seat to this new service, as Google is already developing similar features into the Google search engine. Many people, myself included, use Google for much more than just search. I just looked up a package I was tracking on FedEx using Google, without having to go directly to FedEx's site.

What about you? What features of Google do you use? Have you tried WolframAlpha? Will you use WolframAlpha? Is the name too complicated to type?

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Tiny Core Linux

2009-05-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

I recently discovered a Linux distribution that caught my interest. It's called Tiny Core, and it is headed by one of the lead developers for DSL (Damn Small Linux), Robert Shingledecker. The amazing thing that caught my eye right away was the size of the OS, only 10 MB!

Tiny Core is a bare bones (frugal) distribution and has many things in common with DSL, which is expected given the fact that Robert did much of the development for DSL. So how does a GUI based Linux Distro fit in 10 MB? It is made for a specific niche, those who want a fast booting system with no bells or whistles. This means that you get a really fast base system that you can add applications to, the same way that DSL gave you ways to add extensions and programs.

I have not tested this distribution thoroughly, but my one time boot into the LiveCD version definitely got me interested. I did not have access to a wired ethernet port at the time so I did not get much beyond checking on the applets and applications native to the 10 MB OS.

If you have tried this distribution, I'd love to hear what you think of this Linux Distro.

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Encrypt Your Data For Free

2009-04-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

If you have any sensitive data, financial or any other personal data, how do you keep it safe from prying eyes? I've heard a lot about TrueCrypt and I recently read an article called How To Encrypt Your Business Data For Free. If you think your data on your computer is safe with a username and password, think again. Anyone can take your hard drive and pretty much grab any file off your computer just by hooking it up to another machine, unless you use file encryption.

Most people do not have the need for file encryption, afterall, most of your personal is readily available via Google already! For those of you a little more sensitive to data theft, you can use any of the following software available for your computer system.

There are other free software packages out there already and I will update this list as I come across them. What about you? Do you encrypt your data? What software do you use?

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Blackbery AutoText Tip

2009-04-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

I accidentally discovered a little trick with the Blackberry AutoText feature. If you create a shortcut with the SmartCase feature ON, the result of the AutoText will match.

Example

The built in shortcut for the current date is ld
If I type ld in lowercase, the result will be Fri, Mar 6, 2009
If I type LD all in uppercase, the result will be FRI, MAR 6, 2009

I tend to use several AutoText shortcuts regularly and find this helpful. Hope you find this helpful as well.

You can find my other Blackberry Posts below:

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AVG Anti-virus 7.5 No Longer Supported

2009-04-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm still running version 7.5 of AVG anti-virus, and I've been getting alerts to upgrade to version 8 of AVG anti-virus. If you don't know already, AVG is a, free for personal use, anti-virus program. I've been using it for years and have written a post on it before. I've used version 7 for years now and it has done a good enough job for me.

Version 8 has some improvements and comes with some extras that may make your web browsing habits a bit safer as well. Part of the reason I use AVG is because it utilizes very minimal system resources, not to mention free.

If you are still using version 7.5 you should upgrade to version 8 soon. I'm sure you've been getting the pop-up asking you to upgrade, if you have kept up with virus signature updates. The deadline for the upgrade is April 12, 2009, meaning your AVG 7.5 software will stop getting updates.

Do you use AVG Antivirus? Have you upgraded? What other free Anti-virus software do you recommend?

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Update To Firefox 3.0.8

2009-03-31T08:00:00.004-04:00

Firefox released a security update in the form of another update. They did so very soon after a zero day exploit was discovered. Kudos to the Firefox community! If you have not updated or did not get the automatic update yet, go to your Help -> Check For Updates menu in Windows. My Ubuntu system updated itself on 3/29/09, very nice.

Whatever system you are running on. Do your part to keep your system and web browsing habits safe by upgrading to the latest version of Firefox 3.0.8.

If you don't use Firefox, what do you use? Do you like the speedy Chrome browser? The Apple backed Safari? Microsoft's default IE? Or the renegade and bleeding edge Opera who started tabbed browsing and many other features? Let us know what you use, and why, in the comments.

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Conficker Worm Coming

2009-03-28T08:00:00.002-04:00

April 1st is coming and so is Conficker C, according to this article on Yahoo Tech among many other news articles, this is a big one!

This computer worm affects most current windows systems, so if you use windows make sure your system is patched and updated to the latest windows updates. You should also check to make sure your computer's anti virus application is running properly and patched with the latest updates. I personally use AVG Anti virus as I mentioned in a previous post.

You can scan your machine using Microsoft's Windows Live OneCare safety scanner for the worm if you suspect that your machine is infected. Those of you on a Mac, Linux or other non-windows machine, you are safe from this one.

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Uninstalling Unlisted Windows Apps

2009-03-24T08:00:00.003-04:00

I found a great tip from a Networking Geek to Geek article yesterday. The article was about Hidden Commands and contained mostly items beyond my current networking skill set. The first tip however, seemed like a great item to keep handy. I've often found myself on a PC with useless programs and wanted to remove them.

Using this tip, you can remove the offending program without any third party applications. Here is the tip:

Open up the file windows/inf/sysoc.inf in notepad, search and remove the word "hide" save and reboot. Now that software you want to remove is visible in Add/Remove Programs.

Just be warned that if you are not sure what you can or cannot remove, it's probably safer to not remove it. You just might end up making your machine less useful than you started. Do you have any similar tips or hidden commands that are useful? I'd love to hear about them.

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