FrugalTech

Extra Pages Printed With Word Document

2010-09-23T18:00:00.001-04:00

If you get an extra sheet that prints out with every Word Document you print, it can be very wasteful, not to mention annoying. To save some paper, ink, money and the environment - here are the easy steps to stop that extra page from printing.

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I am referring to MS Word 2007 for all steps here. If you are getting extra pages from everything you print, you may want to check your printer hardware options, or windows print driver properties.

Click the Office button, then click Word Options. Word displays the Word Options dialog box.
Click the Display option at the left side of the dialog box.
Make sure the Print Document Properties check box is cleared. Click on OK.

There you have it, no more extra sheets of paper to waste. Hope that's helped you and save you some time.

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Permanently Delete Facebook Account

2010-05-13T15:00:00.000-04:00

Are you tired of all the changes to Facebook's privacy policy? Are you seriously thinking about deleting your Facebook account permanently?

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If you just want to deactivate your account for now, so others can't find your information you can do the following:

Log into your account.
Click Account - Account Settings - Deactivate (all the way at the bottom)
Once you do this, your profile will no longer appear on Facebook, but information is saved so you can reactivate later.

If you are really tired of Facebook, you can permanently delete your account by doing the following:

Log into your account.
Go to the Security Hacked account FAQ page (12771).
Click on the link at the end and confirm on the next screen.
Once done, your profile is saved for 14 days before deletion, just in case you change your mind.

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10 Reasons why your PC is slow

2010-03-31T09:30:00.000-04:00

I often get asked about why someone's pc is slow. As many of you know, the more programs you install and the older your pc, the slower it will become. Much of the "speed" of a pc is relative - much like the theory of relativity pertaining to space and time. To put it simply, your computer gets slower as you compare it to faster machines.

Now I'll list a number of reasons why your computer is slow. Perhaps the next time you want to speed it up, you can check it against this list to help speed up your pc.

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10 reasons why your PC is slow

Old CPU - If your CPU is several years old, you'll run current updated software much slower than current processors. In it's day, your pc may have been top of the line, but time takes it's toll. If you were to run older software, your computer will most likely zip along like it used to.

Not enough RAM (physical memory) - Running your computer with not enough memory is the worst thing you can do for your computer. It will end up taxing your hard drive and other components more. Running any modern 32-bit OS, you should have as much RAM as you can get. 32-Bit systems can handle up to 4GB of RAM, anything more is a waste of your money. If you are running a 64-Bit OS, such as Windows 7, you can use up to 8GB or more - depending on your version of Windows 7.

Low free disk space - Computer can start acting sluggish if you run out of disk space. In worst case scenarios, your computer won't be able to boot because there is no more hard disk space for temporary files that are required during boot-up. Be sure to keep an eye on your disk space and delete things you don't need.

Failing hardware - When hardware such as motherboards or hard drives start failing, all kinds of random problems can start popping up. Sometimes, you may think you have corrupt files or perhaps even a virus. The easiest way to test it is to use a Boot CD, such as Ubuntu and run it to see if that also has problems.

Windows updates - Recently my computer slowed down to a crawl for no apparent reason. I thought I had a computer virus. After doing some malware and virus scans, I found nothing. Then I checked my system logs and found the problem, windows updates! The updates were downloading and installing in the background, taking up a huge chunk of system resources.

Too many running programs and services - If you've had your computer for a few years, chances are you are running more programs and "services" than you need. I try to make it a point to uninstall programs I have not used in the last 6 months. Doing so keeps my computer running fast.

Virus, spyware or other malware - Spyware and other types of malware have become more of a scourge than traditional viruses. If your computer is slowing down and you are getting popups or having problems getting to websites, your computer may be infected.

Your Filesystem needs cleaning up - If you have a lot of temporary files or other digital junk, chances are, it's taxing your computer. I find cleaning out temporary files periodically helps my PC run much smoother.

Desktop has too many icons - In my days as a tech, I have seen many computer "desktops" cluttered with hundreds, yes, hundreds of files. I'm not sure why anyone would do such a thing, but one result is a much slower computer, since everytime you move a window - your computer has to refresh the screen with more desktop icons. Clean out that desktop!

Power saving settings - I think saving power and the environment is great. However, if you have a high demand / high use system that needs to be at it's peak, turning off some energy saving settings can speed up your computer.

The best solution to most of the above software problems is to reinstall your OS and add only the applications you need. It's a good chance to backup your critical data, you do backup right? As for hardware issues, you can replace it or buy new. Oh, and donate your old computer equipment to those who can use it. Landfills are full enough and there are always people around who would appreciate a computer to use.

For additional links to tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC or FrugalTech in any way, contact me via email. Click here to add this to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalTech by Email.

How To remove Avast Antivirus

2010-03-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago, I was helping someone remove a copy of Avast Antivirus 4. To my surprise, it would not let me remove it using the normal uninstall process.

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After a minute or so of Googling, I found the answer - awsclear.exe. Apparently, this problem is more widespread, so there is a tool to remove it in circumstances when the normal uninstall doesn't work.

Why would I want to remove a good product such as Avast you ask? There are numerous reasons.

Corrupted virus signatures due to a bad update
It just wont start properly
Corrupted files are causing 100% CPU usage
You want to replace it with another product that you want to try out etc...

Avast is not alone, I've had problems removing other antivirus problems in the past. It's good that Avast has a simple removal utility to help. Have you had problems removing an antivirus program? What's your favorite antivirus program?

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Wifi Status

2010-03-02T10:30:00.002-05:00

I was recently asked: "How do I know how strong my Wi-Fi signal is?". The answer is very simple, check your taskbar!

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First, move your mouse to the computer icons on your taskbar (bottom right of your computer screen). This example uses Windows XP.

Hovering over the wireless icon will bring up a status dialog. You will know what Wi-Fi access point you are connected to (it's been crossed out here) along with the speed, signal strength and status. To get obtain a little more information, you just have to click on the icon your mouse was hovering over.

Doing so will give you the above dialog box which displays your signal strength in a graphical view. The more bars, the better your signal. In this case, the signal is very good. You will also see how long you've been connected to this Wi-Fi AP and the send and receive activity since you connected.

To get extended information, I recommend a tool such as NetStumber, which can help you figure out Wi-Fi issues you may be having and plan your Wi-Fi AP placement and channel selection.

I hope this has been helpful. What Wi-Fi tools do you use in your Tech belt?

Related Books

Using Team Viewer To Remote Control A PC

2010-02-24T11:00:00.006-05:00

Here is a quick tutorial on how to use TeamViewer to remote Control your pc. Assuming you want to remote control your work computer from home.

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Here are the steps.

Work Computer

Download this on your work computer and leave it running. You will get an ID and Password assigned for this session. Write it down or email it to yourself so you will have the information at home.

Home Computer

Download the TeamViewer Setup file.
There are three simple steps to take at home.

1. Run Software

2. Accept Agreement

3. Create Session

You will have the Session ID from above. You can enter the password when prompted.
You are not controlling your work computer from home, and can do anything you would be able to do while at work.

I hope this quick tutorial has been helpful.

Recommended Books

You can buy the Learning FreeNAS: Configure and manage a network attached storage solution book if you are looking for a good reference book.
Network Know-How: An Essential Guide for the Accidental Admin
Absolute FreeBSD: The Complete Guide to FreeBSD, 2nd Edition

5 Super Portable Diagnostic Programs

2010-02-17T15:00:00.000-05:00

Portable applications are a tech's best friend. Luckily, there are many portable applications resources now, such as PortableAps.com. More and more applications are written for portability and there are numerous advantages for this. Below are five of my favorite Portable tools.

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Ccleaner Portable - My favorite Registry cleaner and repair tool in one. This helps remove broken windows registry entries and gets rid of browser cache and cookies.
Revo Uninstaller Portable - This great tool removes junk that an unwanted program's uninstall routine leaves behind.
EasyCleaner Portable - This complements CCleaner. It's great at helping you remove files from a full Hard Drive. The Space Usage tool shows how much space each folder takes up.
SuperAntiSpyware Online Safe Scan - The best malware scanner I've used to date. Only issue I have had with SuperAntiSpyware was it didn't work in Safe mode.
Recuva - This little app helps undelete files you may have deleted. This app is from the makers of CCleaner.

What tools do you use to help maintain your pc? Share your treasured utilities in the comments.

Books I recommend

You can buy the Learning FreeNAS: Configure and manage a network attached storage solution book if you are looking for a good reference book.
Network Know-How: An Essential Guide for the Accidental Admin
Absolute FreeBSD: The Complete Guide to FreeBSD, 2nd Edition

Windows 7 Simplified Book Review

2010-02-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

If you have bought a computer recently, it will run Windows 7. There are still ways to get Windows XP, but it is getting rare and hard to buy. If you are new to Windows, are a beginning PC user or just want a simple and easy introduction to Windows 7 - Windows 7 Simplified is a great book for you. For those of you with more experience and are familiar with Windows XP for years, this book will not help you much.

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The best part about this book is the screenshots provided during every stage of the book. Nearly every step is accompanied with a screenshot that lets you visualize what's happening, even if you don't have windows 7 in front of you.

The book shows you the basics of getting started with Windows 7. Topics include:

Starting and getting familiar with Windows (boot, shutdown, etc..)
Working with programs - install, getting to know parts of applications, uninstalls, switching apps.
Creating and modifying documents - Basic text and document editing.
Working with images - Viewing, importing, editing and printing images.
Working with Music and Movies - Listening, ripping music, playing DVDs and other Windows Media player features.
Files - Basics of organizing, creating, moving, copying, moving, searching and deleting of files. Also Burning files to CD/DVDs.
Sharing Computers - Home groups, wireless networks, user accounts.
Surfing the Web - IE and basics of using a web browser.
Windows Lie Essentials - Email, contacts and calendars
Security - Passwords, parental controls, junk mail
Customizing Windows - Themes, wallpapers, modifying some basic settings that change how windows look and feel
Maintaining your PC - Disk space, defrag, disk check, backup and restore.

If you are new to computers and have just been given or purchased a new PC with Windows 7, this book should help you get up to speed very quickly. If you are a windows veteran, this is not a book for you. You may find an interesting tidbit here and there, but nothing you won't find elsewhere for free.

Related Books

Work With Microsoft Office 2007 Files Without Office

2010-02-02T09:30:00.000-05:00

Many people have opted to keep older versions of Microsoft Office because the older versions are good enough to do what they need. At times, you will receive Office 2007 versions of files or you may have to work with Access 2007 Databases. If you don't want to shell out cash for the full package, you can still work with these files via readers and runtime file installs.

Using viewers, you can view Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio and Access files. Using the Access runtime install, you can work with Access 2007 databases, including data entry, printing etc. This means you can purchase fewer copies of the full Office install and still work with the files.

You can download Office viewers and the Access Runtime files from Microsoft, links are provided below.

Access 2007 Download: Access Runtime : The Microsoft Office Access 2007 Runtime enables you to distribute Access 2007 applications to users who do not have the full version of Access 2007 installed on their computers.
Snapshot Viewer for Microsoft Access : The Snapshot Viewer enables you to view a report snapshot without having the standard or run-time versions of Microsoft Access 97 through Access 2007.
PowerPoint Viewer 2007 : Microsoft Office PowerPoint Viewer 2007 lets you view full-featured presentations created in PowerPoint 97 and later versions.
Word Viewer : View, print and copy Word documents, even if you don't have Word installed. This download is a replacement for Word Viewer 2003 and all previous Word Viewer versions.
Visio 2007 Viewer : The Visio 2007 Viewer allows anyone to view Visio drawings and diagrams (created with Visio 5.0, 2000, 2002, 2003, or 2007) inside their Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.0 or later Web browser.

Links to Software

Books

What tools do you use for office productivity? Did you find this post helpful?

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Avast Free Antivirus 5

2010-01-28T09:30:00.003-05:00

A new version of Avast antivirus has been released.

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The new avast! Free Antivirus 5.0 has a completely revamped interface and significantly enhanced malware protection. Its new heuristic anti-malware engine offers code-emulator technology, and powerful boot-time scan. Avast is one of my favorite FREE Antivirus offerings. One of the best things about it is the boot-time scan, which can help remove some nasties that other anti-virus protection cannot, even paid ones like Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 or McAfee AntiVirus. The plus for the paid versions are for businesses who need support.

Check out the review of avast 5 on pcmag.com. You can download avast! Free Antivirus 5.0 for XP, Vista or Windows 7 here.

Alternative Free Antivirus Software

AVG Antivirus version 9 - Another favorite of mine
Avira Antivir - My current recommendation. It's simple to use and you get updates daily
Microsoft Security Essentials - Microsoft did a good job with this one. Will be testing on a few systems with this soon.
Clamwin - Open Source Antivirus. If you love Open Source, this is a product for you.
Norton Security Scan - A free product from a leading antivirus maker. It's simple, but may not offer as much as some of the others above.

Do you use avast!? What Antivirus software do you use and why?

My Current Recommended Books

You can buy the Learning FreeNAS: Configure and manage a network attached storage solution book if you are looking for a good FreeNAS reference book.
Network Know-How: An Essential Guide for the Accidental Admin
Absolute FreeBSD: The Complete Guide to FreeBSD, 2nd Edition

Prevent Your PC From Being Hacked

2010-01-21T10:00:00.001-05:00

More bugs have been found on Internet Explorer 6 (IE 6). If you are still using this old browser, you are likely either very lucky or don't browse the web much. If you have been keeping up with Windows updates, you should have gotten at least IE 7 by now. This Zero day exploit is known as the Aurora IE vulnerability.

To keep your pc safe, it's best to update your browser to one of the following:

Browser related books:

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10 Ways To Free Up Disk Space Quickly

2010-01-05T09:00:00.001-05:00

If your pc is running low on disk space, you will experience all kinds of "weird" issues. Systems can hang or freeze. Programs can close out unexpectedly and other unexplained issues will arrive more often. Sometimes it might seem like your pc has a virus or other malware. When in a pinch and you don't know how to free up disk space quickly, here are ten tips on how to do just that.

Remove the system pagefile if you have enough RAM
Remove the hibernation mode
Empty your Recycle Bin
Run Disk Cleanup
Uninstall applications, starting with the largest app first
Move large media files to external drives
Delete large files you no longer need
Delete Application install files you no longer need
Uninstall large applications and reinstall in another drive or partition
Empty your browser cache

The above list should help you quickly remove large files so you can get a stable system back ASAP. I'll go into details on how to do some of the above in future posts.

Top 10 Favorite Google Products

2009-12-29T09:00:00.033-05:00

It all started with Google Search (lets not forget Blog Search), then I added Gmail and now I'm an official Google fan boy. Yes, I think Google may take over the world one day, at least until some other upstart starts besting Google in the future.

For now, here are my favorite Google Products, in no particular order.

Google News and Fast Flip - If I want to do a quick check of what's going on, I head to Google News. Now Fast Flip has made the magazine stand nearly obsolete for me!
Google Chrome - It's the fastest browser around. I recommend it to all my friends. What else is there to say?
Blogger - I'm a blogger thanks to Google's Blogger platform.
Gmail - I remember when I first started using Gmail, I hesitated. Now like most, it is my primary email account! Gmail makes having a single inbox very easy.
Google Calendar - I'm ramping up my use of Google Calendar. Liking it more and more each day.
Google Voice - This has changed the way I handle my phone calls. What else is there to say?
Picasa 3.6 - Using Picasa, Google has made organizing and quick editing Photos easy and FREE!
Google Maps - I never leave home without checking Google Maps before heading to a destination!
Google Docs - I've yet to delve into this much, but I have seen what many people have done using Docs and it makes sharing documents easier than most methods I've seen. The move away from MS Office is easier thanks to Google Docs.
YouTube - You can find entertainment, education, music, and all sorts of things on YouTube!

I'm waiting to add Google Wave, and Chromium OS to this list at some point. I have not used Google Wave enough to add to this list and Chromium OS is not due out yet. I'm sure there will be even more products I'll be adding to this list soon.

What about you? What are your favorite Google products?

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Win XP Boots, But Not Safemode - Fixed!

2009-12-22T09:00:00.012-05:00

I recently resolved an issue with a machine that boots into windows normally, but could not boot into safe mode. Since this issue was not too urgent for me, I had not searched for the answer thoroughly, until recently. I recently worked on another machine that has similar problems.

I wanted to boot into safemode to doublecheck some malware removal issues. After doing some searching online, I initially got no where. Then I tried some other search terms and found one that got me the answer "XP Pro won't boot in safe mode". This led me to the answer I was searching for, the thread contained the exact issue I was having. I found the answer via the SuperAntiSpyware app, which I used to help remove the malware previously.

After using SuperAntiSpyware and verifying I can boot back into safe mode, I searched for the term "repair safeboot key". The result helped explain the issue and gave me an answer via DidierStevens.com. The issue stems from the fact that malicious malware removed my registry keys for safe mode. It tried to keep itself safe by making sure I cannot remove it by going to safe mode. Lucky for me, I did remove the malware, but was left with a system that did not boot into safe mode, since the registry keys at HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Safeboot were all deleted.

I'm happy to say that I have learned a good lesson that I would not have known about were it not for the malware that infected my machine. Like the saying goes, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

Have you dealt with this issue or something similar? Share your thoughts and solutions in the comments.

For additional links to tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC or FrugalTech in any way, contact me via email. Click here to add this to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalTech by Email.

Speed Up Your PC With One Line

2009-12-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

If your computer is acting sluggish, and you know you have enough memory for the tasks at hand, here is a quick tweak to give your pc a speed boost.

Create a text file and name it FreeUpRam.vbs
The content of this file should be only this following line:
Mystring = (80000000)

If your computer has less than 128MB Ram - doubtful these days.
The line would need to be:
Mystring = (16000000)

Save the file to your desktop and double click it ONLY after you have closed out most of your apps you are not working on any longer.

This line of VB script flushes out your RAM, thus a quick speed boost since your newly opened apps from this point on can work with all the FREE RAM.

For additional links to tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC or FrugalTech in any way, contact me via email. Click here to add this to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalTech by Email.

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.

For additional links to tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC or FrugalTech in any way, contact me via email. Click here to add this to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalTech by Email.

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.

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.

For additional links to tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC or FrugalTech in any way, contact me via email. Click here to add this to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalTech by Email.

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.

For additional links to tips and tricks follow me on Twitter (once this attack is resolved). If you would like to contribute toFrugalNYC or FrugalTech in any way, feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add this to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalTech by Email.

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.