Earn 1 million $’s the Easy Way (Seriously)

I thought it’d be bigger..

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of not being a millionaire. Fortunately, two recent reader submissions have pointed me to two ideas that will put an end to my days of brown bag, peanutbutter sandwich lunches, and will have Robin Leach looking for me.

“As to the “Easy Money” of today’s “Tech-for Everyone”, many, many years ago, did I say many years ago? I bought my usual Saturday morning comic book. In the back of it were interesting things one could order. Tucked into a sharp ad was an inticing promise; “Earn 1 million $’s the easy way.” Of course I wanted to know how. The clipping said that I had to send $1 to the address on the ad. I did so and waited anxiously for the golden information that would make me a millionaire…the easy way. After 2 very long weeks I received a postcard that said, “Take out an ad in a comic book ad ask for $1 for the information on how to get rich.” That was it. I immediately felt that I had been ripped off and took it to my dad so that he might take legal action. He informed me that I had just paid for a a very important lesson and he was glad that I was learning it at 7 and not at 27. I guess the more things change the more they stay the same.” ~ Ann

Method 2: if you have a new smartphone, one with near-field technology (like the Galaxy S III), you could just stroll around town for a while…

* Credit card data can be stolen with a wave and an app Certain smartphones allow potential fraudsters to get sensitive info, with minimal effort

“It seems like there’s a smartphone app for everything these days — including one that could be used to steal your credit card information.” Read more..

I guess the $700 it takes to buy an S III isn’t such a bad investment after all…

I sincerely thank the readers for bringing those to my attention!

Today’s quote: “Sometimes it’s important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it’s essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.” ~ Douglas Pagels

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

A Tale of Computer Troubleshooting

I’m a tech. And a one-man Help Desk. And I’ve been one for a long time.. since Windows 95, to give you an idea. The other day I get a call. (No surprise there.)

The caller tells me that when they went to turn on their computer that morning.. the screen is solid black. And they are quite concerned, of course, as they have tons of work to do that needs doing yesterday.

They tell me it’s an old Dell with Windows XP, and, no, (unprompted) they hadn’t visited any naughty sites, nor seen any ‘strange behavior’.

So I ask some questions, and have them try rebooting, you know, I go through the SOP.

They tell me the power light comes on, they can hear the fans, and that it “sounds normal.. there’s just nothing on the screen.” (am I hearing a case of the notorious “black screen”? No, this is a Desktop.)

So what would your diagnosis be?

You might guess the monitor died.. right? That they need to go buy a new one?

Well, I tell the caller that there are several possibilities (causes) as for their ‘black screen’ trouble, either hardware or software, and the only way I could zero in on it would require I have access to the machine (not over the phone), and that in all fairness they should be thinking about buying a new machine instead of repairing that old XP. (I wrote It is time to face facts and finally dump Windows XP way back in early 2011.. 2 years ago now.) Pay me to rescue and transfer their data, not keep a relic alive for another .. who knows how long?

Well, that’s not an option, so can I come over? And .. I don’t have much money.. (why do people always say that..?)

So I go over to their house and quickly verify that, as I suspected, it is not a dead monitor (by plugging one of my own).

See, my first suspect, and line of thought as I was driving over, was that a Windows Update had ‘gotten stuck’. Why? Because the day before the call was ‘Patch Tuesday‘, and Update glitches are a cause of startup failures (and black screens). I knew this last batch of Updates had had some troubles.. as two other calls, the day before, had shown. In short, a software failure.

And I knew there were other possible suspects. I have been doing this a while..

But when I powered up their machine to test my monitor/video cable. I heard something my caller had failed to mention — five long beeps, with a short beep. Which points at hardware. Those beeps are a code, you see, and their number and sequence tell a tech what is wrong (um.. at least, that’s the idea behind POST Beep Codes.)

So I powered up my laptop and went to the Dell website and downloaded the technical manual for that model, and looked up the beep code and discovered that the code I was hearing meant that their problem was a failure with the RAM memory.
Which will also produce a ‘black screen’.

So I looked at the RAM specs and then went out to my car and grabbed my package of 2x 1GB PC3200 DDR modules out of my kit (for just such occasions) and went back in their house, opened the computer’s case, popped out the old RAM and put mine in, and BINGO! — their computer started right up, faster than before. (Because their old modules were only 512 MB’s).

And I charged them $75. (One half-hour labor plus the parts.)

My client was delighted and flabberghasted. They were expecting to pay much, much more.. And they not only were able to get right back to work, but had gotten an unexpected upgrade.

I tell you this story not to blow my own horn, or drum up more clients. I tell you this because my client, upon hearing the bill, expressed what I find to be an extremely prevalent conception out there in “average computer user” land — that technicians are crooks, gougers, and/or incompetent, and/or always tell you to buy a new device.

Or they think they can “Google it”, and fix it themselves.

I tell you that story to try to explain why that conception, out there, common though it be,  isn’t fair to us techs.

We know what to look for (and listen for), what questions to ask, and can (usually) get right to the heart of the trouble and get you back online again in  jiffy. In today’s marketplace, with literally TONS of unemployed IT types willing to fix your computer, we simply cannot gouge in our pricing (were we so inclined).

And if we tell you a part needs replacing, it does. And I (and I’m sure other techs, too) do not profit on parts — we order ’em cheap and pass the saving on to our clients.

.. to test my theory, try googling ‘black screen’. See how many answers you have to read before you find “replace your RAM”.

I know this little story isn’t going to change the world’s view of repair techs but.. if your computer won’t start up, the screen is black, and it’s beeping at you? Be sure to tell your tech about them, won’t you? Have a great day, everyone!

Today’s reco: Windows Repair (All In One) – A GREAT Utility For The Tech Toolbox

“When it comes to computers we can find ourselves getting into all sorts of situations where it is very difficult to assess and fix the problem. For example, a couple of friends of mine recently ran into a situation where the windows updates service was broken on a computer they were working on and they had to resort to researching the matter on the internet in order to get a fix.” Read more..

Today’s quote: “You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” ~ Walt Disney

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Pretty Photograph

aka Sunday Beauty #121

Folks, here is another image for your Sunday. Hope you all are having a splendid weekend!

Click on image to see more by this artist

“Sunshine Coast Sunrise” by Jiaren Lau, courtesy of Flickr Commons.

Today’s quote: “Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known.” ~ Garrison Keillor

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Fun Videos for a Fantastic Friday (And Bomber Rides)

Sheeze but it is gore-gee-us here today. Wow. My kind of weather!

This puts me in such a good mood, all I’m going to do today (before I head outside) is post a fun video — one that will put is all in the mood for the coming season.

um.. oops. Not quite right. How about this one?

Hmmm… that wasn’t quite right either.. This one?

Hmmm.. Yes, closer… But that sunshine is calling me, and that’ll have to do. Have a great day everyone!

Ride in a B-17 At the Hayward Executive Airport, this weekend, $450 will buy you a ride on the Memphis Belle (one of the last remaining flyable WW II heavy bombers). Those who want to experience this once-in-a-lifetime .. um, experience can call (918) 340-0243 to book a seat. Ground tours are available after the flights. The ‘flying museum’s’ website is here.

Today’s quote: “If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience.” ~ Robert Fulghum

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Now, this is interesting…

Let me start today by not only predicting the future, but spreading a rumor!

* Rumor: Microsoft Bringing Back the Start Button With Windows Blue

“Redmond is reportedly building new version of Windows with the option to boot to the traditional Windows interface instead of Windows 8’s “Metro”-style Start Screen.” Read more..

[ Yes. I’m chuckling. ]

Progress Marches On

* Twitter Rolls Out Keyword-Targeted Ads

“Twitter has added a new layer to its advertising platform that will let partners target their ads based on the content of your tweets.” Read more..

[ Isn’t that great?! Just what I’ve been waiting for! ]

* Number and Power of DDoS Attacks Skyrocket

“Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are on the rise and becoming more sophisticated, according to new data from Prolexic.” Read more..

* CISPA passes U.S. House: Death of the Fourth Amendment?

“The controversial cybersecurity bill has passed the U.S. House and is now on its way to the Senate chamber. Privacy groups believe this tramples on the Fourth Amendment.” Read more..

[ What’s kind of weird is, nobody I’ve asked has even heard of a “sispah” {CISPA}.. ]

And let’s not forget the fast and easy money

Okay. I’m done.

It just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?

Today’s quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” ~ Winston Churchill

*     *     *

Folks.. that one about the 4th Amendment? And CISPA? Kinda important. I hope you’ll read it slowly and carefully.. Maybe.. write your Senator?

Good thing no one will see this (it’s on WordPress)..

Seriously?

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Quick Tips and news items – a hodgepodge!

Folks, only time today for a few “items of interest”.

* Cisco To Partners: Use Social Media — You Can Bet Your Competitors Are

“Social media sites are no longer just ways to kill time online — they are marketing powerhouses that must be embraced by partners if they hope to stay competitive, Cisco said this week.” Read more..

[ Just one teensy-weensy, little, miniscule problem: doesn’t actually produce sales.. Does it? But it’s proven they sure do waste time..! ]

* Quick Tip: Make Windows 8 File Explorer launch in Computer view

“With the right code you can change the default settings of Windows 8 File Explorer.” Read more..

* Screenshots: Five alternatives to QuickBooks

“Jack Wallen suggests several options that offer a near feature-for-feature comparison to the popular QuickBooks.” View on site..

* Bing Delivers Five Times as Many Malicious Websites as Google

“Searches on Bing returned five times more links to malicious websites than Google searches, according to an 18-month study from German independent testing lab AV-Test. Though search engines have worked to suppress malicious results, the study concluded that malware infested websites still appear in their top results.” Read more..

Come on.. tell me you knew that hackers plant poison websites on the web, and trick Google/Bing/Yahoo into Ranking them in the Top 10.. Please tell me you knew.

* 200+ useful Keyboard Shortcuts for Word 2010. – ShortcutWorld

“225 time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts for Word 2010. Extensive up-to-date reference lists of Keyboard Shortcuts/Hotkeys for Windows, Mac, and …” Learn more..

* I learn something new everyday when I surf the web. For example, I didn’t know there was such a thing as “reptile carpet”.. or that anyone offered a cleaning service..

A valuable skill..

* WordPress, Joomla Sites Under Brute-Force Password Attack

“Thousands of WordPress and Joomla sites are currently under attack by a large botnet brute-forcing passwords. Administrators need to make sure they have strong passwords and unique usernames for their WordPress and Joomla installations.” Read more..

[ “Joomla”?? Who makes up these words! ]

And the hits, they just keep on playing…

* Spammers Piggyback on Boston Attack

“Cybercriminals don’t hesitate when they see an opportunity to spread malware. Not even when it means exploiting as horrific an event as the Boston Marathon bombing.” Read more..

Today’s quote: “There comes a time in every rightly constructed boy’s life that he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.” ~ Mark Twain

[ Can you believe? I had forgotten that.. so long ago. ]

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Tuesday Tidbits #21

Some items of interest for your consideration. (Also, yesterday’s article has been updated.)

* DropSmack: Using Dropbox to steal files and deliver malware

“Michael P. Kassner interviews a digital forensic scientist who uses Dropbox to compromise targeted networks — something the bad guys probably figured out as well.” Read more..

* WordPress hit by massive botnet: Worse to come, experts warn

“A massive botnet of tens of thousands of machines is attempting to hack in to weak password protected “admin” accounts of the popular blogging platform.” Read more..

[ note: this is of concern to even non-bloggers. ]

Good news? * Oracle to release 128 security patches, hundreds of products affected

“The software technology giant will release today fixes for “hundreds” of its products, including Java, that led to high profile corporate hacking earlier this year.” Read more..

Still true * 7 Reasons Computer Glitches Won’t Go Away (Ever)

“People have been complaining about computer glitches since the punch card days. Honestly, it’s 2010. Why don’t we have simple stuff like drivers and software compatibility fixed yet? Can we blame it all on Bill Gates?” Read more..

[ note: To be “hip” and “trendy” {appeal to a younger set} the author uses a few rather salty words. But, he’s right on target. ]

source: cracked.com

Bah. All the headlines are discouraging.

* Analysts start to sweat Apple’s Q2, outlook

“Apple analysts have quickly stopped yapping about $1 trillion market caps and $1,000 stock prices and now sweat iPhone volumes and the outlook for the June quarter.” Read more..

* California case another three-part tragedy of rape, cyber bullying and suicide

“Three boys accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old California girl who took her own life after pictures of the attack were posted online are due in court this week, as authorities ramp up their investigation into the latest case involving rape and cyber bullying.” Read more..

I used to think that they needed to tear down the entire Internet and rebuild it from the ground up — this time with security in mind. But now I’m starting to think they can (should?) just skip the rebuilding part… But, there’s kewel things like foursquare, so.. (see, The Future of Tech – “Intuitive” Phones [ scroll down a bit.. ]) maybe I’m wrong about that latter part.

More on the future of Tech: 10 things about Google Glass: Could this be Google’s iPad?

“Here are 10 things to know about the Google Glass program for developers, consumers, businesses and everyone interested in the search giant’s next big thing.” Read more..

Today’s quote: “Living in memories is an empty gesture.” ~ Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.