A few more items and Friday Fun

Happy Friday to you all. Here are a few more news items for your consideration.

* ANYONE NEED A BUNCH OF RUINED LAPTOPS? Why One School District Killed Its Student Laptop Program 

“There is no more determined hacker… than a 12-year-old who has a computer.” Read more..

[Yet again, another ‘feel good program’ fails when it bumps into reality..?]

* Apple hit with privacy class-action over iPhone location service

“Apple has been hit with a class-action suit for using the location service function on its iPhones to track customers, alleging that Apple has indeed handed over the information to third parties, including the U.S. government.” Read more..

* How one judge single-handedly killed trust in the US technology industry

“In a single two-hour courtroom session on Thursday morning — just in time for lunch — US District Judge Loretta Preska ruled on a case that has massive global implications for US technology giants.” Read more..

* Encrypt your face and foil the NSA

“Surveillance cameras are everywhere, backed by sophisticated facial recognition software. But you can defeat them, the NSA and whoever else is monitoring you. Here’s how.” Read more..

* Latest Citadel trick allows RDP access after malware’s removal (keyword=”after”)

“Attackers have updated Citadel with a new “trick” that gives them device access even after the banking malware has been detected and removed by administrators, a security firm found.” Read more..

[Geekspeak note: “RDP” (remote desktop protocol) is what tech service types (such as myself) use for ‘remote repairs’. It allows me to see your screen, move your cursor as if I’m moving your mouse, type commands, etc., without visiting your home.]

* Friday Fun Video Note: the first several minutes of this is jet fighter flying stuff, but you can skip that if that’s not your thing. Slide it to 3:50.

* Today’s quote: “Fun is good.” ~ Dr. Seuss

Copyright 2007-2014 © “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.
And please, never forget – one person can make a difference.
Find a way to make someone’s day today.
(Best advice I ever heard? Don’t sweat the small stuff.)

 

Are you shopping for a tablet, notebook, or desktop?

Folks, I don’t usually ‘plug’ a particular store, but this sale has some deals worth considering.. if you’re in the market.

Click on image if interested..

The store is TigerDirect (who I use rather frequently) and to see this “100” items, click here. While you’re there, you might want to check their other clearance sale as well …

Note: There are Windows 7 units in there..

(And did you see the 23″ monitor deal?)

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.

Father shoots teen’s laptop after ‘disrespectful’ Facebook post

This happened a month ago.. and I somehow missed it, and didn’t “hear anyone talking” until just now.

Video goes viral on YouTube

A video of an angry American father pumping nine slugs from a handgun into his daughter’s laptop has gone viral on YouTube and sparked an impassioned online debate over his parenting skills.

Watch the video below, then continue on to the story.

“Tommy Jordan, of North Carolina, explains in the video, which he titled “Facebook Parenting: for the troubled teen,” that he was upset by a Facebook post by his 15-year-old daughter in which she complained about her parents.

“This is for my daughter, Hannah, and more importantly for all her friends on Facebook who thought her little rebellious post was cute,” Read more..

What I thought was interesting was the daughter thought her Settings choices would keep her writings private…

On the Internet…

Maybe she thought she could just “delete” it if she every changed her mind about it, too.. (No. You cannot “delete” things from the Internet. And if there’s a chance you might not want others to see it? Don’t post it.)

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Related reading: Here’s Why I Do Not Do Facebook…

“Thought I would throw this article out there from MSNBC – The Redtape Chronicles , titled: Govt. agencies, colleges demand applicants’ Facebook passwords If you think privacy settings on your Facebook and Twitter accounts guarantee future employers or schools can’t see your private posts, guess again. Employers and colleges find the treasure-trove of personal information” […] Read more..

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Not related: A Windows veteran looks at Win8 Consumer Preview
By Woody Leonhard

“If you download and install Windows 8 Consumer Preview, released late last week, I can almost guarantee that you won’t like it.

I know only a handful of experienced Windows users (who don’t work for or with Microsoft) who say they like Windows 8. But it’s the future, eh?” Read more..

(Maybe the best read on Windows 8 I’ve seen so far..)

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Today’s quote: “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” ~ Dr. Seuss

Yeah. Right.

Gotta run. I do hope to get back here.. but if I don’t, I hope you have a great day!

Copyright 2007-2012 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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What? More Facebook? | Inside Your PC

Yes, folks. A bit more on Facebook…

• Facebook: What happens to active users when jobs come back?

“There may be an inverse relationship between jobs and Facebook growth. In other words, more jobs may mean less Facebook time.” Read more..

(I like that optimism.)

Really busy again today, so how about a quick repost of a good article you may have missed.

What The Inside Looks Like…

Today’s article is going to be just a little bit different, and it will be ‘short and sweet’. On several recent onsite repair jobs, I have opened the computer’s side panel and heard the client exclaim, “that’s all that’s in there? I was expecting more.. more.. stuff.” I am always bemused by people’s reactions when they look inside a PC for the first time.
(Yes, there’s a lot of open space inside a desktop PC. Laptop’s are different, and every nook is filled.)

So today – for those of you who have never seen the insides of a computer – I provide two simple photos: inside a desktop, and inside a laptop. (Your configuration will have some differences..)

Fairly high-end desktop (aka “loaded”), yours may not have so much in there..

Inside a laptop

Today’s quote: “Remember, men need laughter sometimes more than food.” ~ Anna Fellows Johnston

Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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New Computer? Decrapify it! (A How To)

If you are one of those lucky people and you now have a shiny new Laptop or Desktop computer, congratulations! There are several things one needs to do with a brand-new computer: the first will be to visit Windows Update, and get the machine ‘patched’ with the latest security Updates. (Click the Start button, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update.)

Then of course, you will spend some time “personalizing” the system — say, giving it your favorite “wallpaper” (or Theme), and installing your favorite programs. And then you want to de-crap-ify your machine.

What I mean by that, is remove (aka “uninstall”) the “trial” programs, and Polar Penguins Bowling games, and “Connect to AOL” crud that the computer manufacturers insist on loading onto the units they sell. This software “free trial” stuff can cause that new machine to slow to a crawl, and sooner or later, fill your screen with annoying pop-ups! (trial is over, buy now!)

Every year I tell you guys that the tool for that is the wonderful PCDecrapifier utility. This little tool gives you a simple and easy way to sweep away all that junk in one action, which saves you from the normal, one-at-a-time, method of Control Panel > Programs and features > Uninstall a program.

Click on image to read PC Decrapifier's "How It Works"

This year, I am also going to tell you that instead of re-inventing the wheel, I will refer you to an illustrated How To on a rival site (How To Clean Up your New Computer With PC Decrapifier). Which means even those of you with not a lot of confidence in your abilities can (read+follow) use this tool.
And I highly recommend you do.

And, if you have simply never gotten around to cleaning that trialware off of your not-so-new machine, well.. it’s not to late.

Today’s (other) reading reco: 2011: A year in review

“The year 2011 saw Android and Apple battling for mobile domination, with patents rivaling technology as the weapon of choice. We watched HP’s soap opera, RIM’s decline, and Netflix’s crash. We said goodbye to Steve Jobs. And the answer to most every question continued to be “the Cloud.” Read more..

Today’s quote: “The more sympathy you give, the less you need.” ~ Malcolm S. Forbes

Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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Gorilla Glass | Kewel Desktop Clock (with weather) | More

Several items have been brought to my attention recently, via reader comments and emails, which are worthy of your attention. First up, “gorilla glass”.

Are considering getting a new mobile device? One that might be dropped? Or kept in the same pocket/purse as your car keys (aka “where it might get scratched”)? Or perhaps, will be mostly in the care of a young person/child?
If so, you might want to make sure the gadget you’re considering has a screen made with “gorilla glass”.

Why do I want Corning® Gorilla® Glass on my devices? “Scrapes, bumps, and drops are a fact of life, but Gorilla Glass enables your device to resist damage from the abuses that come with everyday use. Gorilla Glass also has strong aesthetic appeal. It’s thin, lightweight, and cool to the touch – enabling the sleekest designs.”

Clicking on the gorilla picture will take you to Corning’s gorilla glass FAQ page; and their list of vendors and products which use the tough screen glass is here. (I was pleased to discover my smart phone was listed..)

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Now that Winter is coming, keeping a “weather eye” on the forecast seems a bit more.. prudent. Having it displayed on your Desktop would make that easy. I am not a fan of “weatherbug” and some of the others (I view as adware and a resource hog.. but others, including CNET give it good reviews. You can see that, and download it here), and don’t really have any good alternative suggestion for a free app (or widget) except for maybe HTC Home.

I don’t think this will give you emergency warnings of impending tornadoes, but does give the basics in an attractive way.
I hope someone will leave a comment with their fave free ‘weather widget’..

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Learning By Video: Perhaps you might like to forward this to someone you know..

If so, here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCSA7kKNu2Y&ob=av3e. (You’ll probably also want to send them Tip: Bcc Protects Private Email Addresses. Who know? Maybe.. you can FINALLY get through to them?)

Today’s free download: Are you a skim reader? It’s up above!

Today’s quote: “The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.” ~ Lily Tomlin

Have a good weekend, everybody! (And my thanks to those who wrote in.)

Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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Winners | Friday Fun | My New Tablet Is Not A Tablet

I have mentioned here that I am intrigued by the new “tablet” PC’s (ala the iPad) but have held off, waiting for better capabilities at a better price. Amazon’s new Kindle “Fire” (check it out here) seemed at first glance to be the first to fit that criteria, and got my interest going — but I will not buy the first release of any product, and will wait for version 2.

My need for a portable, and the lack of really good tablet (yet) had me looking at netbooks again. Remember netbooks? The most hyped product – sure to change the game – of just a couple years ago?
I never did get one. Too underpowered, and I didn’t like the small keyboards.

It so happened that I saw in my local gizmo and gadget store a Limit One Per Customer deal (always a good indicator of a bargain) for a 15.6″ laptop (aka “notebook”) for $230. The same price as netbooks go for these days. So I got one. (An eMachines EM443). I repeat: $230.

For a mobile device, it’s big (deliciously big when Netflix watching) true enough, but it’s quite light .. and I’m not trying to fit it in a purse. (When I’m really “on the go”, my HTC smartphone is in my pocket.) Battery life. Big bright screen. Optical drive. Full-size keyboard. Windows 7 Home Premium. Build in webcam. I figure, why settle for a crimped little netbook? Or a tablet that mainly only lets you view (or “surf”)? With a stripped-down OS..

Winners announced: The folks at Novosoft generously donated 7 licenses for Handy Backup Standard to me, to award to my readers. I sincerely thank them for that.

“Handy Backup is an easy-to-use backup software designed to perform automated backup of your computer. User-friendly interface and a rich set of backup features make it one of the best PC backup software for home and small office use.“

The lucky winners are….

(Winners, check your Inbox [and maybe your Junk folder] for the Subject HBStandard Winner)

Friday Fun:

The weekend is almost here. Yay!

Today’s quote: “The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised.” ~ George F. Will

Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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