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.)

 

Review and Giveaway – Office Backup

User Friendly Backup Solution?

In talking with the folks at Novosoft prior to my most recent software license giveaway, which featured the top drawer Handy Backup Standard, (to read my review, click here) a lesser-known product of theirs came up, which – it was suggested – might be easier (aka more “user friendly”) for the Average Computer User, called “Office Backup”.

Publisher’s Description:

Novosoft Office Backup 4

Novosoft Office Backup is a usable and reliable backup software designed for backing up and restoring your documents and important files.

Novosoft Office Backup is designed to work with just about any type of storage media, including: CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray media; SFTP or remote FTP servers; local network drives; ZIP, JAZ, MO; USB-flash; HDD and floppy disks.

Automatic backup of most frequently used applications: Outlook, ICQ, AOL IM, registry, etc. Email Backup via POP3 directly from the mail server.

If you are looking for a simple yet powerful backup utility, you have just found it – Novosoft Office Backup.

Benefits

• With Novosoft Office Backup you can easily keep all important files synchronized between servers, desktops, laptops, LANs, ZIP disks, secondary hard disks, etc.
• It helps you to protect your business from risks associated with loss of valuable data.
• Guaranteed technical support.

Key Features

• Support for different types of backup storage (including “cloud storage”)
• Windows-based flexible interface
• Integrated ZIP compression
• 128 bit encryption
• Free backup plugins
• Email Backup via POP3 directly from the mail server
• Flexible and powerful scheduler
• Flexible file and folder selection criteria
• Multi-threaded transfer engine
• supported: Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000 and Windows Server 2008/2003/2000.

Unfortunately, I only had time to do the briefest of  testing with Office Backup, but I can give you my ‘initial impression’. And say that the key to “user friendliness” is a good wizard.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

It seemed to me that Office Backup is a “sister” (or.. close cousin) to Handy Backup, and most of what I said about HB in that review is applicable here. Installation was smooth (and it uninstalled cleanly). After the setup completed, the wizard opened automatically. Step One of any backup program is to create the backup rules. Immediately, I hit a ‘bump’ (see the second & third slides) – the boxes on the left, and on the right, are empty…

Most of us have learned to “expand” folder trees. And most of us know how to “select” by placing checks in check boxes. And.. I hope most of us know how to “add” those selection from one window to the other by using the ‘arrow’ in the center column.. (see 3rd slide). But some people are going to be stuck at Step 2 of the wizard, and I think they should have (at least) My Documents expanded and selected by default.. and so I think Office Backup’s powerful tools are more appropriate for Intermediate to Advanced Users.

Office Backup is intended to be run quietly in the background, keeping your source (your computer) files ‘synced’ with the “destination” (the backup copies). It seemed to me that it does so with negligible performance impact, and was light on system resources. But the initial, Full Backup, and the (full) “on demand” backup sets, took a long time to complete (but, I was testing on a rather old machine). It was easy (for me) to retrieve and restore files from the backup (but again, you have to understand folder trees..). My opinion boils down to – the keywords “flexible” and “powerful” are more apt for this product than the “easy” or “simple”. But, I think most people would be better served choosing their top drawer Handy Backup Standard version.

The potential uses for Office Backup are many — besides creating backup discs, you can ‘sync’ folders across your LAN, or simply ensure your .pst file is copied in an up-to-date way, and much more.

Novosoft has generously donated 3 licenses for Office Backup to me, to award to my readers. I sincerely thank them for that. So I am doing another random drawing giveaway, in my usual way.

How to enter? Residents of the US and Canada only may enter the contest drawing by simply by leaving a comment – click on “comment” (below), and enter a name and a valid e-mail (so I can send you a license key) in the form. Actually commenting is optional. And, I shouldn’t have to say this, but multiple entries will result in disqualification. (In this contest. Entry in prior contests doesn’t count against you.)
Entries must be received before midnight (Pacific), Thurs, Oct. 20th.

Again, I thank the folks at Novosoft for making this giveaway possible. A 30-day free trial can be downloaded here, Download Office Backup. Try it out yourself. (And then leave a comment. You may just win an activation key..)

¹ All entrants will be placed into Random.org’s “randomizer”, and the top 3 results will be the winners.

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

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Software Giveaway – novaPDF Professional

Folks, I Am Pleased to Announce My Latest Software License Giveaway Drawing.

The folks at Softland have generously donated 10 licenses for novaPDF Professional to me, to award to my readers. I sincerely thank them for that. So I am going to do a random drawing ¹ contest from those who “enter”. The contest will close at midnight (Pacific) Thursday, August 11th, and the winners announced Friday.

I am going to start this out by telling you that main thing I want to say about this software is – it delivers what it advertises (and merits the word “Pro”). At $50 retail, novaPDF will convert your document files into PDF format without making your wallet cry OUCH! (like Adobe’s product can..).

I have to also say that I agree with the reviews shown immediately below (the first is quite comprehensive). And that I am a fan of the “mail to” (email) and document security features. (A full list of features is available here. [It is too lengthy to post.]) I found the integration with Office 2010, and also Office 2003 – done during initial install – produced flawless output (on Vista and XP machines, respectively).

Read review..

Read review..

Read review..

From the publisher:

“novaPDF is a PDF creator for Windows that allows you to easily create PDF files (searchable and optionally PDF/A compliant). With novaPDF, everyone from novice users to professionals can create high-quality documents in industry-standard PDF format, by simply selecting the “Print” command from virtually any application.

Once installed, this PDF creator lets you: add PDF bookmarks, insert active PDF links, use it as shared network PDF printer, create public/private printing profiles, add PDF watermarks, reduce PDF file size, password protect PDF files, overlay and/or merge PDF files, convert to PDF any printable document and much more.”

One of my ‘competitors’, SpyOnTech.com, posted this video demonstration of novaPDF Pro on YouTube. (Their review is here.) They are showing available features.. you do not need to do that much clicking to use novaPDF! (In fact, I set my preferences, and haven’t gone back.)

novaPDF works quickly, and produces crisp (“sharp”), small (“compact”), PDF files. NovaPDF Professional includes the features businesses expect, and is affordable enough for the average consumer. The PDF (format) was suppose to create a “paperless society”; which hasn’t quite happened yet. With novaPDF you can take big strides in that direction.
(There are also “Lite” and “Standard” editions available. “Professional” is the top of the line. A comaprison of the editions is Here.)

How to enter? Residents of the US and Canada only may enter the contest drawing by simply clicking on “comment” (below), and entering a name and a valid e-mail (so I can send you a license key) in the form. Actually commenting is optional. And, I shouldn’t have to say this, but multiple entries will result in disqualification. (In this contest. Entry in prior contests doesn’t count against you.)

¹ All entrants will be placed into Random.org’s “list randomizer”, and the top 10 results will be the winners. A 30-day trial of novaPDF Professional Desktop can be downloaded here, Free 30-day trial. Try it out yourself. (And then leave a comment. You may just win one of these valuable prizes!)

Again, my thanks to the folks at Softland for making this Giveaway possible!

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

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Microsoft Buys Skype. Now What?

You may have heard that Microsoft purchased the VoIP program Skype. My email has me thinking this news apparently has some readers worried.

Microsoft’s Ballmer $7.7-Billion Skype Blunder

“Microsoft is buying Skype, the video and Voice over Internet Protocol giant, for over seven billion in cash and this will help them how?” READ FULL STORY…

I have seen a lot of dumb moves by tech CEO’s (and investors) over the years. I mean.. colossally idiotic. So, to me, this is just one more item on a long list. (But I am willing to concede, there is probably some reasoning for Microsoft’s long-range plan I am ignorant of.. and it may prove smart.)

What does this mean for you? I am going to go out on a limb, and do something I hate doing – predict the future. And I predict that this acquisition will have no, zip, zero, nada effect on us Skype users.

The fear: I cannot believe that suddenly you will start having to pay for what you are now doing free. (As people seem to be worried about.) Why? Because this is a technology that’s already available fully free and Open Source. Windows Messenger does the same thing Skype does, as does ooVoo and Vid, and several others. (I think Google even has something…)

Skype isn’t even that good a product. What it has going for it is lots of users. (It has “name brand” recognition.)

So what was Microsoft’s Balmer thinking? I don’t know and I don’t care. I just chuckled.

If Skype tells me I need to pay, I’ll simply uninstall it, and install something else – something free.

And so will every other Skype user.

They know this up in Redmond, so I am not expecting to have to switch. Not everyone up there is as idjiotic as Balmer can seem to be…

That’s how it’s done: But that’s how it’s done in today’s world: you come up with some tech thingy and get lots of users onboard, and wait for someone with more money than brains to come and buy you out. Almost 8 BILLION? Cash??? Sold!

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

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Norton’s Free Safety Tool For Parents

Think you know what your kids are doing online?

I am not a parent. So you don’t need to write to me and tell me cruel and totalitarian and Neanderthal I am for recommending this…

Because I already know that. I’m heartless. And mean. Grrrrrrrr. See?

As a security-aware techie, I advise parents (when asked) to talk with their children about online dangers – yes. And monitor and limit their childrens’ Internet access. I am not “knocking” the importance of communication nor education, but I do believe in “trust, but verify”.
The Internet is not Rated G. Ha!

Norton Online Family is a free service that has won recognition for excellence, and ease of use. (To see more awards, click here: Reviews & Awards.)

	“PCMag featured Norton Online Family in their roundup of Free Security Software Tools and celebrated it as one of the Best Tech Products of 2009.” -Neil Rubenking  (Click here to read Neil’s full review.)
	“Unlike many parental control products, Norton Online Family aims to create dialog between parents and kids, not assert draconian control. There’s no surreptitious spying here – it warns the child during the login process that his or her activity may be monitored.”
	“OnlineFamily.Norton.com Block sites, set a time allowance or make hours off-limits with this free service. Monitor Web searches and IMs from your computer. For an older teen who wants privacy, you can set it to alert you only if he engages in questionable activity, like checking out porn sites.”

From author:

“See your kids’ online activities at a glance –

Easy-to-read activity reports give you the inside scoop on what your kids do online. In just minutes, you can find out what sites your kids visit, what they search for, who they chat with*, and what social networking sites they spend time at. You’ll get to know your kids better and gain a deeper understanding of their online interests, so you can protect and guide them.”

The benefits of using Norton™ Online Family include

• Simple, one-time set up
  Create your Norton™ Online Family account, add and customize your family member accounts, and then easily install the Norton Safety Minder onto all the computers used in your household.
• Easy to use and access
  Check your child’s activity or modify your child’s profile and preferences anytime and anywhere using any computer.
• Always stay informed about those you care most about
  Know where your children visit, who they talk to, and what they’re doing while they’re online. Parents can also set and manage time limits, permitted sites, online chat* and social networking preferences for each family member.
• Engage and communicate with each other
  Take advantage of built-in notification and messaging, providing open discussion with your child about their online activities and better understanding about their intent with visiting specific sites or wanting to spend more time online.
• Never miss a thing
  Send alerts via email or text message to help you address urgent events. You’ll immediately know if your child has reached their time limits, visited a blocked site, or tried to add an unknown stranger as a chat buddy* wherever you are.

I would say that a few more know how than admitted it in that survey…

Did I mention this was free? The folks at Symantec get a big tip of my geek hat for this one!

* (chat monitoring) Not available in all regions and for Mac OS.

Copyright 2007-2010 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved. post to jaanix.

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Using Task Manager – Windows 7 Style

An Overview and Tutorial on the Windows Task Manager

There are several ways that you can access the Task Manager in Windows, and that’s still true in Windows 7. One method is to right-click on a blank section of the Taskbar, and select Task Manager from the context menu. Or you can press Ctrl+Shift+Esc. Or you can click the Start button, type “taskmgr” (no quotes) into the Search box, and press Enter. Or you can press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, (the good old “three-fingered salute”) you’ll see a full screen menu and can click Start Task Manager.

The “tabs”: the 6 tabs in Task Manager are Applications, Processes, Services, Performance, Networking, and Users.

Applications tab operates exactly the same as it does in XP and Vista. It allows you to determine the status of a task (you might see a program “not responding”) as well as end, switch, or create a new task. The former is the use for Task Manager that most people are familiar with: when you have a “frozen” (aka “not responding”) program, you click on it in, and then click the End Task button, which hopefully closes it down. (If it doesn’t, reboot.) But there is more to Task Manager than just this use! And these are found on the other tabs.

Processes tab provides you with very detailed information about the programs and Services (aka “processes”) currently running on your system, which is useful to experienced users (and techs) for troubleshooting.
* The “Image Name” column identifies the executable file. (Note: this is not always a “user friendly” name, and when you see these weird-looking spellings, Google is your friend. Do not assume that if you don’t understand it, it must be bad: wuauclt.exe is your friend, for one example, even if it is weird-looking [it’s Windows Update].)
* The “Description” column identifies each process in a more “user friendly” way. Don’t panic if a process’s description is blank; some basic Windows Services and “background” functions are generic and/or not described.
* The “CPU” and “Memory” columns tell you how much resources a process is using. A really high CPU number, or staying at 100%, can be an indicator of a problem.

Now for the fun: right – click.

Useful information about a process can be accessed by right-clicking on it and selecting the “Open File Location” or “Properties” options – when you select the Open File Location, Windows Explorer opens the folder containing the file; and selecting Properties, opens the file’s standard Properties dialog box.

The “Set Affinity ability is useful for getting old programs to run properly on the new multi-core PC’s. See Multicore Computers and Old Programs* for more on that topic.

Services tab provides you with a convenient way to quickly view the Services that are running while you’re troubleshooting. Right-clicking allows you to Stop the Service.

Performance tab (my fave) If you’re coming to Win7 from XP, this is where you’ll find the biggest changes to Task Manager. This window shows you actual system load, and ‘plots’ it over time. But I want a more detailed look, usually, so I go straight to the Resource Monitor button (Resource Monitor is a whole ‘nother article..).

Networking tab is essentially the same as in Windows XP. On the Networking tab you can view network status and see how your network is functioning.

Users tab is also essentially the same as in Windows XP. You can see who is logged on to the system, and Users can be disconnected or logged off.

In review; with Windows Task Manager is the “troubleshooting” tool for identifying and examining what is running on your computer; looking for ‘problem’ applications (and if necessary, force them to close with “End Task”) and Services; monitor how your processor and RAM is being used; and access system-level process settings.

Please allow me to remind you of my general advice for beginners: If you do not KNOW, do not touch… or, I should say, “don’t touch until you’ve researched it thoroughly.” You can really mess up your computer (as in “render useless”) by changing settings you don’t fully understand. Remember, too, there’s no shame in seeking the council of a professional… such as myself!

Entries must be received before midnight (Pacific) tonight (Thurs. May 27th) so act now!

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** A Chance To Win A Valuable Prize! **

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The folks at Genie-soft have generously donated five licenses for Genie Timeline Professional 2.0 to me, to award to my readers. So I am going to do a random drawing contest from folks who “enter”.Genie Timeline is a program that creates “backup copies” of the files and settings on your computer. With Timeline, you do not have to be “computer savvy”, and you can set-it-and-forget-it. Timeline constantly monitors your file system, automatically, for you.To enter the drawing, please see: Software License Giveaway: Genie Timeline Professional

Entries must be received before midnight (Pacific) tonight (Thurs. May 27th) so act now!

Copyright 2007-2010 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved. post to jaanix.

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Software License Giveaway Drawing

A Chance To Win A Powerful Prize

Q: Folks, do you want have an reliable tool to Detect and Remove Spyware, Adware and Malware, Trojans, Dialers, Worms, KeyLoggers, HiJackers, Parasites, Rootkits, Rogue Security Products and many other types of threats?
A: Yes.

Well, folks, Okay. I will tell you about a program I use that I have mentioned here before. It is an anti-malware scanner that I use on the job, on several of my own machines, recommend to clients, and install on the PC’s of my friends and family. I’ll tell you why — it’s simple and it’s effective. Since it “plays well” with most other security programs, it makes a great additional layer of protection to your existing antivirus/security solution.

Q: Folks, would you like to win a lifetime license for such a program?
A: The good folks there at SUPERAntiSpyware (known in the biz as “SAS”) have generously donated five Professional licenses to me – “lifetime” licenses no less – to award to my readers. I sincerely thank them for that.

The Professional Edition includes Real-Time Protection and scheduling and is one of the few programs I regularly reco getting the ‘for pay’ version. (An ounce of Prevention is worth 20 pounds of Cure, when it comes to malware!)

* Real-Time Blocking of threats! Prevent potentially harmful software from installing or re-installing.
* First Chance Prevention examines over 50 critical points of your system each time your system starts up and shuts down to eliminate threats before they have a chance to infect and infiltrate your system.
* Schedule either Quick, Complete or Custom Scans Daily or Weekly to ensure your computer is free from harmful software.
(So those of you already running the free edition should still enter.. IMHO.)

So I am announcing my latest software license giveaway contest. I will draw names from folks who “enter” by posting a comment (below). The drawing will conclude at midnight on Thursday, May 13, so act now.

Simply click on “comment” and enter a name and valid e-mail in the form (so I can send you the key). Actually commenting is optional. And, I shouldn’t have to say this but, multiple entries in this contest will result in disqualification. The five winners will be announced Friday.

For those who would simply like to learn more about this great security program, the SAS website is here.
To read what I have said about SAS:

• People Make The Difference
• I Answer A Common Question

Also, I refer you to this Bill Mullins article, SUPERAntiSpyware Professional – The Name Says It All!

Thanks again to SUPERAntiSpyware, and good luck to those who enter!

Copyright 2007-2010 © Tech Paul. All Rights Reserved. post to jaanix.

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