shopping « Tech – for Everyone

The Death of the Shopping Mall

(A quick reading reco) (Also, a fun video)

Folks, I only have time today to point you to an article worthy of your attention.

* E-commerce will make the shopping mall a retail wasteland

“There is a sickness in brick and mortar retail, and we need to understand what is causing it.” Read more..

.. ah, those unintended consequences ..

* * *

I need a pair of shoes like this guy’s (aka “Today’s Fun Video:“) (Because it’s summer.)

Today’s quote: “Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.” ~ Harvey Fierstein

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

August 20, 2013 Posted by techpaul | Internet, News, tech | death, e-commerce, kill, mall, shopping | Leave a comment

Choosing the right computer for your student

This is the time of year when I am asked for advice on what computer “tech” to buy for students.

It can be daunting – shopping for a new laptop or PC – as the number of choices is immense. (And shopping for someone else isn’t as easy, either.) But the good news is that it is hard to find a laptop or PC that is not capable of (powerful enough for) ‘general use’; even the cheapest ones. And the other good news is that, because computers are just an assembly of parts, it really isn’t all that important to choose one brand over another. Better yet, almost everyone selling tech has super discounts this time of year.

parents/teachers may want to click this image

However, if your student is older, and their coursework requires taking (doing) processor-heavy stuff – such as Animation/Film, Music editing/Broadcasting, Video Game Design, Drafting/Architecture, etc. – you’ll want to look at mid-to high-end units; which have faster processors (with more “cores”), plenty of RAM (4 – 6 GB’s), bigger screens with a “graphics card” (or in the case of laptops/notebooks, what is called “discrete graphics”) of at least 1GB.

Laptop or Desktop?

For home (or the dorm) the Desktop PC is still the workhorse, and my first choice; but for students who need mobility to study in the library, take notes in the classroom, join collaborative “study sessions” at the Quad, and whatnot, it’s hard to beat a laptop. (Sorry, but no, an iPad or tablet is not really a productivity device.)

If you decide on a laptop/notebook, there are a few factors to consider – most do not come with a 10-key “numberpad”, so if your student is a math, or business major, you might want to choose a model that does. Also, you might also want to buy a (larger) monitor that can be plugged into the laptop when back in the dorm.

More essential accessories:

* I always add a wireless mouse to my laptops. If the laptop you select has Bluetooth, a Bluetooth mouse is a “must have” addition (IMHO). If it doesn’t have Bluetooth, I would recommend a small (aka “travel”) wireless mouse from Kensington.

* External backup (“storage”). Whether you opt for a 1TB “portable” USB drive, or signing your student up with a subscription to a “cloud” file storage/sync service like Dropbox or SOS, a place to store copies of their homework is essential (you wouldn’t want to have to write that essay twice, would you?) and can help prevent “the hard drive ate my homework” nightmares.

* A pair of decent speakers. Today’s world really is “multimedia”, and speakers are must-have’s. It’s just that simple. And I said “decent”, as in don’t buy the cheapest you can find. (Yes, laptops do [usually] come with some kind of ‘built-in’ speaker, but even the best of those are wimpy.) I consider headphones to be a supplement to a speaker set, but in environments with nearby roommates (such as a dorm room), headphones might be a better first choice than speakers.. (if you’re planning to use Skype to visit with your student [and/or they’re online gamers] a headset with a ‘built-in’ microphone would be a good choice.)

* Anti-theft/find-if-lost software (optional). I personally would feel better if my student’s new laptop were protected – and (possibly) recoverable – if misplaced or stolen, and software like Laptop Cop is a great addition, well-worth the added investment. (See, 6 Ways to Find Your Stolen Laptop, If your laptop is ever lost or stolen, this security software will work hard to protect your precious data and help you recover the device.)

I hope these thoughts will help you choose a unit that your student will like and get good use from. But if you were hoping for more info (such as, “what do those Giga-numbers mean to humans?” [aka “specs”]) you may also be interested in this article: What to Look for When Buying a New Computer, My Computer Shopping Guidelines (it’s older, but still pertinent and more detailed).

* * *

Are we ready to pay attention now? $1.5 million Cyberheist Ruins Escrow Firm

“A $1.5 million cyberheist against a California escrow firm earlier this year has forced the company to close and lay off its entire staff. Meanwhile, the firm’s remaining money is in the hands of a court-appointed state receiver who is preparing for a lawsuit against the victim’s bank to recover the stolen funds.” Read more

Today’s quote: “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” ~ Mark Twain

Today’s fun video (because it’s summer):

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

August 14, 2013 Posted by techpaul | advice, computers, consumer electronics, hardware, PC, Portable Computing, shopping for, tech | advice, back-to-school, Choosing the right computer for your student, shopping, student | 2 Comments

Tablet Comparison + More

Some items (two, for those still shopping) ..

* Head-To-Head: iPad Mini Vs. Amazon Kindle Fire HD Vs. Google Nexus 7

“Apple’s iPad mini packs a punch despite its scaled-down size, touting a number of robust features and specs that even the most fanatic Apple followers didn’t see coming. But, how does it shape up against the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD, the two tablets that have traditionally set the standard in the 7-inch space?” See the slideshow here.

* OfficeMax Serves Up Final Black Friday Dish of Deals

“Black Friday is finally coming to a close at OfficeMax, which is hosting a final ‘Black Friday Every Friday’ discount event of the season today with up to 75 percent off on select items.” Read more..

non-shopping

* Infographic: The Dark Side of Teen Texting

“American teenagers are texting fools – quite literally, judging by the huge numbers of them who expose themselves with ‘sexting’ and worse, text while behind the wheel.” Read more..

* The 10 Best Mobile Apps Of 2012

“The year saw a diverse cross-section of apps for security, productivity, navigation and contact management. Here are the best apps of 2012.” Read more..

* Banks Gear Up For Highly Coordinated ‘Operation Blitzkrieg’ Cyberattack

“A Russian underworld figure is recruiting botmasters to conduct a coordinated attack on 30 financial institutions. While malware is used to steal the money, a Skype-based telephony DDoS attack is intended to shut down bank telephone systems used to validate the transfers.” Read more..

* Dangers to your bank account – how to perform online-banking securely

“Users of online-banking are generally more conscious of the risks they take when performing online transactions than with any other online service. This isn’t surprising, because if the wrong person gets their hands on your login details or in the worst case your TAN numbers as well, they can easily empty your account from anywhere in the world. Nevertheless, far too many users still bank online with little care, resulting in billions in damages every year.” Read more..

* * *

Today’s quote: “The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

>> 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. <<

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

December 17, 2012 Posted by techpaul | computers, consumer electronics, cyber crime, gadgets, Internet, mobile, News | . Google Nexus 7, 10 Best Mobile Apps Of 2012, Amazon Kindle Fire HD, comaprison, how to perform online-banking securely, iPad Mini, shopping, tablet, tabletpc, The Dark Side of Teen Texting | 2 Comments

What to Look for When Buying a New Computer

My Computer Shopping Guidelines

Some of you will be shopping for a computer this holiday gift-giving season, so today I will re-post some advice on what to look for in a new machine. I’m not going to get into a Mac versus PC debate. I am going to focus solely on hardware (the ‘capabilities’) options of a non-Apple desktop or laptop PC — though I understand that all anyone wants this year is an iPad.

Tip(s) of the day: What to look for..
* Laptop computers. Most of what I am going to recommend today applies equally to laptops and desktops with very few exceptions. Today’s portable machines (notebook and tablet PC’s) very nearly rival the hardware capabilities of a desktop (or “tower”), and some models market themselves as a “desktop replacement”. They have large hard drives for storage, can ‘burn’ dual-layer DVD’s, have nice large screens, can access the Internet wirelessly, and are fast. Some have high-end graphics adapters that can keep up with the latest games.

Where laptops are different is: they are comparatively more expensive, they (often) depend on a battery, and they’re limited in terms of “expansion”. Expansion, quite literally, is room to “add stuff”, commonly referred to as “upgrading”. For this reason, I advise (when purchasing a notebook/laptop/tablet) differently than when buying a tower/”box”/”desktop” – buy the most machine you can afford. (that means, faster CPU, bigger “Gigabyte” numbers..)
Also, I advise buying the battery “upgrade”.

If you have to penny-pinch, reduce the RAM and/or go with a smaller hard drive… because these are the two components on a laptop that it is relatively easy to “upgrade” at a later date, when your finances have recovered. The other things – CPU, graphics, motherboard, sound, etc. — are not so easy to swap out/upgrade. In a Desktop PC (“tower”) there is practically nothing you cannot replace: in a laptop you’re kind of stuck, so buy as high up the scale as you can. Not just what you think you’ll need today, but buy for tomorrow as well. Because that’s the way the machine will be for its lifetime. I would look for an i3/i5/i7 CPU.

When deciding which model laptop, do not forget to compare battery life (these stats are published). Also, and I can’t stress this enough, if buying for yourself, do not buy a laptop that you haven’t typed on. Yes, you can make your purchase online or out of a catalog, but go into a store and touch it first (sorry, all you Best Buy salespersons out there). Each keyboard and touchpad is different. Make sure you like the layout and “feel” of typing on the keyboard. There’s nothing worse (in laptop computing) than trying to work on a keyboard that just isn’t “you”–IMHO.

Considering a netbook? The portability of the compact netbook computers would certainly appeal to the student. For those who go this route, I would suggest the addition of an “external” hard drive (for more storage) as well as a DVD reader.

* Desktops: When considering which tower/desktop to buy, there’s basically three categories of machines; budget/student, workstation, and “performance”/gaming. Low, middle, and top-end. You can spend as little as ~~$300~~ $250, or as much as $8,500. (Yes. $8,500. But, those systems are cool!) I have mentioned before that to do it right, you can get everything you want/need for ~~$700 – $1,100~~ $399 – $899, and that even the budget machines have the “good stuff”.

My advice for what to look for in a desktop, is a little more flexible. First, decide roughly what you’d like to spend. If you really are in the ~~$300 -500~~ $250-400 range, do not rule out “refurbished” machines. Factory rebuilt/refurbished machines are an excellent value. Any negative stigma they may have is largely unjustified.

Get the most RAM you can.I would not buy a PC today that had less than 4 GB’s.

If your machine is coming with Windows 7 (and most all of them are), you should look for 64-bit.

Go with a mid-to-high end CPU. The quad-core CPU’s from Intel are very good, and are my current preference. But you can save some dinero by choosing an AMD equipped machine. If it is in your budget, go quad-core.

Optical drives. Unless you really need a ‘high def’ burner and you want it right now, hold off on going for a “Blu Ray” burner just yet. Blu-Ray readers are available and should suffice. Two optical drives, while nice, is not a necessity. Do, however, make sure your “combo drive” can burn (”write”) to a dual-layer DVD.

Graphics. Most people do not need a $800 graphics card (only us hard-core gamers, and other boys-of-all-ages, do) nor do they need an “SLI” set up. However, whenever your budget allows, it is almost always better to have a “graphics card” than “onboard graphics”. Onboard graphics chipsets are built into the motherboard, and while they do a quite adequate job, they “share” your RAM … and by that I mean “steal” your RAM.
Please note, you can buy, and install a graphics card at any time..

Power Supply. Do not forget to check the Wattage of the machine’s power supply. Here is another area where more is definitely better. It constantly surprises me how many seemingly unrelated computer ‘glitches’ and quirks turn out to be caused by an inadequate or failing power supply. Shoot for one that’s rated in the neighborhood of 350W, unless you’re going for a more “loaded”, high-end performance machine — in which case 500W, or higher, is not unreasonable.

* Is space an issue? Consider a “small form factor” (aka “mini tower”) size. These smaller boxes fit on (or under) a desk much easier than a normal size. You can find some “bundled” with a 17″ LCD monitor.. perfect for the dorm.

Well, that should get you started. Buying a new PC should not be a stressful thing. It should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Just remember to test drive before you buy, and do a little comparison. It really doesn’t matter if you decide upon a no-name, a HP, a Sony, Dell, or whatever (see, Which is Better, HP or Dell? and/or Tech’s Most (and Least) Reliable Brands).

Today’s free download: For those of you lucky folks who will receive a brand new PC… Whenever you buy a new computer, it will come preloaded with all sorts of trialware (as it’s called) that most of us don’t want. If you have just purchased a new PC, download and run the wonderful PC Decrapifier and clean off that *stuff*.

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December 15, 2011 Posted by techpaul | advice, computers, shopping for | advice, computer, for, guide, guidelines, new, shopping, techpaul, tips | 2 Comments

It’s Cyber Monday!

I hope you all had a great weekend. Well, I may as well “go with the flow” and write about how everybody is expected to shop! shop! shop!!! this so-called “Cyber Monday” (a reference to how you are not working, there at work, today, but just pretending to while you surf for bargains online).

I will say, again, be careful of online scams, and look for the “s” (https://) on shopping cart pages, and then point you to some geeky savings. Remember, try to go to the website directly — criminals are ‘poisoning’ search results, so you’ll get directed to their site, and get infected with a virus.

* Genie-soft, makers of the Timeline backup program (see my review here) are offering a 50% off deal here.

* Amazon has special discounts on all categories of items (not just ‘tech’). Their over-view page is here.

* TigerDirect’s “Pink Friday Sale” (named that as they will be donating a minimum of $100,000 to a breast cancer charity) is still available. Check out their discount items here.

* Buy.com says some items are discounted up to 83%.. but it is “while supplies last”, so.. don’t dawdle, click here.

Sometimes, it’s best to cut out the middleman.
* Hewlett-Packard has some deals (includes free shipping) here.
* Dell, for one day only, has savings of up to 80% on select products, here.
* Apple is offering savings on accessories (ahem.. accessories?) here.

Don’t forget Office Depot. I know it isn’t the first place you think of, but sometimes I think it should be. See their “while supplies last” deals here.

There.

That ought to help you be non-productive for a while. Have fun browsing!

Tip of the day: If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

Today’s quotable quote: “Thanksgiving comes to us out of the prehistoric dimness, universal to all ages and all faiths. At whatever straws we must grasp, there is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings.” ~ J. Robert Moskin

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November 28, 2011 Posted by techpaul | computers, gadgets, shopping for, tech | cyber, deals, monday, sales, shopping | 2 Comments

Be Smart – Tips For Safe Online Shopping*

I think it is a pretty safe bet that quite a few of you are doing some last minute holiday shopping.. and that some of you are going to use the Internet to do some of that shopping.

I would like to remind you that there is a healthy, active, and well-financed underworld of cybercriminals who are well-aware of the fact that the next few days are prime credit card and “identity” theft opportunities, and are going to be particularly active in trying to GET YOU.

You will see an increase in spam, and bogus pop-opens that tell you you are infected when you’re not. (Note: The phraudulent Skype alert is active again, too. see Skype — “Windows Requires Immediate Attention”.. Not! )

I am posting the following Basic Internet Shopping Tips in the hopes that Tech–for Everyone readers will not join the 9 12 million Americans who had their identities stolen last year.

Download Software Updates — Regularly!
Use Complex Passwords (include numerals and @#$%^&*[])
Use Onetime Credit Cards.
Verify Secure Connections See that little padlock symbol at the bottom of your screen, and in the URL address bar?
Check Your Credit report.
Enter Your Shopping Site’s Web Address Manually (embedded links=no!).
Shop From Your Own computer (not a public ‘hotspot’).
Enable your browser’s phishing filter, or install an add-on. (such as the super-easy WOT toolbar)
Don’t Send Credit Card Information Over E-mail. Even if you think it’s secure. Don’t send it over IM either. If you feel uncomfortable about sending personal information online, call up the business.

I would like to direct your attention to the first bulletpoint. The programs on your computer need to be fully “patched” with the latest updates, as exploiting weaknesses is the primary method hackers use to infect your machines. (You visit a website that they’ve ‘poisoned’, and if you have an unpatched ‘hole’ [aka “vulnrability”], bingo – you’re infected.)

How do you know if you have the latest updates? For all your installed programs? Do you think you are patched? Don’t guess. Be sure!

Today’s free link+download: Secunia offers a tool that I highly recommend. The online scanner (which you should bookmark, btw) will scan your machine for roughly 100 programs and tell you if there is a patch/update you need. If you go this route, I suggest you visit once or twice a week.)
Better yet, they offer a download, a Personal Edition, which will scan your system against a database of over 7,000 programs.
Even better yet, it includes direct download links to the missing patches it finds.

I just ran it and it found an old ActiveX plug in, and told me that my Java Runtime Environment was out of date.. and I didn’t think I had installed JRE on this machine!
vulnerabilities1

“It appears that we’ve reached a point where more people are doing their gift-buying online than at the mall. It’s a fact: there are more reasons to do your shopping online this year than there were before ($3.49-per-gallon reasons)”

I hope you all have a super weekend!

* Original posting: 12/20/08

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December 17, 2010 Posted by techpaul | advice, Internet, security, shopping for | advice, for, online, safe, shopping, techpaul, tips | Leave a comment

Computer Shopping Guidelines

Some Advice for what to look for when buying a new PC

Some of you will be shopping for a computer this holiday gift-giving season, so today I will re-post some advice on what to look for in a new machine. I’m not going to get into a Mac versus PC debate. I am going to focus solely on hardware (the ‘capabilities’) options of a non-Apple desktop or laptop PC.

Tip(s) of the day: What to look for..
* Laptop computers. Most of what I am going to recommend today applies equally to laptops and desktops with very few exceptions. Today’s portable machines (notebook and tablet PC’s) very nearly rival the hardware capabilities of a desktop (or “tower”), and some models market themselves as a “desktop replacement”. They have large hard drives for storage, can ‘burn’ dual-layer DVD’s, have nice large screens, can access the Internet wirelessly, and are fast. Some have high-end graphics adapters that can keep up with the latest games.

Where laptops are different is: they are comparatively more expensive, they (often) depend on a battery, and they’re limited in terms of “expansion”. Expansion, quite literally, is room to “add stuff”, commonly referred to as “upgrading”. For this reason, I advise (when purchasing a notebook/laptop/tablet) differently than when buying a tower/”box”/”desktop” – buy the most machine you can afford. (that means, faster CPU, bigger “Gigabyte” numbers..)
Also, I advise buying the battery “upgrade”.

If you have to penny-pinch, reduce the RAM and/or go with a smaller hard drive… because these are the two components on a laptop that it is relatively easy to “upgrade” at a later date, when your finances have recovered. The other things – CPU, graphics, motherboard, sound, etc. — are not so easy to swap out/upgrade. In a Desktop PC (“tower”) there is practically nothing you cannot replace: in a laptop you’re kind of stuck, so buy as high up the scale as you can. Not just what you think you’ll need today, but buy for tomorrow as well. Because that’s the way the machine will be for its lifetime.I would look for an i3/i5/i7 CPU.

When deciding which model laptop, do not forget to compare battery life (these stats are published). Also, and I can’t stress this enough, do not buy a laptop that you haven’t typed on. Yes, you can make your purchase online or out of a catalogue, but go into a store and touch it first (sorry, all you Best Buy salespersons out there). Each keyboard and touchpad is different. Make sure you like the layout and “feel” of typing on the keyboard. There’s nothing worse (in laptop computing) than trying to work on a keyboard that just isn’t “you”–IMHO.