Computer Chit Chat

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
May you have a safe and happy holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Halloween

Dress Your Blog Domain Contest

I’ve been neglecting this blog. In order to get better organized and prioritize what I do online I’ve decided to go through my domains and do some house cleaning. I also thought it was a good time for a contest. So here it is.

WIN IT!

One winner will receive the domain DressYourBlog.com
The domain is registered through September 2009 at Godaddy.
The domain can be pushed to your Godaddy account for free.
If you don’t have a Godaddy account it’s free to create one.

HOW TO ENTER. (MANDATORY)

To enter leave a comment on this post telling me what you’d do with this domain if you won. No two word or one sentence answers, your answer should be at least a paragraph.

I will choose what I feel is the best or most creative answer as the winner.

BONUS ENTRIES - LOTS OF THEM!

1 - Subscribe to my RSS feed.
1 - Follow me on Twitter AND leave your Twitter name here.
1 - Tweet this giveaway.
1 - Friend me on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/valmg
1 - Fave this blog at Technorati AND leave your Technorati name here.
1 - Blog about this giveaway, including a link here.
1 - Place my button on your blog.
1 - Visit  HereAndThere.US (my Mom) and leave a comment on any post (except a giveaway post) there. Then return here and leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you read or learned on my Mom’s blog. (That’s two comments you need to leave for this bonus entry, one there and one here.) Unlimited entries for this method of entry.

Leave an additional comment for each entry you qualify for. You must have completed the first entry according to the instructions to be eligible for any bonus entries.

THE SMALL PRINT.

US addresses only please. This contest will end on Sunday 07/12/09 at 11:59 pm est.  If you’ve entered any of my giveaways before then you know that only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. The winner must contact me to confirm they wish to receive the prize within two days of my email notifying them they’ve won.  Good luck to everyone! Members of my own family are not eligible to win but are still welcome to leave a comment.

Happy Independence Day

Memorial Day

Have a safe and happy holiday. Remember the meaning of Memorial Day.

GFI Languard

A recent encounter with a virus took my computer out of commission for almost a week. We actually had to wipe the hard drive and start from scratch. Good thing I only had the desktop and not a network of computers or I’d have really been in trouble.

GFI gave me a heads up on their new product, GFI Languard. GFI Languard is a network security scanner suitable for networks of all sizes including soho (small office - home office) such as the one I’d like to create in the future. This product has won awards year after year since 2002. It’s no wonder it is considered the #1 Windows commercial security scanner (voted by Nmap users for two years running).

What GFI LANguard does is scan the entire network for computers and then scan the computers for areas vulnerable to attack. Once the network scan is complete the software creates a report of which computers are vulnerable, what the vulnerabilities are and what the solutions are to those problems. Once you’ve got the report you can apply service packs, updates, patches as well as address other issues immediately with a couple of clicks.

I was fascinated by how many things a LANguard network audit can reveal, including which machines have weak passwords, where USB devices are connected, where unauthorized software was installed and what hardware has been added or removed since your previous audit. It will also tell you hardware specifics including memory, processors, display adapters, storage devices, motherboard details, printers, and ports in use.

GFI LANguard is available for companies with ten or more ip addresses and can be purchased directly from GFI or through one of their resellers. GFI recently announced that a fully functioning freeware version that will scan up to 5 ip addresses is available.

How to lock your computer

Ever since I worked in a call center we were taught to lock our computer whenever we left the desk. It’s important for privacy and to protect whatever information you have stored there as well as whatever you’re working on. I was surprised to learn that a lot of people don’t know how to do this. It’s easy. One way to do this is to press the Windows key and the letter L on a Microsoft compatible keyboard. Another way to do this is to press CTRL-ALT-DELETE and then click on lock computer. Before locking make sure you know your password or you won’t be able to unlock.

Happy Mother’s Day

Memory America

Having worked in computer sales for a worldwide mail order retailer for over ten years, I’ve seen my share of websites selling computers and related products. There’s nothing I dislike more than a business website that’s so busy looking I can’t focus and can’t find what I want. When that happens it’s not unusual for me to look elsewhere to shop.

Memory America is a website that sells RAM memory upgrades, hard drives, laptop batteries, video cards, optical drives, networking products and computer gaming hardware. The site is attractive and easy to navigate. The products are neatly organized and laid out throughout the site. People shopping for memory are able to shop by which computer they have or by the type of memory that they need. I like that even computer model numbers are displayed in some places to make your selection easier.

What I like most about the site is that information on things like shipping, warranty and returns are very clearly available. As a shopper who occasionally has a question, I also appreciate that Memory America visibly offers a toll free number and an online chat feature. Information on the site is provided in easy to understand wording.

Memory America includes a link to the Better Business Bureau on it’s site, where no complaints are listed against them. A link to Yahoo shopping reviews is also included, where the overwhelming amount of reviews are glowingly positive and give high praise their service.

If you’re in the market for memory products, be sure to check out Memory America.