Computer Chit Chat

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.

Searching Twitter

Did you know that you can search on Twitter? Way down on the bottom of the page there’s a link called Search. I never noticed this was down there for the first couple of months that I used Twitter. The basic search form is just a simple field, like Google. Advanced search offers capabilities to look for Tweets containing certain words, people, places and dates. You can even specify if Tweets containing links should or shouldn’t be included. To get to this just click “Advanced Search” from the Search page.

How To Single Click In Windows

Some people prefer to single click within Windows, just as they do when surfing the web. I myself don’t like this approach, sometimes things inadvertently open that I don’t want open. But if you’re one of the people that wants to use single click in Windows, here’s how to do it.

Open Control Panels.
Open Folder Options.
Where is says “Click items as follows”, choose “Single–click to open an item (point to select)”.
Click Apply.

You’re finished. If you find you don’t like clicking set up this way, go back into Folder Options and choose “Double-click to open an item”.

Happy Easter!

SezWho shutting down

Last year I posted about SezWho, a comment service that had been added to the Entrecard system. In yesterday’s email I saw a post from the Entrecard feed that said it SezWho was shutting down due to lack of funding. Entrecard was recommending users switch to JS-Kit. I’ll take a look at the JS-Kit, which is supposed to be. I’d had problems with SezWho where after I added it things weren’t visible on my site the world’s largest distributed social network. Will you be switching to JS-Kit?

What sort of paid ads Entrecard won’t accept

I saw another message from the Entrecard feed in yesterday’s email. Addressing the concern about the ads that will be sold on the Entrecard network, we were informed what sort of ads won’t be sold – “Male enhancement ads, Adult themed ads, Any ad that links to a site with nudity, Gambling / Casino Ads and Ads for drugs of any kind”. I still have a concern about the ads but I’m willing to try it and see how it goes. My only worry is that we all have differing views of what is inappropriate or offensive so we may not all agree about an ad.