Geek Squeaks’ of the Week (#30)

Thirty weeks of Geek Squeaks’ and going strong. I encourage the readers of this blog to visit each of the sites (blogs) that are listed below to learn more about information technology and computers. I am quite sure you will find something that will grab your attention.  Geek Squeaks’ is a weekly listing of random articles that have been posted (within the past 7 days) by the blogs that are on the What’s On My PC… blogroll (located on the right side of the blog).

Scoroncocolo TechPages
On-Line Backup Strategies

The PC Security
192.168.1.1 Lost Password –
How to Reset / Crack Broadband Router Password

Computer Too Slow
AMD to unleash six-core “Thuban” processors

Crazy World of G
Enjoy The Bubble

Lifehacker
Microsoft Security Essentials Free Antivirus
Leaves Beta [Downloads]

Rarst.net
How to modify images in bulk with IrfanView

Tech-for Everyone
Troubleshooting Thumbdrives*

AskBillFirst
Skipping the Voicemail Greeting on Cell Phones

Free PC Security
IObit Security 360 – Update September 2009

AKS-Feel The Change
Backup your Files/Folder to Email with just one click

Carol’s Vault
Dear Ubisoft, i really hate you!

411-Spyware.com
How to Remove SecureVeteran

Teck~Line
Protect your Passwords with KeePass Password Safe

SpywareBiz
Great info on protecting your personal data

Plato On-Line
Google Hits Back at Microsoft

Evilfantasy’s Blog
Cloud Antivirus coming under fire

Bill Mullins’ Weblog – Tech Thoughts
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware – The Best Free Security Application?

Right On Technology
Honda Shows New Personal Mobility Device

Mrintech
Register Email as Googlemail.com or Gmail.com

Technize
Turn Off Monitor Without Windows Shutdown

TTC Shelbyville
Cloud Computing – Startforce – Cloudo – Glide OS

Piyada’s World
A simple text-to-speech tool
for Students at Learning Disabilities Services

Snakebytez
CurrPorts : Monitoring Opened TCP/IP
network ports / connections

What’s On My PC…
The World’s Best Selling Book…

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You have to try out Stickies v7 beta…

Stickies (v6.7) is a FREE electronic version of “sticky notes” that you often see posted on people’s desk, computer monitors, refrigerators, etc…  I have been using Stickies on my PC (and thumb drive) to replace the accumulated paper mess that “sticky notes can lead to. Stickies is one of those programs that I personally cannot live without.  It is FREE; It is GOOD; and It is PORTABLE.

The author of Stickies, Tom Revell (Zhorn Software), recently made an announcement, via the Stickies web site forum, that a new beta version of Stickies is available for public testing (Stickies v7 beta).  Final release of Stickies v7 is expected on or around October 16th. Mr. Revell, we at What’s On My PC… applaud your work.

Folks, I have been testing the beta and it is awesome (see new features below).  Beats the Windows 7 Sticky Notes hands down.

NEW FEATURES

Image stickies

Unicode titles

“Show System windows” checkbox in Attach dialog

Attached stickies can be set to only appear if the window is visible (not minimised)

“Snap back to transparent” option

Sticky ID added to properties

32 new API commands

New sticky from clipboard

Sleep until / Tomorrow added to Sleep menu

PDA keys can now be entered in Stickies

Text background highlighting

stickies.1wk now written after one week of continuous operation

Live preview of setting transparency

Control-F now searches text within a sticky

Stickies can be moved directly from any category to any other in the Manage dialog

Backup function

Drop shadow option

Font name MRU list

F2 edits the sticky title

Sticky colour can be set in the Manage dialog

Sticky colour is now shown in the Manage dialog

New sticky “force title on create” option

Individual Desktop stickies can be hidden/revealed in the Manage dialog

RTL (right-to-left) default option for new stickies, and left shft+control / right shift+control to set paragraphs

Recovery dialog for when Stickies detects an error with the data file

“Ghost” mode for Desktop stickies can be set from the Manage dialog so they’re not clickable

Different Stickies can have different skins (alt-s to choose, shift-alt-s to return to default)

“Locked stickies are also frozen in place” option

“Rolled stickies have an alternate position” option. Hold shift as you toggle rolled to reset

Two new global shortcuts, “new sticky from clipboard” and “show manage dialog”

New sizing method – hold alt and click near the edge of a text sticky to resize it

A sync of Friends can now be set to happen every X minutes

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Learn About FREE Online Backup Strategies

Backing up your data to the cloud… What are your options?  Is it costly? Is it hard to do? Should I do it?

If you have a desire to get answers to these questions, I encourage you to visit Scoroncocolo to learn more about FREE On-Line Backup Strategies AND how you can take advantage of them. The article is very well written for us everyday folks to understand.  Be sure to check out the nice listing of online storage services that offer “FREE” storage space.

A “What’s On My PC…” Web Clip!

September 27, 2009
[Source: Scoroncocolo]

Cloud Computing is a buzz phrase we hear a lot these days. All Cloud Computing means is using your Web browser instead of your hard drive to run applications to do the work you do everyday. It won’t be long until this is the norm rather than the exception.

SkyDrive and Syncplicity are not the only cloud backup I use. I also have music, photos and files backed-up on Adrive and Box.net.

One thing you might want to keep in mind about using cloud storage providers is that they could go belly-up at any time. You may recall that this happened to AOL-owned Xdrive in or around August 0f 2008. With this in mind, you may not want to consider using backing-up in the cloud as your only method of securing your data.

Once you have music, pictures and documents stored on Google Docs, SkyDrive, ADrive, Box.net or Amazon, you can download and install Gladinet Cloud Desktop to keep track of everything. Gladinet Cloud Desktop allows you to access files stored in the cloud as if they were in a local folder.

[Source: Scoroncocolo]

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Powerful Unit Converter for FREE

Converber is one of those utilities that you should have on your computer (or flash drive) for those instances where you have to make unit conversions.  Converber is a very powerful and feature enriched program that outshines the competition (see comparisons). Instantly get conversion results from one unit of measure to another unit of measure.

Converber is a unit converter. It is a powerful software utility that will help make easy conversions between 1324 various units of measure in 38 categories. Converber converts everything from length and force to flow and temperature.

Features include:

• Gives immediate access to all categories or single category
• Favorites menu to bookmark your frequently-used conversions
• Currency rates…updated daily
• Inline calculator(*/-+^ and more)
• Automatic updates
• Quickly search the unit list and immediately see results
• Step backwards or forwards through the most recently used conversions
• New! Toolbar for faster mouse operation
• Single or multiple preference file(s) for different users
• Shows either common units or ALL units
• Converts as you type, so no convert button is required
• Includes equation editor to add your own custom units
• Allows you to select/unselect the conversion file(s)
• Can change the number of significant digits of the output
• Option to select decimal-point precision
• Option to select scientific notation only
• Extensive number formatting
• Inverts selected units with the quick swap feature
• New! Status bar to display the current category
• Converts left-to-right OR right-to-left
• Runs portable/stand-alone using no dll files or registry settings
• Remembers last window position and size (if desired)
• Offset correction for meter value compensation
• Comes with extensive help file
• Supports transparency
• Supports a multi-language user interface
• And more…

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Windows4All – An Online Virtual Operating System

Windows4All is a Microsoft Silverlight (web) based online virtual operating system that emulates the feel and appearance of Windows Vista. No installation or account sign-up is required; and applications can be launched right away by simply going to Windows4all.com . If the application does not load, then you do not have Microsoft Silverlight installed.

What is Silverlight?

Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform and cross-device browser plug-in that helps companies design, develop and deliver applications and experiences on the Web.

The desktop to Windows4all interface emulates the Windows Vista desktop with a taskbar, Start Menu, and Sidebar.  Also  included at this point of development is:

File Explorer
Internet Explorer
Video Player
Rich Text Editor
RSS Reader
Notepad
Paint
Calculator
Games (Chess, Spider, Solitaire, Tic-Tac-Toe)

Windows4all.com advantages:

• Convenience and freedom – A personalized desktop is available and accessible from any computer in the world.

• No more administration – No more software installation, software update, worry about anti-virus.

• Security -  Less prone to typical attacks, viruses, worms, vulnerabilities, spyware and disk crashes.

• Hardware – Performance doesn’t depend much on the speed of your computer.

• Entertainment – Being online, windows4all.com offers more opportunities for communicating and entertainment.

• Cost – It is free.

Windows4All is currently in the early stage of development; however, the current stage of development will give you an idea what a familiar online operating system (Vista) looks like inside your web browser.

Recently Windows4All was updated to include a Virtual PC application. It is now possible to run other webOS like G.ho.st, Startforce, Cloudo, and Lucid-Desktop inside windows4all.com.

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A Program Launcher that is Mouse Activated

I have always had an attraction for menu launchers and can’t wait to try a new one out. A new one to me, called MouseExtender, is very unique in that the menu (which you customize and create) is launched via your middle mouse button. When you click on the middle mouse button, your menu will appear wherever the mouse pointer is located.  How convenient is that?

It appears that MouseExtender is in the early development stages; however, do not let that distract you from trying or using it.  This puppy is attractive in appearance, has Windows 7 effects AND has Windows Shutdown, Restart and Control Panel buttons already configured. Adding a File, Folder, or Program is as easy as right clicking on the menu panel and making a selection.

I plan to monitor this app very closely. I would love to see the developer further engineer MouseExtender to include menu categories, web links, and the ability to move the icons around on the menu panel. Otherwise, very impressive and unique program launcher.

Features

Instant access your programs and folders in a second!

Access to Control panel and restart/shutdown buttons!

Nice Windows 7™ like effect!

Disable ME in specific programs

Run ME when Windows® starts

Access to the source-code

New features

Adding currently running programs to ME shortcuts and exception lists

Simple item customization: tooltips are now editable

User can remove “close” x-button

ME can be disabled/enabled for all programs

User can show ME from tray icon menu

ME can be pinned to screen

Shadow added to window

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A FREE Utility to Analyze Your Disk Space

Analyzing and determining what files and/or folders are consuming hard drive space; and how much space is left at any given time is a difficult task for the everyday computer user. Learning such things as kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, petabytes is beyond the comprehensive level of many; HOWEVER, this is the naming convention that Windows uses to to determine file sizes, folder sizes; AND  the space remaining and/or consumed on a drive.

This will not make any sense to many, but here is a sample of the units of measure used by Windows:

1 kilobyte (1K)  = 1024 bytes
1 megabyte (1MB)   = 1048576 bytes (1024 x 1024)
1 gigabyte (1GB)  = 1073741824 bytes (1024 x 1024 x 1024)
1 terabyte (1TB)  = 1099511627776 bytes (1024 x 1024 x 1024 x 1024)

This is where Xinorbis can help… Xinorbis is capable of giving you a quick “visual” graphical analysis of how the space on your computer is being used and distributed. I have also found it is a good learning tool to help make sense out of the naming conventions (e.g. kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, etc…) due to “percentages” being assigned as well (which we can relate to).  Another factor with Xinorbis, that sets well with me, is that there is a portable version available that you can carry on your flash drive.

It makes it easy to see the contents, structure and file distribution and file composition of a whole hard disk, directory, or mapped network drive. Includes full report creation.

Xinorbis can create the following reports;

HTML (with or without graphs), scan/category data

XML, scan/category data and full file listing

CSV, scan/category data and full file listing

Text, scan/category data

It’s also possible to copy the data directory from Xinorbis’ charts and tables, just press the right mouse button over a chart, table or tree view to see a list of export options.

Features:

• analyze a single drive, folder or merge several together in one report
• view the results by file type, attributes, size, user (owner) and date
• the Folder History feature allows you to compare the contents of a folder or drive at times and dates
• in-bullt powerful search engine (save results to a file or clipboard)
• find duplicate files (by name and size)
• complex report generation (with many user customisations) with export to HTML, ASCII, CSV or XML
• save reports and tables for later comparison or for inclusion in other documents
• shell support, scan a directory through Windows Explorer

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