Geek Squeaks (#2016-02) FEATURING — Great Reference Book On Upgrading And Repairing PCs — and MORE GREAT STUFF

Great Reference Book On Upgrading And Repairing PCs – If you are contemplating a career as an IT Professional or you are an IT Professional, you may want to consider purchasing the 22nd Edition of Scott Mueller’s Upgrading and Repairing PCs. Get “practical answers about PC processors, mother-boards, buses, BIOSes, memory, SSD and HDD storage, video, audio, networks, Internet connectivity, power, and much more. You’ll find the industry’s best coverage of diagnostics, testing, and repair—plus cutting-edge discussions of improving PC performance via overclocking and other techniques.”.  Also, be sure to check out Scott Mueller’s online Upgrading and Repairing Forum.

Upgrading and Repairing PCs

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Boot Failure Troubleshooting Flowchart – Since I started out today’s post with a book on upgrading and repairing PCs, I thought I would throw in this Boot Failure Troubleshooting Flowchart that you may find of interest. There is also a book on this as well — CLICK HERE .

 Boot Failure Troubleshooting Flowchart

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Use Disk Space Organizing Software To Keep Your Computer Clutter Free – Using disk space organizing software can help you keep your computer from turning into a junkyard by visually showing you what files and folders (and where) are consuming hard drive space.  To help me in this situation I use the portable app called GetFolderSize. There is also a full install version if you are not into the portable apps. GetFolderSize works as a disk analyzer that lets you see a folder tree where you can easily locate files and folders that you have “lost” and cannot even search for because you have forgotten what you named them! I have added GetFolderSize to the Downloads Page, listed under the portable apps swarm.

GetFolderSize

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Fast Free File Shredder – Another portable app that landed in my lap is OW Shredder. This portable app is an advanced security tool which allows you to completely erase secret data with all drive traces from your hard drives by overwriting it. Individual files, free disk space and entire volumes can by erased. I have also added this portable app to the Downloads Page…

OW Shredder

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Turn An Android Device Into A Home Video Monitoring System – If you have a tablet or an old Android phone lying around, you can put it to good use and turn it into a video surveillance camera by using the Android app called AtHomeCamera. This app is worth a try before you go out an buy and expensive setup. All platforms are supported, including Windows PC、Mac、iPhone、iPad、iPod, Android phone, Android tablet and Smart TV. Used together with AtHome Video Streamer, you are able to keep an eye on your home when you are outside, and receive alerts right away in case of any incident!

AtHomeCamera

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Geek Squeaks (#2015-24) FEATURING — Are The Days Of The Traditional “Clamshell” Laptop Numbered? — and MORE GREAT STUFF

Are The Days Of The Traditional “Clamshell” Laptop Numbered? – BetaNews has a good read on this. My gut is telling me that they may be right on predicting that the future of laptop computers will give away to the detachable keyboard format (with the digitized pen-enabled screen) of the Microsoft Surface device. The future may be now, due that every major hardware vendor is now embracing this technology. Initially, the Microsoft Surface device was largely ignored; but, after three tries (or versions) of Microsoft Surface the vendors (after their own awkward experimentation of multi-purpose notebooks) is now looking at the Microsoft Surface hardware model as a model template to accept and follow. An example of what the detachable 2-in-1 touchscreen laptops look like — CLICK HERE… I would wait awhile before jumping into one of these until the “Surface Like” models appear.

What do you think, will the traditional clamshell laptop give way to the 2-in-1 detachable keyboard format?

Read More On This At BetaNews

Microsoft Buys A Top Android App Company – You may want to keep an eye on the Android App called Echo (by Double Labs). At the Google Play Store Echo is described as “…the fastest and coolest lockscreen for your notifications. Featured by Google as a top app, Echo Lockscreen is loved by users in 50+ countries”… What this means, if you are an Android phone or tablet user, you can personalize what appears on your phone or tablet when it’s in lock mode, with this app. I just discovered (according to Business Insider), that Microsoft has acquired Double Labs.  Read more about this to learn why Microsoft made this acquistion…

List Of Freeware AND Other Releases From The Windows Club – Just added The Windows Club Freeware List to the Downloads Page. This listing is unique in that it consists of many Windows utilities that will help make using Windows easier and/or fix a problem you may be experiencing. This lists consists of all the Freeware, eBook, Themes, Screensavers, Wallpaper and other releases from The Windows Club.

Microsoft Office 2016 Will Be Broadly Available On September 22nd – One of the most innovative features to be included in this version of Office is the ability to co-author a document in real-time when both parties are online. You can read more about this at Maximum PC…

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Geek Squeaks (#2015-23) FEATURING — Your FREE Online Tech Tool Bag — and MORE GREAT STUFF

A FREE Online Tech Tool Bag – No, this is not a tool bag that you physically carry around. This tool bag is one that is readily available in the virtual sense and has been specifically made for those who have a passion for information technology, PC troubleshooting and repair, and the desire to learn more. What I am referring to is the GEGeek web site. This site is awesome in the sense that the developer of the site, who is a seasoned IT Professional, has successfully created a centralized index of sorts that will direct you to anything and everything that has to do with fixing and learning more about Microsoft Windows and computers. To show how important I think this site is, I have permanently included a link to the site on What’s On My PC (see tab at top of the page).

On top of all of this, make sure you check out the GEGeek Tech Toolkit which is a “Complete Collection of over 600 Tech Related Free Programs⁄Suites, all accessible from one Menu Launcher Utility” that you can carry around on your flash drive. This toolkit, I highly recommend if you are an IT Professional or training to become one, is available via donationware. Donate an amount that is “Reasonable” and he will send you a download link via email for the toolkit (with includes free future updates). The link to the toolkit is at the top of the GE Geek Web Site (can’t miss it and don’t miss it)…

A Porn App That Snaps Your Photo and Demands A Ransom – “If you’ve used Adult Player, sorry to hear it: It’s an Android porn app that takes a photo of you with the phone’s front-facing camera, immobilizes the device, and demands a $500 payment via a locked ransom screen to fix the phone and delete the photo”… READ MORE

See How Fast Technology Education Is Changing In The Schools – I cannot imagine being a Teacher, Student or Parent these days and attempting to stay on top of all of the information technology changes. Ask A Tech Teacher has posted an article, 13 Changes in Tech-in-Ed in Just Three Years that provides real-world insight on how quickly things have changed, just in a three year period.

I Highly Recommend This Android App If You Use Google’s Two-Factor Authentication – I just added this app to the downloads page and it is called Authy. Authy brings the future of strong authentication to the convenience of your Android device. The Authy app generates secure 2 step verification tokens on your device. It help’s you protect your account from hackers and hijackers by adding an additional layer of security. Two-Factor Authentication prevents your Google Gmail account from being hacked.

Preserve The Integrity Of An Image With A Curved Screened Monitor – The first time I experienced one of the curved computer monitors and went back to a flat panel, I immediately sensed the difference. To get an idea of what I am referring to take a look at the S27D590CS monitor by Samsung. Definitely takes entertainment to a whole new level. I just need to figure out how to get this monitor to fit into my work area.

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Geek Squeaks #2015-6 @ What’s On My PC (Featuring – Did You Know Windows 10 Is Sharing Your Computer?)

Windows 10 Is Sharing Your Computer By Default – I found this article on PCWorld (How to stop Windows 10 from using your PC’s bandwidth to update strangers’ systems) that explains how Microsoft is a using a new peer-to-peer (P2P) delivery update mechanism (in Windows 10) that turns your Windows 10 PC (by default) into a server for distributing updates to other machines.

Hmmm…  I’m not liking the sound of this. Anyhow, the setting or toggle to turn this off is buried in the update and security settings.  CLICK HERE to learn how to turn this off.

Need advice for buying a Smartphone? – I am pretty seasoned when it comes to computers and smartphones, but when it comes to shopping for either (especially smartphones) I soon become discombobulated (in a state of confusion). To help you folks out there looking for a smartphone, be sure to read Best Android smartphones for work and play (Aug 2015 edition) at ZDNet….

Make Sure You Check Out This Screen Capture Program – I use screen capture utilities on a daily basis and would be lost without one. A new kid on the block recently to me is ShareX. This utility is being updated regularly and the most recent update allows you to either perform a full installation or the option to install the program as a portable app. Very nice screen capture program that does not disappoint. Best thing about ShareX is that it is FREE, Open Source and there are no embedded advertisements.

If you need to install or reinstall Windows 10 – As a reminder, if you need to reinstall Windows 10 (for whatever reason), make sure you are prepared.  CLICK HERE to create your own Windows 10 installation media using either a USB flash drive or a DVD.

RedLaser Barcode and QR Scanner — Shop Smarter – Nice Android App that was rated as a top shopping app by US Today, The New York Times, CNN Money, PC Magazine and Smart Money magazine. RedLaser searches millions of products across thousands of online and local retailers to find the best prices…

Harness The Energy Of The Sun To Light Your Night – Check out this outdoor LED motion sensored solar light for less than 15 bucks….

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A Must Have Android App

Probably one of the most underused functions on computers, by the everyday computer user, is the copy and paste function. I am sure this is probably true when it comes to using our smartphones. As a matter of fact, I randomly asked some of the my friends if they knew how to copy and paste text on their Android phones??? As usual when I ask these geeky type of questions they sort of look at me with that deer in the headlight look and wonder what planet I am from. Every single person I asked this question did not know that was even possible on their phones.

Copying and pasting text from one app to another on our phones is a function you need to learn and if you want to get a good start on this I suggest that you take a look at Easy Copy.

Easy Copy is an Android app that is better than the standard built-in copy paste function in that it has the following features that makes using the copy paste function a more powerful function. After you tap on copy, a pop-up menu will be displayed and allows to:

• locate in Google Maps
• call the number
• translate with Google Translate
• create an event
• modify the text you copied (very useful in Hangouts when you only want to copy part of a message!)
• send by text
• share (when not already developed in the given application)

I found that when the menu appears to perform these function, you can drag the order of the menu around to fit your personal needs. For example, on top of my menu list is the “share” function, due I use that function the most.

This app appears to be relatively new app in the Google Play store, so expect some bugaboos; however, my geek senses is telling me that this app will improve and become very, very popular…

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Receive The Most Interesting News Headlines Three Times A Day Via Push Notifications With SmartNews

I depend on my Android devices (tablet and smartphone) to provide me with the latest news headlines from around the world. I have tried numerous news apps and the one that I have settled down to and really look forward to reading is SmartNews.

SmartNews uses a proprietary algorithm to analyze over 10 million articles a day to give you the top trending stories from a variety of news sources. The interface is optimized for readability with zero loading time (read offline). If you are a newshound, I really think you will like this app.

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Get A Great Deal On Microsoft Office 365 Personal

[FEATURED GEEK SQUEAK] Get A Great Deal On Microsoft Office 365 Personal– A year ago I would have told you that Microsoft was behind the eight ball and was not in tune with the current devices (such as tablets, smartphones, etc.) which are supported by cloud computing. A year later I am seeing a new Microsoft that is quickly rebounding and doing things that I never thought I would see them do.

One example (of late) is their pricing model changes and incentives with Microsoft Office 365.  If you do not know what Microsoft Office 365 is, let me break it down in one sentence. Microsoft Office 365 is an online subscription service to Microsoft Office where you pay an annual fee to keep Office on your computer (and other devices).

There are quite a few pricing models for Microsoft Office 365, but the latest deal that jumped out at me was Microsoft Office 365 Personal where Microsoft has thrown in a Terabyte of online storage and 60 Skype minutes for $6.99 a month (or $69.99 a year at a 16% savings).

Office 365 Personal enables you to install the latest full desktop version of Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook, on 1 PC or Mac, in addition to 1 Windows tablet or iPad — so you can use all the features offline as well as online. You can also install Office on multiple smartphones.

What is making this sweet is the terabyte of online storage (and the Skype minutes); PLUS, the satisfaction of knowing that your version of Microsoft Office is always up to date.

[ COMMENTS ARE WELCOME – CLICK HERE ]

Learn a byte at a time, at What’s On My PC, with Geek Squeaks’ — featuring a round-up of tech products, news, software, apps, wallpapers, articles, you name it… I just plain love tech!

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[ANDROID APP] The simplest possible way to create daily countdowns – Simply set a date and a label (or don’t, your call!) and let the magic happen. This date can be in the future or the past… @Google Play

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[WEB BROWSER] Slimjet – Get More Done In Less Time – Faster browser startup, faster page loading, highly responsive UI powered by industry-leading Blink engine… @Slimjet

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[TECH NEWS] What 18 Popular Websites Used To Look Like – A comparison between then and now… @Business Insider

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[ANDROID SECURITY] 14 best antivirus Android apps and anti-malware Android apps – Antivirus Android apps have exploded over the last year. Despite Android’s mostly secure internal security, there are millions of people who just like having extra security around for those just-in-case scenarios… @Android Authority

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[WINDOWS 7] Windows 7 will be patched until 2020 – Microsoft plans to end mainstream support for Windows 7 in January, but security updates will continue for at least a further five years. Microsoft has previously announced that business PCs running Windows 7 will stop being offered for sale in early 2015… @PCAuthority

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[WINDOWS SOFTWARE] Extract Text from JPG with FREE JPG to Word Converter – JPG to Word is a free OCR software to convert JPG to Word document. This free OCR software extracts text from jpg images (scanned jpg images, online images, etc.) and lets you save that text as Word file (*.doc)… @I Love Free Software

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[HOW TO] How To Launch Chrome In Incognito Mode From A Desktop Shortcut – We all know that Chrome is one of the best web browsers out there that sports tons of great features. Among them is its handy Incognito ability which lets users browse websites without storing any history information… @Addictive Tips

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