Passwords, where to keep them

February 16, 2010 in software | No comments

You have to have passwords on the internet, for email, banking, online purchasing, even those sites that require you to register and sign in just to see more information. Everyone says not to use the same login and password for all those places, but there are very few people who can actually remember all of the different combinations of different logins and random passwords that the security experts suggest you have. The reason to not use the same login and password for banking and facebook, for example, is that if someone could figure out or steal your facebook login name and password, they could try it on all of the major bank sites, just to see if it would work, knowing that many people do use the same logins across many different sites.

The trick is to somehow store those passwords so that you can get to them when you need them. And, you should use differing login names and passwords that are not easy to guess. Which means that one of the answers is to use a computer program to store and even suggest strong and different passwords. Research using 32 million passwords exposed in a recent “break in” revealed that one of the most common passwords is “123456” and that many people use common dictionary words, people and pet names, and adjacent keys on the keyboard.

KeePass and Roboforms (Windows) and 1Password (Macintosh) are software options that let you store your passwords for different sites, and will also suggest strong and random passwords. A useful feature is that they can suggest passwords that are “memorable”, passwords that look like snippets of English, making it easier to remember and type. Each of these programs can also fill in your credentials on websites and even print out your passwords.

Of course, one of the easiest storage methods is still a small note card in your wallet. Most of us know how to “secure” our wallets and if you only write down the passwords, and can remember (with the help of some code maybe) which password is used where, you really are much more safe than when using the same password for all of your logins.

KeePass, http://keepass.info/
Roboforms, http://www.roboform.com/
1Password, http://agilewebsolutions.com/products/1Password

Corners of knowledge

January 20, 2010 in advice | No comments

Adobe has fixed some serious security flaws in their PDF Reader, Acrobat Reader, so you should go to http://get.adobe.com/reader/ and follow the steps to update your Acrobat Reader. While you are there, update Adobe Flash Player also, as it has also been updated with security fixes last fall, http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ is the place for that update. Since many sites use Flash, it is one of those things you should update and, so far, that does not happen automatically with either Mac or Windows.

And, to help avoid some of the exploits that exist for silently installing software on your Windows PC, you should avoid using older versions of Internet Explorer for web browsing and especially for searching. Upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer 8 or use the latest version of other web browsers, like Firefox or Opera.

Reading the newer Word files when you don’t have the latest Microsoft Office Suite is easily done if you download and install the Office Compatibility Pack. Before installing this software, make sure you have installed all of the Office updates. To find more, search for “Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats.”

Water in your laptop
If you spill water on your laptop, act fast and to turn off your computer. Take out the battery and put it in a bag of rice (rice seems to work well at absorbing moisture, that’s why it is used in salt shakers.) And, let the computer dry for two days or so. Then, put the battery back in and try to start up your computer. The key is to wait for the laptop to dry out. And, this process is the same to use for cell phones, also.

Static electricity
If your house is dry at this time of year, you are shocking yourself no matter what you touch, then you might want to ground yourself before touching your computer. It is often enough to touch some metal before starting your computer, or touching other electronics in your house. Just remember to do this every time you sit down at your computer.

Free Documentary Films
“At freedocumentaries.org we strongly believe that in order to have a true democracy, there has to be a free flow of easily accessible information. Unfortunately, many important perspectives, opinions, and facts never make it to our televisions or cinemas (you can watch movies in our media category if you want to know why).”
http://freedocumentaries.org/

2010 Computer resolutions

December 20, 2009 in advice | No comments

  1. Subscribe to podcasts so that you can listen to those radio shows you keep missing.
  2. Back up data, spend less money ahead of time than you will have to after a hard drive crash.
  3. Use less paper and ink, learn to use your printer’s draft mode and figure out if refilled cartridges work as well in your printer. Maybe you should get a laser printer if you print more than 500 pages a month.
  4. Try to watch some TV shows on the computer before the winter Olympics in 2010 so that you know how to do it when you want to watch the ice skating.
  5. Organize your bookmarks/favorites and get rid of the dead ones.
  6. Organize your photos and get rid of the bad ones. And, then back them up.
  7. Add more RAM to your computer and learn to not keep so many programs open at the same time.
  8. Figure out whether you want Google Voice to handle all of your calls with one number and get voice mail emailed to your. It would mean requesting an invite.
  9. Change your passwords, come up with better ones and use something like KeePass for Windows or KeePassX for Mac to record all your passwords.
  10. And, learn some keyboard or mouse shortcuts, just for fun.

Computer shortcut heaven

October 10, 2009 in software, training | No comments

In trying to come up with my top ten keyboard shortcuts, the ones where people say, “Wait, what did you just do?” I have come up with the following 13. But, in my defense, I could say that cut, copy, and paste may not count, as many people may have already learned those keyboard shortcuts. So, here is a list of my top 10+3

The whole point of using the keyboard for what otherwise would involve the mouse is to cut down on moving your hand from the keyboard while you are typing, to the mouse to find and click on a menu command, and then back to the keyboard to continue typing. These shortcuts are usually a mix of two or more keys pressed at the same time. So, below is my list of what I most frequently use to avoid that keyboard to mouse and back routine. Ctrl c means hold down the “Ctrl” key and press the “c” key.

Windows Mac Action
Ctrl c Cmd c Copy what is highlighted
Ctrl v Cmd v Paste
Ctrl x Cmd x Cut what is highlighted
Alt tab Cmd tab Rotate to next running program
Ctrl s Cmd s Save file and keep it open for further work
Ctrl z Cmd z Undo last command or action
Click the right mouse button Click the right mouse button, or Ctrl click left button Open contextual menu,
Alt F4 or Ctrl q Cmd q Close, quit the current program
Ctrl p Cmd p Open print window
Ctrl n Cmd n Open new document, web page, email message …
Ctrl a Cmd a Select all in document or window
Tab Tab Move to next typing field in web page or database window or table
Ctrl click Cmd click Lets you pick and choose among the list of file names or email messages

How to find other shortcuts

When you are looking at a menu again and again, to do the same thing over and over, look to the right of the command and notice there may be something like Ctrl O (File, Open)

Or, google something like “Word keyboard shortcuts,” replacing Word with the name of the program that you want shortcuts for.

Write down a list of ten that you frequently use, ones that otherwise you are always getting to through the menus, and put them next to your computer. Practice them.

As nothing is consistent across all computer programs, focus on the shortcuts that will help you with your most frequent mouse actions.

Don’t get tagged in sending SPAM

September 14, 2009 in advice | No comments

Don’t get tagged in sending SPAM

Wanting to keep up with everyone to see their latest photos, you feel you should be using the latest in technology and services on the Web. But this can lead to embarrassing moments like signing up just to see some photos from a friend and then finding out that you have given a web service permission to send out further invitations to all of the people in your computer’s address book.

Not to pick on tagged.com but it is an example of one that has been going around in the past few months. It bills itself as a social networking site, like Facebook, but it ends up using your email address book to send further SPAM but using your name to make others think that you are actually sending them something useful to look at. It is sort of like that chain mail psychology that gets people to send on good luck wishes.

You get an “invitation” email, looking like it is from a friend wishing to share some photos and includes a link to view them. You click on that link, you are asked to create an account to use their service to see those pictures and, not paying too much attention to all of the assorted options and checkboxes, you find that you have “invited” all of your contacts (email addresses in your address book) to share in that same goodness. You will start getting messages from some of those friends wanting to know why you are giving their email addresses out to other companies. And, you then find yourself apologizing.

The best advice to avoid this and other problems, is that whenever you are asked to create an account at some website, take a minute to think about what you are really signing up for. Do a search on complaints about that website, for example googling “complaints about tagged.com” brings up a lot of information showing that maybe this particular site might not be one you would want to sign up on.

Actually, spending a few minutes googling any of those panic emails that you get, those ones begging you to send on a message to all of your contacts to prevent some awful thing from happening, may show up some of those messages as “urban myths”.

How much clearer can I be?

August 3, 2009 in arrgghh, hardware | No comments

In “chatting” with HP support, I thought I asked a simple question, “I can not find instructions for locating both RAM slots in PF087UA#ABA laptop. I have looked through all available support docs on hp.com help site made available for this product. Please let me know where the 2nd RAM slot is.”

And, then we go back and forth about where the RAM is and things likes “So If you want to upgrade the second slot’s memory in that case you need to take this notebook in local store, they will change it. ” and then I ask that simple question of …

bill scobie : So, why, if there is a 2nd RAM slot can I not get instructions for accessing it?
Sandeepkumar : The second memory which is listed under keyboard that will inbuilt with the motheboard okay.
Sandeepkumar : So you can upgrade the first you can upgrade it with the 2GB’s memory..
bill scobie : So, if I take it someplace, they can or can not upgrade the slot under the keyboard, as you said above.
Sandeepkumar : Yes, if you take this notebook to any local store they will surely upgrade the slot under the keyboard.
Sandeepkumar : *upgrade the memory
Sandeepkumar : if you take this notebook to any local store they will surely upgrade the memory under the keyboard.
bill scobie : Any local store? And what instructions will they use?\
bill scobie : It feels like you are hiding instructions from me.
Sandeepkumar : They will open the keyboard and some parts then they will put the new upgraded memory in this slot..
bill scobie : OK, how about this. Are there instructions for safely removing the keyboard and some parts?
Sandeepkumar : Trust me I am not hidding you any instruction.
Sandeepkumar : No, for the user is not possible it will done by only hardware person or hardware technicians.
bill scobie : Let me repeat, I am a hard ware tech. I am trying to find out the safest and least destructive way to do this for a client.
bill scobie : Why am I being stonewalled?
Sandeepkumar : Okay
bill scobie : Most laptops, including many by HP, put both RAM slots in one location, or they make available instructions for access the other.
Sandeepkumar : Please take out the keyboard then you will find the second slot for memory.
bill scobie : I have had the “pleasure” of replacing hard drives in Powerbook G4s, usually at least a half hour process and many screws to remove. This simple information getting is taking almost as long.
Sandeepkumar : I really appreciate your effort you are really doing well.
Sandeepkumar : Please try to take out the keyboard then you will get the slot for memory.
Sandeepkumar : If you have any additional queries please feel free to let me know. I will try to do my best to assist you.

Sandeepkumar : Is there anything else I may help you with?
bill scobie : I would like the instructions for remothing the keyboard.
bill scobie : Screws?
bill scobie : Plastic to break?
Sandeepkumar : Let me check…
Sandeepkumar : If I find it ….
Sandeepkumar : Please give me 2 minutes..
bill scobie : Thank you.
Sandeepkumar : You are most welcome..
Sandeepkumar : I am still researching this issue; please give me two more minutes.
Sandeepkumar : Please take down the steps.
Sandeepkumar : Keyboard removal…
Sandeepkumar : Before you begin: Remove the battery.

And here I gave up, I found the screws myself, on the underside of the laptop, removed them and then the keyboard on the top was easy to remove (without following HP instructions to remove the “expansion memory/wireless LAN Minicard” and related stuff)

I started out this journey with a clear product number and HP could not give me clear instructions for finding the second RAM slot.

At least I can find clear instructions for replacing a hard drive in an Apple PowerBook G4, 1.25 Ghz, and that only takes about 1/2 hour. less than the time of this chat session with HP.

Searching on the web may be dangerous for reasons you won’t think of

July 30, 2009 in arrgghh | No comments

Searching for “bad” sites may not be as dangerous as we all think. McAfee (antivirus software vendor) recently published a study of common search phrases to find out how frequently malicious software would be found at the resulting sites. Looking for free stuff seems to be more risky than porn, the authors of the study have found. They explain the risk as resulting from a combination of factors that together take advantage of how we seem to use and trust search engines. As the “hackers” or cybercriminals are learning to take advantage of how to optimize web pages and sites for high rankings in search engines like Google, they can focus “attractive” sites for topics of current interest. Then they can trick people into downloading and installing “malware”, software with malicious payloads like keystroke loggers or bogus antivirus software.

McAfee researchers combed through thousands of popular keyword searches to analize the frequency with which they found malicious software at each link. They found that common “bad” searches we associate with getting hit with malicious software, like pirated software or pornography, actually rank fairly low on the risk scale. Things like lyrics to popular songs and free screen savers work better to lure people in.

Just because it comes up high on a Google search, doesn’t mean that it is any more honest, trustworthy or truthful.

The full study, in PDF format, is at:

http://us.mcafee.com/en-us/local/docs/most_dangerous_searchterm_us.pdf

Ed U online

May 18, 2009 in training | No comments

Although it is the end of the school year, graduation has come and gone, many of us still like to learn year round from the comfort and privacy of our own homes. There are many options on the Web that let you “sit in” on classes that ten years ago you would have had to pay for. So long as you don’t need the actual diploma, many colleges now have put their courses online. Sites like MIT’s and Tuft’s OpenCourseWare projects (http://ocw.mit.edu/ and http://ocw.tufts.edu/) and Standford University’s association with iTunes U. (http://itunes.stanford.edu/) let you find classes by school or topic. You can attend these classes at your leisure and you don’t have to do the homework. More class ideas can be found at “Universities With the Best Free Online Courses” at Education Portal,
(http://education-portal.com/articles/Universities_with_the_Best_Free_Online_Courses.html)

With travel season coming up, it may be time to learn a new language or brush up on an old one. Again, iTunes can help you gain access to many podcasts ranging from beginner to staying current with regional news in the language of your choice (or at least many of the major languages in the world.) If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can go to the iTunes store and browse or search through the Podcasts link which usually is in the upper left hand box/corner of the iTunes store. Also, many resources are listed at Open Culture in an article titled “Free Foreign Language Lessons”
(http://www.openculture.com/2006/10/foreign_languag.html) linking even to a set of podcasts on how to teach yourself a foreign language (http://podlearner.podomatic.com/)

As YouTube becomes THE place we all go to for video clips, they have assembled videos from many partners at http://www.youtube.com/edu Browse through their directory of schools (http://www.youtube.com/edu?action_directory) or try searching for a topic of interest.

And, don’t forget that you can always search for more online educational options using a search engine like google.com.

“Opening and saving these file types may pose a risk to you.” What else is new from Microsoft ?

January 6, 2008 in software | No comments

Information about certain file types that are blocked after you install Office 2003 Service Pack 3

OK, Microsoft is making Vista safer, making IE safer, tightening up a variety of things (usually by disabling features or prompting you to click through a nag) and yet they find it good to make sure that Office 2003 service pack three disables certain file types (they seem to all be from the competition, btw, or things they would like to kill off) with the excuse that “the parsing code that Office 2003 uses to open and save the file types is less secure.”

So, what would be wrong in fixing that code? Oh, I don’t know, maybe then people would still be able to open older word files from the early 1990s.

And, for the geekery people, yes you can change this behavior in the registry.

Did I just loose my desktop?

January 6, 2008 in arrgghh, software | No comments

Intuit Alienates Mac Users With QuickBooks Fiasco

I understand that companies lost data, at an important time of the year. And, I saw Intuit, after their first few days of not turning off the update server on their end, implement pretty good customer support.But, there really wasn’t anything they could do to recover data.

We lost and I still need to use them.

Long live backups.

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