Scobie.Net

Author: Bill Scobie

  • Fun again with your computer

    Enough with all the doomsday stuff about people trying to hack your computer and having to clean up your passwords and security challenge questions to avoid identity theft, It is time to have fun again with your computer. A big one here, take all those radio shows with you that you keep missing part or…

  • Prepping your computer and electronics emergency bag

    This is that time of year again, when the storms can interrupt electricity for hours or days on end. And, you should be ready if part of your life and work depends on electricity-eating electronics. So, to keep working and in touch, you need to consider computers, tablets, smartphones and regular cell phones, how to…

  • Cold calls from Windows

    Phone calls from “Windows” to help you with security problems should give you such a warm feeling for the big guy from Redmond, right? When you have paid a decent amount for a computer and then someone from a respectable sounding company calls you to let you know that your computer has alerted them to…

  • Can you live in the Cloud?

    What is the shape of that cloud that has been brewing up for quite a few years and can you put all your computing needs in it? The cloud we talk about for computing means really nothing more than doing your work and play through some service or website that does not use anything other…

  • Didn’t I just get a new operating system last year?

    This must be the year of operating system upgrades. Just as people are settling into Windows 7 and Lion (OS X 10.7), both pretty major operating system changes released in just the past year or two, we are now facing the release of Windows 8 and OS 10.8 (Mountain Lion) Interestingly, neither are going to…

  • Virtual Vacations, seeing the world for free

    There may too many places you want to still visit but you can tour many of them over the Web. First off, take advantage of Google’s Street View taken around the world. Now, you can “vacation” in such spots as Saint Brendan’s Cathedral in Ireland, Shark Bay in Australia, or even the Historic District of…

  • When to buy a new computer

    When Microsoft stops supporting an operating system, such as XP Service Pack 3, on April 8, 2014. When the new software you just have to have won’t work well on your old computer. When you are learning a new computer skill, like music editing, on that old computer that just barely handles email. When you…

  • Fire-up your web browser(s)!

    Since the web browser is the focus point for many attacks on your personal computer, why do we spend money and time on firewalls and security software that does not seem to catch things like fake antivirus programs? I propose that you start using multiple web browsers, along with keeping up with security updates and…

  • How do I know which updates to trust?

    Yes, people, you do want to keep up with security updates for all those programs and such on your computers. But, how do you recognize the legitimate ones? The written list includes: Windows Security Updates, Adobe Reader and Flash updates (or pretty much any update from Adobe) and Java. Here are images of what to…

  • On-line Pet Peeves

    Ads with sound that play automatically over my music or podcast. Since many of these seem to be on news sites, I have started email those sites to complain. I don’t know when it will make a difference but complaining about ads might hit them in the wallet. I have learned where my mute button…

  • 50% solutions

    Programs acting buggy all of a sudden? Remember that old stand by, reboot the computer. First close and reopen the wonky program and if things don’t get better, then reboot. It may work 50% of the time. If some part of the computer, like the printer, speakers, mouse, is not working, check all cables. Fully…

  • 2012 Resolutions – nearly new

    Here is that time of year again, new resolutions and some old ones that I didn’t get to. Check all UPSs (uninterruptible power supply). Make sure that only the computer and the monitor are plugged into the side that says battery and surge protection. All other things, especially printers, should only be plugged into the…