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Windows Automatic Restart

Dear Microsoft,

I understand that there are many security issues with Windows. I understand that because of the security issues, you have auto installed the necessary patches to plug up those security holes. I understand that in order for those patches to take effect, it requires Windows to restart.

But please, please dont force an automatic Windows restart without my permission. Please dont give me a 5 minute countdown every 5 minutes. Sometimes, I need to go to the bathroom for 5 minutes and I dont want all of my open programs to end abruptly. I have already allowed you to download and install the updates automatically and whenever you want, so what more do you want from me? Nevermind, go ahead! Take control of my computer. Install whatever you want. Reboot my computer whenever you want. I dont care anymore. You use it.

But at least consider this. How about putting a tiny button on the 5 minute countdown dialog box that says, "Do not restart and do not remind me anymore. I solemnly swear that I will restart my computer the next chance I get".

Your extremely annoyed user,
Roger

Labels: annoyances, computer, thoughts

10.27.2008 :: 1 comments permalink

 

 

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Web 4.0

Here is my prediction of the Internet in the future.

Internet Software (Web 2.0)



Today we are seeing a huge growth in rich internet applications. The web no longer consists of pages for just viewing. Instead, we are seeing pages that interact with the user, communicate with other services, and process information. So I call it, "Internet Software". Many businesses are creating and selling Internet Software instead of the traditional shrink wrapped software that you install on a home computer. For example, Microsoft creates software such as Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. But Google has created an almost identical set of software on the web called Google Docs. Why is software moving to the web?

1. Inexpensive - No manufacturing or shipping costs. Hosting/traffic fees are insignifcant.
   


2. Easy Upgrades/Fixes - Updating Internet Software can be quick and easy. For example, let's say there is a huge security bug in the product. For Internet Software, you just have to perform the fix to the 1 application. As soon as that is done, the millions of people who use the application will be instantly using the fixed version . For shrink wrapped software, millions of customers would have take the initiative and seek (download) out the fix (patch). And we all know how often companies try to force those updates onto us with their annoying updaters that secretly run in the background of our computers.
   


3. Reach - Practically anyone can use Internet Software regardless of OS or platform.
   

The line between Internet Software and boxed software is starting to blur. We see plenty of sites that allow you to edit video, edit images, play music, do your taxes, manage your finances, play games, and the list goes on. So I dare you readers to try to answer this one question, "Can you name something that you can do on your local computer that you cannot do using a particular website?"


Bye Bye Computers
Say goodbye to computers as they will be replaced by "terminals". I can envision just a thin touchscreen LCD display. That's it. All it does is connect to the Internet wirelessly. And of course, there will be other portable terminals as well ie. cell phone, tablets, etc. I wanted to point out that these "windows" to the Internet will not need much processing power whatsoever. They just need to be capable of displaying the Internet. So where does all of the processing and heavy lifting take place? The Cloud of course.


The Cloud


Remember Internet Software? So all software will be running on the Internet by now. All processing will be performed and handled by the Internet servers. So what else does that mean? That means that you wont be spending your money on a computer with the latest Intel CPU processor chip along with gigs of RAM and a high end graphics card. Instead, you will be purchasing to rent/own an Internet computer (dedicated or shared) that will process all of your Internet Software applications. So the more you spend, the faster processing speed you will get or the more server space to store files/information or the more Internet Software applications you get. So just think of it like buying a computer that is not physically placed at your home, but instead exists somewhere in Internet Cloud. Your terminal will be able to connect to your Internet computer so that you'll be able to perform or execute commands.

A good example of the Cloud is Apple's MobileMe. With this online service, you can store and manage your contacts, calendars, email, and files in one central place. After you set everything up, it can automatically synchronize with any of your devices such as your PC, Mac, or iPhone. So the Cloud stores everything and pushes the information to your devices. The concept of the Cloud pushing information to your device is a very important concept. All the work is done via the Cloud instead of your device. Your device just acts like a receiver.


Terminals
We are already seeing the trend today from the largest manufacturers like Apple, Dell, and Lenovo. They are creating mini laptops aka. "netbooks" and computers which dont have much horsepower but good enough to surf the internet on the go.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9





Lenovo Idea S10




Apple MacBook Air




Dell Studio Hybrid



Mac Mini



Apple iPhone

Labels: computer, internet, thoughts

10.07.2008 :: 0 comments permalink

 

 

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Free Tech Support Part 2

Do you have questions about computers, software, networking, or the Internet? Any current problems or issues? Need recommendations? Let me help. You can ask a question by posting a comment to this post. Try to be as specific as possible. The more details the better. Ask away!

ANSWERED 5/7/08

Question:
John asked, "I formatted my computer because it was slow (going to 100% CPU usage constantly for no reason), sometimes everything would just freeze. After formatting, the computer seemed ok for a bit but then started being slow again. I just had 2 1-gigabytes of RAM put in, replacing the 2 512s I had. It SEEMS to be faster but when I start Windows, the sound is distorted like it's struggling. A diagnosis done by Best Buy confirmed everything is ok and working. Even with 2 gigabytes, it is still slow. I have a 1.73 ghz Pentium M running on Windows XP with 60 gigabytes hard disk My question is: is it possible my hard drive might need to be replaced?To be more specific, my computer is the Sony Vaio FS980"

Answer:
Thank you John for including all of the details. The details you provided makes it easier to diagnose the problem. First of all, I guess you bought your Sony laptop before reading my post about how Sony products suck. In any case, if you do a clean install of Windows XP and you are still experiencing the same issues that is not a good sign because it looks to me like a hardware problem. But before we go on, are you sure that after the clean install of Windows XP, you didnt install anything else? I just want to eliminate the fact that maybe some software programs you are installing are causing the issue. So if its a laptop hardware issue, I would say that it's either the memory (RAM) or the hard drive. You said that you changed out the memory, so that eliminates that. So it might well be the hard drive. But before you go and throw more money at it, Im not sure if its really worth it. You took it over to best buy and had them check it out. You bought 2GB of laptop memory, which aint cheap. And next you might "try" to fix it by replacing the hard drive? Here is my advice:

1. Try Googling and see if anyone else is having similar issues.
2. Call Sony support to see if they have anything useful to say.
3. You can try installing some programs that specifically test out the different parts of the computer (ie. Memory, Video Card, Hard Drive) to figure out which part is having problems.
4. You can try swapping out parts, but that might be difficult and expensive.
5. Sell your laptop.
6. Get a Dell laptop instead. I can help you find one :)
   

Labels: computer

5.07.2008 :: 8 comments permalink

 

 

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Remote control a PC anytime...anywhere

1. Both computers need to be connected to the Internet...duh.


2. DSL or higher internet connection

Instructions:

Host PC (computer you wish to control)

1. Sign up for a free no-ip.com account



2. Click Add under Hosts/Redirects.



3. Enter a hostname and choose any domain name. For example, mydadscomputer.no-ip.org.
   Choose something easy to remember as this will be part of your login.



4. Install the Dynamic Update Client.
   This software ensures that the host computer ip address is always current and updated for the mydadscomputer.no-ip.org host.



5. Install VNC (free edition). During install, choose the server version.
   Run VNC and in the options, specify a password.
   
6. Turn off Windows Firewall in the Control Panel.



7. That's it. Both the Dynamic Update Client and the VNC server should automatically run in the background from now on.

Controller PC

1. Install VNC (free edition). During install, choose the client only version.



2. Launch VNC.



3. Enter "mydadscomputer.no-ip.org" for the server name and the password that you set in step 5 above.

Voila! Now I can control my dads computer wherever and whenever I want with a click of a button. My dad doesnt even need to be at the computer when I take control as long as the computer is on.

Now you might ask, why not just use something like crossloop to remote control another persons computer. The big difference is that I wanted full control of the host computer without having to call my dad every time I wanted to do so. With crossloop and most other remote controlling software, there has to be physically someone sitting at the host computer.

Labels: computer, software, tips

3.11.2008 :: 0 comments permalink

 

 

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Free Tech Support Question #1

ANSWERED!
Since I only received 2 questions and they are quite similar I will answer them both.

Question #1:
John said...
How do I tell if any of my picture files has a virus in it? My computer is slow starting up but I didn't install programs to start immediately at boot-up. I notice that when I format my computer, it's fast again, but once I install the pictures it becomes slow.

Answer:
"How do I tell if any of my picture files has a virus in it?"
- Its hard to know if you've been infected with a virus unless something actually goes wrong with your computer. In otherwords, you could have a virus on your computer now and you wouldnt even know it. My suggestion is to install antivirus software and perform a scan. The scan will tell you whether or not you have been infected with a virus. I have listed 3 free and good antivirus software in a previous post - http://www.rogerchew.com/2007/04/my-favorite-free-software.htm

"My computer is slow starting up but I didn't install programs to start immediately at boot-up."
- Now let's not jump to conclusions about your computer being slow to boot up and having viruses. They could be totally separate issues. You might have thought that you didnt install programs to start immediately at startup, but think again. Many software programs have tiny little helper programs that run at start up. Quicktime, Real Player, iTunes, HP printer software are to name a few. I have some tips for getting rid of programs that run at startup but Ill save that for another post.

"I notice that when I format my computer, it's fast again, but once I install the pictures it becomes slow."
- Formatting your computer is of course last resort and probably will fix 99% of your problems. You dont install pictures. I think you meant that you download pictures on your computer hard drive. Having many pictures should not slow down your computer much. The only way it would slow it down is if you had so many pictures that it takes up most of the space on your hard drive. If you start getting warnings that you are running out of hard disk space, then you probably have too many pictures on the drive. The hard drive needs a good amount of free space. The more free space that you have, the better your hard drive will perform.

Question #2
Janine said...
My computer has picked up several viruses recently, and I've cleaned them off using various software programs. The pop-ups have stopped now, but how do I know that all the viruses are gone and not embedded somewhere else? Would you recommend that I reformat the entire hard drive to be safe?

Answer:
Let's not get confused between viruses and spyware. Usually, pop ups are most likely caused by spyware. Its much easier to get infected by spyware than viruses. For viruses, you pretty much have to do something intentional like open up some .exe attachment from your email. Spyware is a different story. You can get spyware from just visiting a bad web page. In some occasions, you can have both viruses and spyware. In otherwords, you can have viruses that install more spyware on your computer and vice versa. In any case, you should install the antivirus software to scan for viruses and install antispyware software to scan for spyware. I've listed recommendations of free software on both of these in my link above. I highly recommend Spy Sweeper for removing spyware as well as protecting your computer. Its not free (annual subscription fee), but if you are always having spyware issues, its well worth it. Again, reformatting your computer is the last resort. If you have thoroughly scanned your computers with all the software I recommended and nothing is found, then I wouldnt worry too much about it.

Labels: computer, electronics, internet, networking, tips

10.08.2007 :: 2 comments permalink

 

 

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Dell XPS m1210 and m1330

Remember my rule about new every two rule? Well my laptop was due. So I just got my new Dell XPS m1210 12.1 inch laptop *drool*. Its the laptop I've always coveted. XPS is the high end line of Dell desktops/ laptops and are hardly ever discounted or go on sale. Well...at least until Dell introduced and started selling its replacement - 13 inch Dell XPS m1330.


The decision for me was easy for me. I wanted a small 12 inch laptop that wont cost me an arm and a leg. There are only 2 Dell laptops that offer the 12 inch size - Inspiron 700m (which I have now)/710m and XPS m1210. The only thing about these small Dell laptops is that the batteries always stick out. Therefore, its not as clean as it could be. I dont like my fat battery protruding out on my small 12 inch laptop. Those batteries are so fat, that some of the Dell latitudes have the battery in front of the laptop, using it almost like a palm rest. UGLY. Maybe lightweight, thin, powerful laptop batteries dont exist, but I dont see the small Sony's laptops having that same problem. So Dell, let me give you some advice...start making your laptops more sexier by hiding the battery. Its that simple.


Speaking of sexy. Here is the new 13 inch Dell XPS m1330. No! No! Too sexy....! For a closer look check out the cnet video review.


One of the cool features of this laptop is the slot loading drive. I think its the first of its kind. Slot loading is the mechanism you see when you load a cd in your car. For really thin and lightweight (less than 3lbs) laptops, usually the laptop does not include a cd/dvd drive because it would add extra thickness and weight. But this slot loading cd/dvd drive solves that problem. Sick!

Labels: computer, reviews

7.12.2007 :: 0 comments permalink

 

 

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Computer Upgrade - Mission Accomplished

Phew! My new computer is up and running. And its speedy I must say. Well, I havent really tested out how fast it really is by performing benchmarks and having it do some major processing. But I want to get everything stable for now while I load in all my software and transfer all of my files.

My computer boots up extremely fast now. But one speed improvement I wasnt expecting at all is my internet. For some odd reason, my dsl connection feels like a T1. Im guessing its the hard drive that is boosting the rendering of web pages in my IE 7 browser. I thought that it was the internet connection alone which determined the speed of loading web pages, but I guess not. I can also hear my hard drive working fast when loading a web page.

I've learned a lot from custom building my new computer.

1. User Friendly - PC component makers are trying to make it easier for a user to install. Surprisingly, I only had to make 1 support phone call because I had trouble with the case. But other than that, the manufacturers dont want customers calling them 24/7, so they try to make it as simple as possible. How? 1) Installation manuals have lots of pictures. 2) Wires/plugs/components only fit in one way. Its almost impossible to plug in the wrong thing 3) Everything is clearly labeled.
   
   


2. Drivers - In order to get the onboard ethernet, usb, sound working, you need to install the motherboard drivers. Too bad the sound driver that was on the motherboard driver cd didnt work. So I had to download the latest driver from the website.
   
   


3. Startup Crap - I hate software that installs a bunch of useless things to run when your computer starts up. Whenever you install software, make sure you open up the registry or use msconfig to get rid of those nasty startup items. I like my computer booting fast and to keep it that way, I have to make sure that I get rid of these useless start up items.
   
   


4. Carbonite - So they easiest way for me to transfer all of my files would be to transfer them over my network. But that wouldnt work for me since Im using Carbonite to backup my data. If I were to transfer my files from my old computer to my new computer, I would have to rebackup those transfered files on my new computer, since Carbonite has no way of knowing that these are the existing files that it has on its server. So basically, you have to install Carbonite on the new computer and restore your files from Carbonite to the new computer. Its much slower, but that's the best way of doing it.
   
   


5. Software/Driver CDs - I have a binder full of software/driver cds. I've learned that most of them I can get rid of because software can get outdated really fast. Almost ALL software and drivers can be downloaded from the internet. And for those cds that you really want to keep, you can just copy the cd onto your hard drive. That way you can throw away the cd and install it directly from your hard drive.
   
   


6. Shred it and forget it - I had to use some free shredding software to make sure that all my files are permanently deleted and unrecoverable on my old computer. Who knows is it really worked. But since Im selling my old computer, I dont want to leave any trace of me behind.
   
   


7. New Every Two - This Verizon promotion allows customer to get a new phone every two years (actually its just a $100 credit towards a new phone). And I believe that this also applies to technology nowadays. Technology is moving so fast, that you have to upgrade your phone, computer, software, tv, etc almost every 2 years to keep up, if not sooner.
   
   
   
8. Overclock - I've been doing a lot of research on overclocking since a lot of the parts I got are optimized to overclock. But my machine seems plenty fast enough for what Im doing. So I havent decided whether or not I will overclock. But if I do, Ill definitely blog about it.
   
   
   

Labels: computer, projects

5.14.2007 :: 2 comments permalink

 

 

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Computer Upgrade

• Dual Core Technology - CPU's are so much faster now with this technology.
  


• Vista - Though I love XP and have no reason to migrate, but it is an inevitable upgrade.
  


• Demanding Software - With the new multimedia explosion of the internet (ie. online video), programs need more processing power to edit videos and photos.
  


• Serial ATA - This hard drive interface has been out for a while, but Im still using my old IDE hard drive, because I didnt want to reinstall all of my dozens of software applications.
  


• RAM - 1GB is now the minimum

Im going to be trying something a little different this time around though. Im going to custom build my entire PC instead of buying another full Dell system. In other words, Ill be buying every single component of a computer. This will provide me more flexibility down the road since I'll be able to swap in and out PC components as needed. Usually, it just takes 1 single component to slow down or even break your computer. Therefore, instead of buying a new computer, I can easily just swap out the messed up component. Building your own PC is definitely not for everybody. You really have to be a computer enthusiast and know what every computer component does. Its almost like souping up your car to get the maximum performance ie. spoiler, exhaust, etc.

Since I made my decision last week, there have been some amazing deals. RAM and CPU prices have plummeted. So I took full advantage and my computer is now complete (well...I still have to put it together). The only thing I really splurged (but still got a great deal) on is the Raptor X hard drive. It costs twice as much (at least) than a normal hard drive. But I felt that this was a necessary upgrade because the hard drive would be the only component that would slow or limit the performance, since my CPU, motherboard, and RAM are quite speedy.

In fact, hard drives are the only component that noticeably slows down your
everyday work with your computer. Whether you start or shutdown your system,
open large project files or applications or have the system load level data in
3D games, it is always the hard drive you are waiting for.

And now, I am proud to announce. My new baby...

• Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHZ (will attempt to overclock)
• GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard
• 150GB Western Digital Raptor Hard Drive SATA (10,000RPM)
• G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
• Antec Sonata II 450W Mid Tower Case
• Antec NeoHE 550W Power Supply
• BFG Tech GeForce 6600GT 128MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card
• Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU Fan
• 300GB SATA hard drive (existing)
• Plextor DVD burner (existing)

Labels: computer, projects

4.30.2007 :: 2 comments permalink

 

 

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Sony DVD+/-RW+/-R DVD-RAM CD-RW Drive

Need a DVD burner? Dont think. Just get it now.
$24.99 + tax after mail in rebate. Free shipping.

Labels: computer, deals

3.19.2007 :: 0 comments permalink

 

 

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The Perfect Laptop Mouse

My pursuit of finding the perfect laptop mouse has ended. But before I tell you which mouse it is, let me give you some history.

A couple of years ago, I wanted a mouse for my Dell 700m laptop. My laptop is very small and has 12 inch screen. So I wanted a very small mouse to match. It would look ugly with a regular size mouse.

I found the Kensington Mini USB pocketmouse. I chose it because it connected via USB, it had a retractable cord, and it was extremely small.


Then came wireless usb mice. No wires...cool. But with wireless mice, you need to bring 2 things along, the mouse and the usb adapter. Thats just silly. Why do I want to bring more things along. So I got a mouse that had the usb adapter that seamlessly fit inside the mouse. COOL!


Then I started thinking to myself. I still have to carry both my laptop and mouse separately. Wouldnt it be cool to have a PCMCIA mouse, that way the mouse is always inside the laptop? Low and behold came the PCMCIA mouse. And last but not least, the ultimate laptop mouse. A bluetooth, PCMCIA mouse. Why is it cool?

1. No usb connection whatsover
2. No batteries needed because it charges inside the laptop.
3. No need to carry it around since its stored inside the laptop.
4. No wires.

Nuff said. Stop drooling. Introducing the Bluetooth MoGo Mouse:


Too bad I dont have internal bluetooth on my laptop :(

Labels: computer

11.16.2006 :: 0 comments permalink

 

 

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Hyper-Threading?

I just installed my new 300gb Seagate Serial ATA hard drive on my Dell Dimension 8400 computer. I had to change some settings in my BIOS in order for my system to recognize the new drive. However, while playing around with some settings, I discovered that my "Hyper-Threading" is turned off, which is no real surprise because that is the default setting. So I had 2 questions:
1. What is Hyper-Threading?
2. Why is the default BIOS setting off?

I remember always seeing the Intel w/ Hyper-Threading in the description of Dell Desktops. So I did a google search and found it that its suppose to increase performance using that technology.
"Hyper-threading enables multi-threaded software applications to execute two software threads in parallel, thereby improving system responsiveness. Intel Pentium 4 Processors enabled with HT Technology deliver performance and multitasking gains that result in increased productivity and efficiency."

So if this is a good thing, then why is it defaulted off on my computer? Well supposedly according to a forum, it doesnt work well with some software. So Dell didnt want more customer service calls.

So anyways, I turned it on noticed that when I loaded my photoshop elements or premiere elements that the loading start screen now says multiprocessor instead of single CPU. Hopefully I'll see an increase in performance.

So in summary, turn on your HyperThreading!

Labels: computer, tips

3.16.2006 :: 0 comments permalink

 

 

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Dell Super 600m Notebook Deal

I just got a REALLY good deal from Dell. I heard from a Dell Rep that they getting rid of their non-widescreen laptops. All of the Dell laptop you see now are widescreen (rectangular vs square) and silver. The only laptop that Dell was stilling selling but wasnt widescreen was the 600m. The 600m is a very solid laptop. Its surprisingly only 5.3lbs which is pretty light. My 700m is 5lbs because of my extended battery. So I got the laptop below for $506 TOTAL including tax and shipping. Did I mention the 1GB RAM and dvd burner?! The cheapest laptop on Dell.com is the B120 which is $449 PLUS tax. This deal is currently expired and lasted only about a day.

Dell 600m
# Celeron M Processor 360(1.40 GHz/400MHz FSB) 14.1-in XGA 32MB Video
# 1GB DDR SDRAM 2 Dimms
# 40GB 5400rpm Hard Drive
# Integrated Modem and NIC Internal 56K Modem and Integrated Network Card
# Combo/DVD+RW Drives FREE 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW)
# Wireless Networking Cards Dell 1370 Internal Wireless (802.11b/g, 54Mbps)
# Primary Battery 6-Cell Lithium Ion Battery (53Whr)

Labels: computer, deals

3.05.2006 :: 0 comments permalink

 

 

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SBC Yahoo! DSL $12.99

Price drop! SBC Yahoo! DSL Express regular prices are now $12.99/month for new ONLINE subscribers at 384Kbps-1.5Mbps/128Kbps with 12 month term. Free activation. Pro $17.99

Whoa! Now there really is no excuse to get off dial up and go to dsl.

Labels: computer, deals, internet

2.03.2006 :: 0 comments permalink

 

 

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19 inch laptop!?

Is it me or are laptops getting bigger and bigger? I dont understand why people get large laptops. It kinda defeats the whole purpose of laptops which is portability (unless you use it as a desktop replacement). So Samsung is coming out with a new 19in laptop which weighs about 10 pounds. Who wants to carry around a 10 pound laptop? Anyways, the cool thing is that the screen detaches and presto..you have an lcd.

Labels: computer, thoughts

10.25.2005 :: 0 comments permalink

 

 

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