Can Minors Remove Content Online?

It’s nearly impossible to impress on children the permanence of things they share online through social media, emails or via text. Once they click “send,” that text message, photo or video is out there, available for sharing, forwarding and re-posting by anyone who gets ahold of it. A recent law passed last month in California is aimed at giving kids a chance to delete their digital mistakes, but there are some pretty big loop holes.

In September 2013, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 568 which, among other things, requires that operators of any website or online service remove content posted by a minor (18 and younger) if the minor requests it be removed. Postings that fall under the requirements must be removed from public access but can be maintained on the website’s server. The law will apply to websites housed outside of the state, provided that the minor is a California resident. The law will take effect as of January 1, 2015.

While this sounds promising, SB-568 offers little protection in reality. The web site operator must only remove content posted by the minor themselves, a pivotal distinction. If your child wants to remove something that was posted by someone else, for example a photo their friend (or enemy) snaps of them doing something questionable and then posts online, they’re out of luck. Since many websites already include provisions that allow anyone to delete accounts or content that they themselves have posted, critics question what this law really offers other than legal enforcement to pre-existing privacy practices.


This is another step in California lawmakers’ work to protect minors from the long term repercussions of childhood Internet indiscretions. Last year, California lawmakers passed SB-1349, a law that prevents both public and private post-secondary schools in California from demanding social media usernames or passwords as a condition of enrollment, or from threatening or taking pecuniary actions against students or student organizations that refuse to comply with a request for login information.

However, schools can continue to search out any publicly available data linked to a minor. A school district in Glendale, California recently hired a 3^rd party firm, Geo Listening, to monitor student’s public posts on social media. While the disclosed intention is to identify at-risk students, those who may be contemplating suicide or violence toward others, the overlap between data posted to social media and intervention by school officials leaves some to question the extent to which the information gathered may affect their child’s academic future. Other parents welcome the “second pair of eyes” monitoring their children’s online activities.

While it is promising that lawmakers are aware of the ongoing challenges faced by minors with access to the Internet and taking actions to try to offer them some legal protections, the protections are still minimal. While some children are certainly posting questionable things about themselves, the vast majority of things that they would want to remove from the Internet are more likely going to have been posted or shared by others. Once something is made available online, if it’s truly shocking, funny or compromising it’s likely to get shared and re-posted almost instantly, and not always by friends kind enough to listen when little Johnny wizens up and asks them to take it down.

This law offers no protection from cyber bullies who post nasty comments, images or videos about others intentionally, though to be fair that isn’t the intention of the law. The bill’s author, California Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg says it’s intended to help kids “who often act impetuously with postings of ill-advised pictures or messages before they think through the consequences. They deserve the right to remove this material that could haunt them for years to come,” (http://sd06.senate.ca.gov/news/2013-09-23-governor-signs-steinberg-bill-protecting-minors-privacy-internet).

[pullquote]the world of technology continues to evolve faster than lawmakers can keep up[/pullquote]

Unfortunately, the world of technology continues to evolve faster than lawmakers can keep up. With a generation of kids that learn that anything worth doing should be posting online, and many of whom judge their worth by how may “likes” or “views” their postings generate, what’s a parent to do? I’m glad that California lawmakers are making an effort to help minors reduce the long term ramification of their own childhood indiscretions, but I know that it’s ultimately up to me to teach my children about the consequences and permanence of things posted online.

Facebook Messaging: Pay to Send

Claims of Change to Facebook Messaging… sort of

If you’re anything like me, you probably didn't even know your Facebook account had two in boxes That’s right; when you go to your messages, there’s a little grey link at the top that says “other.” This is where less-relevant messages end up. Check it out: you may be surprised at what you find. But most of the time the “other” category just catches messages that you never really wanted to read anyway. If a page that you’ve “liked” or someone you don’t know sends you a message, it’s likely to end up there.

Facebook wants to make that other inbox a little more functional. They've started a trial limited to only a few users that allows them the option of paying one dollar to guarantee that their message ends up with the rest of your messages, not filtered out into the box that no one knows exists.

Facebook claims that:

“This test is designed to address situations where neither social nor algorithmic signals are sufficient. For example, if you want to send a message to someone you heard speak at an event but are not friends with, or if you want to message someone about a job opportunity, you can use this feature to reach their Inbox. For the receiver, this test allows them to hear from people who have an important message to send them.”

Right now, the experiment is very limited, and Facebook isn’t saying who exactly has access to this feature. It is unknown at this point if they’ve set any safeguards in place to prevent spamming, but the cost should deter any spammers from using it to flood your inbox with messages you don’t care about.

It remains to be seen what the full extent of this option will be, but Facebook promises further changes to the messages system over the next few months. In the meantime though, don’t worry about any weird messages coming to your inbox – but if it does happen, you’ll know exactly why!

Stay nerdy, my friends.

Why You Need a Router

Firewall Router is Necessary

While most of us have less than fond memories of dial-up Internet - gritting teeth through the high-pitched squeal while your computer connected, heading to the kitchen for a snack while you waited for a website to load – these days just about everyone uses a high speed Internet connection like DSL or cable. While you may think that the moment your ISP (Internet Service Provider) installer leaves you’re good to go, there’s one more piece of equipment that everyone with a high speed Internet connection needs: a router. Yes, even if you don’t plan to get online from more than one computer.

In its basic form, a router acts like a splitter for your high speed Internet, allowing multiple systems to get online using the same connection. While that’s certainly handy, if you’re one of the many households that only utilizes one computer or laptop you may not think there’s any benefit to adding a router to your network.

However, one of the most important functions a router supplies is that of hardware firewall, managing traffic to and from your PC. Without a router, you’re leaving your computer vulnerable to attack by viruses, malware and malicious code that’s designed to look for systems connected to high speed Internet lines with open ports.

Every time you pull up a web site, your computer sends a request over the Internet to the server hosting the site to send back the web page information to your computer. It supplies your IP address to the website so the site’s server knows where to send the information. Your computer is designed to accept information from anything on the net, whether you asked for it or not.

Information sent from the web to your system is called a ping. When a program sends information to your computer in the form of a ping, your system is designed to send back an “I’m here!” of sorts. Automated programs like viruses and malware look for active IP addresses and flood them with pings, probing for open ports.

All Internet traffic travels over ports. There are countless ports, many of which have a specific designated function. For example, port 80 allows your computer to see the Internet – all HTTP (basic web site page) traffic travels over port 80. Port 21 is designated for file transfer. Certain ports aren’t assigned a function, leaving them open for data to flow in or out when a request is sent over them.

Open ports are like windows into your PC. Your computer is designed to accept information from the Internet, even when it didn’t specifically request that information. Malicious code uses open ports as a way into your PC. A router closes all the ports, or windows, per se, that aren’t specifically designated for expected web traffic.

What’s more, every time your computer sends out a request to a web page, a router directs the traffic and anticipates the data coming back from that site. A router will not respond to anonymous requests. It only allows in information that it’s expecting, that your PC specifically requested. The router acts like a security gate, standing between you and the Internet.

These days, some ISPs offer a combined modem/router. So long as you have a router standing between you and the Web you’re good to go - you don’t need to add an additional standalone router. However, if your system is connected directly to the web, either via a cable plugged into a modem or a 4G card plugged into your laptop or computer, a router is an important investment to keep your system protected online.


Photo used by permission: Public Domain Photos

Video Editing for Beginners

Video Editing: How to

Ours is a video generation. We grew up with parents shooting camcorder footage of every birthday and graduation, and most of us have hours of movie footage without any cohesive organization or engaging content. Any novice with a video camera can benefit from editing. If you’ve ever forced your friends and family to suffer through six minutes of boring for two seconds of awesome, I’m talking to you. Before you post that cell phone video to YouTube, a little polish with a free editing program can make your friends actually want to click on your Facebook links.

While Adobe Premier is widely held to be the most comprehensive video editing software available, I'm hesitant to suggest a pricey application to learn a new skill. Luckily, there are some great free or cheap programs available. All of my recommendations support clipping, drag-and-drop editing (to change the order of clips) and splicing several smaller videos or photos into a single cohesive video with the addition of transitions (like fading from one scene to another). You can use any of them to convert your camera’s output into a format accepted by YouTube, social media sites, or recognizable to your DVD player.

For novice videographers using Windows, download the free Windows Live Movie Maker (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/movie-maker-get-started), a program packaged into Windows Live Essentials. Microsoft provides some basic tutorials and how-to videos to get you started. It’s a decent beginner product with a relatively easy to follow interface. Opt for one of the AutoMovie themes for an easy way to convert your clips or photos into a more professional looking video with intros, transitions and effects. There’s an integrated one-step upload option to post your masterpiece to YouTube, should you be so inclined.

Note: The link provided on Microsoft’s site installs the Windows Live Essentials suite of products. Select “Choose the programs you want to install” to avoid installing a bulk of software you may not use.

If you don't like the interface or find Windows Movie Maker too bulky or difficult to use, a great alternative option is VideoPad Video Editor Pro (http://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/index.html). The catch is that VideoPad only offers a 14 day free trial, after which my understanding is that the software will continue to work but only allow you to created limited types of videos. However, the product is only $30 (according to current pricing on their website) so it's not too expensive if you try it and like it.

VideoPad is an easy-to-use solution that brings advanced features to the beginner’s reach. Record your own voiceover narration, or import recorded narrations, something Movie Maker lacks. Also, the full product lets you create BluRay DVDs, a feature that typically requires the purchase of additional software.

Mac users probably don’t need me to mention iMovie, Apple’s movie editing software. Packaged into iLife, the software suite is included on all new Macs. iMovie has more themes than Window’s Movie Maker, more advanced audio editing (like the ability to adjust volume of a single segment and integrated background music options), and “People Finder” that will scan your clips to find additional footage with your intended subject. Overall, it’s widely held to be one of the most easy to use video editing software applications around… provided you have a Mac.

One last note: video editing is time consuming and taxing to your system resources. If you are using a slow or under-performing PC, your system may not be able to handle the task of editing videos. Save your project often if you aren’t sure that your system is up to the task. If your system crashes frequently during the process, try a different editing program, but your system may not be powerful enough to handle the editing process.


Photo used by permission: YuvalH

Top Pinterest Pages For The Bride and Groom

Best Pinterest Boards For Weddings

They’re just three letters, but they’ll change your life forever: “Yes” to the proposal and soon, “I do.” But as any bride or groom can attest, the time between those two utterances can be overwhelming, stressful, and even crazy. Whether you’re planning an unforgettable affair for 400 or so of your nearest and dearest, or searching to instill your own unique style into your special day, Pinterest has boards to make your vows full of wows.

The Perfect Palette

http://pinterest.com/perfectpalette/
What started out as a wedding blog aimed at “exploring the color palette possibilities for your wedding,” has grown into more than 115 boards of beautiful, colorful images covering coordinating palettes, to be sure, but also shoes, accessories, paper straws (with 31 pins!)… you name it. There are boards dedicated to weddings by season and every detail imaginable from cupcakes (even a board of cupcake flags!) to burlap – I didn’t even know that was a theme. If you are looking to color coordinate your big day, join the ranks of over 261,000 followers and add this to your list of wedding resources. If you haven’t decided on a color, prepare to be overwhelmed and inspired. One caveat: not all the images contain links that facilitate purchasing the item you see, so while you’ll be given lots of colorful, beautiful ideas for every detail of your wedding, you may be on your own to recreate it.

Offbeat Bride

http://pinterest.com/offbeatbride/
If the idea of a white princess dress, bow tie tuxedos, chiffon bridesmaids and roses makes you yawn, check out Offbeat Bride. The images explore unique, wild, and, well, offbeat weddings to help you create a special day all your own. They promise to “provide positive encouragement to couples who are trying to retain their identities,” and suggest you “altar your thinking.” Just to give you a sample of the creative ideas filling every board: the invitations page includes a ransom note invitation, Dr. Who themed invites, vintage templates, and a walk through of how to create a Harry Potter howler card. Many of the pins link to how-to instructions so you can create a celebration that’s distinctly yours without breaking the bank.

intimatewedding

http://pinterest.com/intimatewedding/
For many, the prospect of hosting a wedding for hundreds of people you barely know is less than appealing. If you want your special day to be more personal than grandiose, the 50 or so boards that make up “intimatewedding” are full of ideas and DIY tips to help you create a perfect party for your closest loved ones to celebrate your matrimony, on any budget. Many of the boards are full of ideas to incorporate nature, creating beautiful décor, accessories and gifts from pine, moss, even pumpkins. More sweet than stuffy, those planning a small gathering will find plenty of inspiration.

Brides

http://pinterest.com/brides/
Created with the images that adorn the pages of Brides Magazine, I have to admit that my first perusal left me feeling overwhelmed and over budget just looking at the couture-laden photos. Yet it’s impossible to deny the classic beauty artfully displayed throughout the 74 boards. I actually love the “DIY Wedding Details” board with over 100 pins of creative ideas for favors, décor and details. The how-to tips offer anyone with some time the tools to add personal flair to their dream wedding. Exploring past the “fashion-week” pages reveals that Brides offers ideas to bring beauty and grace to any affair, whether it be rustic or romantic, classic or colorful. Turns out decades of creating one of the most iconic wedding magazines around lends itself to an impressive collection of stunning images, awww-inspiring stories, and ideas to help any bride achieve her perfect day.


Photo used by permission: http://www.victoriajohnson.co.uk

Top Pinterest Pages for Cooks and Foodies

Best Pinterest Boards For Cooks

The world of cooking and food is a perfect match to the visual scrapbook nature of Pinterest. From gorgeous images of food art to helpful tutorials for the novice chef, finding inspiration isn’t hard; narrowing it down to a few great boards to follow so you don’t get overwhelmed… well that’s a bigger challenge. Here are my favorites:

Two Peas and Their Pod

http://pinterest.com/twopeasandpod/
Brought to you by Salt Lake City food blogger and recipe developer Maria Lichty, she promises her over 13,000 followers “simple, fresh and family-friendly” fare. There are 107 boards filled with sweet treats, dishes for every season, and boards dedicated to some of her favorite foods (from French toast to asparagus). More than just a food-centric page, it’s also a collection of Maria’s life and style loves. You’ll find ways to create tasty gifts, entice your kids to the table, and prepare a unique presentation.

The Kitchn

http://pinterest.com/thekitchn/
Dedicated to “real home cooks,” The Kitchn boards contain recipes, to be sure, but also tutorials and DIY projects aimed to inspire you to try new techniques and get more comfortable in your kitchen. The Kitchn’s blog boasts a following of over 3 million readers who come for the food and return for daily articles that keep their menus fresh and innovative. The Kitchn shares their favorites with their 9,000 Pinterest followers.

Cooking Light

http://pinterest.com/cookinglight/
For those of us that try to balance their love of food with a desire to keep fitting in their jeans, my favorite healthy eating platform, Cooking Light, has a Pinterest board dedicated to just that. With 45 boards full of categorized recipes, cooking tips and guides to help you eat healthy, you won’t have to cut out taste to cut calories.

Paula Deen

http://pinterest.com/pauladeen/
At the other end of the cooking spectrum, if you’re a fan of the queen of Southern Home-style cooking, you’re not alone. With over 76,000 followers, Paula Deen’s page hosts 46 boards of finger lickin’ goodness. Beautiful images of comfort food galore, Paula’s signature down home fare abounds. Those who fear butter need not follow.

Move over Black Friday, Cyber Monday Tops Charts

Cyber Monday: Better than Black Friday

Many have heard the term “Cyber Monday” floating around. But what exactly is it? Is it just a marketing term designed to sell more products or it is actually an event worth taking note of? It’s mostly both – and definitely worth paying attention to if you’re looking to buy lots of gifts this Christmas season.

The National Retail Federation is an international group of retail companies, the largest in the world. One of their major divisions, and one that is growing quickly, is shop.org, a consortium of online retailers. In 2005, shop.org coined the term “Cyber Monday,” claiming that “77 percent of online retailers said that their sales increased substantially on the Monday after Thanksgiving, a trend that is driving serious online discounts and promotions on Cyber Monday this year.”

How this pseudo-holiday started was when online retailers wanted to take advantage of the holiday craze for gifts, but could not compete with brick-and-mortar stores for once. Too many people were spending all Friday in line at physical stores and not online with their computers. So to capitalize on the trend, many online retailers started offering significant discounts on the Monday following Thanksgiving. Contrary to popular belief, Cyber Monday doesn’t just apply to cyber gifts like computers, tablets or smartphones, but simply to those goods offered solely online.

Cyber Monday Factoid

Because of its timing on the first workday after the holiday, many people started doing their Christmas shopping while on their work computers. In 2005, 37% of those surveyed said that they would secretly shop online while at work. In 2010, that number nearly doubled!


Despite some employers’ lost productivity from employees shopping online, many online retailers are making lots of money. In 2010, Cyber Monday shopping exceeded the $1 billion mark for the first time at an increase of 16% over the previous year. 88% of online merchants now offer Cyber Monday discounts.

The most common markets for Cyber Monday purchases range from the expected to the surprising. Jewelry and luxury retailers actually see the biggest benefit from the event, while the predictable consumer electronics market experiences the second biggest bump. The demographics of people taking advantage of the sale range wildly too. 70 percent of 18-34 year-olds shop online, but 30 percent of 65+ year-olds do as well. From young to old, more and more people are transitioning into online retail. In 2010, online sales totaled more than 165 billion dollars, meaning that almost a half billion dollars are spent each day on products online.

Sadly for some, all this online activity is taking its toll on previously-established major corporations used to working with a physical business model. Many companies like Best Buy are adapting price-matching strategies to keep up with online sales. However, these guarantees apply only to a limited number of items, and specifically in Best Buy’s case, are suspending that offer during the major shopping week that contains Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Trendy Tech Gifts for 2012

Black Friday Goto Guide

In the sea of tech toys and gadgets that hit the shelves every holiday season, a few stand out as the year’s sure-to-sell-out favorites. With the first new console gaming system in six years and a mini-tablet war, this year is no exception. Here are the hottest trending tech goodies of the 2012 holiday season.

Video Game Consoles

Nintendo’s Wii U (http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu, $299.99 for an 8GB “basic”, $349.99 for a 32GB “deluxe”) is the first new console gaming system released since the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 first debuted in 2006. In addition to the standard game controls, the GamePad incorporates a 6.2-inch LCD touch screen (which they’ve dubbed a “Personal Second Screen”) with motion control. Additional game content is beamed to the controller screen so you can see maps, complete challenges with the stylus or your finger, or use it to move your character or vehicle on the big screen. It can be used for handheld gaming, even when the TV is unavailable.

It’s the must have item this season, and it’s sure to sell out fast. If you want one, don’t wait for a sale. The best you can hope for is a bundle deal where retailers may package in an extra game, but you’ll risk losing out to resellers that snatch them up in bulk to mark up $100 or more and sell to the desperate on EBay.

Tablet

Despite the much heralded release of Apple’s new iPad mini, my pick for the best 7” mini tablet is Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GGCAVM/ref=kindle_dp_comp), starting at $199. An entry-level iPad mini will set you back $329, making the Fire’s price a big draw. Unless you are already married to Apple’s iTunes store, rest assured that the Kindle gives you access to just about all of the most popular apps, as well as the huge library of books, videos, TV shows and music housed in Amazon’s massive library. With an HD display, dual antenna for stronger WiFi reception and both a USB and Micro-HDMI port (for connecting it to your home theater), anyone on your list looking for an ultra-portable mini-tablet is sure to be pleased with the Kindle Fire HD.


If 7” seems just too small to accommodate your handheld web surfing, video watching and game playing needs, Amazon is releasing an 8.9” version of the Kindle Fire HD in time for the holidays starting at $299.99 (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008GFRE5A). Pre-order now – they expect to sell out.

Video Games

Call of Duty (http://www.callofduty.com/blackops2, $60 for XBox 360, Playstation 3, Nintento Wii U and PC) is going to be the hottest video game of the season. This first-person shooter game has developed a huge fan base since the series first launched in 2003, making it the biggest-selling title on Microsoft’s Xbox gaming system. Holiday sales of their annual game releases have outpaced all other games for the last four years and this season will be no exception.

Players battle it out online over a variety of “maps” and game styles. New “map packs” are released regularly to keep game play fresh. Just keep in mind that content is mature so it’s best saved for the older gamers on your holiday shopping list.

Trendy music lovers are clamoring for the pricey but oh-so-fashionable Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. The colorful can-style headphones are about style even more than sound, though many swear by the quality and durability. With many versions available, the entry level Beats Solo HD (www.beatsbydre.com/headphones/beats-solohd-black/900-00011-01,default,pd.html) will set you back about $200, though many retailers are offering them on sale for the holiday shopping season.

With eight colors to choose from, they sport an in-line control and microphone to easily switch from your tunes to an incoming call. Reviews are mixed with users seeming to love or hate them, but they’re unquestionably popular.

Top 5 Ways to Save on Your Holiday Shopping

Use Technology to Save on Holiday Shopping

November seems to sneak up on me every year. I’m minding my own business, working out costume details and sugar coating trick-or-treaters when, BAM! Out of the blue it’s time to get cracking on holiday shopping. To help myself get in the game and to help you save some money, here are my top five ways you can use your tech savvy to save money on your holiday shopping.

1. Check out the resale market:

I know, you’re thinking, “wrapping up used gifts?” but a lot of things available though sites like Craigslist and Ebay, or even at your local gently-used second hand store, haven’t actually been used. We’ve all received a present that we thought for sure would come in handy but instead just gathered dust. That posh purse may be perfect for your sister-in-law and is significantly less expensive than buying it in the store. If you have any youngsters on your list I can assure you that they aren’t going to care that the shiny new tricycle took a few spins in someone else’s yard before it showed up under their tree.

2. Use discount gift cards:

Just as there’s a resale market for items that people didn’t end up needing, there’s a resale market for unused gift cards. Check out eCard Exchange (www.ecardexchange.com) or Cardpool (http://www.cardpool.com ) for an extensive selection of discount gift cards that you can use to get instant savings on your holiday shopping. Benefit from those looking to cash-out a gift card they don’t need with savings averaging 10%. Unlike buying on eBay where you have to take a leap of faith that the balance on the card will be valid when you receive it, these sites act as a middle man. They purchase the card from the seller and then guarantee the value to you, the buyer. There’s even free shipping. While you can certainly re-gift the gift card itself, I like to buy discount gift cards for the places I know I’m going to shop for presents, earning myself an instant discount that I can then combine with sales and coupons.

3. Become a coupon printer:

Before you head out the door to cruise the mall, check out the in-store coupons available online through RetailMeNot (www.retailmenot.com/printable) and Coupon Cabin (www.couponcabin.com/printable-coupons/?tn=printable-coupons). You can earn yourself a quick $10 or percent off your purchases with just a couple of clicks and an available printer. If you’re buying online, be sure to check the coupon codes section for instant savings on your order.

4. Compare, compare, compare:

The Shopping Assistant browser extension (http://taoassistant.com/, available for Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Safari) gives you a toolbar that automatically shows similar products to what you’re shopping for at other online retailers, such as Walmart, Newegg and slickdeals. If you prefer to peruse the shelves in person, make that Smartphone data plan earn some money back for you with ShopSavvy 5 (http://shopsavvy.mobi/, for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone). Once installed on your Smartphone, simply use your phone’s camera to take a picture of the barcode of the item you’re considering. The app will instantly report back prices of that item online and at other local retailers, allowing you to request a price match or drive next door to get the best deal.

5. Make your credit card work for you:

Many credit card companies have discovered that the key to keeping customers is to help them save money on purchases they are already making. Most deals and special coupons can only be activated by logging into your account and navigating through the associated deals section. For example, Bank of America cards now offer “cash back deals” that give you cash back on purchases made at certain retailers, restaurants and more. The catch is that you have to activate the offer in advance of making your purchase to get the reward. Citibank now offers Citi Price Rewind which it calls “buy now, save later.” Register your covered purchases and Citibank will track prices at online retailers for 30 days. If the price drops by at least $25, you get the price difference back – up to $250 per item.

Photo used by permission: stevendepolo

Simple & Easy Computer Maintenance

Do It Yourself Computer Maintenance

You may think computer maintenance is only for the Nerds among us, but there are many easy things you can do to speed up your PC without investing a lot of time or money.

Whether you’re a Windows or Mac user, performing some basic computer maintenance can ensure your system stays in top form. First, the easiest tip: shut down and restart your computer regularly so that it can install all necessary software and operating system updates.

Next, ensure automatic update is turned on, both for your Operating System updates as well as your anti-malware programs. If you don’t have an up-to-date anti-virus program on your PC, Windows users can download the newest version of Microsoft Security Essentials for free. Make sure you take the time to run a full scan.

Uninstall unused programs to free up hard drive space and system resources. Be cautious! Don't delete anything you don't recognize in case it's a program file necessary for your computer to run. Windows users should consider Revo Uninstaller (free for 30 days, then $30). It performs basic maintenance and removes the pesky program remnants that Windows’ Add/Remove Programs Uninstaller can leave behind.


Mac users should check out OnyX (free, http://www.titanium.free.fr/download.php) for performing system maintenance and getting rid of extraneous files. AppCleaner (free) will help you safely delete unwanted programs.

Clean up temporary file folders on Windows or Mac systems with CCleaner (free). It can be customized to automatically remove unused files from your computer, freeing up hard drive space and potentially improving web page loading speed. Just make sure that you don’t delete anything you use. For example, if you like your username and password to pre-fill at sites you frequent, you may want to refrain from deleting your cookies.

There are several hardware upgrades that can significantly increase the speed of your PC. If you’re willing to try to a DIY project, there are some things to keep in mind:

First, track down a detailed, reliable walk through and review it in advance to make sure you’re comfortable with the process before you crack open your case. Lifehacker walks through installing all the hardware in your PC here.

If your computer slows to a crawl when you're running multiple programs, upgrading your RAM can help. In most cases, it’s one of the cheapest upgrades you can do. RAM manufacturers like Crucial and Corsair have memory finders on their websites. Enter the make and model of your computer and quickly see the number of slots your system has (so you know how many sticks of RAM it can hold) and the maximum amount (GB) of RAM it can support. Aim for at least 4GB of total RAM for best results.

A solid state drive (SSD) hard drive can make your system more responsive. Don't let the smaller storage space of SSDs deter you. Unless you're storing massive amounts of data you're not likely to miss it. If you do need more capacity, consider a hybrid drive that allows your OS to run on the SSD portion while your data is stored to a larger traditional hard disk. Replacing a hard drive is more ambitious, however. Backing up your data, installing the Operating System on the new drive and then reinstalling your data and programs is quite time consuming.

Finally, players of graphics-intensive video games may benefit from a new video card. The enhanced and/or additional graphics memory in a new card will likely make a noticeable difference in your speed and lack of latency. It’s not as hard to do as you may think – pop out the old card, put in a new compatible one and install any needed drivers.

Even relatively novice users can speed up their PC in less time than it takes to convince a cousin to come over and do it for you.

Photo used by permission: Sean MacEntee

Tech Bargains: Sites You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Tech Bargains at Your Fingertips

It seems summer gets shorter and shorter every year. How is it that back to school is already here? Whether you’re in the market for a PC, printer or router to get set up for the new academic year, or you’re just poised to take advantage of the season’s sales, you’ll be joining thousands of shoppers buying computers, peripherals and gadgets in the coming weeks. Before you walk into your local electronics store, there are many websites, some that you may have never heard of, that offer great tech bargains.

Newegg:

While the name may be a head scratcher, Newegg.com is one of the largest online retailers specializing in computer parts, networking supplies (like routers and wireless adapters), RAM, and external drives. Since they are frequented by Nerds like me, the reviews are a reliable tool to aid you in choosing between models if you’re not sure what to buy. Their extensive selection is easily whittled down with search modifiers. While they carry a huge selection of additional products, they shine in their top category: “Computer Hardware.”

TigerDirect:

Similar in their offerings to Newegg, Tigerdirect.com is a good source for price comparison. Be sure to factor in shipping costs and/or taxes as they can markedly change the final price of your selection. Luckily, both sites offer a well laid-out cart function that allows you to see final cost before requiring your credit card number.

TechBargains:

The real magic of Techbargains.com is in their “Top System Deals” and daily “Hottest Deals” that amass the best bargains on tech from across the net, saving you hours of scouring the web for what’s on sale where. “Top System Deals” shows the best bang for your buck at build-your-own PC sites like Dell and HP, offering up a selection of the best packages and the coupon codes to get the lowest price. The current deals section on the right of the webpage lists codes for Dell & HP sales so you can build your own system and still get a great price.

Monoprice:

My go-to site for cables and adapters, Monoprice.com, offers a dizzying selection of the less glamorous yet still necessary accessories to get your computer, peripherals and home theater working properly. Rock bottom prices makes it worth wading through the massive selection to buy network cables (i.e., CAT 5e or Ethernet), HDMI cables for your monitor, adapters for your portable electronics and much more.

Decide.com:

While limited in their product listings, Decide.com helps take some of the guess work out of when to buy the electronics on your list. It shows the going price of popular laptops, tablets, phones and cameras but takes it further by using up-to-date information to predict if there will be a price adjustment up or down in the near future. Considering a Kindle Fire? Decide.com suggests you wait to buy due to a new model rumored to be released soon.

NerdSecret:

If I’ve ever mentioned a product that you thought would be useful in your own home or office, I’ve compiled a site with links to the gadgets I’ve reviewed as well as some cool or goofy stuff that my fellow Nerds find appealing. Nerdsecret.com saves you scrolling through back articles to find tech bargains or that gem you meant to bookmark.

Small Business Data BackUp

Data BackUp - You Don't Even Need A Truck

Data backup is the flossing of the tech world: you know you should do it, but you just never get around to it. There’s something in human nature that makes us learn the hard way – cavities are no fun. Yet when it comes to risking the data that you need to run your business, the price of procrastination is too high.

For small and medium businesses, data backup is all about automation, redundancy, and reliability. The first step to reducing your exposure to hardware failure is consolidating your data in one more reliable and easier to backup location. Instead of saving files to each of your workstation computers, saving files on a shared server will mean that if Jane’s hard drive dies tomorrow you won’t lose the parts of the client presentation she was working on.

Small offices often designate one of the computers on the network to be a “server” that all other systems transfer files to. There are several limitations to this method. The hard drive in this system is just as vulnerable to crashing as those in your other computers. It will have to be left on all the time to allow others on the network to access data, and if you forget and power off the system while someone else is working on a file they will lose their work. Running constantly puts more stress on the system and drive.

If this is the method you’re utilizing, the easiest way to protect your data from loss is to set up a cloud based synching program. You may have an onsite backup hard drive; perhaps it’s even automated. When was the last time you checked that files written to your backup drive are readable? Users often discover that the backup drive has failed only when the primary drive dies and they try to restore files from their backup.


The main drawback to relying completely on a cloud-based backup system is that you have to be online for it to work. If your hard drive or server fails, you’ll have to download all your data to a new drive or have CrashPlan send it to you, which can be time consuming.

An even better solution is to set up a NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive with two or more hard drives in a RAID configuration. Data written to the backup device is replicated over multiple drives simultaneously. If one drive fails, you can pull it without downtime, running off the additional drive(s). I particularly like the hybrid solutions offered by Netgear Ready NAS as they work with Egnyte cloud file server software (www.egnyte.com) to create a system where data is stored locally for quick access over the local network, while automatically synching to a cloud file server. Data is not only automatically backed up, it’s accessible anywhere, eliminating the need for FTP and VPN systems to access shared files when you’re away from the office. You’ll pay a monthly fee to Egnyte (starting at $24.99/mo for up to 5 employees and 150GB of data), but many find it’s more cost effective in the long run than managing a file sharing network.

Small Business Network: Buy This Not That!

Small Business Network: Stability Trumps Budget

These days a business that can’t get online can’t go very far. From emailing appointment confirmations to processing credit cards, when the network goes down, business productivity grinds to a halt. Small business owners are stuck in a unique position: they need more reliability than a standard wireless firewall router can offer, but likely can’t afford the enterprise solutions offered by Cisco. In this, part two of my “Buy This, Not That” series for small businesses, I’ll explore a mid-range networking solution to bridge the gap.

When I started my company in 2004, I ran our call center out of a room in my house. Budgeting was tight and we used our DSL connection and a standard 4-port D-Link wireless router to maintain our customer database, appointment scheduling and webpage. What a headache! Every time the signal dropped (which was often), all of the systems would get disconnected from the server. If someone was partially through entering appointment notes or updating customer contact information, everything would be lost.

Luckily, moving to our first office location later that year afforded us the opportunity to set up a more reliable network. First, we invested in a Sonicwall router. Recently purchased by Dell, Sonicwall (www.sonicwall.com/us/) offers a wide range of networking solutions for small and medium size businesses with prices from around $400 for entry level routers to $2,000+ for units that support more users and integrate more security features.

What makes Sonicwall “security appliances” different from basic firewall routers is that they offer integrated anti-virus and anti-malware and the ability to control content access through the device. This means that instead of depending on your employees to police themselves – not go to adult content sites, download games or files, or open suspicious attachments – the Sonicwall can be configured to block content, viruses and spyware before it enters your network. This security extends to VPN client access. While this is incredibly important for any business that allows customers to access the Internet over their business network, I’m planning to invest in one for the house when the kids are old enough to surf the net.

They also offer additional levels of reliability. Their entry-level wireless router, the Sonic Wall Tz 100 Wireless-n Network Security Appliance (available through Amazon for around $380) includes automated failover to divert traffic (when needed) over alternate connections to ensure uninterrupted network access. Putting your business on hold while you wait through a modem-router-switch power cycle will be a thing of the past.

Because of the huge range of available options, consider consulting a computer or networking professional before deciding which version fits your needs. Many Sonicwall products require additional monthly or annual fees to continue phone support, VPN client access, and integrated anti-virus and anti-malware after the initial trial periods end. While I still believe that Sonicwall offers the best solutions for small and medium size businesses, it’s important that you research the ongoing costs to maintain the features you require, as with any networking solution. They’re also more complicated to configure so you’ll likely want to budget for professional installation.

I ran cable in our office to allow as many systems as possible to maintain a hard-wire connection to the router. While Sonicwall controls all access to the network, reducing exposure to hackers, my experience is that the more parts you count on to make a system work the harder it is to keep everything running smoothly. A wireless connection requires a wireless adapter on the computer to be functioning properly, as well as additional settings that can be inadvertently broken by the user. Connecting the majority of our office systems via Ethernet cable allows for more network stability.

Stay tuned next week for the “Buy This, Not That” recommendations for small office backup solutions.

Photo used by permission: dcmorton

Nexus 7 vs. Kindle Fire vs. Nook

Nexus 7 Google Takes on the Tablets

This week Google went and set the tech world abuzz by announcing their new Nexus7 tablet, the result of a partnership with ASUS. Recent success of Amazon’s Kindle Fire has given Google hope that the small screen, inexpensive tablet market is one worth pursuing. Anyone who has considered adding a tablet to their arsenal of tech gadgets but has balked at the price tag (or paltry performance of most low-end tablets) should take a second look at the Nexus 7.

While your first inclination is probably to compare it to the iPad, the dominant tablet on the market, in truth the Nexus 7 wasn’t made to compete with the iPad. Its $199 starting price tag and 7” screen puts it squarely in the ring with the major eReader hybrids on the market: Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble’s Nook Tablet. It’s not going to stand up as well against the iPad or pricier Android tablets, but when its $200 less it would be like comparing a Honda Civic to a Mercedes. Some of the basic functionality is the same, but without all the bells and whistles.

When it comes to hardware, the Nexus 7 outpaces every other similarly priced tablet on the market. It’s faster to respond to your input, lighter weight, and has a better resolution display. It also offers a front-facing 1.2 megapixel camera for video chat (through Skype or Google+) that the Fire and Nook lack.


It’s the first mobile handheld gadget to ship with the new Android 4.1 “Jellybean” OS. They’ve added the tweak of “Project Butter” (seriously, who thinks up the names for these things?) which promises to throttle up the CPU to make the OS more responsive. It uses predictive algorithms to anticipate your next move and respond more quickly.

Since the core function of a tablet is to view media (be it streamed from the web or stored on the device) and play games, display quality is a huge factor. While comparative tablets share the same screen size (7”), the Nexus 7’s display resolution is superior. On the Fire or Nook, you’ll do a lot of “pinch-to-zoom” to get the smaller text on a webpage or online magazine large enough to read comfortably. The Nexus 7’s higher resolution allows for smaller text to be clear and easier to read, making the experience of paging through media or surfing the web more enjoyable.

My issue with all low-priced tablets is how content is funneled through their proprietary channels. They’re really just a tool to purchase content through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and now Google. If you purchase and stream content from these sources anyway, you’re going to be married to the device that supports your library. In my opinion, Amazon offers the largest selection of inexpensive content, so if you’re planning to start a library I would be hard-pressed to steer you away from the Kindle Fire. For example, while Google Play offers most of the same magazine’s as Amazon, many of them are more expensive. No one can yet compete with Amazon’s library of eBooks, music and movies.

If you want to watch your own content (movies or photos) or listen to your own music on the device, the Nook is the only low-priced tablet that supports an expansion SD card. For those that wonder why storage on a tablet matters, the first long flight without internet access to stream new material will leave you wondering why you bothered packing your 8GB Fire or Nexus 7.

Verdict? Wait a couple months for the rumored next generation of Kindle Fire to be released. If it’s closer to the Nexus 7’s hardware specs you may be glad you waited. If you don’t plan to purchase content and are just looking for a low priced tablet to surf the net, play games and check your email, the Nexus 7 is absolutely the best small-screen, low priced tablet currently on the market.

Pinterest for Parents:Top Pinterest Pages for Parents

Pinterest for Parents

From adorable onesies to DIY crafts, Pinterest is full of great links for parents looking for ideas or guidance. Therein lies the rub: how can busy moms or dads narrow down the overwhelming sea of boards to find the ones that bring a little joy, peace, or motivation to their busy family? While everyone has their own parenting style, here are some pages that offer a great launching ground to find inspiration in the images and tools that fellow parents love.

Zina: Let’s Lasso the Moon

Creator of the hugely popular “The Parent Water Cooler” and “The Weekly Kids Co-op” boards, Zina has 270,000 followers. Her boards highlight interactive, creative and sensory-driven activities to allow your kids to explore their world. Her massive following often leads to a lively discussion among the comments on her links. Followers add suggestions, or confirm if they enjoyed a project or recipe, often offering tips to improve the original idea.

“The Parent Water Cooler” is a collaborative board intended to offer a place for parents to read about and comment on hot topics in parenting. From discussions about the state of the education system, to integrating technology into childhood learning, the pins are meant to engage followers in a parenting discussion while offering creative projects and activities to do with your kiddos.

For a collection of family oriented, educational activities geared toward kids from toddlers to pre-teens, check out “The Weekly Kid’s Co-op.” There are easy recipes to cook together, links to awesome birthday party ideas, and cute craft projects.

Cathy James @ NurtureStore

Cathy James’ pages are full of beautiful and engaging images of activities, learning tools, crafts and more that I can’t wait to do with my kids. There are 80 boards to choose from, including ideas by season, cooking with kids, sensory play crafts and much, much more. Her page includes links to Zina’s most popular boards, the “Kid Blogger Network” by PlayDrMom and “Reading and Writing Readiness” by Allison McDonald.

The “Kid Blogger Network” is a collaborative board from mom bloggers that focuses on activities and crafts to do with your kids. You’ll find lots of great DIY projects and suggestions for free activities to spend quality time with your little ones.

Allison McDonald’s pages focus on crafts and activities to aid in early childhood development. The “Reading and Writing Readiness” collaborative page aims to help parents encourage youngsters to learn letters and practice reading and writing with fun games, books and projects.

BabyCenter

With 31 boards of fun and colorful images, BabyCenter will carry you from maternity through creating the perfect kid’s playroom. This board falls under the category of images that appeal to me, which is frankly what Pinterest is all about.

Zulily

If you’re looking for a shopping-centric page, Zulily maintains 27 boards of adorable clothes, art and accessories for kids and mom. Their popular “daily deals for moms, babies and kids” has lead to a following of over 24,000.


Photo used by permission: dollarstorecrafts.com

How to Remove a Virus

How to Remove a Virus: The Best Anti-Virus Software

Do you remember back when your computer was shiny and new, it likely came with pre-installed Norton or McAfee antivirus software. It would periodically pop up little notices that it had downloaded the latest updates, and you felt snug and secure when you surfed online.

Then that trial membership expired. You may not have even noticed the lapse in coverage, assuming that the icon in your toolbar was a sign that all was well -- or, like many, you may have been wary to spend your hard-earned cash to subscribe. This story is so common that it's one reason why Panda Security reported in January that approximately 50 percent of the world's computers are compromised by some form of malware.

While I fondly remember the days when viruses were primarily built to annoy their victims, today's viruses are far more dangerous. Infected computers attack other computers. Hackers use these vast networks of infected computers or "botnets" to send spam, break websites and infiltrate corporate networks to steal credit-card data and customer information. Before you decide to unplug your computer, rest assured that there are some easy ways to protect yourself.

The 4 Best Anti Virus Programs for removing a virus

#1 McAfee Anti-Virus:

If you're already running an anti-virus program and making sure that it is up to date, kudos! If you elected to shell out the dough to keep your Norton or McAfee running after the trial ended, keep in mind that these two programs dominate the consumer security space. This makes them the biggest targets for hackers and virus writers who study their code to find vulnerabilities. While I am not suggesting that you look for an unknown, untested antivirus for your computer's safety, there may be good reason to consider switching to one of the great free anti-virus options available.

McAfee Anti-Virus For Mac:

McAfee also has an antivirus solution for Mac Computers. I know people say that you can't get a virus on Macs and to a degree that is true. So far, Mac computers are not vulnerable to traditional viruses, however they can be targets of  malware, phishing scams, identity thieves and hackers. Anti virus software for Macs will help secure your data and keep malware off your computer. Another solution worth mentioning is Avira.  Avira anti-virus has a Mac virus protection program called MacKeeper.

#2 Microsoft Security Essentials:

One of my favorite anti-virus programs for the basic user is Microsoft Security Essentials. It's free, easy to use, updated frequently and provides great protection from most Internet-born parasites. The fact that it's made by Microsoft, the company that makes Windows, is a great benefit. Who is better equipped to know which Windows vulnerabilities hackers are targeting? Programers can then integrate the fix seamlessly into Windows.

#3 Avast!:

If you just can't get past the idea of trusting Microsoft to protect your Windows PC, or if you are running an alternate operating system, consider Avast! free antivirus. Avast is one of the highest-rated antivirus programs, according to AV Comparatives, an independent antivirus program reviewer. Avast offers both a free and a paid version, and boasts one of the fastest virus scans on the market. It also uses fewer system resources when scanning, so you can continue to use your computer normally while the scan runs in the background. Anyone who has been held hostage by a seemingly endless scan that makes everything else on your system slow to a useless crawl can appreciate this benefit. Fun side note: You can select different voices to proclaim, "Ding! Avast's virus definitions have been updated." I am quite partial to Pirate.

#4 Sandboxie:

Finally, if compromised or lost data would devastate your productivity, check out Sandboxie. Sandboxie is an applications that allows you to run certain programs "virtually," like putting them in quarantine. Essentially, you open your web browser or email in a "sandbox," so an infected website or virus-laced email attachment won't compromise the rest of your system. When you close the program, you destroy the sandbox's contents, including any infections. However, cookies and temp files go, too, so if you like to auto-login to websites you frequent, this solution will likely annoy you.

Don't surf naked -- get some protection. If you're already suffering from and nned help to remove a virus or for more ways to be safe on the scary wide web, visit www.callnerds.com/andrea. 

[transcript]
Hi, everybody. I'm Ryan from Nerds on Call. Today we're going to be talking about how to remove a virus from your PC. Back in the day, when you first got your computer, it probably came pre-installed with something like Norton or McAfee. Those are great protection, but usually they expire after about a year. Then what do you do?

One of my favorite anti-virus is Microsoft Security Incentive. Just go to Microsoft.com and search for Microsoft Security Essentials, it's free, it's easy to use, it's frequently updated, and it's really fast. If you don't want to use the Microsoft product, you can always use a program called Avast, it's also a free anti-virus software. And one of the coolest parts of it is, when it's all done scanning your system, it will say "Hey, ding, we're all done looking for viruses." And you can change that voice to anything you want. So my favorite is "Pirate" It will go "Argh, no viruses found." Thanks for watching. I'm Ryan, from Nerds on Call.
[/transcript]

Can An iPad Replace A Laptop

iPad vs. Laptop: Can an iPad replace a laptop?

As the new school year approaches, the question I get asked most often is, "Should I buy a laptop or a tablet?" Apple's Steve Jobs has asserted that we are living in a "post-PC world". can an iPad replace a laptop?

To test the theory, I traveled to Florida with my 2-year old, bearing my iPad 2 but no laptop. When an article needed editing, I realized that while it would be possible for the iPad to do everything I needed, it wasn't going to work for me straight out of the box. It needed modification.

If you are considering ditching your laptop, whether it's for a trip or for good, here's my guide to making it possible.

Touch screen vs keyboard

Microsoft Word vs iWork
With or without a keyboard, creating or editing a document or spreadsheet on your iPad isn't going to be easy unless you make an aftermarket modification. Microsoft Office isn't available on the iPad, but Apple's iWork suite will give you most of its functionality at a fraction of the cost. Pages, Numbers and Keynote handily replace Word, Excel and PowerPoint , and cost $5 each through the Apple app store. All the content you create in these programs is cross compatible, so if you edit a Word document on your iPad using Pages, you can open and edit it later in Word with no difficulty.

As much as we'd all love to be paper-free, there are inevitably times when you need to print something. You can search the iPad for a USB port, but to no avail. Printing something off your iPad will require accessing a printer wirelessly. To make the process as painless as possible, look for a printer that is compatible with Airplay, Apple's proprietary wireless application.

Universal Acsess
Finally, sometimes I need a particular program that isn't compatible with the iPad, or I need to transfer content to another device. The lack of a USB port or disk drive can make this challenging. But with Logmein Ignition ($30 in the app store), you can remotely access your home or office computer via the Internet. Install the companion app on your laptop or desktop and leave it running while you are away. Now you can access everything on your home or office system from your iPad, from World of Warcraft to your accounting software.

What do you think? Can an iPad replace a laptop? If you're still nervous about unplugging from your laptop or desktop, share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.


[transcript]
Hi, I'm Ryan from Nerds On Call and today we're going to talk about whether you can replace your laptop with your iPad. There's nothing cooler than an iPad, but when you start using it, after a while you start to think do I really need both a laptop and an iPad? Well, one of the first things you're going to notice is when you start using an iPad there's no keyboard, you tap on the screen. Well, that can be fantastic for short emails or Tweets or Facebook updates, but let's say you have to do a long email or a very long document. You'll find that tapping on the screen can get kind of tiresome and correcting is really difficult, but if you buy a keyboard like the one from Zagg.com, you could connect it to your iPad with Bluetooth and it turns it into a laptop.

With or without a keyboard, editing a document on an iPad is kind of difficult. While you get the touch screen so you can move around your cursor and decide exactly what you want to edit. It's not as intuitive or easy to use if you're used to a mouse and a keyboard. Another thing to keep in mind about the iPad is if you're used to using Microsoft Office for Word and Excel, you don't get those on an iPad, but what you do get is Apple's version called Pages or Numbers. So you'll have to learn a new kind of software just to get some of the basic stuff done that you're already used to.

As much as I'd like to live in a paper-free world and have everything go digital, I still have to print things every now and then. Well, with a laptop it's relatively easy, I don't even have to think about it anymore. But with an iPad only AirPlay enabled printers will work. One of the saving graces for the iPad though is a little piece of software called LogMeIn. For $50 in the app store you can use your iPad to access your computer or your Mac and do everything that they can do. So can you replace your laptop with your iPad? Yeah, it can be done, but you're going to have a lot of compromise and if you're willing to take that step, it could be kind of cool.
[/transcript]

Computer Upgrades: Hard Drives, Part 2

Hybrid or Solid State Drives can be an easy computer upgrade.

The most vulnerable part of a hard drive is its moving parts. The disk spins, the spindle arm moves to read data, all the while creating heat, friction, and an opportunity to break when the moving stops. The next generation of hard drives - solid state drives and hybrid drives -attempt to rectify this by eliminating the spinning and swinging. However there are some tradeoffs: less storage and higher price. Is it worth upgrading?

Solid state drives (SSDs) are a flash storage device, meaning they work like a USB flash drive, just without the USB part. While from the outside, they look very similar to traditional hard drives, there is no spinning disk and herein lies a huge advantage.

A traditional drive is like a CD or record player. Data is written to a specific part of the drive, so opening an application or file requires that the disk spin to the right storage location and the read/write spindle access the data off the disk. Typically, opening a program requires your hard disk to be read in multiple places. SSDs access data faster, leading to faster system boot up and quicker load times for applications and games. This performance improvement is what leads many “power-users” to upgrade. However, the rest of us can benefit as well.

No moving parts make SSDs more durable and shock resistant. This can be a huge benefit in a laptop which gets jostled and banged around in transit. Since they don’t have to power a spinning disk, or a moving spindle, SSDs require less power consumption to access data. This may not seem like a big deal, but when you’re reliant on your laptop battery to make it through a flight, every little bit helps.


If you’re thinking, “sold!” its time I mention the drawbacks. SSDs are significantly more expensive and have lower storage capacities than traditional hard drives. While you can get a 1TB traditional hard drive for around $125 these days, the same amount of cash will buy only about 128GBs of solid state storage.

It’s really important to stick with reliable manufacturers – Crucial, OCZ and Intel produce strong contenders. Since the technology is still new, there are higher failure rates than would be expected, particularly with drives from less reputable companies. Also, performance and speed can degrade over time dependant on how data is stored. Look for manufacturers that integrate tools that evenly distribute how the drive writes data across the flash memory cells. Unfortunately, cheaper often equates to slower.

Some users have found that installing the operating system and applications on a SSD while storing data to a secondary, traditional hard drive gives them the best of both worlds: the responsiveness of an SSD with the capacity of a hard disk. However, running two drives can be complicated for basic users.

In an attempt to increase capacity and reduce price, some manufacturers have introduced “hybrid” drives. “Hybrids” fuse flash memory cells (to cache boot files and frequently accessed data) onto a traditional spinning drive. The hard disk offers the capacity for storing photos, videos and large packets of data while the flash cells improve speed and boot times. These can be a good alternative for laptop users where space is at a premium.

If you’re ready to upgrade to the speed and reliability of a SSD, contact me for my picks to get the most drive for your dollar.

Want a New Computer? What You Need to Know Now!

Everything you need to know about buying a new computer.

Buying a new computer can be almost as stressful as buying a new car. How do you find the best fit for your needs without blowing your budget? If you sign on for all the bells and whistles, or have your heart set on a top-of-the-line Mac, that new computer could set you back more than a down payment on a Civic. Before you pull out your credit card, let’s review some options so you can pick the right machine.

New Computer: The Best PC:

Desktop: A desktop PC is usually the most appropriate PC option for a family in which more than one person will regularly use it. The good news is that desktop PCs are relatively inexpensive, endlessly customizable and will likely run just about any software program you throw at them. The bad news is that once you get the desktop home and set up, it’s not going anywhere (without you risking a lower back injury).If price and personalization are more important than portability, I’m a fan of Dell’s “build-to-suit” options. Dell Inspiron i570-9114BK Desktop ($399-$450) is a great bargain PC! Just keep in mind you’ll still need to budget for a monitor. If you aren’t sure that a Desktop computer is your best fit, continue reading. Our guide to buying a new computer has a lot of helpful tips.

Netbook: Often confused with a tablet (think iPad), this is more like a miniature, pared-down laptop. Netbooks are cheap, tiny and, well, cheap. They offer inexpensive, portable access to the Web, with the ability to do some word processing. The price point is alluring — typically $200 to $400 — which is certainly less than a tablet with a keyboard add-on. However, netbooks aren’t very powerful so programs tend to run very slowly, their screens are small (typically around 10 inches), and you won’t get the cool touch screen you would with a tablet. If price and portability trump functionality, consider Acer Aspire One ($270) we think it’s the best notebook for the price.

Laptop: If you need a fully functioning computer that can run a multitude of software programs and still travel with you from home to school or office, a laptop is likely your best bet. You can customize your options much like a desktop, which means that prices can vary greatly. Expect to pay around $500 for a basic, fully functioning laptop. The basic system I like is HP g7-1310us Laptop ($500).

New Computer: The Best Apple Computer:

The Mac vs. Windows debate rages in many households, even mine. While the Mac user’s “I don’t get viruses” claim is not entirely true (Mac computers can be infected with Malware), only a handful of infections have attacked Mac systems in the last decade. With prices starting as $1,000, Macs are certainly more expensive than Windows PCs, and they’re typically pre-built — so don’t plan on much customization. However, Apple commands a higher price because Mac hardware typically is superior to that of an entry-level PC; a similarly equipped Windows machine would cost around the same. And many argue that the Mac’s software better accommodates graphic design and video editing.

The 27-inch iMac Desktop Is an extremely powerful computer. This Mac is perfect if you are a graphic designer, Video Editor, other digital creative fields. The screen is so large, that it is perfect for people who work with multiple windows opened at once. Because Apple iMac 27-Inch Desktop ($1,900) is geared for graphics, it’s fast processor makes it a good gaming computer as well.

13-inch Apple Macbook is an awesome laptop computer, if your budget allows, this laptop will last for a long time and accommodate almost any project you will encounter. Apple iMac 27-Inch Desktop ($1,100) computers are even capable of running the Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. If you are looking for the best all-in-one laptop, consider a Mac Book.

WANT MORE HELP? If you’ve narrowed down your choices but still have some questions about upgrades, components or where to get the best deal, ask us a question in the comments, and I’ll spill all my insider secrets to help you buy the ABSOLUTE BEST COMPUTER for your needs and budget.

[transcript]Hi. I'm Ryan from Nerds On Call, and today we're going to be talking about how to buy a new computer. Well, these days, computers come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. From desktops to laptops to netbooks, and then there's that crazy Apple. So, what do you do when you're looking for a new computer?

Well, let's talk about desktops first. That's the main computer that's out there. When you buy a new desktop, you don't want to buy the highest, most expensive computer you can find because it'll out date quickly. So, what you want to do is look for a mid range PC, something that's affordable, around the $300-$500  range, because you can upgrade just about anything inside of a desktop tower fairly easily. Where you really want to spend some extra dough though, is probably on a monitor. That's what you're going to be looking at all day, so you want to make sure it's crisp and clear, and easy to see.

Another kind of computer is the netbook. Now, these are usually really small, about 11 inches or so, and they're nice because they're really portable and easy to use. Right now, tablets are starting to take over the market though, so a netbook is kind of becoming outdated. The keyboards are a little small, they're under powered, and their battery life isn't the greatest. These days, I would probably stay away from a netbook and look more at a tablet.

Laptop computers are probably the most dominant kind of computer to buy these days because they're so easy and portable and they're getting cheaper and cheaper. When you look at a laptop, generally what you want to do is buy is the highest end that you could afford. The reason why? You can't really upgrade them very easily. Sure, you can add some ram or hard drive if you know what you're doing, but usually it's going to take a specialist to fix things from the keyboard to the screen to just about anything else in it. So you want to spend a little extra money on a laptop to make sure that you get the best one that's going to last the longest.

So, one of the biggest arguments at my house is weather you go Apple, or weather you go PC. It doesn't really matter these days. It really depends on your support group. If you've got a lot of friends and family that are using Apple products, you should probably go Apple. But if everybody's using Windows that you know, use Windows. You're going to need some support  to make sure you get help when you need it.[/transcript]

Best Computer Repair: Secrets They Don't Want You To Know.

Best Computer Repair Company, How To Choose Wisely.

Computer repair is like taking your car to the mechanic, at least for most of us. As much as I depend on my car, it's a mystery how all the parts work together to get me down the road. This lack of fundamental understanding of the car's inner workings makes me feel vulnerable and out of control every time the mechanic tells me what's wrong, and what needs to be done to fix it. If he tells me it's the flux capacitor, how would I know if I was being taken for a ride? That makes it especially hard to find a mechanic and finding the best computer repair professional puts most people in the same uncomfortable position. Here's my guide to the questions you should ask to ensure your trusty PC is in good hands.


#2 Who will fix my computer? Many larger chains outsource repair work overseas to reduce their overhead. This can make it difficult to get questions answered after service. Anyone who has spent an hour searching for their music files after having Windows reinstalled can attest to how frustrating this can be. If you're considering an independent repair person, what happens if they encounter a question or problem they don't know the answer to?

#3 Can I get a free fixed estimate? It frustrates me to pay for an estimate. In know it's broken. I want to know how much it will cost to fix it, not pay someone else to confirm it's broken. When I started my company, it was rare to find a computer repair person willing to look at your computer without charging something, but these days there is so much competition in the industry that free estimates are much easier to come by. What happens if the technician's original estimate or what he/she thinks the computer will require isn't going to work? This is not uncommon. When will you be provided with a new or revised estimate and can you decline at that time without charge?

#4 Do you charge by the hour, or do you offer flat pricing? If you pay by the hour, a computer repair technician is inherently motivated to work slowly. If they aren't initially familiar with your problem and need to research or work through trial and error, you pay for their inexperience.

#5 What happens if I have a problem after service? This is especially important if you are considering a small or one-man operation. If there's only one person doing the work and they're likely to be busy with another customer when you call, how long are you going to have to wait to get help? What sort of guarantee or warranty do they offer on parts and service? Make sure that the company stands behind their work before you give them your trust.

If dropping your laptop off at the shop makes you as nervous as leaving your child at their first day of preschool, contact me for more tips to select the best computer repair professional!

[transcript]Hi, I'm Ryan from nerds on call, and today were going to be talking about how to hire a computer repair professional. We came up with a list of things to look for when you're when you're hiring a computer repair guy. Now if you take your entire computer apart and haul it into a shop you might think that they're going to fix it there. But not always, especially if you go to a large retailer. A lot of times they will take it in and they will either ship it out to someplace else to be fixed, especially if it's a laptop or they will connected to the Internet, and somebody from another country will fix it.

Well if you're like me, I'm going to be a little bit more leery about somebody else but I've never seen before touching the stuff inside my computer. Like my pictures and my documents and things that I don't everybody seeing. Always ask who's going to be fixing it, where is it going to be fixed and how is it going to be fixed It's really frustrating to have to pay for an estimate. You already know it's broken, so why pay some body for the details. Basically, you want to make sure that when you get your computer fixed, you find out up front how much it is going to cost before they even start work.

Next you want to find out what happens after service is there warranty or some kind of guarantee? You want to make sure that after your computer comes back to you 30 or 60 days later, if the same problem occurs. What is the computer repair shop going to do about it? You want to make sure that you get it in writing or at least speak to somebody like a manager and find out exactly what is going to happen, if something goes wrong in the future.[/transcript]