My System Journal

4 Steps to Keep your Computer Safe

July 27, 2012 – 12:18 pm
Modern day computers need to be constantly protected, so to speak, thanks to the existence of viruses, spam, pop-ups and so on and so forth. If left unchecked, these unwanted applications or files can hamper our system’s performance. So, here are a few steps by which you can keep your computer safe: #1: Anti-virus Protection Even though most systems these days come with antivirus protection, it’s important to understand that in order to enjoy maximum benefits, one should not forget to renew the service once the term if over. Ensuring that you have antivirus software at all will ensure that you are able to keep your computer clean from common issues related to viruses and spam. #2: Check to see if Windows Defender or Firewall is turned on The next thing that you have to do is to find whether Windows Defender or Firewall is turned on for real-time protection. First, you’ll have to find ...

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3 Steps To Determine Whether an Apple Macintosh Or PC Is Right For You?

July 20, 2012 – 12:17 pm
If you are looking for a new personal computer, a bit of research will tell you that there are PCs available using platforms based on MacOS, Windows and Linux. What makes the decision of figuring out whether any of these PCs are right for you hard is because there is very little between them Yet a comparison between their weaknesses and strengths will help you determine which PC is right for you, and so here are a few steps to do just that: Step #1: List out what you want to do with your computer While basic functions such as web browsing, scheduling and management, multimedia playback and document manipulation are usually no different on these platforms, there are certain advanced features that are best on certain platforms. For example, if you’re a gaming enthusiast, then Windows would be your choice as opposed to the other two. Content creation, the other hand, is where ...

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4 Steps to Buying the Right Assembled PC

July 9, 2012 – 12:08 pm
Almost anyone knows the difference between branded and assembled PCs, where the former is built to meet general computing needs while the latter is custom-built for purposes that cannot be met by their branded counterparts. Although, there are advantages to both types, what becomes apparent is that a lot of thought must go into buying an assembled PC. So here are steps that can help you buy the right assembled PC: #1: Decide whether you want a laptop or a desktop If you’re planning to work from one location, then a desktop would be a good idea. However, if you need to move around for your work, then a laptop would work well instead. What one must keep in mind is the fact that assembled desktops are common rather than laptops. #2: Make a list of what you might use the computer for As mentioned earlier, an assembled computer is usually built for specific needs. So, ...

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How to Improve Privacy on 3 Popular Social Media Sites

April 30, 2013 – 5:49 am
While being anonymous on a social media site defeats the purpose, the truth is some people overlook their privacy settings when using one of these social networking sites. This also gives cybercriminals the perfect chance to obtain revealing information about you and which can lead to untoward issues in the real world. So, here are steps to how one can improve privacy on 3 of the most popular social media sites: #1: Facebook You can set your “Privacy Settings” to allow only Friends and Friends of Friends to look for you. Also, make sure that only Friends are allowed to see the posts that you make by adjusting the settings to “Who can see my stuff?”. Finally, go to the Timeline and Tagging Settings and set “Review Posts Friends Tag You In Before They Appear on your Timeline” to on. #2: Twitter Even though Twitter doesn't pose the risk of sharing your private information, there are ...

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3 Kid-Friendly Operating Systems To Use

April 22, 2013 – 5:59 am
Teaching children about computers might be the best thing that you can do for them. However, with the information that is more suited to adults online, it's disastrous to actually think of giving them free rein with a PC with an internet connection. However, thanks to a powerful operating system such as Linux, one can avoid these pitfalls by using operating systems that have built keeping children in mind. So, here are 3 operating systems that will ensure that you PC remains child-friendly: #1: Qimo for Kids Based on the popular Ubuntu Linux distro, this is the best operating system available for kids. Not only does this operating system come with pre-installed apps for kids but also has built-in filtering controls that would ensure that kids are not able to access adult content freely available over the internet. And just like more Linux distros, all you need is 6 GB of hard disk space, ...

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4 Security Tools to Protect Your Data

April 16, 2013 – 5:51 am
Every now and then, news of an online database hack is revealed and one wonders whether their personal information in the form of their username and password has been leaked out. If that's not enough, security breaches are also just as common these days leaving one to anticipate nasty surprises on their credit card statement or their inbox. If you find yourself in this position, it's time to take a few proactive steps to protect your data. So, here are 4 security tools that can help you do just that: #1: KeePass This open source password manager is a must-have for all users. Usually, people prefer to use one password for all the sites that they visit, posing great risk if the password is revealed. Using this password manager, and creating different and difficult passwords for all the sites that you visit is probably the best way to go while only having to remember ...

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4 Steps to Safer Computing in 2013

April 5, 2013 – 5:50 am
Apart from the usual resolutions that people make to bring in the New Year, it's probably a good idea to also include a couple of resolutions that involve protecting the security of your digital life as well. So, here are 4 steps to safer computing in 2013: #1: Conduct PC Checks While your antivirus might be effective, it isn't able to carry out a thorough check for vulnerabilities. What you need is software that will carry out system-wide audits be it checking the strength of passwords, missing Windows security updates as well as keep track of applications such as Java, your browser, Adobe Reader and Flash. One such example is the Eclectic PC security tool. #2: Encrypt Your Laptop While a Windows password prevent anyone else from accessing your computer, there are other ways to find what's on your hard drive. For instance, someone can steal your laptop and remove the hard drive, connect it ...

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Find Fleet Tracking Systems Online

March 22, 2013 – 9:38 pm
Fleet tracking systems are used by companies that own large fleets of company vehicles to keep track of where they are throughout the day. Some of the companies that use these types of systems are delivery companies and companies that have route salesmen. The tracking system transmits the information of the whereabouts of the vehicle via satellite. The receiving end is located at the dispatch office of the company the information is then used to verify travel logs turned in by employees. There are several types of tracking systems however the most recent and the most popular is the GPS tracking systems. This brand of tracking system is more reliable and more accurate than other styles of tracking systems. Companies can purchase tracking systems easily online. A lojack is a style of tracking system used to locate vehicles. This is a simple system and can be portable or built in to the ...

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3 Power Extensions that will Speed up Google Chrome

March 22, 2013 – 6:34 am
It’s a known fact that when it comes browser speed as well as the use of JavaScript, both Mozilla and Safari cannot compete with Google Chrome. Despite the fact that Chrome is faster than most browsers, it must be said that there are ways to speed it up even more and specifically, by the use of power extensions. In order get these extensions, the first step is to update your Chrome browser to the latest version. Next, visit the Chrome Store where you can find them. Three extensions to look for and that serve this purpose very well are: Chrome Toolbox, Fastest Chrome and Google Quick Scroll, and so let’s look at each them. #1: FastestChrome As the name FastestChrome suggest, this extension allows you save a few seconds every time you surf the web. For one, when you highlight a word, this extension will provide the explanation of a word while also giving you ...

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Creating Strong Windows 8 Picture Passwords

March 20, 2013 – 6:33 am
With the emphasis of Windows 8 on “touch”, it should come as no surprise that one of its features include that of creating a picture password. Ask any user how easy it is to enter an alphanumeric string on their mobile, and since Windows 8 aims at working across all devices, it’s also a reason Windows expects its users to switch to the use of a picture password as opposed to traditional ones. With that said, and even though this might be new for some desktop users, the picture (or gesture) password is definitely a convenient and secure way of logging into your PC. But how does one create a strong Windows 8 Picture Password? The reason for this question is because researchers at the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study where hackers could use smudge marks to decipher one’s picture password. Since picture passwords are all about gestures, probably the simplest thing to keep ...

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3 Worst Features of the Windows 8 Ecosystem

March 15, 2013 – 6:32 am
With the launch of the Windows 8 ecosystem, it’s abundantly clear that they have put their best foot forward when it comes to creating innovative products. However, there are certain issues that don’t seem to be resolved just yet. With that said, here are the 3 worst features of the Windows 8 ecosystem: #1: Common interface with no apps Compared to Apple and Google, Microsoft has a dearth of apps at its store. To tell you how bad it is, there are no apps for Instagram, Twitter or even Facebook just yet. With this crucial element now in the hands of third-party developers, one will have to wait and see if this affects the Windows ecosystem as a whole in a positive or negative in a few months from now. Worse still is the fact that the Windows Store isn’t unified for all devices but has been segregated for each type of device. This ...

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3 Best Features of the Windows 8 Ecosystem

March 10, 2013 – 6:30 am
It’s been a few months since Windows 8 was launched. However, this release seems like a shift for Windows users because of the number of auxiliary products and services that have sprung up to support the operating system. And they’re here to stay, whether users like them or not. With that said, here are three of the best features of the Windows 8 ecosystem: #1: The Introduction of Tablet-Laptop Hybrids Not only is Windows trying to move their users, both old and new, to the touch experience, with their latest operating system but have also backed the idea that tablet-laptop hybrids are the future of computing. With Surface RT being the first time Microsoft is venturing into the world of hardware, which puts it in direct competition with its hardware partners, this will only pave the way for innovative and cheaper computers for the Windows 8 ecosystem in the future. #2: A unified experience ...

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3 Ways to Speed Up Your Games Without Buying New Hardware

February 28, 2013 – 1:16 am
While changing old hardware such as your processor or graphics cards might seem to be a viable solution if your computer seems sluggish when playing the latest video games, there are other alternatives as well.   So, here are 3 ways to speed up the latest video games without buying new hardware for your PC:   #1: Graphics Driver updates   Most gamers commonly use graphics cards such as AMD Radeon or NVIDIA GeForce and it’s in their best interests to keep their graphics card drivers updated. And no, you can’t depend on the disk that you initially installed the drivers from or even Windows Updates to get the latest updates. Just to make sure, it’s a good idea to go the NVIDIA or the AMD site instead.   #2: Free up CPU/Memory Resources   Another way by which you can get your games to run faster is by freeing up CPU or memory resources, and the most common way ...

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