My System Journal

Almost everyone knows how to share a Dropbox folder but usually aren’t aware of the options available to them. For one, you don’t need an account to gain access to files but really only an internet connection and a browser.

Which brings us to the ways in which one can share files on Dropbox: a regular share as well as a share link.

The first approach requires both users to have a Dropbox account, and for one person to invite another, which when accepted, will be able to access the contents of the folder that you’ve shared with them. In fact, if you change the contents in the folder, these changes get synced in both folders.

Since this requires one to have a Dropbox folder of their own, if the files that you wish to access are larger than 2 GB, you might need to subscribe for a paid account that offers you more space.

And which brings us to the second way by which we can share files using Dropbox. All you have to do is locate the shared link to the folder and send it to the people who would like to access its contents.

Of course, this won’t work in cases where you have to edit documents in the folder, and which is why you’ll have to use the first method instead.

As for locating the share link, right-click a folder or file within your Dropbox account, and select ‘Dropbox’ from the drop-down list as well as ‘Share link’. There’s another way of accessing this option, and which is simply locating the ‘Share Link’ to the right of the folder in your Dropbox account.

Even if the hotel you are staying in offers you free Wi-fi, there’s always a chance that it is slow and unreliable. What’s for sure, however, is that you cannot depend on it to get your work done not unless you make arrangements for an internet connection, by other means.

With that said, here are 4 ways to deal with unreliable hotel Wi-Fi:

#1: Request the front desk to reset the router
In some cases, there might a problem with the router. Call the front desk and inform them that you can’t access the network. In fact, ask them to reset the router. After you’ve spoken with them, wait for 5-10 minutes and then try to reconnect.

#2: Find an Ethernet option
Some hotel rooms have an Ethernet cord or port which can help you jack into the network without needing to access the Wi-Fi offered by the hotel. If you want to share this connection with your tablet, you can use Connectify Hotspot – a popular software router. You can plan for this by carrying a travel router such as TP-LINK TL-WR702N.

#3: Use your phone’s hotspot feature
Most Android phones and iPhones have a mobile-hotspot feature which can accessed by a mere pinch. All you have to do is contact your carrier to check if they have such an option and how much it will cost you on a monthly basis.

#4: Try wardriving
You can use your favorite Wi-Fi finder app so as to find other wireless networks whether at the nearest coffee shop or even at another hotel.

Almost everyone who uses Windows 8 for the first time feels confused about the new Metro UI, with the omission of the ‘Start’ button being one of the widely discussed topics.

Another aspect that has been overlooked in recent times is how one can uninstall an app although, and quite obviously, the converse seems much simpler.

Even if you go the Charms bar and open ‘Settings’ or even open ‘Change PC Settings’, you won’t find what you need there. Nor will you find a way to uninstall apps using the Control Panel either.

Yet the answer to this question is based on the fact as to whether you have a mouse for your desktop or not. If you are using a desktop, then all you have to do is position the cursor on the tile, right-click and then select ‘Uninstall’ that is at the bottom of the list that appears when you right-click.

But what if you are using a touchscreen device, which obviously doesn’t have a ‘mouse’?

For most people, the answer would be to tap and hold the tile, and which would bring up the toolbar as mentioned earlier, when you use a mouse.

But that’s not the case. What you will have to do with is not only tap and hold the tile but also drag it down a bit and after which, release it. You will see a small check mark at the corner of the tile along with the tool bar down below.

Finally, tap the ‘Uninstall’ option and you’re done.

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 ways by which information can slip through the cracks. First, do not link Twitter to Facebook and better still, turn off the geotagging feature in the Account Settings section. And if you must, you can go private by selecting the ‘Protect my Tweets’ option in Account settings.

#3: Google+
Google+ offers an interesting feature called “Circles” where you get to share certain kinds of information with only certain people like posts which only your friends, family and co-workers can read.

Yet if one wants to ensure better privacy, they should not only limit who can see them by going to Account Settings and unchecking the option “Help Others Discover My Profile in Search Results”. Also, customize who can see how much information of yours by Profile and Privacy menu and making changes by clicking the “Edit visibility on Profile” button.

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, 256 MB RAM as well as 400 Mhz CPU to run it on.

#2: Edubuntu
Also based on Ubuntu Linux, this operating system is an excellent option for older children. While it does come with some preinstalled educational applications, there are no filtering controls much like Qimo. Simply put, it is a simple Ubuntu Linux distro offered with educational tools such as Compriz, KDE Education Suite and Tux4Kids.

#3: KIDO’Z Environment
Available for Windows, Mac, Chrome and Linux users, this subscription based application is also an external alternative for children and is noted for being very safe to use. With a built-in browser that blocks ads and provides robust content filtering, the interface has also been designed so that kids can use it easily. However, in order to access all these features fully, a subscription fee of $4.99, $39.99 a year and $59.99 for a lifetime have to be paid – a small price to pay in order to protect your child.

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 one password – which is used to access this security tool.

#2: TrueCrypt
If you didn’t know this already, employees of DropBox can access your files at any given point of time. Even if they don’t, why take the chance, right?

This security tool ensures that all your online folders are encrypted just as disks are encrypted and in that sense, remains only yours. In fact, the company is so serious about securing your data that it allows you to create a hidden volume within an encrypted TrueCrypt disk making it twice as secure.

#3: Tor Browser Bundle
This security is perfect to ramp up your browsing security, thanks to its ability to truly browse the internet with complete anonymity. Of course, this tool isn’t flawless much like any other security system yet has been proven to be effective in several situations where individuals have to deal with restricted access to the Internet. It must also be noted that since it has to travel through so many layers and random endpoints, don’t expect it to be lightning fast.

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 with another computer and then have complete access to your information. Keeping this possibility in mind, it’s always a good idea to encrypt your hard drive as well.

#3: Sign up for Online Backups
While having a backup drive is mandatory, what will you do if both your hard drive and your backup drive go bad. It’s really simple – all you have to do is sign up for online backup services where you can store your most valuable documents. However, make sure that you pick a service with the most stringent security practices.

#4: Install a two-way firewall
Windows, by default, comes with a one-way firewall, which monitors only incoming traffic. However, this is insufficient protection as it is just as important to check for malware or other malicious applications sending information from your computer. For this, software such as Norton or McAfee Security Software or even ZoneAlarm as well as Comodo might be just right for you.

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 vehicle. A vehicle tracking GPS is the same as a GPS tracking system and uses a satellite to send and receive information. You can find these and other types of tracking systems at gpstrackit.com. They have an extensive inventory of all types of tracking systems at reasonable prices. Check them out today to find the type of tracking system you need. The most popular way, companies buy tracking systems today is online. It’s quick, easy and they don’t have to leave the office. Many websites that sell tracking systems only sell them to companies and law enforcement officials and not to the general public.

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 the option of looking up that on four search engines such as Google, DuckDuckGo, Surf Canyon and Wikipedia. Also, it’s Endless pages feature loads other pages without you have having to click ‘Next’ and waste time.

#2: Chrome Toolbox

If you’re looking for any particular search term on a website, this extension helps you do that easily. So, every time you click on a search link, a text box containing the term will appear on the top right hand corner of your screen, and will take you to that part of the website where the search term if found.

#3: Google Quick Scroll

Among the things that Google Quick Scroll can do, you can open multiple bookmarks with a single click, magnify images and text in your browser but also be able to cache unsubmitted form data so as to prevent typing it again.

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 in mind is that “taps” should be avoided in favor of lines and circles, of which the latter two capture both positional and directional data.

Simply, in order to login to your computer, a user will have to know the start and end point as well as the direction of the gestures used, and which is much more difficult to determine as opposed to simple taps.

Also, avoid creating gestures that follow the obvious contours of an image, such as circling a face and creating lines between two landmarks.

It’s vital to pick a picture with strong contrast so as to pick bright reference points that will help you create a complex series of gestures that will not be easy to decipher.

In any case, if all else fails, you still have the text password option available at the top right hand corner of your screen, which you can use.