Securing your Remote Connection
Remote Desktop Protocol is one of the most used service with in all of Information Technology, this provides support to control terminals or workstations remotely created a rise in productivity for technical support. Utilizing this feature within your infrastructure saves many trips down to the data center or to a end users workstation. Being able to control a whole operating system with a click of a button has been amazing and incredible.
Now with this use there are some considers within this easy to use protocol. this services runs over port 3389 on your workstation which is a standard set by IEEE. being widely known as the RDP port it is a heavy target for hackers. as the information that is known to us is easily known to a common black hat. A simple port scan on a target with RDP enable will register 3389 is open, this is one of best things for an attacker but not so much for a network administrator.
You may be in control panel right now disabling your RDP but don’t worry I have a solution which could kill two bird with one stone for network administrators needing to remote into multiple machines externally.
First if you read my pervious article about configuring your DNS to implement RDP externally you already are on the right track. This articles purpose is to help you secure your remote desktop needs. So you may think this could be a very complicated process and will take hours but this will give you a secure solution with a few easy steps. First thing we are going to do is ditch the 3389 port!! using windows allows a lot of heavy configuration to customize to your needs. This only takes a few steps of editing the registry.
Open Run, Type in Regedit and hit enter now navigate to this location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber
Right click on the entry and edit it to whatever port you’d like, I’d recommend a high port something not used by another service to save yourself a headache with conflicts. I normally use something in the 4000s
now go in to your router or firewall and forward the port to the one you’ve selected above and block the 3389 port so you don’t have to worry about any exploits over that services
Now if you remember I said this could kill two birds with one stone, since we are changing the port on the service running on one workstation we can do this to multiple machines. using another port like 4002 on a second workstation and forwarding the port to the correct IP you’ll be able to access multiple workstations remotely without an issue. This also requires enabling remote desktop on that particular workstation. Now you may ask how can I access my workstation if the connection manager by default looks for the port 3389. Use this as the address “www.mydomain.com:4001″ This forwards the request to that port number.
I hope this was a helpful tutorial for everyone if you have any questions please comment below.
Securing your Remote Connection
Posted by rvillegas on September 2nd, 2010External Remote Desktop Configuration
Posted by rvillegas on September 2nd, 2010RDP into your network externally for free. Sign up for a account at DynDNS.org this where you can register a free domain for yourself. Once your done creating your account, you need to download the DynDNS client for your workstation this should be on the workstation you’d like to remote into but doesn’t have to. This client will have you login with your credentials to update your external IP address of your network with the domain of your choice. Now here is for the hard part and a part I cannot walk you through step by step as this varies on your equipment. This is general steps for your configuration for your router now since all GUIs are different for each vendor.
Now if you’re using DHCP you’ll need to set the workstation of the one which is going to be remoted into to a static IP address so it never changed. Next step is in your router you’ll need to configure port forwarding, All requests for port 3389 will be sent to the static address of your choice. Also make sure within windows you have Remote Desktop enabled which you can find in Control Panel > System> Remote Settings and then check off allow remote connections.
Now you’re done you can type your domain into any remote desktop connection manager on an external network and it should be able to connect to workstation and ask for your credentials.
Also on a side note with DynDNS services one of the web based options is parental permission and malicious protection. Where it can block well known websites which contact appropriate content and malicious scripts. This provides a heighten level of security on your Network as any requests for these websites will be blocked when the computer is doing a DNS Resolution on that particular address.
Virtual machines
Posted by rvillegas on September 2nd, 2010Virtual machines
Ever wanted to create a lot of workstations for testing but only one machine or wanted to test the latest OS without formatting? A pretty big topic in the last few years in IT, now there’s one leader in the corporate environment. VMware this has the capability to create a whole network virtually, anything done in real life can be replicated in this tool. Now that comes with a pretty price tag. For a free solution there’s a few options out there virtual box and VMware player are at the top of the list. Virtual box is a proprietary open source format for virtual machine files which cuts down the compatibility for importing and exporting.
Now if you’re not worrying about using other VM’s this may be for you. But for the crowd that may swap VM’s with others VMware player is what I use and recommend, it’s a water down version of the workstation client losing the options of snap shots and some other small features. Its brings to the table a great solution for home use, a single window with the basic options to use your virtual machine. It is a lot quicker then virtual box counterpart. Has the options of importing any type of virtual machine file and configuring it any way you’d like. Also able to run multiple machines at once and designating the resources of your machine to your choice for each virtual machine. With VMplayer it will adapt to your screen resolution with the VM tools installed, great for a multiple monitor setup. All and all, stay with the best when it comes to VM. Try VMplayer for yourself you won’t be disappointed.
Apple Gate
Posted by rvillegas on August 6th, 2010Watergate… uhh I mean antenna gate, sorry.
In recent events Apple has been at the top of every RSS feed for many users across many sites. First with antenna gate which I feel is way over blow to have Gates have a press conference. It’s a design flaw which many phones do in fact have. Where Apple went wrong is, knowing about the problem as they say before hand and not thinking it was a big deal. Now since Apple knew about it they could have easily put a disclaimer in the box saying “antenna here do not hold device in this position” or something along the sorts but they did nothing. Whether they knew it or not before hand we may never know. What we do know that there are two antenna engineers out of work since the glitch was released that also have Apple, Inc. on their resume. During Jobs conference last week he really stressed using a case (if you remember from the Engadget drama, the iPhone 4 beta which was found had a 3G style case to hide the design of the device). This may have been the real reason why the glitch in the device was over looked as using a case doesn’t allow the glitch to come into effect. Along with that the long awaited white 4G may have the fix for this issue (hardware-wise) which could be the reason for the delay (I think it’s very likely). Also, to the person who discovered this problem: were you trying to crush your iPhone 4? Not sure of any normal human wanting to grip a device that hard; it is pretty odd if you ask me.
The facts about Apple’s choice of carriers
The long carrier discussion has also put rumors spinning around the news; T-Mobile and Verizon are the top contenders once AT&T loses its exclusive rights. Now let’s look at the big picture international all the iPhones that are produce around the world meet the same specifications that are needed to run on At&t the 3G frequency frequencies 850Mhz and 1900Mhz. Every time an iPhone is released At&t in USA has it first; months before other carriers, Apple is Apple they love exclusiveness.
Why would Apple give people the option of other carriers when they have everything they want from the current carrier right now? They would create competition for themselves and a headache how would data prices look across carriers. Doesn’t make sense some of these analysts say Apple wants to expand their markets to people whom they lost because of At&t, the iPhone 4 sold 6 million in a month (which is only an estimate the real number could be higher). This is the most successful smart phone in history. If Apple does in fact want to broaden their horizon and expand their market outside of the GSM At&t market. Their best option would Verizon appose to T-Mobile, T-Mobile is a very small market compared to GSM counterpart At&t. Verizon is the largest cell phone provider in the nation with the best coverage. Again this is going off speculation with the current facts; Verizon runs on older technology CDMA which would require a whole new radio design for the iPhone to run on the Verizon network. This would cost millions of dollars to create, would there be a profit in it for Apple creating a whole new device which would only work in the USA? Apple and At&t are in a exclusive contract till a reported 2012 but that is not confirmed with also reports of 2010 so only time will tell.
My personal view on the direction Apple should take to explore the options of other carriers is use the same path Research in Motion has taken. The Storm has the option to run on a CDMA network along with support for a SIM card to run a GSM network, this would be the most plausible and probably most cost effective way to introduce a iPhone being able to support multiple technologies for different carriers. This would mean no exclusiveness to one carrier and them being able to act as monopoly for the iPhone and jack up your rates or restrict your data usage.
Life in the Technology World
Posted by rvillegas on July 14th, 2010After working in many different IT jobs, one begins to see the trend that develops and comes with the territory. I have worked fixing laptops at my high school, setting up, upgrading, and deploying new computers and providing technical support in a hospital, worked as a computer technician and help desk support technician at my college, and I’m now interning for a company in Manhattan fixing computers and providing technical support.
Now, some might say that they take care of their computer and they never do anything to it. This is bogus. Every IT guy knows that people misuse their computers. And don’t get me wrong, sometimes people do it unknowingly and/or accidentally. But, everyone does it. So, if you want to get better service and not make the IT guy irritated, don’t tell him that you didn’t do anything. Instead, tell him exactly what you did. If you clicked a link and downloaded something, tell him. If you accepted or installed a new file or program from a friend, tell us. The more information you can give us, the better/faster/easier we can determine the problem with your computer and work on fixing it. If you tell us that you didn’t do anything and all these pop-ups just started coming up, we know you are lying and that makes us angry.
Whenever you are telling us what happened, be sure to be as descriptive as possible. Tell us the exact name of the file that you downloaded or the name of the program you installed and where you downloaded it/got it from. This information does help.
The best piece of advice I can give to you is be careful. The internet is a great thing, but remember that it is also unregulated. Be careful about what you download and what sites you visit. Do not download anything from a source you don’t trust. Be weary about accepting files from your friends who use Limewire or similar shareware programs. If something doesn’t seem right or feel right, it probably isn’t right. Trust your instincts and use good judgement when surfing. Be a safe browser. Also, be aware of what you click. I have recently seen links to infected websites circulating via Facebook messages, chat, and wall posts. If something is incorrectly spelled (such as “waht” for “what” or “yuo” for “you,” especially when they occur multiple times in the same message/post), your friends account may have been hijacked and someone is spamming with it. This recenlty happened to one of my friends. The same goes for emails. If one of your friend’s email accounts has been compromised, you may receive emails from them asking you to download something or click a link to watch this cute video of Alaskian Polar bears, hover over the link for a second and see the URL of the link. Again, watch for misspelled words in quick succession. These are all signs of spam.
Please feel free to post any comments and questions.
What is the internet?
Posted by rvillegas on July 12th, 2010The internet, in a nut shell, is the infinite amount of connections that exist between computers. The internet cannot be quantified. It is constantly growing at an exponential rate. It consists of web pages, blogs, videos, pictures, documents and much more. It is a place for people to connect, share, and communicate about anything and everything. It is a way for a grandmother in Wisconsin to see her kids and grandkids in Wyoming. It is a way for the businessman in New York to connect to a meeting in Hong Kong. It is a way for people to express themselves. The internet is a virtual world where people can be who and what they want.
The internet, in my opinion, is freedom. No one can control the internet and what happens “there.” It is intereesting to think of how big the internet is and then realize that there is no physical thing that is the internet. There are computers that hold the information that the internet consists of, but there is no physical thing that you can touch that is the internet. All you would be holding is a metal plate that has a bunch of zeros and ones on it.
As always, please feel free to leave any comments or ask any questions.
Antivirus Programs – Who blocks the bugs and takes the cake?
Posted by rvillegas on June 14th, 2010Is your Norton subscription expired? Are you debating whether or not to resubscribe. Well, let me help you decide. Many people ask me what antivirus software is the best. Now, there are many out there to choose from, from Avast and Avira to TrendMicro and McAfee. The two best ones, though, in my opinion, are Norton and AVG. Norton (sometimes also known as Symantec) has good software and updates their virus definition files daily. Now, if purchasing Norton, you don’t need the kitchen sink. Many times when you are purchasing one thing, they try to get you to purchase everything they offer, including spam blocker, firewall, 360 scanner, personal chef, auto insurance, and a 7 day vacation to the Bahamas. There is nothing wrong with getting all of this from Norton; it allows you to control everything from just one system. However, there are plenty of free options on the web (in which I will talk about in later posts) that do all of the same jobs. Norton Antivirus (yes, just the antivirus) currently retails for $40 (available here). The Norton 360 Protection package goes for $80 (available here).
If you’re more into the freeware, AVG free is one of the best free antivirus programs out there (AVG here), along with avast Home edition (avast here). The only catch with these is that you need to update the virus definitions yourself (whereas the paid versions auto-update).
So, there you have it. Keep checking back for new postings. And, as always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them.
Infection Protection
Posted by rvillegas on June 9th, 2010I named this post “Infection Protection” because software now-a-days covers more than just viruses or Trojans. A very underrated software is Microsoft Security Essentials; this protection program was released free by Microsoft in September of ’09. This program gives you protection against Viruses, Spyware and Malware. MSE is available for any windows user with a valid copy. Now be careful when looking for this program on the internet (A real link will be included below). Last month a rouge security software was released into the wild, called “Security Essentials 2010″ to confuse users into downloading it, which is really an infection.
“According to recent tests conducted by AV-Test.org aiming to measure the performance of Microsoft’s Security Essentials, the freeware application achieved 98% detection rate for 545k malware samples including viruses, bots, trojan horses, backdoors and Internet worms, also achieving 90.95% detection rate for 14,222 adware/spyware samples it was tested against. freeware application achieved 98% detection rate for 545k malware samples including viruses, bots, trojan horses, backdoors and Internet worms, also achieving 90.95% detection rate for 14,222 adware/spyware samples it was tested against.”
- From zdnet
I don’t have the time and resources to give a review with the percentages of the infections found so I used a paragraph from zdnet’s blog about the product, to give you guys some hard numbers.
You can download it here, http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/
From my own personal experience the software is fantastic, this is a light weight product compared to most other products on the market. This will not bog down your machine at all, this is not a resource hog. This is a proactive security software so it will stop the threat before it infects your machine as appose to other software which is reactive that allows infections into your machine and then tries to remove it. So before using your buddy’s cracked copy of Norton or McAfee that doesn’t even update properly, try out MSE which has free daily signature updates.
Now normally guys, I’d like to stay away from products that have a paid for version like Malwarebytes to promote more of the free software. But Malwarebytes is just too good. Malwarebytes is a program that is taking the Internet by storm. This program has an amazing detection rate and will remove pretty much all infections almost guaranteed. I personally use this on my home machine along with my machine at work to remove infections off customer’s machines. One of the other reasons I was okay about writing about this product is the free version doesn’t expire at all, it just limits the features of the program (but they are the same for removing the infections). So try out the free version here, Download: http://www.malwarebytes.org/index.php
McAfee Site Adviser is a small light weight program that monitors your browser web pages. Now-a-days, infections can just happen from clicking on the wrong site or being spoofed into thinking you’re on a real site. SiteAdvisor will tell you if there is any malicious code with-in the website or infections that can be injected into Javascript and attack you through your browser without you even downloading anything. Till I found this I never found a protection program that could do what site adviser does. Highly recommended program, Download: http://www.siteadvisor.com/
Google Chrome: Does it really shine?
Posted by rvillegas on June 8th, 2010Now, some of you may or may not know about Google’s web browser, Chrome. It is already a few years old now, but I still see many people relying on either Internet Explorer (IE) or Mozilla Firefox to browse the web. Whether it be that people are just stuck in their ways and are just used to using those browsers, or if people are apprehensive about switching, let me try and ease your fears.
I made the switch to Chrome soon after it came out, and let me tell you, I have not been disappointed. Google takes it’s browser to the next level when it comes to ease of use, simplicity, and flexibility. The layout of the browser itself, at first, is a little strange; there is no menu bar running along the top of the application (ie, no “File,” “Edit,” “View,” options). However, this does not take away from the features of this app. Recent benchmark tests show that Chrome is the fastest browser available, allowing the computer to run more smoothly while you browse the web.
There are many different built in features that contribute to this. One of the features is that each individual tab runs under it’s own process. Now, this may sound like it causes extra memory to be used on the computer. However, this is a built in saftey feature that, should one of the tabs malfunction and crash, the entire browser (and all your other open tabs) doesn’t crash along with it, which frequently happens with Firefox. Another great feature is the ability to maneuver tabs to any position inside the existing browser window while also being able to drag the tab out of its position and open an entirely new window.
Now, some of you may now be interested in switching, but are fearful of losing your bookmarks or favorites. Not to worry, as during the installation of Chrome, you can choose to import your bookmarks from both Firefox and IE right into Chrome so that your new browser will be ready for use right “outta the box.”
So what are you waiting for? The link to download Google Chrome can be found here. Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.
Recuva – Data Recovery Software
Posted by rvillegas on June 8th, 2010Data: any information that resides on one’s computer. Well, how is it stored on the computer? Data, such as word documents, pictures, and music all have multiple copies of themselves on the hard drive. But, Windows only allows you to see one copy (the file that was designated to be the primary file when the file was created). So, what happens when you delete something? Well, the primary file is deleted, and is removed from the Windows structure. Searching or indexing Windows will not bring that file back (once it is deleted from the Recycle Bin). But, beneath/hidden behind Windows resides the Shadow copies. These are the files which can be recovered. However, the shadow copies only exist until they are written over. This means, if you delete something and then go and start downloading and installing huge programs (like Office or Photoshop), chances are the file will be overwritten. So, you deleted an important file. What do you do?
Data recovery is normally a very expensive process, but for the simple stuff there’s a program that works wonders (ONLY if you haven’t written over the data already. For that you’ll need to see a Data Recovery specialist). Here’s the solution. Recuva file recovery software from a great company called Piriform (They also make CCleaner and Defraggler which will also be mentioned in a future posts as there software is great freeware). If you’d like to try it out or obtain more information about the product check out there link here, http://www.piriform.com/recuva.
My personal experience with this product was fantastic. I used an old SD card (common digital camera memory chip) I had around the house and put an image on it and deleted it. I started up the program selected the option for recovering images found that picture no problem (I was very impressed). Repeated the same process again with a flash drive and an MP3 and had same result, found it again! Now the down fall of the product came in once I wrote over the data. The file wasn’t recovered at all. However, this task is a difficult one for any data recovery software. So, it really isn’t a major down fall since software you’ll pay $1000’s for will give you the same results if not worse. So those are the ups and downs of Recuva, a highly recommended and great piece of software to have.
College/school Laptop Decisions Part 8: Keeping your computer running fast
Posted by rvillegas on June 8th, 2010Now, some tips on how to keep your computer running great for as long as possible.
- Don’t overcharge your battery! I see this all the time: students who leave their laptops plugged in all the time. This is bad for the battery, and usually batteries only have a 1 year warranty, and are not included in the computer warranty. So, to keep your battery good for as long as possible, let the battery drain to a low percentage, then plug it in and charge it all the way back to 100%. Then, once it is back at 100% again, unplug it and use it. Then, do the same when the battery gets low again. Doing this will help prevent a memory from building up on the battery, which, if a build up does occur, the battery will not last as long.
- STAY AWAY FROM SHAREWARE PROGRAMS LIKE LIMEWIRE!!!! I cannot emphasize this enough! If you currently use shareware programs like Limewire or BitTorrent, please remove it immediately! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been called by a student to go fix there computer only to find out that they were using Limewire and they got a computer virus and now all of there data is lost… right before that final paper was due!!! Even if you have anti-virus software on your computer, viruses can still get in, and once they do get in, they invite all of there other virus friends to come in and you wind up with multiple computer viruses, spyware, and adware. From there, the situation gets really hairy. So please, take my advice, stay away from shareware programs.
- Try not to eat or drink near your computer. I know you might get hungry when your pulling an all-nighter to finish that 6 page philosophy paper, but please don’t eat or drink near the computer. When you are that tired, you get clumsy, and you could spill that soda all over the computer, frying the internals and not finishing the paper. However, if you choose to drink near your computer, and you do have a spill, immediately turn the computer on its side and turn it off (by holding down the power button). Then, remove the battery. Place a paper towel under the computer to catch all of the liquid coming out. Prop the computer up and just let it sit there and dry out. Go back in 8 hours, put the battery back in, and try turning it on. If you’re lucky, the computer will boot up.
Well, I hope you found these posts informative and helpful, and I hope that I have made your laptop purchasing a little easier. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will do my best to answer.
Name Bench – Faster Internet
Posted by rvillegas on June 8th, 2010Ever wanted faster internet for free? Here’s the REAL solution using this free program from Google. It searches for the best DNS severs in your area and gives you their IP address. With this information, you can put them into your IP configurations for the best connection to where ever you’re going. This will ultimately eliminate tons of “hops” from your connection to whatever server your trying to reach. To test this, I tried it on my machine, and I ran a speed test from SpeedTest.net to connect to a Server of theirs in NYC. My results were pretty poor. I also ran this test at peak hours (since the ISP I use is cable, my connection is shared). So I had the results of a download speed of 1.55 Mb per second, the upload speed of 2.05 and the ping of 26ms. Now I ran Namebench, Used the best DNS servers and reconfigured my TCP/IP settings to direct it to those servers. I set the top two hits for the best servers in my area to my DNS servers as the primary and alternate. I then ran the speed test again from the same site hitting the same server. The results were download speed of 2.71, upload speed of 2.07 and a ping of 23ms. Now obviously this isn’t a HUGE increase but clearly a lot faster and I’m sure over time you’ll see better results.
Now to configure this on your own machine go to your “Network Connection Settings” under/in the Control Panel. From there find the adapter you’re using (should be labeled LAN if you’re using an ethernet cable, or Wireless Connection 1 if you are using wireless). Now right-click it and go to Internet Protocol v4 (or just Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in Windows XP) and click Properties. Okay good, now on the bottom half of the window you’ll see “use the following DNS Server Addresses.” Now punch in the DNS server’s IP address you’ve been giving from Name Bench. The first one to the Preferred and the second to alternate. Great now your all set, and you should now see increased speeds. Now this will NOT, I repeat will not increase your download speeds. It will be very beneficial with web browsing.
Here is the download for name bench – http://code.google.com/p/namebench/
Desktop Decisions Part 1: Brands
Posted by rvillegas on June 8th, 2010Now, many people come up to me and ask me what specs they should look for when they are looking for a new computer. So, I figure this and the following posts would help in your search of a new computer.
The first thing you do before you even look at any models is choosing a brand. Now, I am not endorsed by any company; this is all just one man’s humble opinion. That being said, I would recommend getting an HP (know sometimes referred to as HP Compaq). In my experience, they make a very good machine for a good price. Now, I’m writing this post for the person looking for your everyday, run-of-the-mill home computer that has decent capabilites.
Many people ask me why HP and why not Dell. Well, from my experience, Dell makes decent machines, but they tend to malfunction very quickly. My roommmate bought a Dell XPS laptop during the summer to use for college. Before school even started, he had to have it repaired. Now, I did not know him before college, so I do not know how he treated the computer. But, he had to call Dell customer service multiple times throughout the year. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Dell service was outstanding… they overnighted any parts that needed to be replaced on the computer. However, having to replace parts in the first place is a bit of a hassle. That is the reason why I recommend getting an HP. Their products are good, their prices are good, and from my understanding, the service is good. So, why not go with HP?
Desktop Decisions Part 2: Processors
Posted by rvillegas on June 8th, 2010Once you have chosen the brand you want to get, the next thing to do is to find the computer for you. Now, there are two ways to approach this. One option is to go into a store, such as Best Buy, and pick out a computer that you like and bring it home that day. The other option is to go to the company’s website and build a computer for yourself. I would recommend the second option because most of the tmie the computers at stores are going to be either stock computers, meaning they have no special features, not very powerful, and nothing special about them, or they’re going to be quite powerful having some features that you might not use, but still have to pay for. Also, there is a middle man (the distributor, i.e. Best Buy), so the cost may be higher.
Now comes the fun part: building your computer. As for the processor, I would recommend going with Intel. I have always used an Intel processor in all of my builds and laptop purchases because, frankly, they are just better processors. No, I am not endorsed by Intel to be saying this. This is, again, my opinion. But, AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) tends to make processors that run hot, which takes up more energy and taxes the computer’s performance; the computer has to work harder to keep itself cool. So, I would suggest going with an Intel processor, preferably a Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad. It may be cheaper to go with a Pentium D or Celeron D processor (or something of the like), but to tell you the truth, those processors are already obselete. I run a Core i7 in my desktop, which is the newest processor line available at this time, in September 2009. However, I would not be surprised if in three months they release a newer, faster processor. So, I would say to go with a Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad. With these processors, the clock speed is unimportant (well, they are, but for all intensive purposes, they aren’t), so just get the highest speed you can afford. Next thing we look at is the RAM.
Desktop Decisions Part 3: RAM and Hard Drive
Posted by rvillegas on June 8th, 2010Now that we have chosen the processor, we move onto the next big component: the RAM. Three is a constant debate going on among computer techs as to how much is too much. Frankly, I would say the more the merrier. I am running 6GB of RAM in my desktop, which for the normal user is ridiculous. The minimum you should get is 2GB, 3GB would be preferable, and 4Gb if you can afford it. This will ensure your system runs smoothly when running multiple programs (i.e., Word, Internet Explorer, AIM, etc).
The next important part is the hard drive. I would say a minimum of 320GB will suffice for the standard users. This will provide ample room for your documents and pictures. If you want to store your home movies, I would highly suggest getting a 500GB hard drive or larger, as movies take up large amounts of space very quickly. Also, if you want to keep your computer cost down but also save your home movies, I would suggest getting a 320GB or 500GB hard drive and then getting a 750GB or 1TB external hard drive and save your movies there.
Desktop Decisions Part 4: Operating System (OS), Video Card, and DVD Drives
Posted by rvillegas on June 8th, 2010Now that we have chosen the RAM and hard drive, now comes the operating system. Most companies only offer Windows Vista now, but sometimes you will see Windows XP available for an additional charge. In reality, you are getting both Vista and XP, but the computer comes with XP installed. For basic home use, I would suggest either Vista Home Premium or Vista Busniess. If you really want it all, you can go with Vista Ultimate, but it’s not going to be cheap. The next thing to decide is whether to go 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64). I would recommend staying with the 32-bit version because most programs are designed to run in a 32-bit environment, and some programs don’t actually run in a 64-bit environment. So, stay with the 32-bit.
Next comes the video card. Now, if you are just doing basic internet browsing, checking and writing emails, typing up documents, etc., then you can use an on-board video card (if offered). These cards are built into the motherboard and aren’t very powerful. It provides basic visual support. But, if you’re going to be editing movies or your son is going to be playing computer games, I’d suggest getting the dedicated video card. The two types you’ll encounter are ATI and nVIDIA. Either company is fine, they are both good products. I prefer nVIDIA, but it doesn’t matter; it’s just personal preferance.
The drives are the next on the list. I would recommend getting a DVD-RW as well as a DVD-R/CD-RW. This means you will have two drives, which is helpful when making copies of CDs, whether it be data, pictures, etc. If you have the extra cash, I would definitely suggest putting in a Blu-Ray reader or writer. This will allow your computer to play Blu-Ray movies as well as read Blu-Ray disks, which hold more than 35x more data than CDs and 5x more data than DVDs.
Windows 7: What’s the difference?
Posted by rvillegas on June 8th, 2010Many people who haven’t yet upgraded to Windows 7 are a little skeptical about doing so. This is a perfectly legitimate response, considering that people who upgraded from XP to Vista were quite disappointed, to say the least. However, having upgraded to Windows 7, I can say that it is not bad. If I were to describe it, I would say it is the functionality and speed of XP with the looks and features of Vista. Now, obviously, depending on the type of user, this may vary. But, I am what I a like to call a Power User: someone who likes to squeeze all the power and speed from their computer as they can get. That being said, Windows 7 seems to be pretty quick. Now, there are several different versions of 7, basically the same way there were different versions of Vista. There are Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, and Windows 7 Ultimate. Each “flavor” has different features and options for each type of user. A comparison of these different “flavors” is available here. The above links direct you to the upgrade versions of these operating systems (OS). You would use those versions if you have Vista or XP already and would like to get Windows 7 without losing your data (*Windows XP users will need to run a fresh, clean install of Windows 7, and would therefore need to save their files to an external source, ie CD/DVD, external hard drive, etc. Windows Vista users, however, can run the upgrade install without losing any data). If you need to have a clean install, however, you would need to purchase the Full versions, available here: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Full, Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Full, Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Full. Students: Good news! If you are a student, you can get a Windows 7 upgrade deeply discounted. Just go to Win741.com and enter your student email address, and you will receive an email allowing you to purchase Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional (depending on what version of Vista you are using) for less than market price (Home Premium, last time I checked, goes for $30). So, if you were on the fence about getting Windows 7, here is your opportunity to try it without risking $150+. As always, if anyone has any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below, and I will do my best to respond.
Facebook Chat Smiley Faces
Posted by rvillegas on June 8th, 2010Some people are wondering how to do the several different Facebook smileys using the chat feature (when it works!). So, I have posted this link from another blog (creativestable.com) So, here are the various faces (and other icons) that can be entered in FB chat. Enjoy!
The direct link to this blog post can be found here.
Special Facebook Symbols and Bold/Underlining
Posted by rvillegas on June 8th, 2010After my last post, I received a question asking about other Facebook icons that people use in the chat feature as well as in statui (or is it stuatuses?). Well, here is a chart of symbols that can also be used in the status and chat area. However, the way to generate these symbols is a little bit more complicated than it is with the Facebook smileys.
To produce these symbols, you need to first activate number lock. To do this on a laptop, you usually need to press and hold the “Fn” key (function key, usually a different color than other keys) and the key that says “NumLk” (usually up near the Print Screen [PrtSc key] and Scroll Lock [ScrLk key]). On a regular desktop keyboard, the Number lock key will be in a similar area near/grouped with the keypad. This will activate the correct numbers that need to be used.
Now, to make the special symbols, press and hold the “Alt” key and press the number combination to generate the symbols you wanted. On a laptop, you cannot use the standard number keys. You have to use the number keys that were activated with number lock, which are usually situated on or around the “m”, “j”, “k”, “l”, “u”, “i”, “o” keys. You will know this by seeing a little number written in the corner of the keys. On a desktop, you need to use the keypad numbers, not the top row of numbers.
Here are the number combinations to generate the special symbols:
So, to generate a white smiley, press and hold the “Alt” and “1″ keys at the same time, then let go of them. This should produce the white smiley. Note: These symbols can also be produced (in the same way) in Word documents, etc, on the computer. These are not only exclusive to Facebook.
Also, another little tidbit of information: If you want to bold text in Facebook chat, inster an asterick/star (*) before and after the word/phrase to be bolded (Ex. Do *not* go out with her. = Do not go out with her.) And, to underline text, insert an underscore (_) before and after the word or phrase (Ex. Do _not_ go out with her. = Do not go out with her).
Hope this helps everyone. Feel free to post any questions or comments. Enjoy!
iPad: Specs and One Man’s Opinion
Posted by rvillegas on June 8th, 2010Ok, so many people are wondering what’s up with technology giant Apple’s newest product, the iPad. With the release of the iPad, with the 16GB WiFi version retailing at $500 (iPad price list can be found here), is it worth getting? I have done some research, and this is what I’ve come up with.
To begin, there are six different versions of the iPad: a 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB WiFi version and a 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB WiFi and 3G version. The WiFi version can only use the internet at WiFi locations, and the 3G version (supported primarily by AT&T) can use the internet anywhere there is a cell signal. Despite these conveniences, it is not a laptop replacement. The iPad is not a very powerful machine. And, it’s operating system is based off of the iPod Touch and iPhone OSes. This means that it is a one-program-at-a-time configuration. So, you cannot be on your instant messenger program and work on a document at the same time. And, it has the same pop-up notification feature as the iPhone does for text messages. This means that when you receive a notification on the iPad, it pops up right in the middle of the screen and you must dismiss it in order to continue working on whatever you were doing before.
For those of you who thought you were going to do intense Photoshop work on your iPad, I’d think twice before running out and getting one. Basically, the iPad is Apple’s Netbook. It is designed to do basic document production, checking your emails, surfing the net, and listening to some tunes on the go. The programs that come on the iPad are Safari, iBook, Calander, Contacts, Mail, iTunes, and Apple’s iWork suite (Apple’s version of Office, but not as powerful).
Secondly, (and this is just my opinion) I do not find it that much different from the iTouch. Actually, I feel it is just a bigger version of the iTouch with a longer battery life. Apple could make a much better product, especially after making such huge leaps and advances in technology and usability with their iTouch and iPhone. For so long, Apple’s Tablet has been speculated on and anxiously awaited. Then, they announce the iPad, and honestly, I was excpecting more. It does not boast powerful components and it does not have anynew features. I think that Apple should go back to the drawing board, rethink their strategy and come out with the MacBook Tablet, traditional style computer that gives users a computer feel with the ability to draw on the screen. This will allow the user to run Photoshop without any hitches and edit the picture with the stylus/their hands.
Overall, the iPad does not live up to my expectations. It does not fully support the needs of the masses. If you’re a student getting ready for college, I would not recommend this as a college computer. I would only recommend this to people interested in getting a netbook for recreational use. Apple’s iPad website can be found here, and Engadget’s iPad Review can be found here. Feel free to leave your comments or ideas.
