Current thoughts on The New iPad

After having used a new iPad for several months, I have a couple of comments:

• I love the camera.  The picture and video quality are incredible.
• I use a case with a bluetooth keyboard.  It's not perfect, but it does help when I need to type more than a few words.
• Do not update to iOS6.  I miss Google Maps, especially because Apple Maps does not include a street view.  Also, some of the bridges in the town where I work look like they have just survived an earthquake.  Kinda funny . . .
• I'm experiencing a problem with battery life.  I haven't had time to troubleshoot much, but I never experience a similar problem my 1st generation iPad, one that I still use.

Should you buy an iPad?  With rumors of the iPad Mini as well as the good reports from a number of Android tablets, it might be a good idea to spend time investigating your options before making a commitment.

Computer Threat with a July 9, 2012 Deadline

Here is another verified threat.  It is a complicated story that involves FBI intervention, but that intervention stops on July 9.  Tech2 gives a good short summary:

http://tech2.in.com/news/web-services/fbis-cutting-off-internet-to-dns-changer-infected-users-on-july-9/301012

Digital Trends provides a good explanation of the problem:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/fbi-web-will-go-dark-for-350000-infected-internet-users-starting-july-9/

PCWorld also has a good article along with a "How to Tell you Have a Problem" section and a "What to do if You have a Problem" section:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/255137/protect_yourself_from_dnschanger.html

What is the bottom line?  Follow this link to see if you have a problem.  http://www.dns-ok.us/   If you do have the problem, the PCWorld article should help you find a solution.

SpinRite Hard Drive Recovery

Another Leo Laporte recommendation is SpinRite.  This tool will attempt to recover a hard drive by reading every sector and marking those which are bad.  In the process, if it can move data to good sectors, there is a chance that the hard drive might be salvageable and also a chance that the data might be recovered.

http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm

EaseUS Data Recovery

I heard about this on Leo LaPorte's podcast.  If you have access to forensic tools, this might not impress you, but for everyone else, this might be a good resource for recovering data on a hard drive after it has been deleted.

http://easeus.com/

Current Technology Scams

Please be mindful of technology scams.  They can cause harm to you or your computer equipment.  See below for current scams . . . 

Microsoft Support Scam 

From what I can tell, this scam was being used two years ago and has had a recent resurgence.  Below is an article reported this week on KKTV.com, a southern Colorado news station: 

Norma Charles recently got an alarming phone call from a man she said had a heavy accent. 

"I'm always a little bit wary. You hear about this all the time, and I said 'I’m not sure I trust you or not,'" Charles said. 

From the start she said she knew something was wrong. The man on the other end told her he was from Microsoft, and said that her computer might crash any minute. 

"He said ‘oh I’ll show you how bad it is,’" Charles said. 

The scammer directed her to a website (teamviewer.com) and from there, Charles said he just took over, controlling her mouse from his end of the phone. 

He told her he could fix the problem, but it would cost her more than $300. It was at that point Charles had enough and hung up. 

"I knew it, I knew it (was a scam) right away. I just kept telling him I didn't trust him (he said) ‘oh but you can I’m Microsoft,’" Charles recalled. 

Because of Charles’ limited mobility, she relies heavily on her computer to shop and get necessities. Although she didn't completely fall for this scam, she just wants everyone to be careful when getting calls like these. 

We contacted Microsoft about this incident and here's what they told us: 

“This is a known scam. Criminal organizations are using Microsoft's name to try to gain your trust. I can categorically confirm that neither Microsoft nor our partners make unsolicited phone calls to help solve your computer problems. If you receive an unsolicited phone call that purports to be from Microsoft and requests that you send personal information, hang up the phone.” 

If you have already fallen victim to a scam, and feel that your computer's security may already be compromised, Microsoft provides a free security scanner that you can use to help identify and remove malicious software. We've linked below and to our homepage, just click on “Find It.” 

Smart Phone Scam 

I received this text message on my smart phone recently, and it stated the following: 

Dear Walmart shopper, Congratulations you have just won a $1000 Walmart Gift Card. Click here to claim your gift. www-VIPwmart-com STOP2end 

The part of the message close to the end was an actual link, and I'm sure it lead to malware for smart phones.  The message was received this morning by several staff members. 

Android Tethering Option

It looks as if Gingerbread breaks PDAnet.  Here's another option:

http://androidflip.com/how-to-use-android-phone-as-modem-without-rooting/

A New Car Rating Site

This looks good - a car rating site that incorporates opinions from a number of respected sites.  I first heard about it on Leo Laport's Tech Guy podcast, and I think this site might be one of the next big things.

www.totalcarscore.com

Best DVD Burning Software

I can't tell you the number of times I have wanted to quickly burn a DVD and I discovered that the computer had no DVD burning software or the software wouldn't work.  After a quick look, I found this site post that lists and comments on free DVD burning software:

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-cd-dvd-burning-software.htm

I tried the first product listed - ImgBurn, and it worked well for my quick need.  One word of caution:  pay close attention to the screens.  The download site is full of distracting links that take you to products you aren't looking for - probably ones that require payment.  Anyway, here's the link:

http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download

(The first mirror didn't work for me.  I used Mirror 7.)

**I used the above-link today (12/06/2014).  Be careful!  When installing the software, it will attempt to also install a toolbar and another program.  When you see the radio button options toward the end of the process, choose the negative option.  In fact, the toolbar options are normal installation and custom installation.  You will have to choose custom and then uncheck both subsequent options.

Can you Really Turn an iPad into a MacBook Pro?

See the link:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/new-ipad-keyboard-case-lets-you-turn-your-tablet-into-a-macbook-pro-sort-of/

What is Cloud Computing?

I am shocked!  I did a quick search for an easy to understand definition of Cloud Computing, and I couldn't find even one.  Every definition used terms like "hosted services," "depoloyment," and "infrastructure."  I can assure you that my grandmother would be clueless - and your's would too!  Just because some of us are computer guys doesn't mean we can't speak in every-day English.  So here I will offer a simple definition.

The cloud is the Internet.  Now hold that thought.

At home, most of us store our files on a personal computer, and when we want to open those files, we have to go to the computer for the files.  For example, Grandma puts all of her pictures on her computer.  When she goes to lunch with friends, she has to invite them to her house or bring her laptop with her to show off the latest pictures of the grandchildren.

With cloud computing, the files are stored in the cloud - or on the Internet.  How do we do that?

If you are using email such as hotmail or gmail, you are already storing your email messages in the cloud. Right?  This is called web-based email.  You go to a website such as hotmail.com or gmail.com and you log in.  From there you read new mail and send messages - and all of your email is in the cloud.  You can log in to your email from any computer that has access to the Internet.

So how do you save files in the cloud instead of on a personal computer?  The easiest way is to use a cloud-based service such as Dropbox.  When you install Dropbox on your computer, it creates a directory on your computer.  If you save documents or pictures in My Documents/My Pictures, they will be located on the computer, but if you save them in My Documents/My Dropbox, they will be stored on a Dropbox computer which is located in the cloud - and you can open those files from any computer.

Another benefit of cloud computing is that many of the cloud-based services offer apps for smart phones and tablets, giving you better access to the files you have stored in the cloud.

So now, when Grandma is at lunch with her friends, she can log in to the cloud from any computer to show off the pictures of the grandchildren.  If you provide her with a smart phone, she can show off her pictures even easier.

Other Cloud-Based Services

Google Documents
Box.net
Sugarsync
Picasa
MobileMe
Amazon S3

Mac Malware Attack?

Apple computers are typically not targets for malware.  In that area, Windows computers get all of the attention, which has been a huge selling point for Macs.  Here is an exception:  a trojan called the Flashback botnet that has reportedly infected more than 600,000 Macs.

CNet provides a good explanation and a link to help you determine if your Mac is infected:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57409619-83/more-than-600000-macs-infected-with-flashback-botnet/?tag=mncol;topStories

Google is Testing Augmented-Reality Glasses

For years, I have envisioned glasses that function like computer screens.  Just imagine what it would be like to have a computer screen incorporated in your specs.  Weird?  Over the top?  Do we really need to be any more connected than we are today?

This CNet article provides an explanation along with a very interesting YouTube video on augmented-reality glasses:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57409331-76/google-yep-were-testing-augmented-reality-glasses/?tag=mncol;editorPicks

Instagram

Have you seen the links to pictures people are posting on Facebook or Twitter using Instagram? For the longest time, I didn't pay close attention, but I more recently noticed that like with Twitter, Instagram users have followers, too.  Now the craze seems to be getting bigger as there is now an Instagram app for Android phones.  What is Instagram?  I don't know much, but I know it's a social networking site or app for sharing pictures.

This CNet article gives a good explanation as relates to the Android platform:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57408956-94/instagram-for-android-the-good-the-bad-the-ugly/

Tips from a Washington Post article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/arts-post/post/instagram-on-android-tips-to-use-the-instantly-popular-app/2012/04/04/gIQA3YLDvS_blog.html

A general explanation of Instagram here:

http://infospace.ischool.syr.edu/2011/12/15/what-is-instagram-and-why-is-it-so-popular/

Who is Using Pinterest?

I don't understand why, but Pinterest is one of the new Internet rages.  According to PC World, Pinterest is the "social networking darling of 2012."  PC World also reports that it's mostly used by females - kind of line a virtual pinboard, like what you might have on your office or cubicle wall.

The PC World article:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/251106/should_you_care_about_pinterest.html

Another PC World article highlights how scammers are targeting Pinterest, as well:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/251936/pinterest_is_fertile_ground_for_online_scams.html

The New iPad

Although many refer to it as the iPad 3, Apple decided to simply name its newest device “The New iPad.”  I haven’t yet put my hands on one, but I have owned a first generation iPad for two years - and I love it.  Having been a Mac user for the past 3 years, I have come to believe Apple does everything well - a huge statement for someone who has  always used PCs.  Below you will find a few articles about “The New iPad.”

Clark Howard says if you are already an iPad 2 user, the new iPad doesn’t offer enough to justify the cost of upgrading:

http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/technology/ipad-3-not-worth-extra-money-over-ipad-2/nLgxR/

Enterprise Mobility reports that the new iPad is at the top of Consumer Reports’ list of tablets:

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/New-iPad-Tops-COnsumer-Reports-Tablet-List-143799/

The Huffington Post reports on the biggest issues with the new iPad:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/02/ipad-3-problems-complaints-issues_n_1396543.html#s818723&title=No_FaceTime_On

Smart Money gives 4 reasons to pass on the new iPad:

http://www.smartmoney.com/spend/technology/4-reasons-to-pass-on-the-new-ipad-1331163741460/

Spector 360: Can Safe Mode be used to Avoid Monitoring?

If you're not using Spector 360 to monitor computers, this may not interest you, but it is a great question. Scrolling to the bottom of the link, it looks like an option must be checked in the client setup to close this avoidance opportunity:

http://www.spectorsoft.com/products/spector360_windows/help/v70/administrator/Settings/Client_Options.htm

Free 4G mobile broadband offering from Net Zero

Years ago, Net Zero offered free dialup. I never used it and was always skeptical, but many people took advantage of it.  Clark Howard is always looking for ways to save money.  Here is his take on the latest offering from Net Zero:

http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/technology/free-4g-mobile-broadband-offering-net-zero/nLXkf/