Website Optimization Needs

Few days ago I was talking about me getting an artist to work on the design of my other website. It's about done now and so far I am liking it. That site is for my consulting endeavors and more than getting a good design, I want its web presence optimize as well. I want the website design to address the site's search engine optimization needs. For this particular site, I am just the one taking care of that since this is more of a hobby. But for that other one I think I will opt to get an expert in  website optimization. 

What about you? Who is taking care of your site's SEO?

A Fast Easy Way of Printing a Document

For today's Tech Tuesday, we will talk about how to print a document the fast way! This is one of the shortest and easiest computer tips and tricks I will be sharing here. 

As most of you may know, there are many different ways of printing a document. One fast and easy way is if you put a shortcut to the printer in your desktop. (To do that, just click Start button, Settings, then Printers, make sure you installed your printer driver first,and when the Printers window opens, hold down Ctrl and drag the printer icon to your system desktop, or just simply do a right click and click on Shortcut.)

Once you have that Printer Icon in your desktop, you can just drag any document you want to print towards it and drop it and it will let you print that document without opening the file.

Now you can print that document fast and easy!

My To Do List Today!

I just spoke with a friend the other day and glad to know she is willing to help me with my website needs. I have decided to put up a site for my other business. I am not linking to it for now because so far, the only thing I have done with it is have the domain name registered.

I have already come up with the content and somebody is working on the logo right now. I am thinking I might need to add some colors to the original black and white logo that is why I am getting an artist to work on it. Hopefully he can also take care of the website design and layout. So that left me with just one item in my checklist for now, and that is shopping for a good webhosting company. I need a good one but at the same time reasonably priced at that. I am also trying to check if I can find some good deals like something that would let me host several sites in case I have more needs in the future. After all i don't anticipate much traffic in those sites, it's just for promotional campaign.

Disabling Startup Programs in Windows

Time for some computing tips because it's Tech Tuesday once again!

Well remember I did a post on What To Do When Computer Boots Up Slow? I did talk then about different ways on how to solve that problem promised to discuss each. I already did a follow-up post about Scandisk and Defrag and today I will talk about how to disable startup programs.

Programs that run from startup can cause a computer to boot up slow and as I have mentioned before there are several ways to prevent a program from running at startup and let me discuss to you here some of the most common ways.

Method A:

Configuring Windows Startup folders for Windows (95/98/Me/XP/Vista)

You can find a number of program shortcuts if you go to (Start –> Programs –> Startup) or (Start –> All Programs –> Startup). Programs found in these shortcuts will run at startup. you just have to delete the shortcuts that you don’t want to run at startup, based on your OS as listed below:

    * Win9x/98/Me – C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp

    * WinNT/2K – C:\Winnt\Profiles\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp

    * WinXP – C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Method B:

Through the use of System Configuration Utility (MSCONFIG)

    * Windows Vista

You can access MSCONFIG by going to “Start”, type the word msconfig and wait for a second for the Windows to search for the utility and then click on the MSCONFIG shown at the top of the menu. (Another easy way of once you have typed msconfig, just hit ENTER, this always works for me!)

 

    * WindowsXP and other Windows

Access the MSCONFIG utility by going to "Start" then to "Run", then type the word msconfig and hit ENTER.

You will find under the Startup tab a list of all the programs that start in the Windows Registry. All you need to do is just uncheck the programs you don’t want to load and leave the rest alone. Once you're done unchecking, click Apply and then click OK.

Windows (95/98/Me/XP)

 

Windows (Vista/7)

It is that easy! Just remember, for anything you are unsure of, leave it alone or get some technical help from friends...or make sure you remember what you uncheck so that if something goes wrong you can restore them back!

Hope you learn something this Tuesday! 

What You Need To Know About Scandisk and Defrag

Last week I did a post on What To Do Computer Boots Up Slow, and one of the fixes I mentioned is running a Scandisk and Defrag. As promised, I will be discussing more about it here today for Tech Tuesday.

 

Scandisk and Defrag are important Windows' utilities that help you tune up your Windows file system and make sure it's running properly. Scandisk checks the drive to make sure there aren't any problems with it, and Defrag (short for Disk Defragmenter) organizes the file blocks to help Windows read files faster. In time as the files keep on moving (edit, delete and/or create) the computer files will get chopped up and saved into different location thereby creating gaps or fragments of the files saved in different locations on the disk. Defrag will solve this by moving the fragment file blocks into a single contiguous block which makes it much faster to read files and load it into memory.   

You can easily find Scandisk and Defrag by opening "My Computer", right click on the drive you want to tune up, the choose "Properties". The popup box will kind of look like this --

Once you click on "Properties", it will give another box, and choose the tab for "Tools". It should look like below --

Another way would be by going through the START menu, then go to "Programs", then "Accessories" and then "System Tools".

Please note that Windows should be able to tell you when was the last you run a Scandisk and Defrag on your computer. If you see a message like "Windows was unable to determine when you last checked this drive for errors", or "Windows was unable to determine when you last defragmented this drive", then you probably haven't done it since Windows was installed.

When you start to run Scandisk, you should see a window similar to this:

This is the older version of the disk defragmenter. (Windows 98 version). As early as Windows 95, the disk defragment tool has been around. You will find a box at the top that lets you select which drive you would like to check for errors.If you to Scandisk multiple drives, just can hold down the Ctrl key while selecting them. Usually you will just select the one drive you are interested in.

Then as you go along you will find two radio buttons, called Standard and Thorough. A standard test completes fairly quickly, but only checks the FAT tables and directory entries. The Thorough test can take a long time, but performs a test on each sector of a drive. This test is similar to the one performed when formatting the drive.

Almost all of the time, I would recommend using the Standard option. Any errors that are not due to a failure of the hardware can be detected with a Standard scandisk. On the other hand, if you suspect the hardware is having problems, or sectors on the drive are going bad, choose the Thorough option.

The checkbox near the bottom named "Automatically fix errors" controls the behavior of Scandisk when a problem is found. If you leave this box unchecked, Scandisk will stop and ask you what course of action to take, for each error it finds. Scandisk's default actions are pretty safe, so it's okay to leave this checked.

The left image shows the dialogue box presented after clicking the Advanced button. The default settings are shown here, and there is little reason to change them.

Most of the settings are self-explanatory. "Check host drive first" applies only to compressed drives. A compressed drive must be contained within an uncompressed drive, and checking this option tells Scandisk the uncompressed drive first.I will discuss about "Lost file fragments" and "Cross-linked files" next week!

To the right shows the Scandisk results window. "KB total disk space" is the usable size of your disk, left over after the FAT filesystem overhead. "KB available on disk" is the total free space left. "Bytes in each allocation unit" is the cluster size of this filesystem. "Allocation units on disk" and "available allocation units" are the same as "KB total disk space" and "KB available on disk", respectively, except expressed in units of clusters instead of kilobytes. To convert from clusters to kilobytes, you can multiply by the "bytes in each allocation unit" field, then divide by 1024.

"Bytes in bad sectors" shows the number of bytes used up by clusters that have been marked bad (unusable). A small number of bytes in bad sectors (less than 100000) is normal, as is finding a new one now and then. On the other hand, if your drive regularly finds new bad sectors, it is probably time to think about replacing the drive.

The other fields are self-explanatory, and just show the number of bytes taken up by different types of files on your system.

After starting Defrag, you will see a window similar to the left, asking which drive you would like to defragment. Unlike Scandisk, there is no way to select multiple drives simultaneously. In Windows 98, the defragmentation process will start as soon as you hit the `OK' button, so the `Settings' button is also on this window.

To the right is the main Defrag window. Under Windows 95, you will usually just click the `Start' button. Under Windows 98, Defrag will automatically start working, so there is no need. The `Advanced' button here takes you to Defrag's settings.

After Defrag has started working, it will display a percentage bar showing how much of the drive has been defragmented already. At this time you can click the `Show Details' button if you wish to watch Defrag moving the blocks of data around your drive. It isn't a very useful option, but it can be fun to watch, especially if you're bored waiting for your Defrag to finish. If you have a slower computer, using this option may slow Defrag down noticably, but anything faster than a Pentium 166 with a decent video card won't experience a significant slowdown.

On the left you can see a screenshot of Defrag in action, when Show Details mode is on. Hitting the Legend button will show a chart detailing what the different coloured blocks mean. The Pause button will halt Defrag temporarily, and Stop will cancel your defragmentation.

Here is a screenshot of the Defrag settings under Windows 95. The default options are shown here. There are 3 choices for the Defragmentation Method. The first is `Full', which is the best choice. It moves files so that they occupy continuous ranges of clusters, and Windows can read them faster. It also tries to make the space not used up by files into one large block. The second choice is `Files only'. With this option you will get the benefits of defragmenting the filesystem, but since the free space may still be scattered around the disk, new information written to the disk will more easily become fragmented again. The third option, `Free space only', doesn't optimise any of your current files, but will help make sure new ones do not fragment.

You should leave the "Check drive for errors" option checked. It doesn't take much time to do a quick check of your drive before the Defrag, and you risk losing data if you try to defragment a corrupted filesystem.

The Windows 98 Defrag has fewer settings. Again there is an option to check the drive for errors, and one to tell Windows to rearrange your files so that they load quicker. I don't know of any downside to that option, and it does improve performance, so leave it checked.

When Defrag is done, it will present you with this window. Just hit `Yes' unless you want to defragment another drive.

The newer version of the disk defragment tool is even much better and easier to operate.  Here is how the Windows XP version looks. With fewer buttons and a visual view of you file block you can already determine how fragment the file block are. This one needs a defragmenting for sure. :-) By simply clicking on the defragment button, the system will run the tool and your system will be optimized.

So that's it! Very simple, very easy!

I will teach you next week on how to create handy shortcuts for Scandisk and Defrag.

Happy Tuesday!

What To Do When Computer Boots Up Slow

Tech Tuesday this weeks will start my Windows Troubleshooting Tips series. For this week and the rest of the month of January I will be discussing common Windows errors/ issues and how to fix them. Most of the solutions that I will be presenting here are simple quick fixes. So with that said I will keep myself within simple errors and issues that most of us encounter everyday.

Let's start this series with one common source of annoyance, when Windows computer boots up slow. We are all familiar with that at some point I guess. So, you may ask, why does your computer boots up slow?

A slow Microsoft Windows boot up (it's when you turn on your computer) can be caused by a wide variety of issues. I will be discussing below some suggestions and tips that can address this issue and help speed up your computer at startup.

I have several computers and some of them tend to boot up slower than the others and the reason for that is those computers run startup programs. In which case, you may need to disable those startup programs.

What are startup programs? These are programs that are loading up as the computer starts up, these remain active in memory, and are often one of the main causes of a slow boot in Windows. Disabling programs you don't often use from automatically starting up each time the computer boots can increase the boot time. You can do this manually (I will make a separate post about this promise!) or you can opt to use a memory optimizer program, which can disable any program in any of the locations programs use to start themselves automatically.

Another thing you may want to check into is your hard disk drive space. You need to have at least 250MB of free available hard disk drive space in your computer or this will decrease your computer's boot time. So you may want to make you have at least 250MB disk space available.

Next would be make sure our computer has the latest drivers as well as any available Microsoft Windows updates! Most of the time, corrupt, incorrect, and/or out-of-date drivers can cause a number of different issues, so make sure to update them in a timely manner.

Adding more memory (RAM) to your computer can also increase the overall performance of your computer and the load times of your computer. Right now, most computers run a minimum of 1GB of memory, if your computer is running less than that, you may consider an upgrade!

How often do you Defrag and do Scandisk? Running Microsoft ScanDisk and Defrag and other similar disk utilities on the computer can help check if the hard disk drive has no errors, and at the same time make sure the data on the hard disk drive is organized in the most efficient method. I usually do this once in every few months. And if you are not doing this, you may start this one now. (I will make another post on this one too!)

You may try a registry cleaner. Though not really often recommended, in some cases this helps improve the computers overall performance including that of the Windows startup. (I will try to post more information on registry cleaners in the coming weeks.)

If all the above tips have been tried ans still your computer boots up slow, you may want to format and reinstall. Yikes! That means you need to erase everything and re-install Windows. This will clean your computer and make it like new. (I will also try to make another post on how to backup your files as you might need to do that before formatting your computer.)

Another alternative solution to this is to set your computer to hibernate mode rather than turning it off. This will also let you startup your computer faster.

I know you may have questions related to this post and please feel free to leave them in the comment section and I will try to address them come next Tuesday. I hope you learn something new today!

Easy Photo Scanning

It's been awhile since I last posted here...and well what's new? I've been in and out of here for weeks now. Blame it to the busyness of Mariposa's life. I am fine. No major issues...I'm still pretty in pink! LOL

Anyway...yesterday was the birthday of Alvin Patrimonio! He is a famous basketball player in my teens. I was so crazy with Alvin then and this team, Purefoods. I know it could have been a nice Tuesday's Tales but then, I was too swamped yesterday to write anything here. I'm home early today so I manage sneak here. ;)

Let me circle back....

Yeah my teens were fun and quite exciting. It afforded me so many experiences that most girls...women my age now haven't tried doing. What I have now are just memories...wisdom from all the experiences and photos! Old photos and old videos...which the IT Guy just said no to when asked to convert them to digital formats. He love me less now, I know! LOL

He told me to just get some professional help, like some photo scanning service. He told me that services like this can take care of the photo scanning themselves and more importantly they're done right and photos will be of quality will they are converted to digital formats.More than that they not only convert photos into digital formats but they also offer it for videos and even materials as raw as films! So that is what IT Guy meant with video transfer. How sweet?!

All I need to do is send all my files (photos, videos, films and other materials) and they will convert them into digital formats and then will send them back to us with the original materials. As easy as that!

Of course some may opt to do it themselves but then I'd say I already did enough making our own memories. I will do my share in the making of my memoir recalling all events, places and people. I will leave the documentation part to professionals. At least that is how the IT Guy convinced me! Ha ha!

So this morning I was able to sort out some nice photos of me with Alvin Patrimonio...so so fun to see how I was 15 years ago! Some tales worth telling another time.

AutoLog-off Idle Computer

Security for unattended computers is a hot issue at work...and I want to believe it's the same in almost all organizations. Just imagine if somebody gets to use my computers if I leave unattended. I will be liable to whatever data stored there, plus god know what that person can do to my network access.

At work, leaving a computer unattended is against company policy depending on its impact, it can cause an employee his/ her job. But the as human as we are, in our hurry to go somewhere, sometimes this happens. And companies acknowledge this...so that more than trying to police its employees who forgot to logoff or lock their computers, they have become more proactive and implement software that can auto logoff an idle computer. This software is a screen locking system for Windows®. It extends the capability of the standard workstation lock and gives network administrators complete control over idle workstations.

You may want to visit the site to know more.

Search Aid

I've been looking online for some training materials which I can collaborate with my own modules for my staff training. One challenge I found was looking for the right link which will let me download materials in their right format (Of course these materials are readily shared and are all acknowledged in my materials.) Personally I prefer downloading materials in PDF form over some html files, a not so easy thing to do actually.

Thank goodness for PDF Search Engine for allowing me make searches for materials according to its formats. This search engine index files according to formats and you can be sure that if you are looking for PDF files, all you get are links offering PDF files!

So you know what to do next time you look for a PDF file.

I Found A File Manager

I just spend about an hour digging my file archives. Apparently, my folder structure is not structured at all!

Anyway...since this topic seems to get into my skin, I might as well talk about for Tech Tuesday.

One of my diseases is my paranoia of losing files...important or not so important, if I have it, I shouldn't lose it. So you can imagine me having virtual backups for most of my files. Though this is a good practice, the downside of it is every time I can't find a specific file, I go and download them...thus I end up having duplicate if not multiple files. Sound familiar? I'm sure most of us gets to have duplicate files...and they just sit there eat space while we keep upgrading our hardisk. Amazing, ha!

Well IT Guy gave me some utility software which can do folder structure analysis and help you do file management. Sweet!

You can run that utility and it can help you see your folder structure...spot duplicate or multiple files...sort and filter data and what have you. More than anything, it can remove clone files! So you get an instant file manager as well.

You may want to check the link to get other program utilities (aside from clone remover) such as disk cleaner and file sync. Trust me, it will make life easy!

Happy Tech Tuesday everyone!

Pending Items

One of my pending items with the IT Guy is to check all "virtual stuff" I currently have. Virtual stuff ha?! Well...he's been bugging me to make an inventory with all current domains I have and what I plan to do with most of them.

Let me give you a background...my being a shopaholic gets to extend from Amazon...to eBay to GoDaddy and JungleWebs! Yes, I shop domains...anything I get to think of and if they're available, I get them....a sweet $10 annual more or less. I don't mind because most of them really have value to me...meaning I can do something with them.

Just that, lately I've been swamped. So my open items with the IT Guy has been long overdue. So today...I'm up so early...like 3AM and I don't feel like jogging at all which gives me time to go back and review my web hosting options. Once again I went through the same feelings...that old awe feeling as that site offers a good list of options with corresponding reviews. It makes us easier to choose depending on our needs. You may want to visit it.

So I now have my action plan and I'm going to present it to the IT Guy later. I came up with a decision of getting several hosts depending on what I intend to do with specific sites. I'm prioritizing websites for my little business...I have been so neglecting them for the past years!

Anyone Looking for Windows Drivers?

Let's rejoice!

I found a site which offers official windows drivers. If there is one thing I learned the hard way it's the pain of going through recent driver updates. Add to that the challenge of finding the right patch for you. I am so glad to stumble upon this site. Now I don't have to worry about any computer drivers update anymore.

One effective ways of solving updates issue and to make sure you get the right patch at the right time is to make sure you are always updated. BUT then not all of us go through the hassle of looking for updates everyday right?

Guess what, this site offers Driver Detective which automatically scans the computer and looked for any outdated drivers, once the scan is complete it downloads the latest official drivers from its database and allows you to install these new drivers. All for just about 5 sweet minutes! Ha!

It works for me...and I'm sure it will work for you. You may visit the site if you wish to know more about Driver Detective, how to install it and make all your windows drivers up to date!

An Ongoing Side Project

IT Guy and I had breakfast at the airport with our friend this morning. He's going back to Manila and well I'm missing him already...he has been a good friend of mine and he is also into IT.

While he's here we've been looking into maintaining several websites (personal and client-based). For the past weeks I've also purchased several domains for my other small business. None of these domains are up yet. We still have not decided which hosting company to get.

Since he is into IT I could have let him decide on it...but well he said he'd rather read several reviews on hosting sites.

So he did find an interesting site offering reviews on web hosting ratings which helps us see which is the best website hosting company according to ratings. There you can find different web hosts, their prices and the different services they offer and more importantly reviews. These reviews were quite good to a point that it covers almost all features in a plan that users usually asked and need to know.

Though 'til now we have not decided yet what to get, at least I'm happy with the thought that we have several options and we just have the information we want to know before we could decide. And while choosing for a company to host should not be rushed, I'm sure by now already that we will get our host from their top recommendations.

So anyone of you shopping for a web host, you may want to visit this site and check their reviews. They also offer some valuable information such as ideas on multiple domain hosting which is what we are looking at right now.

So enough of my ongoing projects...wish you all a great weekend!

I Was A Tech Support

I've been missing sleep the past days...was having such a good time! ;)

I'd like to thank everyone for all the well wishes you...you made my birthday so memorable and fun.

I was up early today...so early because my friend from the other side of the world called me up. Her computer is messed up and I have to fix it. Thanks for technology, I am now able to remotely access her computer from my home.

So there I was half awake half asleep checking on her computer. And guess what's the problem...VIRUS!

So I searched online for anti virus and anti spyware software. I found a site which offers several applications for internet security. I downloaded an anti virus and anti spyware, run a scan, and her computer was clean and working again! Cool...

Anyway...I'm happy to note that now it is as easy as a click of a mouse to get softwares like these. Not so long ago, it used to be quite expensive and I have to go through several sellers to get it. Now not only I'm able to download it so easily at a way cheaper price...technology also allows me to install it to any computer from home. I became a tech support so early today...ha!

I love technology!

MS Word 2007 Workarounds

How many of you have shifted to MS Word 2007? Well I did...or IT Guy did for me...months ago, without even informing me!

Can you imagine the hills and mountains I climbed when I was using it the first time?! And rest assured when I open MS Office at home it is because I am rushing some stuff at work. So there I was finishing some important papers in an unfamiliar WORD. LOL

Anyway...2007 offers some better features, just that getting familiar with its tools and the fact that it shifted to ribbons instead of the classical tools is kind of hard for people like me to adjust.

So...while familiarizing myself with it...I complain to IT Guy...every time I use MS Word at home. (At work I have the option which one to use!)

Today...I woke up and saw IT Guy using my laptop grinning. (He can barge in to my home office anytime you know.) I was like...and what's that look about? And he said...come here! I got you something and you will love it.

He got me Ribbon of Microsoft Word 2007 to Old Classic Menu and Toolbar of 2003. Yes it's a software that makes my life easy! I love it.

The software brings back the classic menus and toolbars of Word 2003 to ribbon of Microsoft Word 2007 letting you work with Word 2007 as if it were Word 2003. How cool is that? Add to that the fact that all new features of Microsoft Word 2007 have been added into the classic menus and toolbars of 2003. So while you are looking at that old familiar classi menus, rest assured 2007 icon ribbons will still be available at all times.

You may want to know more about the software and see if it works for you as it did perfectly for me!

Remote Access To Computers

This week I'm going to share with you information about remote access. Remote access can have several meanings...it can range from simple remote desktop, remote terminal or any type of remote application including but not limited to remote browser.

In its simplest form it's allowing you to access your computer from another location. Or allowing somebody else from another location to access your computer.

I find this technology really amazing and more than the fact that it let me work and get connected to my computer from home and vice versa (or just anywhere where I have computer and Internet access), what I really appreciate about this is that it let me help friends with their computer issues even when I'm miles away from them. When a step by step instruction is just too much and I feel the need to click it for them! LOL

I have a friend (a very good friend of mine!) from LA and once in a while I remotely access his computer to install applications, download music...etc. What made our lives easy is LogMeIn. This site offers both premium and free account. Just create an account and do the necessary installation and you're all set. You just need your computer name to login. Now if you opt for a free account which I do you may not enjoy all the features such as the capability to transfer files. Well I have solved that problem already as I have discovered DropBox. This site lets you sync and backup your files online for free! So I can upload my files there and then from there download it to my pc (or any computer I'm remotely accessing). Wonderful!

I have only used personally those two and so far they all work fine with me. But then another friend of mine this morning told me that Ultra VNC is also another option for one to remotely access his/her computer. This is another remote control software for free and you may also want to try it yourself and compare which one works best for you!

I'm trying to make this post very short and as easy to understand as I could...and well if I failed, please don't hesitate to drop your queries in the comment box. I'm just too sleepy to think of a creative way to present this to you...

So no more phone calls asking a house member to open your computer for them to send you that important file. Your computer is just a click away!

Cellphones As Bar Code Scanner

Yes...you read it right! Cellphones can be used as bar scanners. Though this is nothing new to the industry and that we may all know that a cell phone can read a bar code label, what is fascinating is what that bar code label can do. Anyone can place a bar code in any media allowing customer access to any information related to it just by scanning it.

How does this work?

Well, this new innovation is currently available for Smartphones, or Mobile PC phones that run software and in order to read these bar codes they must have a camera attached to scan the bar code.

In Japan for instance, phone companies have started loading code readers on new phones allowing users to scan bar codes and get product information such nutritional information about what they are having at let us say McDonald's!

This morning IT Guy was so enthusiastic about this recent innovation and well his creativity stretch the line further as he plan to take advantage of this concept. His thinking is that he can use any cameras (web cams for that matter!) to scan bar codes and he will run a test on how reliable and stable it can be by implementing it in their Warehouse System. IT Guy heads the IT Department of the City and I'm sure if this works this will give the City an enormous savings and will hasten computerization of most of their applications. He is very excited and so am I.

There are just endless possibilities offered by bar codes and with current advances in technology, I am positive that will see these bar code labels being used in our market in the months to come. I am sure this will open a new sector for advertising and will certainly create a new curve in information technology!

So that's it for Tech Tuesday...and I hope I have made you excited about this news!

SSL and Online Security

It's been quite awhile since I did a Tech Tuesday post so this week I am making sure I get something posted. ;)

I still owe some people on special character tips and I promise to make a quick post on them this week as well. For this week I'd love to talk about online security in the most plain and simple words.

As most of my friends know and also my readers here, I love online shopping. And why not...it is convenient and very easy to do...plus the fact that I get to have access to online sales. Yet I still have some friends who are a bit apprehensive in using there credit/ debit cards online. They are just too scared of fraud! Ha!

Guess what...I've been using my account details over the net for about 10 years now and I have not encountered fraud...not that I wish for it. LOL

So this week I will share with you some computer terms and it's definition...and as I mentioned above it has something to do with online security. The WORD we will get to know this week is--

SSL, which stands for Secure Socket Layers.

The IT Guy for sure can give us a more passionate and intense discussion but well, since I am no expert as he is let me just share to you my understanding of the term and how it works and thus why I feel secure using my credit cards online.

SSL is what makes a site secure. And that is so because...

When you go to a site with a secure server it communicates with your browser (IE or FireFox) for a time, usually just for a few seconds. And while doing that, it sends your browser an encrypted information that only that server and your browser can read.

Once this encryption is set, it acts like the usual web page, except that all information coming or going is encrypted which makes it extremely difficult for any third party who would intercept the transaction to decipher it. (All this extra protection explains secure servers seem to run slower than other unsecured counterparts.)

However, secure connections only protect the information as its coming and going, not when it's just sitting on the server. Thus, the only risk we run into is the probability that somebody having access to information stored in the server will copy our credit information and use them over them. Yet with the onset of so many financial standards this risk has been well managed. One example is banks now usually give us a call every time we enter an online transaction especially if we have not made any transaction with that company yet.

You can tell a secure site by the first part of its web address. If it starts with https:// rather than http:// it's a secure site.

So anyone of you still apprehensive of doing an online transaction?! ;)

Satellite TV Options

Back to my hotel now...I decided to leave the center early as I really need to catch up with some things.

Anyway...since I missed Tech Tuesday let me just do a quick mention on the topic here. The IT guy has been wanting to get a satellite TV. Now I have no idea how these things work and what's the difference between a directtv and a dishnetwork so I asked the help of Mr. Google. Looks like I found a source discussing Directv vs. Dish.

So how does Satalite TV Systems work? For one they say it offers you greater programming choices than digital cable TV. Now if offers me a free system, including free professional installation then I am for it. Otherwise I still have to think about it and read more about it.

Can you imagine me being away from my place and getting a call so early in the morning from the IT Guy for questions like this? Well in fairness to him it's a follow-up call but still then...or maybe he just misses me and too stubborn to admit that he has to make this an excuse to make a call. Ha!

Closing The Gap

I missed my Tech Tuesday this week and well it's not Tuesday but let me talk about information technology anyway...

One of the things that I really love about technology is the fact that it allows people from different place to be connected. It just made the world smaller that it already is! The digital world closes whatever gap that divided people geographically.

I'm not a computer geek or something and my skills are not as great as most people in IT (add to that the fact that the bf is an IT Guy!). Yet I'd also say, ahem, with modesty set aside that I know a computer and I can definitely make it work. What I mean by that is...among friends...my computer grade seems higher! LOL So I end up sometimes helping them with their computer issues. Even with friends from other countries!

How?!

Well we can either chat and I tell what to do...or I go remotely to their computers and fix the problem.

Whoever thought that it is possible for me to turn on a video and install a software on a computer in let us say LA while I am in Cebu? I love technology!

But the problem is when there is a physical set-up required? What if the person needs to set-up a network? Set-up his TV to interconnect with his computer? Sometimes manuals are just hard to understand you know...

Here what we normally do is just call a friend (thus IT Guy gets to be called for help a lot) and let the friend do the physical set-up. There are just not just companies that offer this service to residential...and the need in the residential sector is growing!

I have to mention this because of a conversation I had with a friend last night. She needed me to help with her computers and all and more! I just can't virtually pull her cables and reconnect it back you know! Then she told me she can call a Computer Repair company to do it for her. She just want to make sure she understands what need to be done and she wants me to check after how things are. I was like...that is great! (I don't have to stay online talking to her and helping her read the manual! LOL) She added that the technicians from there provide fast, affordable business computer service and technical computer help - offering same day, weekend and even evening appointments. Sweet!

I'm amaze with how business adopt to industry's needs. Right now...home office and online businesses are growing and I am really happy to know that the industry acknowledges this by offering services that would cater to these small players. It helps close the digital gap in my opinion. Gone are the days when only the rich and famous can afford technology at the privacy of their homes! I believe this also spells progress and democracy.