The Secret

Your “Computer” window is designed in a way that makes it display certain things as long as it detects them. For example, your drives show up when they’re detected. The same thing happens with your network shortcuts and certain devices. Since the shortcut you want to make is most likely one that points to a program, you can’t have it pop up next to your devices. Either way, it’s impossible to add shortcuts to device categories. So now, you remain with network locations to deal with. All we need now is to find out how to make a shortcut within “Network Locations” that will show up properly in the “Computer” window.

The Tutorial

1. Press “Win + R” on your keyboard. It will bring up a dialog where you can just run things by typing their locations. This is the simplest way to get to where you’re going. A viable alternative would be to open Windows Explorer and click at the end of the path on the address bar. You can type in a path there, too.

2. Type the following path: “%appdata%\microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts“. You may need to put quotation marks around the path to get this working properly. Press “Enter” when you’ve typed the path. Here’s the way I do it:

3. When you arrive, right-click an empty area, hover your mouse over “New,” and then click “Shortcut.” If you know how to create a shortcut, just skip the rest of this article. You’re all set.

4. Browse for the location of the file you want to create a shortcut to. As I walk you through, I’ll be adding my installation of Battlefield 3.

5. Click “Next,” and then name your shortcut.

6. After clicking “Finish,” open your “Computer” window to see a nice surprise! In case you’re wondering how I got the little “™” in the name, just hold the “Alt” key while typing “0 1 5 3″ in sequence on your number pad. Let “Alt” go when you’re done, and that little trademark character appears. Neat, huh?

A Couple of Words Before We Part

The first time I figured this out, it was stunning. Hopefully, you’ll feel as accomplished after following this guide. Who knew that a simple shortcut could put a billboard in your “Computer” window? The most useful shortcuts to put here, I guess, would be useful programs like Process Explorer, Process Monitor, Network Monitor, GPU-Z, or any other diagnostic tool you have in your stash. This way, you can open them up just before exploring your hard drive, without cluttering your desktop with shortcuts (in case you’re as obsessed as I am in keeping your desktop “clean”).

If you find yourself stuck anywhere, leave a comment below and I’ll lend you a hand!

The post How to Add Shortcuts to “My Computer” in Windows appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

What Does DHT Mean?

DHT is short for “distributed hash table,” and it represents a medium by which you find peers, also known as “bootstrapping.” I’ll explain that in a bit. Just keep in mind the fact that you can find peers through the DHT.

While many people say it’s decentralized, it’s actually very difficult to do this, given the unicast nature of the Internet. When you connect to the web, you don’t announce your presence to the billions of computers already connected. This would just waste enormous amounts of bandwidth. Instead, your local internet service provider’s router, as well as the destinations you connect to, are the only ones aware you’re even online. That’s what “unicast” means, in layman’s terms. Multicast is what happens when your computer gets into a local network. Its presence is made known to every other computer in the same subnet, and they’re now aware of your presence. Since this doesn’t happen in the external Internet, there’s really no way to actually compose a completely decentralized structure, given the limitations of the BitTorrent protocol itself.

As a result, there tends to be two main DHTs that you connect to when you start downloading a torrent file: router.bittorrent.com and router.utorrent.com. In case you’re curious, you connect to them on port 6881. It’s not absolutely necessary to memorize this information. Sometimes peer data is embedded in the torrent file to make the process of finding peers easier.

Bootstrapping

To start gathering peers, one must first bootstrap into the torrent network. Bootstrapping is just a fancy way of describing the process of connecting to the DHT and finding peers. Once connected, the DHT server will send out a handful of peer IP addresses that you’ll also connect to. They’ll give you the addresses of peers connected to them, and so on, and so forth, until your peer list shows all the peers downloading (or seeding) the file you’re trying to get. It’s like following a tree from the roots to the branches.

Theoretically speaking, you only really need one single peer address to get all the other peers, since it will share the rest of the addresses with you. This saves trackers and the DHT a ton of bandwidth which would otherwise be wasted in sending lists of peers to every new peer connected and notifying each person when one of them disconnects. The hassle is minimized by making peers relay information to each other.

After you’ve found all your peers, your download begins!

If DHTs Are Out There, Why Do Most People Still Use Trackers?

DHT can be fun, but most people still use trackers to download their data. This is because of the inherent nature of the DHT. Let’s say I have a site where I upload a bunch of my open-source creations as torrents. To fully control what happens to those torrents, and protect the privacy of the individuals downloading them, it’s more lucrative for me to host my own tracker. Sites that post illicit downloading material use trackers as their medium of preference to maintain an underground aspect and control what gets published on them and what gets removed.

That said, not all torrent downloads are illegal. There’s a massive repository of open-source projects and public domain works by individuals who just want to share what they have without wasting the bandwidth of their web hosts.

Confused?

If you’re still puzzled by the information shared here, leave a comment below and we can discuss!

Image credit: DHT en.svg

The post MTE Explains: How BitTorrent DHT Peer Discovery Works appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

The Monitor’s “2D/3D Button”

Very few passive monitors can really detect when you have a side-by-side (SBS) image that needs to be converted to an interleaved one. In fact, whenever I play a 3D movie, I end up with the raw SBS output, rather than an actual 3D image. This is because the software is supposed to transform this for you. To get a better idea of what I’m talking about, see the image below.

Fortunately, my monitor has a button that allows it to automatically convert an image. A lot of passive 3D monitors have this. In my monitor, the button is labeled “2D/3D,” but it could also be labeled “3D conversion” or “3D mode.” Sometimes, it’s simply labeled “Mode.” When I press the button, I can cycle between the different input types (the typical way that 3D movies are displayed is SBS) and have the monitor automatically convert it.

This method is very simple and doesn’t require any special software to automatically transform the image from your computer. This is great unless you want to put subtitles into the film.

You see, when you manually switch your monitor to SBS 3D mode, it converts the video signal from top to bottom. Try switching your monitor to SBS mode right now. You’ll see that all the letters in this article will be superimposed on each other. The sight is horrid, making it seem like your monitor’s broken. See the image below for an example of how subtitles get jumbled up in such a scenario:

To correct this issue, you need a decent 3D video player. Considering how much you already spent on your display, you will probably want to have a free player that has all the bells and whistles you need.

Finding The Perfect 3D Video Player

I’ve tried a number of different solutions to the subtitle dilemma. nVidia’s 3D Vision Video Player was one. It had issues getting SBS movies to play and caters to 3D Vision hardware, which usually comprises of certain (expensive) active 3D displays and goggles. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you want to waste time trying to get it to work. It just won’t play SBS half-width movies out of the box.

Bino is another I tried. It is rudimentary and works sluggishly. The video freezes up on older systems I’ve tried, although it works well on my high-performance rig. The input/output selection is wonderful, but not for people who aren’t well-versed in the technology. Also, it didn’t do anything for my subtitle problem. The above image in the previous section of this piece was actually an image generated from the program. Awful, isn’t it?

So, after digging significantly, I found the KMPlayer video player.  It seemed promising, so I downloaded it and installed it. The installer has a bit of adware in it, so you have to be a bit careful and read everything. Say “No” to every offer before clicking next, and you’re fine. The installation made me suspicious, but I proceeded anyway. After opening the player for the first time, I had a pleasant surprise.

The interface is busy, but not really what I would call “excessive.” It looks a lot like a Windows 8 app. When I press the “Play” button, it shows me a browsing window where I can open my movie. Opening a movie and pressidng the “3D” button on the lower left corner has the subtitles displaying perfectly. The button correctly detects an SBS movie and convert it to interleaved format (the format that passive monitors work their magic with). It is flawless.

Conclusion

All in all, while KMPlayer is not the ideal video player, it gets the job done and plays SBS 3D movies perfectly on a passive monitor.

If you know of any other software that plays passive 3D movies (while correctly displaying subtitles), please comment below!

The post How to Get Passive 3D Movies to Play Right in Windows appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

The “First Impressions” Round

MS Office Web Apps

Here we have software that’s made by the creator of the DOCX format itself: Microsoft. If there’s any web app that will “do it all” with documents and spreadsheets, it’s got to come from the creator of MS Office. Because of the company’s reputation, I’m inclined to put its software under more scrutiny and have a higher grade of expectations for it.

MS Office Web Apps closely resembles Office 2013, which sends a pleasant chill down my spine. The familiarity and ease of use, as well as the cute ribbon on the top, gives it a major plus in my book.

I honestly feel like I’m in Word 2013. Nothing much seems to have changed except the fact that I have to use SkyDrive to store files. Other than that, there’s really not much to say about it.

Google Drive

Since 2012, Google has made a change that unified its cloud services and lumped them all together in one neat interface known as Google Drive.

I can’t say accurately that I’m getting a “first impression” of this software. Using it on a regular basis has desensitized me to it and made me notice more of its quirks. However, it remains a very worthy rival to Microsoft’s Office Web Apps. It’s interface is just so clean!

The “Pros & Cons” Round

As both web apps offer a variety of services, to make the results consistent and brief, I’ll only be comparing word processing capabilities.

Microsoft Office Web Apps

Pros:

• Explicitly Office-ish. The entire interface looks like you’re working from the desktop version of the application – a major plus for those who like the Office interface, but may be a minus for those who hate it.
• Extensive feature portfolio. You can do practically anything under the sun without any help. Drawing tables is a breeze, and formatting is very familiar to what you’d experience in Office 2013.
• You don’t need to worry about how your document will look like in Office 2013. This is practically the same software on the web.

Cons:

• It’s very clunky when opening files! When I open a file, I’m met with a loading screen. Granted, the software is enormous so it takes a mammoth effort to load it.
• It doesn’t auto-save very often. To test this, I created a Word file and wrote some gibberish in it, then closed it about 10 seconds later. I re-opened the file, but there was nothing to see there. The file was blank. I’d assume that MS would take a cue from Google and actually implement the auto-save feature everyone loves there.

Google Drive

Pros:

• “Wow” factor when it comes to speed. Your Drive is lightning fast, and even this would be an understatement. Everything loads practically instantly. I seldom see the yellow “Loading” bubble on the top of the page when switching folders. Your mileage may vary depending on your Internet connection. I’m running the Drive directly on my dedicated 100 Mbit line, so there’s little to no noticeable delay.
• The intuitive interface is ideal for beginners. MS Office does a great job of packing its features into understandable cubicles, but it still falls short in ease of use. Google’s interface gives you a very simple and robust environment to work in.
• Auto-save rocks! I don’t know exactly how the feature is called, but Google’s habit of automatically saving what you type, as you type it, is a life-saver and a great feature for people who write a ton.

Cons:

• The lack of extra features makes Google Drive a very rugged product for professionals who want a full-scale Office-style solution. Some would say that it’s even worse than LibreOffice.
• The privacy policy of this product can potentially give Google access to some of the information you store on it. This is very bad if you own a business or store something intimate. It’s not likely they’ll ever use that power, but you can never be too careful.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for an application that safeguards your information and has a full feature set, MS Office Web Apps is the way to go. However, if you’re looking to pump some iron and write tons of documents in a short time, Google Drive can really make things happen for you.

All in all, Google Drive wins the battle for me. Its simple structure, lightning-fast speed, low resource usage, and auto-save feature form a perfect combination that’s suitable for most people who use word processing on a regular basis. Of course, you’re a different person with different needs. Maybe MS Office Web Apps is what you need. It’s a practical clone of Office 2013 and offers a more premium experience. Take your time and look through both to make a balanced decision. They’re both free, so you really have nothing to lose except half an hour of your spare time.

If you’d like to join the discussion, leave a comment below!

The post Google Drive vs. MS Office Web Apps appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

What’s the difference between first- and third-party cookies?

Each cookie has an “owner.” The owner of a cookie is the domain that’s specified within it. This is known as the cookie’s “party.”

A first-party cookie is the kind where the domain of the party coincides with the domain name of the website that sent the cookie to your browser. For example, if you go to “youtube.com” and the site sends a cookie to your system with “youtube.com” as the party, it’s a first-party cookie.

A third-party cookie is the kind where the domain of the party is different from the domain name of the website that sent the cookie to your browser. While on Facebook, for example, you don’t always use the “facebook.com” URL. Images, for example, are stored in the content distribution network (“sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net”). If you’re on that URL and you get a cookie from “facebook.com,” it’s a third-party cookie.

The Controversy

You may have seen that many Firefox users are pressuring Mozilla to block third-party cookies on its browser. There’s a reason for this: Big names like Google and Facebook use third-party cookies to track your activity, and a lot of the information Google and Facebook tracks about you can end up in the hands of government. It’s already happened, and Google felt it necessary to inform its users about data requests from governments around the world.

The number of requests is increasing, according to the earlier link. It seems like government is trying to harness control of the Web. Of course, the same link shows that Google is complying with a smaller proportion of these requests, meaning that it is attempting whatever it can to not reveal the private details of its users’ lives.

How do cookies act maliciously?

Added to the legislative threat, there are also malicious websites that track your activity in order to make particularly targeted scams. However, this practice has become more unpopular as Internet users have become more aware of these methods of data collection. As you may have guessed, these malicious websites also use third-party cookies. Since many legitimate companies use these kinds of cookies too, it’s difficult to really determine a “one size fits all” policy that would eradicate this malicious behavior. They’re much different than malware in this aspect.

Why do Google and Facebook want your data?

Like any other big company, Google and Facebook are just trying to better hone their marketing efforts to make their ads more relevant. The more relevant their advertising, the less likely you are to be annoyed by them, and the more likely you are to click on the ads and stay on their site to click even more ads. The more you click on the ads, the more money they make! It’s a very symbiotic relationship without any woeful intention. Of course, it doesn’t mean you should rest at ease. Google isn’t the only one interested in your data. The fact that government institutions can get their hands on your data should make you concerned about privacy. If you have legitimate concerns, you should disable cookies.

If you’d like to disable cookies, the following guides will help you do so: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, and Opera.

The Debate Continues

Privacy is a legitimate concern on the Internet since you can’t just duck and cover. Literally every step you take can come back to bite you since it can be tracked by third-party cookies (and, to some extent, first-party cookies as well). Ultimately, larger companies are trying to do their best to make sure that your private data remains secure, but the best way to protect yourself from privacy infringement is to use your mind. The Internet is a realm where prudence must be exercised at every corner.

Image credit: Oh, cookie!

The post What You Don’t Know About Third-Party Cookies Can Hurt You appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

How Non-EXE Viruses Work

First of all, a file doesn’t have to have the EXE extension to execute. Screensaver (SCR) and batch (BAT) files are good examples of this, and you’ll find plenty of viruses with this extension to this day.

Besides executable files, you can also have a virus that manipulates the program that opens it, like malicious Windows Help (CHM) files. A CHM virus will open the Windows Help program and use some of its features to harm your computer. Depending on how complex the program is, a virus can even collect information from your computer and send it home without any sign of wrongdoing. Every virus needs some form of access to the Windows application programming interface (API). Some programs offer some level of access (like Microsoft Word) and can really put your computer at risk.

1. Word Macro Viruses

One of the most common types of a typical viruses is the Microsoft Word macro virus. It’s grown to a level in which even Microsoft warns about them in its own site. One of the biggest attacks came from a macro virus known as W97M/Melissa.A. This particular virus would deliver itself in an email that contains a Word document attachment. Once the virus executed in Microsoft Word 97/2000, it would first send itself from your computer to all your email contacts. After that, the virus writes itself into your normal template (normal.dot) so that every document you start within Word would be infected. Although most viruses are dangerous, this particular macro virus posed a very small threat. Another variant of the virus (Melissa.V) actually destroys Excel documents after searching for them.

To protect yourself from viruses like these, it’d be wise to disable macros. The most recent versions of MS Word already do this for you and ask if you’d like to enable macros when you open such a document. The threat presented by these viruses shouldn’t be underestimated, though.

2. PDF Viruses

In the year 2001, a new kind of virus was discovered hidden within PDF files. Adobe’s Reader application allows PDFs to run embedded executable files, meaning that there’s a vast amount of potential with this. As far as carnage is concerned, this type of virus can rip your system (and privacy) to shreds. Another type of PDF virus also runs an embedded script, which can also wreak havoc on your system.

One such virus, known only by the name of “Peachy,” entertained you with a game and then ran a VBScript file once you won. The PDF document would then send copies of itself to your Outlook contacts.

The threat of these viruses has been minimized by Outlook’s upgrade in 2002 which detected any external attempt to grab its contact list. The program will warn you when an external source tries to get a hold of email addresses. The best way to defend yourself against PDF viruses is to put them under scrutiny (such as uploading them to VirusTotal) and heeding any warnings from Outlook when unauthorized scripts try to access its contact list.

The Threat Continues

Technology is evolving rapidly. Although PDF and Word macro viruses aren’t as threatening as they used to be, you shouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet. Other viruses will take its place. The best thing you can do is make sure you exercise a certain degree of prudence when opening files sent to you via email. If you have any questions, pop them in the comments section!

The post 2 Unexpected File Types Where Computer Viruses Can Exist (And They Are Not .EXE) appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

1. Is Bitcoin a safe currency?

This question is kind of tough to answer, considering the complex algorithms it uses to generate new units of the currency and the significant decentralization of the currency itself. There’s one universal law in digital cryptography which applies to Bitcoin: Nothing is 100 percent safe. But you probably didn’t want to know whether it’s absolutely safe. Rather, you are curious about how safe Bitcoin is.

Its method is tried and true. Bitcoin cannot be hacked on a catastrophic/holistic level. Your wallet’s safety, however, depends on how you take care of it. If you attach weak passwords to your wallet, expect mayhem at some point in the future. Bitcoin itself may be impermeable to attacks because of its decentralized nature, but your wallet falls entirely in your hands.

But just because Bitcoin is cryptically safe doesn’t mean that it can’t be exploited. I came across an article about a Trojan Horse that forces computers to mine Bitcoins for the hacker that infects them. So, it’s not a perfect system, but even those hackers aren’t going to hoard their Bitcoins forever. Eventually, that money will fall into someone else’s hands, and so on, and so forth. The economic cycle continues whether or not the system was exploited. So, there’s no real harm.

As a recap: Yes, Bitcoin can’t be hacked conventionally as a whole. Your wallet is an entirely different story.

2. Is Bitcoin impermeable to government intervention?

The short answer: No.

The long answer: It depends on what you mean by government intervention. If you’re talking about some pieces of paper passed by Congress, it can totally happen. If you’re talking about government action against Bitcoin, it’s… complicated.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the U.S. tax collection agency. They are working on ways to tax the flow of Bitcoins between individuals. How would they manage this? The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) gets notifications when U.S. bank account holders make transactions. They can forward this notification to the IRS at any time. If you make a transaction for Bitcoins, they’ll know that you converted that money. What they have a little difficulty tracking, however, is the Bitcoin-to-Bitcoin exchanges themselves (since they happen on decentralized peer-to-peer networks). Although the Internet is very difficult for governments to regulate, you still should be concerned.

This brings us to another question: Exactly how concerned should you be? Read this. At the exchange level, it’s easy to regulate and seize assets. In the linked article, the author describes how the Department of Homeland Security (another U.S.-based government doohickey)  got a hold of Mt. Gox’s accounts. Here’s the surprising thing: Mt. Gox is a company in Japan. However, a U.S. authority managed to seize accounts. Of course, the situation is more complex than that. Mt. Gox violated U.S. banking law by lying on its application to register Mutum Sigilum LLC and open a bank account for the company. The bank it was opening the account with asked if the business was engaged in monetary services. In short, Mt. Gox answered “no.” While this was deceptive on behalf of the company, it’s clear that government can entangle itself with Bitcoin in significant ways that we have yet to see.

3. Is Bitcoin a worthy investment?

This is a tough one. On the one hand, you have a currency that’s practically inflation proof. On the other hand, you have a currency whose value rises and falls sharply at some points when compared to the U.S. dollar and Euro.

Some people mistakenly consider a currency that’s less susceptible to inflation as an asset with a stable value. This is completely wrong on many levels. The aggregate demand of the currency is subject to change, which also changes its value. What “inflation-proof” means, in this case, is that Bitcoin is limited only to a certain number of units (there’s a hard limit of 21 million). While the number of Bitcoins in circulation grows, it will never pass 21 million. If you’re looking for a currency that doesn’t lose its internal value, this currency will be worth the investment.

However, if you’re looking for a currency that has a very stable U.S. dollar, EU, Rupee, Ruble, Leu, or Cordoba value, you”ll be very disappointed. Bitcoin has a large number of booms and busts that make it a less-than-ideal get-rich-quick currency. Don’t buy Bitcoins expecting to make a fortune out of them later on. It’s a relatively volatile market for the moment.

Also, competitors to Bitcoin are popping up, making the market more diverse. You have many other currencies to invest in now, such as Litecoin, Namecoin, and PPCoin. Here’s a little secret: Litecoin has the strongest encryption algorithm out of all of them (scrypt).

BONUS: Is there such a thing as a “physical” Bitcoin?

Yes, there is! Casascius makes physical coins that represent a value in Bitcoin. They also sell a gold-plated 100-BTC bar. The offer is very lucrative if you buy from a business that accepts Bitcoin as legal tender, although I don’t think that this will ever really happen.

Here’s how they work: They contain a tamper-free hologram that protects a private key which can be used to decrypt the coin’s “address” on the Internet. By decrypting it, you can redeem your funds at any time online.

The coins really don’t have practical uses except for storing your money within a physical object that you can carry around. The coin would also make a great conversation piece. Of course, the cost of a physical coin is slightly higher than the value it represents (i.e. a 25 BTC coin will actually cost you 26.20 BTC). This covers Casascius’ cost of production and a little bit of a markup for profit.

Conclusion

I hope this answers any potential questions you may have had about Bitcoin. I have attempted to make it as factually accurate as possible. If you’d like to add something to the discussion, leave a comment below and we can talk!

The post 3 Questions About Bitcoin Everyone Should Ask (And Their Answers) appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

What Are “DoS” And “DDoS?”

DoS and DDoS are both attacks that are carried out on a particular computer or server. Both of these attacks have one thing in common: They flood the destination server with connection requests and/or data. The goal of both attacks is to overwhelm the server with so much data that it will simply stop accepting new connections. Other users will not be able to use the services provided by that network endpoint. In other words, if someone succeeds in attacking a website through a DoS or DDoS attack, you won’t be able to connect to it.

The difference between the two terms lies simply in the number of computers attacking.

DoS, or “Denial of Service,” attacks are carried out by one single computer.

DDoS, or “Distributed Denial of Service,” attacks are carried out by multiple computers (either voluntarily or involuntarily).

Both attacks can be dangerous, but DDoS is the most dangerous of all.

Methods of Execution

While a DoS attack may involves one single computer just running a DoS “tool,” a DDoS attack is often much more sophisticated. DDoS attacks are usually carried out from within botnets. A botnet is a group of computers that have been rounded up against their will, usually because of a virus or something else. They all connect to a central “command center.” This command center can be something as simple as a private password-protected chatroom. After the computers have all connected to the terminal, the hacker can simply command all of the connected computers to flood the target machine. A typical botnet looks like this:

Sometimes, this involves thousands of computers, all pouring the full brunt of their bandwidth into one server. This poses an extreme risk.

How Does DDoS Affect You?

There are two ways to be a victim of a DDoS attack: Your computer can either be infected with the botnet virus, or you can be the target of a DDoS attack. Both of them can pull you offline for a very extended period of time! I’ve had a DDoS attack flood my servers with over 8 Gbits/second of data for an entire week. This really interrupts many things, and the infected computers didn’t even know that they were attacking me.

How To Protect Yourself From DDoS

Although a corporate network is more likely to be on the receiving end of one of these bad boys, it’s good to be protected at all times. I’m going to tell you a harsh truth: There’s little you can do to prevent a DDoS attack from ripping your bandwidth to shreds. A firewall will only do so much. One decent way to defend yourself against DDoS is to buy a decent switch or router with network-level packet filtering technology.

But even that method is kind of ineffective. If you really want to protect yourself, you’d better hope you have a dynamic IP. This will allow you to change your IP address any time you disconnect from the Internet and connect to it again. You can do this by unplugging your router and plugging it back in again. If you have a static IP, there’s nothing you can really do except wait out the attack or call your Internet service provider (ISP) and ask them to change your IP. This strategy will allow you to finally have some breathing room.

That’s not all you should do, though. Changing your IP is just one step of many (and probably the last step you should follow in the entire strategic process). You should close any program you use on the Internet (Outlook, instant messaging, syncing utilities, etc.) and then just open your browser to look through the web. Do this for a few days. Afterwards, you can pop your head out of the water to see if all is safe. Doing this puts you below the radar. Using an application like AdvTor in tandem with your Internet utilities can really confuse a hacker trying to attack you with a DDoS. It hides your IP and allows you to resume all operations safely while you wait out the attack.

In fact, one of the best ways to prevent a DDoS from ever affecting you is to use a proxy or the previously-mentioned application at all times. When you hide your IP, you give yourself more power.

What If You’re Infected With A DDoS Virus?

First of all, software firewalls are very effective at stopping a virus from penetrating your network. The only times they’re ineffective is when you accidentally add a virus to the firewall’s application exception database. Check what programs are listed as exceptions. If any of them seem suspicious, do a quick search on the web to determine whether it’s something you should be worried about.

In general, keeping a healthy and strong antivirus application on your computer helps you stop these kinds of things from happening. There are exceptions (such as newly-created “0-day” viruses). In this case, you should go back to your firewall. Configure it to disable your Internet connection for absolutely everything except applications that you allow. Better yet, clear the exception list entirely. When a program asks to use the Internet, a notification will appear asking you to approve its use.

If you don’t feel confident that you’ll catch the virus this way, use a network monitoring application like netmon from Microsoft.

The image above shows how netmon looks after I’ve started a new capture for a few seconds. It shows me exactly what programs are using my Internet connection on the left-hand panel. This transparency can help you tell whether there’s a program using your Internet connection without your consent.

Conclusion

While you may not be a likely target of a DDoS attack, you’re better off if you’re armed with the knowledge necessary to combat one. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below, and you’ll get an answer to you quickly!

The post MTE Explains: What Is DDoS and How Can You Protect Yourself appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

Ensuring Your Antivirus Works

You’ve probably asked yourself the following question: How do I make sure that the new antivirus software I installed will actually detect threats? This creates a dilemma. You certainly can’t just infect your computer out of the blue. Viruses can damage your system in ways that may make your software respond unpredictably. Chances are you won’t destroy your computer, but it will certainly be a headache to get rid of a virus, and the process may take anywhere from five minutes to an hour to completely erase.

Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: Write your own little virus. The European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research (EICAR) has created a standard for antivirus developers. Virtually all antivirus programs recognize this little file created by EICAR as a virus. It’s called the EICAR standard anti-virus test file (EICAR test file, in short). The entire file is only 70 bytes long and, when executed, simply displays “EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!” on your screen. Harmless, right?

How do we create our own EICAR file? Let’s follow the steps I took:

1. Open up Notepad and type the following string into it:

X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*

2. Click “File,” then “Save As.” Then, select “All Files (*.*)” under “Save as type.”

3. As the file name, save it as “eicar.com”

You’re done! Now you have an official test file. If your antivirus is already telling you that you have a virus at this point, you can rest assured that the system is working perfectly.

Ignore any messages from your antivirus software (or disable the software entirely if you cannot possibly save the EICAR file to your computer). After that, try sending it to yourself as an attachment via email. This is useful in testing the antivirus’ capabilities in intercepting malicious messages.

Why doesn’t my antivirus software detect EICAR?

I’ve tested this on many antivirus platforms, and it turns out that Malwarebytes don’t pick up the EICAR test file. I did a little digging and found out that they “don’t have the time” to add such things to their databases since they’re busy trying to add more real viruses. It’s a noble goal, I suppose, but it wouldn’t take more than a few minutes to add such a signature. The test file is short specifically so that its signature would be easier to add to a database.

Keep this in mind, as other antivirus solutions might ignore the EICAR file also. They’re free to do as they wish. It doesn’t make their software any less competent, but it would be nice if you had a way to test your software without having to actually get infected at one point.

Why Can’t I Open The EICAR Test File?

Are you running 64-bit Windows? If you are, the EICAR test file won’t open. This will not impact the antivirus software’s ability to detect it as a virus, though. If you didn’t copy and paste the code properly, or have otherwise not followed the instructions I provided to the letter, then you also will have problems running the COM file. After all, it’s practically a program in itself.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the process of making sure your antivirus software is working (I know there are perhaps some I didn’t conceive of yet), please don’t hesitate to leave a comment. I answer comments very quickly and always enjoy walking people through trouble spots.

The post How To Make Sure Your Antivirus Software Is Working appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

What Is Cloud Storage?

If you’re lost, let me explain cloud storage in a nutshell: Cloud storage lets you put your files on a central server where you can access them very easily through any device you own or operate. For example, you can add a PowerPoint presentation from your computer to your Dropbox account and then present it through a projector connected to your laptop which accesses the Dropbox account and opens the file directly. This is extremely advantageous in situations where you have to use a file interchangeably between devices. Google Drive actually comes with word processing capabilities as well!

What Advantages Do I Get Adding Cloud Storage To Office 2013?

When you add a third-party cloud storage service to Office 2013, you get to save documents directly to their servers. This way, you don’t have to upload them manually from your desktop. Just click “Save As” and then select your storage medium!

Adding A Cloud Storage Service To Office 2013

Since cloud services each have different ways of communicating with client computers, each is explained separately here.

Adding Dropbox

• Download the batch file containing a script for adding Dropbox as a service in Windows 7/8.
• Open the batch file (ignoring any warnings saying that it’s malicious) by right-clicking it, then clicking “Run As Administrator.” You should reach an interface like this:

• Press any key, as the batch file suggests.
• Type the location of your Dropbox folder on your hard drive. The default would be “C:\Users\*windows user name*\Dropbox.” Replace *windows user name* with the username you log in to Windows with.

The script will start working, provided you followed the instructions clearly.

Adding Google Drive

The process for adding Google Drive is mostly the same, except you have to download this batch file. Your default Google Drive directory will be the same path as the Dropbox one, except that “Dropbox” is “Google Drive,” of course! Remember to put quotation marks around the path you type if there are any spaces in it.

Once you’re done, it’s time to actually enable the services in Office 2013!

Setting Up The Cloud Storage Services

The following shows how to set up third-party cloud storage services to work with Office 2013:

• Click “File.”
• Click “Save As,” then “Add a place.”
• You’ll already see Dropbox and/or Google Drive in there, provided you followed the instructions correctly. Just click on them to be done.

Want More Cloud Services?

If you want to learn how to add other third-party cloud storage services in Office 2013, just comment below and I’ll consider covering them in another piece! If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask as well.

The post Adding Dropbox and Google Drive to Microsoft Office 2013 appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

Passive/Active 3D & Anaglyph

There are a myriad of monitors that can render 3D movies and games, but most of them fall into two different categories: active and passive 3D.

All 3D equipment works much the same – it takes two different images and shows you both at the same time with slight differences that trick the eyes into perceiving the presented objects at different depths. This concept is known as stereoscopy.

Not too long ago, stereoscopic images were rendered by the eyes through red and blue (cyan) glasses. The displays would present an image with slightly displaced red and blue tints, making objects seem closer than they really were. This is known as anaglyph 3D. It’s an outdated technology that doesn’t really let you see sharp images with deep colors.
Recent developments in 3D technology have successfully made screens that can show you images with brilliant colors. This is where active and passive 3D comes in.

Passive 3D

With passive 3D, a viewer is required to wear a pair of circular-polarized glasses. Each lens on the glasses filters a different image. While both images are presented by your display, each image’s light is polarized separately. The left image is polarized in one direction and the right image in the opposite direction. The glasses will filter each image according to the direction in which it flows. Passive 3D monitors function by polarizing light in different directions.

Active 3D

In active 3D, monitors and glasses both synchronize to produce a 3D image. The glasses have shutters that alternate between the left and right eye. The monitor quickly alternates the left and right image in sync with the glasses. Each eye sees its image with the refresh rate being so high that the shutter effect isn’t noticed. It eliminates many of the problems experienced in 3D movies.

Glasses-Free

The technology known as “glasses-free 3D” is still kind of new and presents new problems. As the name suggests, you don’t need any glasses to view an image. The system works by presenting left and right images at the same time (like Passive 3D), but in a way in which the light reaches the eyes separately. This requires no polarization, since the light separation occurs through screen mechanisms rather than through the glasses.

There are two types of glasses-free systems. Both of them actually use very old technologies that form what is known as autostereoscopy.

The first one, known as parallax barrier stereoscopy, puts a barrier between left and right pixels, directing light at two different locations so that each image goes to a separate eye.

The second one, known as lenticular array stereoscopy, places a curved lens between each left and right pixel so that light is refracted in two different directions, landing on each eye separately.

Both technologies are seen in different displays, and each one is suitable for a particular purpose. Parallax barriers, for example, are ideal in environments where the viewer is relatively close to a small display. Lenticular arrays are often used in larger displays.

Active 3D vs. Passive 3D Overview

Passive 3D:

Pros:

• Glasses are considerably light.
• Monitor and glasses are always compatible.
• The technology is considerably affordable, with glasses costing anywhere from $2 to $30 for a pair and monitors ranging from $400-600.

Cons:

• The polarization on the glasses can bleed out colors when you tilt your head.
• Vertical angles of more than ten degrees can cause images to look distorted (ghosting).

Active 3D

Pros:

• Viewing angles are much more permissive.
• No color bleeding is experienced.
• Users often report that they see more vibrant images through active 3D monitor technology.

Cons:

• Images might appear more dim than usual because of the liquid crystal lens. Some Samsung models actually have addressed this issue. You can solve this by raising the brightness of the monitor.
• You might get headaches, depending on how sensitive you are to the shutter effect.
• The shutters might be visible under certain lighting conditions and when the battery starts to drain.
• The glasses are slightly heavy because of the batteries.
• Monitors and glasses are very expensive, with glasses costing you about $100 a pair and monitors costing from $800-1500.
• The glasses must be compatible with the viewing monitor.

Problems Presented By Glasses-Free Technology

In light of this new technology, there’s only one advantage: You don’t have to wear glasses. But have a look at these issues you may experience with glasses-free 3D technology:

• Horizontal viewing is highly limited. There are only a number of angles movies can be viewed in. Any other angles will cause distortion. Also, viewers have to be seated within that narrow viewing area to enjoy the glasses-free effect. This may present problems when you have many guests or just want to lay down to watch a movie.

• Because of the filters on the screen, you may see background objects rather blurry. This may cause some discomfort that’s difficult to adjust to.

Aside from that, glasses-free 3D has many of the same problems that other technologies have. Not only are they usually more expensive than active 3D displays, but they also really don’t fix anything. If money isn’t an issue, consider getting active 3D rather than glasses-free.

How Movies Are Played in 3D

The most popular method of playing a movie in 3D is the “side-by-side” (SBS) method. In this method, frames are compressed into half their width and each image (left and right) is shown in its respective position. A 3D monitor combines the two images and polarizes the light emitted or alternates between the two images rapidly.

There’s another method, called the top-and-bottom (T/B) method, which does much of the same thing as SBS, only it compresses the frame height not the width.

The third method of 3D is the native interleave method, where both images are already combined, and the monitor passes the data on in the form of light.

A Word Or Two About DLP Projectors

Since DLP projectors generate light through a lamp and present an image reflected from a surface, they obviously don’t have as much flexibility in 3D capabilities as monitors or TVs do. You probably won’t get such vibrant colors if you get a passive 3D DLP projector. The recommendation is get an active 3D setup. Keep this in mind when buying a projector. If you like the 3D movies you see at the cinema, a passive 3D projector will be adequate for you. But if you want the full resolution and all nine yards, as well as a higher tolerance for viewing angles, you should definitely get an active projector!

Questions?

If you have any further questions on 3D technology, please post in the comment section below. If you have something to add to this discussion, please mention that below as well.

The post MTE Explains: How 3D Technology Works appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

Download Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcuts Cheatsheet

Can’t get enough of this? We have prepared a downloadable cheat sheet for you so you can access to it when you need it.

Download it here.

Image credit: Windows key

The post Useful List of Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcut + Cheatsheet Download appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

If you’re thinking about purchasing a 3D monitor, this article will answer many of the more popular questions about them.

What are the types of 3D monitors and which one should I get?

There are three types of 3D displays: active, passive, and glasses-free. The latter is more rare and expensive, to the point it’s not even worth mentioning. It’s not worth paying a 300% markup (as of this writing) on a monitor that has only a couple of good viewing angles. We will just focus on active and passive. In a later article, we’ll discuss all three in depth.

With passive technology, you use the same glasses (pictured above) that you get in movie theaters. In fact, in many cases, you can keep your cinema glasses and just use them on your monitor! The only drawback is the eyesore you get when you view it at an angle above or below the recommended range. This means you can’t lay down to watch 3D content and have to be sitting upright. Many cheap monitors don’t allow you to adjust the angle very much, limiting you to a measly 15-20 degrees of adjustable viewing angle. Other than that, these displays are good and also cheap.

Active monitors are a bit on the high end of the price spectrum, use special glasses with batteries (pictured above), and have a very obtuse viewing angle. However, I don’t recommend watching more than 4 hours of 3D content in one day with these. The way the glasses work might give you headaches after quite a while. If you start to feel a little disoriented, put the glasses down and drink some water. You need to call it a day (or night).

If you have a small budget, you’ll have to go with passive, but get active if you have the money to spend. You won’t regret being able to view your content from a wider angle.

What Graphics Card Do I Need?

If you’re thinking about watching some 3D movies, you can use practically any on-board chip or graphics card available today. A film is no biggie.

If you’re looking to play 3D games, you’re going to run into some problems. Graphics cards each have their own conventions for 3D games, and AMD and nVidia can’t agree on which method to use for rendering the games. nVidia has 3D Vision, and AMD has HD3D. Games are split between the two, most of them being compatible with only one type of technology.

Fortunately, you can get the TriDef 3D driver and get rid of this issue entirely. It’s compatible with most games on the market. 3D Vision is supported by more games, but in order to use 3D Vision, you’re going to need to buy a lot of hardware, including a “3D Vision-ready” monitor, which has a higher markup on its price tag. The same goes for AMD’s HD3D. It’s best not to purchase a card from nVidia just because more games support 3D Vision. You will get a better deal paying the 50 bucks on the TriDef driver (after you buy a card compatible with 3D games, of course).

It’s a lot of money to spend, right? A card will set you back $200-500, and then you have to pay $50 for the driver. On top of that, you need a monitor compatible with this technology, which burns another $300-1400. No one said it would be easy, but I’m saying it’s worth it. Cinema’s over-rated anyway, and this way you get away from the annoying audience that sits around you.

Do I Need Drivers?

One question that is asked often is whether you need special drivers (like TriDef 3D) to view 3D movies. My short answer is “no.” Most monitors come with a switch that alternates between different 3D modes. My set, for example, has a button that renders a side-by-side 3D movie into one polarized image. There was no need for drivers.

On the other hand, if you’re playing 3D video games, you will need a driver. The easiest way to get everything done is to get a 3D vision-ready monitor, glasses package and a graphics card with nVidia 3D vision technology. The chief incentive for this is complete compatibility and easy setup. You won’t bang your head against your desk as much, although you’ll end up paying more.

What Video Players Support 3D?

Bino (free) and Stereoscopic Player (min. 39 EUR) are two very popular options. Since most movies output side-by-side (SBS) 3D, you must select the appropriate input from the video player. Once you select an SBS input, you can select the output you want for the video. For passive monitors, I’d recommend interleave. For active monitors, I recommend an alternating mode.

Can’t I Just Use A Normal Monitor For 3D?

No! When this question is asked, some even ssuggest it’s a market conspiracy. It’s just that your normal monitor isn’t able to polarize light in the same way that 3D monitors do. Don’t listen to people who talk about special software that converts normal monitors.

However, there’s one way in which you can view 3D through a normal monitor: Anaglyph cyan-red 3D. This requires a pair of anaglyph glasses (pictured above), which are generally very cheap to buy. You’ll lose a lot of color depth, but you’ll see things in 3D. All you need to do is get the glasses, download Bino, and set the output on the movie to the appropriate anaglyph setting. This is very easy and self-explanatory. Just match the anaglyph setting to the color of your glasses and you’re all set.

To see 3D in its full splendor, though, you’ll need a real 3D monitor. Once you add a pair of active glasses, you’ll quickly become addicted to the vibrant colors!

Any More Questions?

Is there anything you’re wondering about 3D monitors? If so, leave a comment blow and we’ll get to it as soon as possible.

Image credit: LG

The post 3D Monitors: Here is What You Need to Know appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

Installation

The installation process is fairly simple. The software is very quick to install and causes no issues. There are no hidden toolbars, no extra software, and nothing else that could be deemed conspicuous.

A First Look

After opening Password Recovery Bundle, it greets you with a simple interface.

The help file is extensive, but the software itself is self-explanatory and intuitive. The Windows Password button recovers passwords you use to log in to your operating system. “Recover From File” lets you recover passwords from Zip, RAR, PST, Reach-a-Mail, PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SQL Server, and MS Access files.

The “Start Recovery” button shows you a lot of the magic it can do. A dialog will pop up showing you all the different passwords it can extrapolate. From top to bottom, the list is incredibly long, so we’ll split it up.

For instant messaging:

• MSN
• AIM
• Google Talk
• Trillian
• Miranda
• Paltalk
• MySpaceIM
• Digsby
• Gizmo5
• GAIM
• Pidgin
• Ipswitch Instant Messenger

For email:

• Outlook
• Outlook Express
• Windows Mail
• Windows Live Mail
• Eudora
• Incredimail
• Becky!
• Phoenix Mail
• Mozilla Thunderbird
• The Bat!
• Reach-a-Mail
• Pocomail
• Pegasus Mail

For FTP services:

• FileZilla
• CuteFTP
• SmartFTP
• FlashFXP
• WS_FTP
• CoreFTP
• FTP Control
• FTP Voyager
• FTP Commander
• FTP Navigator
• WebDrive FTP
• SecureFX
• AutoFTP
• 32bit FTP
• BulletProof FTP
• Far Manager FTP

It’s also compatible with these browsers:

• Internet Explorer
• Opera
• Firefox
• Safari
• Chrome
• SeaMonkey
• Flock

It also supports other miscellaneous programs, like:

• Ipswitch IMail Server
• Total Commander
• Camfrog
• EasyWebCam
• Dialup
• Remote Desktop
• VNC

Aside from all that, there is also an option to display installed product keys and reveal passwords that are hidden by asterisks. You can also reveal passwords in the Windows Cache.

Testing Password Recovery Bundle

Considering that there’s no way I can test absolutely everything here, I’m going to just randomly test stuff I actually have installed. I tried testing password retrieval for things that weren’t installed on the computer, and it got hung up a little bit before telling me that there are no passwords present.

After trying the same application again, there was no lag. It seems like the previous attempt was just a fluke.

Upon clicking the “Windows Password” button, I realize that it’s not going to just show me the password outright. If Microsoft would store your Windows password in such an easily accessible manner, anyone would be able to just hack into your system without a whole lot of effort. Instead, Password Recovery Bundle sets up a wizard where you can burn a password reset disc. You’ll have to boot with that disc and set a new password.

Let’s try recovering product keys:

It was quick and sweet. The software managed to pull up my PKs for my operating system, games I have installed, and Microsoft Office. Now, let’s try to get some passwords from Outlook:

It flawlessly got all of my passwords for each email account I had hooked up to Outlook. But notice how it heads each entry with “MS Outlook2002/2003/2007.” I’m using Outlook 2013. It’s a forgivable mistake of course, but something to address in a later version.

Speaking of next versions, I clicked the “Check for updates now” link, and it takes me to the product’s home page. The average consumer today expects their software to update automatically via its own interface rather than asking the person to browse the site for new versions. It’s a minor pet peeve, but something completely tolerable considering the extensive password recovery capabilities of Password Recovery Bundle.

By the way, I tested recovery on Pidgin and just as you’d expect, every password of mine is listed neatly under the account handle and protocol used for that account. This could be a dangerous tool in the wrong hands.

And speaking of dangerous, with tools like these, you have to watch out for the possibility of it sending your passwords to a server. You can rest assured that this application is safe, though. I hooked it to my own home-built tool that detects when applications connect to servers, and everything was dead silent the whole time. Password Recovery Bundle is completely safe to use.

To Sum It All Up…

Password Recovery Bundle is one of the best-conceived all-in-one rescue-me applications out there. It has a very extensive list of applications it’s compatible with. I can’t find one reason why any person would pass up the opportunity to get this and have the ability to recover passwords.

Giveaway

We have 10 license key for the Password Recovery Bundle Standard Edition (cost $29.95) to giveaway. Here is how you can participate:

Thank you for your participation. The contest is now closed.

Closing date: 1st May 2013.

Thanks to Top-password.com for the kind sponsorship. If you would like to sponsor a giveaway, do contact us here.

Image credit: young business man sitting at the desk by BigStockPhoto

The post Recover Passwords For Windows Apps With Password Recovery Bundle + Giveaway appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

1: Skype!

The application we all know to use an excessive amount of memory made a sleek comeback to the communications apps for Windows 8. Along the way, Skype’s been making some major improvements and updates that have transformed its application for good. No longer do you get the clunky Windows Desktop application that uses up well over 150 MB of your RAM on a decently busy day. You now get a fully-integrated Modern app for Windows 8!

As you look at the image above, one thing really stands out: The interface might be different, but it presents all the familiar Skype-y stuff we’re used to (e,g. your recent conversations, latest calls, and contacts). Everything is neatly organized in the full-screen environment. At this point, this is the cleanest app I’ve seen for a communications provider.

2: IM+

It’s time to move instant messaging into the 21st century. I’ve tried all sorts of instant messaging applications, and I confess that Pidgin has been my all-time favorite (although I’m sure you might know one or two better alternatives). As a consequence, I was immediately drawn to IM+. Its feature set is enormous and the quantity of instant messaging applications it supports are more than enough to satisfy the average user. There’s not much to say about IM+ except for the fact that it has a very beautiful interface. I will emphasize, however, on the fact that it may feel crowded for some.

Here’s what I mean by crowded:

As you may have already noticed, the window starts looking very busy when lots of contacts start occupying your screen real estate. It’s not entirely spacious, but it does its job and it does it well!

3: Meople

Oh, this one’s exciting! If you’ve ever used Meople, you’ll know just how useful an app from them would be. For those of you who haven’t tried out the service, it’s a combined social networking platform. What this means is that it will show you all of the activity within every major social network you participate in. This is like the mother ship of all social networking, the pinnacle where everything combines. In one single elegant interface, you get to check out your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, YouTube, flickr, Groupon, Foursquare, Tumblr, VK, and Odnoklassniki accounts.

In their Windows 8 app, Meople didn’t disappoint. It manages to maintain the high quality of service with a beautiful interface at your fingertips without compromising on anything. You get the full nine yards here.

What Did You Think?

Do you use these communications app for Windows 8 or do you use similar apps that do the same thing? Speak up in the commenting area below!

The post Top 3 New Communications Apps for Windows 8 appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

1. You’re Using The Internet

Your WiFi antenna uses a lot of battery power. Even while you’re not browsing the Web, the antenna will remain active as long as you leave it on. Turning off the antenna when you’re not using your phone will help maintain a healthy battery. On my phone, the WiFi antenna uses the most power. I understand this isn’t the case with all phones, but it’s a general trend. Antennas are very power-hungry pieces of hardware. Don’t put unnecessary strain on your phone.

But here’s one positive thing, using WiFi is much better than using 3G or 4G LTE. While you’re connected to the mobile networks, it takes more time to download things than it would on your private WiFi network. I must also mention that WiFi routers are closer to you than wireless broadband transmitters, most of the time. Because of this, the antenna is working for a longer time and draining considerable amounts of power. The distance aspect also adds to the amount of power required to make a transaction. So, if you must download something, download via WiFi wherever possible.

2. You’re Using A Computer With A Tiny Battery

Take a good look at a smartphone’s internal hardware. It’s quite a beast! There’s a CPU (quad-core on higher-end models) that is normally used on larger devices, a significant amount of flash memory, SD cards, multiple wireless antennas, a digitizer, and a back-lit screen. Phones are packing more hardware while making very unimpressive improvements in battery technology. There’s not much you can do except make a super-thick phone with a 3700 mAh Li-Ion battery; and no one really wants to carry around a brick.

Laptop batteries have thousands of mAh, ranging from a low 3000 to a high 6000. Phones typically have smaller batteries. Since the dimensions are so limited, manufacturers are forced to pack batteries with smaller capacities than those found in laptops. Granted, CPU technology in smartphones is different (ARM architecture, which uses less power and costs less to produce). But even with a CPU that chews up less of your battery, you can still expect a battery life of less than a day with heavy use.

3. Faster Internet Speed = More Downloads

You might not notice it, but with faster Internet speed, you are downloading more things. And all these downloads take up more battery power than you realize. Basically, the more bandwidth you use, the more battery power you suck up. The continuous cycle of downloading will also wear the battery down faster.

So, How Do You Extend Smartphone Battery Life?

The answer to this question will always be tough. Each phone has its own disadvantages, so there’s no real way to determine what’s really eating up all your juice. iOS is great at managing your apps so they don’t consume unnecessary battery power. Android makes it easy through a battery management screen (Settings -> About Phone -> Battery Use). Just look at the screen and see where you can improve. But that’s not all. There’s also an app out there  for Android called Battery Doctor. This app gives you more detailed diagnostic information that’s considerably more useful.

There’s also an iOS version and Windows Phone 8. The Windows version is rather rudimentary and not as fun to use, but it gets the job done.

Here are a few tips that will work on any phone:

• As mentioned earlier, minimize your use of antennas (3G/4G, WiFi, GPS).
• Try using high-speed WiFi instead of 3G/4g. It’s faster and therefore uses your antenna for less time.
• Use push notifications. If your email provider supports it, enable it. Polling the inbox for messages every once in a while will drop your battery level unnecessarily.
• Get rid of all the widgets you can possibly do without. They’re apps that are open 24/7. Do you really need them all?
• Keep the phone at a place where its radio signal (determined by signal bars) is strong. Weak signals require more antenna power to maintain a connection. The same goes for WiFi.
• Take your phone out of your pocket when in cool places. Li-Ion batteries are more efficient when colder.
• Dim the screen just a little, if you can.
• Close as many apps as possible.
• Be mindful of how much activity you have on your phone. Use it only when you need it.

Of course, we all know it’s very fun to use a smartphone! But try resisting the urge to tweet every station you stop at while you’re on the bus. Behavior moderation is the best way to keep the phone alive for the longest possible period of time.

Got Any Other Tips?

Tell us about about your own battery-saving tips. Let us know in the comments section below what you’ve done to save your smartphone battery life.

Image credit: Samsung battery

The post MTE Explains: Smartphone Battery Life – Why They Drain So Quickly And Possible Solutions appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

What Is The Page File?

The page file is something that exists within every hard drive in which the operating system (Windows, in this case) is installed. In Linux, something similar exists (known as swap). In fact, there’s virtually no operating system that functions without such a phenomenon.

What’s a page file? It’s a set of data in the hard drive assigned with the purpose of adding memory to the computer. Memory that programs occupy will sometimes enter this page file. It’s your computer’s way of coping with the limitations of a small amount of RAM. Even systems with generous amounts of RAM still use their page files (mine’s currently using half its 15 GB page file).

Page File vs. RAM

Increasing your page file may help solve some problems. If both your page file and RAM are full, increasing the size of the page file is the most immediate thing you can do to cut your computer some slack. Sometimes this makes the system run faster, but that’s only because you might have put your page file in a less-fragmented part of the hard drive (in other words, you put it in the most free physical location).

The truth is that increasing your page file can do very little to your computer. The reason for this is because that’s probably what’s slowing down your computer in the first place. Check how much RAM is occupied by accessing the task manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and looking at the bottom.

If your memory is anywhere above 95%, your computer’s now principally relying on the page file to continue operating. This is not a healthy thing since the hard drive has moving parts and it takes a longer time for the CPU to access the data. Because of this, you get the slow speeds.

So the answer is, increasing page file does not make the computer run faster. it’s more imperative to upgrade your RAM! If you add more RAM to your computer, it will ease up on the demand programs are putting on the system. Of course, closing RAM-hungry programs also helps. Getting rid of malware is essential, since such things could also be taking a bite out of your computer’s resources.

The next question is, when should you increase the page file? Usually, Windows takes good care of your page file. It automatically sets this up at a quantity that’s complementary to the amount of RAM installed on your computer. That said, the magic number is 2. In other words, you should have at most twice as much page file memory as RAM. So, if you have 4 GB of RAM, you should have an 8 GB page file. If that’s not enough for you, get more RAM!

Note: If you have 16GB, or 32GB of RAM in your system, it is probably pointless to increase your pagefile to 32GB or 64GB. You are simply wasting the space as it won’t be utilized completely most of the time. In short, set your pagefile to twice the RAM size for 8GB or less. After that, setting it to 8GB (or 16GB) is sufficient.

Conclusion

While adding to your page file may solve a problem temporarily, it often creates more problems than it solves. It’s better to get to the root of the situation, which is your lack of RAM memory.

Image credit: Memory by BigStockPhoto

The post MTE Answers: Does Increasing Page File Make The Computer Run Faster? appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

1. Vulnerabilities in Plugins

Your browser, even “out of the box,” uses a number of plugins to add extra rendering capabilities on websites you visit. In Firefox, you can view these plugins in the Tools -> Add-ons -> Plugins” section. These plugins are generally fine, but some of them are poorly coded and open holes in your browser’s security that it has not anticipated. The Java plugin is a perfect example of a vulnerable module. Java’s interpreter itself is prone to very nasty vulnerabilities that allow hackers to infiltrate your computer and post updates on social media sites on your behalf.

How to protect yourself:

There are two things you can do: keep all your plugins up to date and delete any plugins you don’t absolutely need. I need not mention how difficult it is to keep 100 plugins up to date. It’s better to look after five or ten of them. This applies to the addons and extensions as well. (Note that in Firefox, plugins and addons are not referring to the same thing)

2. Being conned to download unwanted software

If you have been to some sketchy download site, you would have seen cases where it try to convince you to download (and install) a software before you can download their stuff. They put fake download buttons on their pages leading to other sites that offer a “downloader application” to get your file. They convince you that you need this application in order to gain access. Once you run it, you are met with an unpleasant surprise. Sometimes the application doesn’t work at all but installs a virus in your computer. Other times it works, but installs a service that spies on your personal information.

How to protect yourself:

Look carefully at sites showing you more than one button for the same action. Be mindful of what you see on the Web and exercise scrutiny. If the website doesn’t have a strong positive reputation, don’t trust it. Search the website’s URL surrounded by quotation marks on Google. See what other people say about it.

And if you have downloaded the software, run a anti-virus/anti-malware test before you install it. If you do decide to install it even though you are not very sure about it, do a backup of your system first.

3. Toolbars

When you install software, it sometimes sneaks into a dialog where it asks you if you want to install a toolbar (and that’s when it’s playing nice). This is the most common way in which people are duped into installing browser toolbars that mess with their computers. This kind of software relies on a psychological flaw, namely the fact that people have a general tendency to click “Yes” and “Next” and skip over installation steps in their impatience. It happens even to the best of us.

Toolbars are sometimes inoffensive, but many times, they can be just as bad as viruses. Some of them set your homepage and search provider as they see fit while not letting you disable this or uninstall them. Others grab your keyboard input and steal your passwords and other confidential information. Since you use your browser to log in to web-based services and authenticate your card data, it’s very obvious that a toolbar like this can be extremely dangerous to your privacy. Although such malware is not very common nowadays, it still poses a significant threat to users who are easily absent-minded during software installations.

How to protect yourself:

These toolbars tend to be very difficult to get rid of, so the best way is to observe your installations carefully everytime you run an installer.. If you’re installing a program and it asks you to install a toolbar, refuse wherever possible. If it’s not possible to refuse, do not install the application. There are always alternatives out there that are more worth your time. Remember always to keep your anti-virus up to date. Most antivirus software can efficiently detect malware that’s found in toolbars and get rid of it, even if you can’t. Don’t forget to try to stick to sites that are reputable rather than Internet back-alleys to download your stuff.

4. Native Browser Vulnerabilities

There are plenty of browsers out there and some of them come with unintended security vulnerabilities. If you (or your company) are still stubbornly using IE 6 and 7, or even 8, as your primary browser, you are basically inviting the hackers to attack you. Even a popular browser like Chrome also has security issues, namely cross-site scripting (XSS), that make it vulnerable to attack.

How to protect yourself: 

There is nothing much you can do except to wait for the browser’s developer to patch up the security loophole. Thus, you should always upgrade your browser to the latest version so new fixes to vulnerabilities will automatically be installed. In addition, make sure you exercise care and vigilance when browsing the web, even with the most secure and most updated software.

Questions?

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to leave a comment below! Also, don’t forget to let other readers know what useful tips you have to keep your browser safe!

Image credit: Virus Alert by BigStockPhoto

The post How to Safeguard Your Windows Computer from a Browser Hijack appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

How Viruses Work

Viruses are pieces of software written to take command of a system and exploit its vulnerabilities. Some of them are destructive (i.e. those that erase your hard drive) and others have more strategic purposes (i.e. those that use system resources to attack another system). Most viruses replicate by sending themselves via email attachments, social media links, or other methods that can reach your friends and family. This is why it’s important to stay a step ahead of them through security solutions like antivirus software.

Microsoft’s Popularity

Windows has been, and still is, the most popular operating system in use today. It’s not clear how popular each version of the operating system is (thanks to piracy), but we know that the system overall is seen in most houses and campuses. There seems to be some correlation between viruses and popularity. Naturally, since Windows is so popular, it’s more likely to be a target for viruses, since the developers have a broad base to operate with. They’re not going to bother with an operating system that has 10 million users when they have more than a billion to work with if they target the most popular one.

So, naturally, there’s a bad side to being popular. Case in point: The Mac has seen an uptick in sales lately and Apple comes out admitting that Macs can get viruses. Shortly before Apple’s statement, a virus for Mac did appear, called the Flashback virus.

But, to be fair, it’s not all about popularity.

Poor Security In Windows

Microsoft has had an almost hilariously bad history of releasing software with several vulnerabilities. The KB patches you always download from Windows Update are usually packed with security fixes that take care of vulnerabilities that Microsoft has not foreseen.  A very well-known example of a poor security practice was Windows XP’s autorun feature. It would run anything within “autorun.ini” file from removable media, allowing the executable that runs to replicate itself onto your hard drive and, subsequently, download itself into USB drives that you pop into it. This was also a vulnerability in Vista, to some extent.

That was Microsoft’s bad, and it really didn’t anticipate that anything could go wrong by blindly following the instructions of a text file. The amount of exploits in Windows has died down as soon as Windows 7 came out, but there were still a lot of security vulnerabilities within the system. People are speculating that Windows 8 may be the most secure version of Windows up until now.

Conclusion

Since many computers still run vulnerable versions of Windows, it’s very difficult to tell how long the security threats will last. The only thing you can do to protect yourself is to install a good antivirus software and be very careful the files that you open, either online or offline.

Don’t forget to add to this discussion by leaving a comment below!

Computer Virus Detection by BigStockPhoto

The post Why Does Windows Have So Many Viruses? A Perspective On Microsoft’s Biggest Foe appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

How Desktop Panorama Works

Similar in concept to the virtual desktop, but implemented in a different way, Desktop Panorama creates a virtual panorama stripe that appears just above your taskbar and it shows you a miniature representation of all the open windows in your desktop.

With Desktop Panorama, you can move your application windows outside the desktop into different areas (in the stripe) and zoom into that view later on. Essentially, you have a desktop that extends much further than your screen reaches. As you drag a placeholder across the bar, you can switch over to another view.

The Testing Systems

The system I used for this is your run-of-the-mill modern desktop PC, running on an Intel Core i5-650 CPU and 8 GB DDR3 RAM. We’ll also be testing it on another desktop PC with an i3 CPU and 4 GB of DDR3 RAM. Both computers run Windows 7 x64 Ultimate. Added to this, we’ll throw a laptop into the mix, running Windows 7 x86 (32-bit) with an old Intel Core2Duo CPU and 2 GB DDR RAM.

If any issues show up on any of the aforementioned computers, I’ll point it out. Let’s get our hands dirty!

Download & Installation

The installation was a breeze. There are two versions you can download: The free version and a $5 full version that lets you switch desktop views. With the free version, you can only move windows out of the desktop’s current view, but you can’t switch over to a new one. The video below shows you how desktop views work:

There was no third-party software involved in the installation. It was clean and simple. You can really click “Next” on this without giving it a second thought. It was fast and simple.

Let’s move on.

Running Desktop Panorama

I was greeted by a number of different screens that showed me how to use the software. It quickly explained what all the buttons do and how I can actually switch views.

It’s a decent interface quite different from what I saw in the video I showed you above.

That’s how the left side of the bar looks like. I’m surprised that it supports a 16:9 (widescreen) aspect ratio, considering that the demonstration video was done in a 4:3 (traditional) ratio. Its preservation of screen real-estate is achieved by appearing only when the lower right-hand side of the screen is approached by the cursor. On the negative side, this could be annoying if you use the little “show desktop” button on the same corner, although the effect is mostly negligible.

Moving a window from one part of the display to another was simple and smooth on all systems. Below you can see my Skype window out of the current view.

By dragging it back in from the bar, you can make it re-enter the current view again. Alternatively, you can drag the rectangle that encompasses the current view onto the Skype window, bringing it into focus. Interestingly enough, the taskbar icon for the Skype window appears and disappears as I drag it in and out of the view. This also happens as I drag the view onto and away from it. The effect is very important if you want a full-fledged virtual desktop.

So, there you have it. It’s a very simple piece of software, but it works!

Conclusion

Perhaps my biggest pet peeve is the fact that the software doesn’t let you change the view in the free version. This takes away its essence as a virtual desktop and severely limits its usability. Added to this, it also shows you a pop-up window asking you to activate it every now and then.

But $5 isn’t much to purchase a license, and it’s well-worth the money considering the added functionality it gives you.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this an 8.5. Despite the understandable motivation for not giving the software its full functionality in the free version, it’s still rather disappointing. Other than that, you get a great value for the money you’d pay to get the full working copy.

Opinions?

If you ever try the software, be sure to let other readers know what you’ve experienced. Leave a comment below to let us know what you think!

Desktop Panorama

The post Desktop Panorama – A Unique Virtual Desktop For Windows appeared first on Make Tech Easier.