More Stupid User Tricks!

I know, you guys just LOVE “Stupid User Tricks!” Well, here’s some more for you!

Keep in mind, these are REAL, I’m not making these up!


Customer: “I received the software update you sent, but I am still getting the same error message.”
Tech Support: “Did you install the update?”
Customer: “No. Oh, am I supposed to install it to get it to work?”


Customer: “I clicked ‘Remove Pending Deals’ and now the pending deal is gone!”


Customer: “Do I have to be online to backup online?”


Customer: “How many pins does a sixteen-pin cable have?”


Customer: “I have a message on my screen that says: ‘Disk Full’. What can that be?”
Tech Support: “Maybe your disk is full.”
Customer: “Hmmm. OK.”


But, wait, there’s more, check this link:

Stupid User Tricks

Geek Software of the Week: WinMerge!

WinMergeHow cool is this? A Windows merging tool that is Open Source (and therefore FREE!) Check it out!

The WinMerge Open Source Project

“WinMerge is an Open Source differencing and merging tool for Windows. WinMerge can compare both folders and files, presenting differences in a visual text format that is easy to understand and handle.

WinMerge is highly useful for determining what has changed between project versions, and then merging changes between versions. WinMerge can be used as an external differencing/merging tool or as a standalone application.”

Yahoo Hacked, 450,000 Passwords Compromised

Yahoo has been seriously compromised. If you have an account, change your password NOW!

Yahoo hacked, 450,000 passwords posted online

“(CNN) — Hackers posted online what they say is login information for more than 450,000 Yahoo users.

The hack, which of course was conducted anonymously, was meant to be a warning, according to the Web page where the documents were dumped.

‘We hope that the parties responsible for managing the security of this subdomain will take this as a wake-up call, and not as a threat,’ a note on the page said. ‘There have been many security holes exploited in Web servers belonging to Yahoo! Inc. that have caused far greater damage than our disclosure. Please do not take them lightly.’

The statement adds that the ‘subdomain and vulnerable parameters’ that were used to hack the site were not posted ‘to avoid further damage.’

The Web page where the data was dumped was offline for much of Thursday morning.

The accounts that were hacked appear to be those of users of Yahoo Voice, according to the Twitter feed of Web-security firm TrustedSec.

The service allows users to make online voice and video calls to other computers or, for a fee, telephones.

Perhaps due to the similarity of the names, some reports Thursday were saying it was users of Yahoo Voices who were affected.”

Super Price on a Dropbox Alternative

You know I LOVE Dropbox! I use it for everything… but I have yet to sign up for the premium services. Now there is an alternative that I may give serious thought to! UNLIMITED storage for $2.00 per month! Wow!

https://onlinestoragesolution.com/

“OLS-CS offers you unlimited online storage, unlimited users, an advanced web based file manager, mobile access, real network drives, all the advanced tools like ftp, fxp and rsync, plus full featured web hosting with unlimited domains, email and database access. The whole cloud for just $2 per month when you signup for 2 years.

The award winning Ajaxplorer Web File Manager is integrated into our online storage service. Here is what you can expect with the file manager:

  • Drag and Drop Uploading
  • Drag and Drop Between Folders Inside The Application
  • Public File Sharing with and without a password
  • Shared Folder Collaboration
  • User Management
  • Permission Management
  • Customized Views
  • Media Streaming
  • File Editing
  • Advanced external application file viewing and editing”

DrBill.TV #247 – Video – “The Tossled Hair Phred-less Edition”

New version of Audacity out, upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99, DNSChanger victims to lose Internet on, July 9th, GSotW: Linux: Zorin OS, check the Open Printing Database: will your printer work with Linux? GSotW: KeyTweak, Thunderbird is doomed!

Links that pertain to this Netcast:

TechPodcasts Network

Blubrry Network

Open Printing Database

KeyTweak


Start the Video Netcast in the Blubrry Video Player above by
clicking on the “Play” Button in the center of the screen.

(Click on the buttons below to Stream the Netcast in your “format of choice”)
Streaming M4V Audio





Streaming MP3 Audio

Streaming Ogg Audio

Download M4V Download WebM Download MP3 Download Ogg
(Right-Click on any link above, and select “Save As…” to save the Netcast on your PC.)

Available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/xN9LXm41dpI

Available on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/45393636


DrBill.TV #247 – Audio – “The Tossled Hair Phred-less Edition”

New version of Audacity out, upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99, DNSChanger victims to lose Internet on, July 9th, GSotW: Linux: Zorin OS, check the Open Printing Database: will your printer work with Linux? GSotW: KeyTweak, Thunderbird is doomed!

Links that pertain to this Netcast:

TechPodcasts Network

Blubrry Network

Open Printing Database

KeyTweak


Start the Video Netcast in the Blubrry Video Player above by
clicking on the “Play” Button in the center of the screen.

(Click on the buttons below to Stream the Netcast in your “format of choice”)
Streaming M4V Audio





Streaming MP3 Audio

Streaming Ogg Audio

Download M4V Download WebM Download MP3 Download Ogg
(Right-Click on any link above, and select “Save As…” to save the Netcast on your PC.)

Available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/xN9LXm41dpI

Available on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/45393636


Thunderbird is Doomed!

If you like Mozilla’s E-Mail client, this is REALLY bad news!

So, That’s It For Thunderbird

“Mozilla is not ‘stopping’ Thunderbird development, it has just decided that: ‘continued innovation on Thunderbird is not the best use of our resources given our ambitious organizational goals.’ And it’s pulling people off the project. But it’s not stopping? Right.

This, according to a letter shared with ‘Mozillians’ ahead of the official announcement to be revealed on Monday. Recipients were asked not to share the letter, blog or tweet about the news until then, but obviously someone out there didn’t agree with that plan.

While it’s sure to upset some diehards, it’s a move that makes sense, given that Thunderbird, an open source Outlook competitor, is desktop software in a world that has been rapidly moving to mobile and web. Mozilla itself has been ramping up efforts in these areas as of late, with the recent introductions of its ‘boot-to-gecko’ OS (now ‘Firefox OS’), for example, as well as a new web-based code editor called Thimble, ‘Junior,’ a Webkit-based browser for iPad, its Firefox mobile web browser, of course, and more.

The timing of the Thunderbird announcement is kind of funny, though, since it was barely a month ago that Mozilla was touting the release of a new version of the software which introduced options for large file sharing and the ability to create personalized email addresses. Now, it seems that the company’s focus will be mainly on security and stability, not new features.

On Monday, the company will post details of Thunderbird’s proposed governance model here, to complement the forthcoming blog post from Mozilla Foundation Chair Mitchell Baker.

Although the letter makes it sound like the reassignments from Thunderbird to other projects would be new changes, people started moving off of Thunderbird in January. And as for any hopes that the ‘community’ of Thunderbird contributors will rise up to fill in the gaps once those folks are gone…well, don’t hold your breath on that one.”

Geek Software of the Week: KeyTweak!

KeyTweakKeyTweak is a simple utility that allows users to redefine their keyboard input signals. The functionality is made possible by a registry value first documented in Windows 2000, but also present in Windows NT 4.0. and included in XP, Vista and Windows 7.

KeyTweak Download Location

How Does It Work?

“Simply put, KeyTweak is just a front-end interface for editing a particular registry key. Microsoft did the low-level heavy lifting by creating this registry key. KeyTweak makes the editing of it a little less geeky.

Your keyboard communicates with your computer typically through a PS/2 port or a USB port. The data sent by your keyboard is referred to as Scan Codes. When you press a key, the ‘make’ scan code for that key is received by your computer’s i8042 controller chip. When you release a key, the ‘break’ scan code is sent. Prior to Windows 2000, device drivers had to be written to modify scan codes. Happily, Microsoft incorporated this feature into their operating system, thereby allowing fools like you and me to hack our registry and change the values to anything we see fit.”

Geek Software of the Week: Linux: Zorin OS

Looking for a Linux distro that is very “Windows User Friendly?” Try Zorin! No, it is not a Star Trek villian this time (see Star Trek: Generations, the movie!) This is a very nice distro, and worth a look!

The Zorin OS Linux Distro

“The Zorin OS operating system gives you the ultimate desktop experience. Some of the advantages of Zorin OS:

  • No risk of getting viruses
  • Much faster than Windows 7
  • An easy to use and familiar desktop
  • Customizable user interface thanks to our Look Changer
  • Stable as it is based on the robust Linux operating system
  • All the software you’ll ever need out of the box
  • Extremely versatile and customizable Open Source software
  • Available in over 55 languages

Top-notch security

People are in constant fear of viruses and malware in this digital world. Thanks to Zorin OS’s immunity to Windows viruses you will never have to worry about them. Zorin OS also comes with integrated firewall software to keep your system extra safe. When a potential security threat arises, software updates usually come within a matter of hours through the Update Manager. With Zorin OS you are sure to have peace of mind.

Easy to use, familiar desktop

The main goal of Zorin OS is to give Windows users easy access to Linux. That is why Zorin OS incorporates the familiar Windows 7-like interface by default to dramatically reduce the learning curve of this system while still experiencing the main advantages of Linux. You can also utilise the desktop with other interfaces. This is thanks to the exclusive Zorin Look Changer which lets you change your desktop to look and act like either Windows 7, Windows XP or GNOME 2 in the free versions of Zorin OS. The Premium versions also include the Windows 2000, Unity and Mac OS X looks.

Out-of-the-box software solution

Zorin OS is packed with software, ready for you to take advantage of. From the versatile LibreOffice suite to the feature-packed OpenShot video editor, it’s got it all. Zorin OS is sure to facilitate all of your everyday tasks such as web browsing, document creation, social networking, making videos, chatting with your friends and beyond, all without having to install anything.
We have even split up Zorin OS into seven different versions to facilitate the requirements of various user groups with additional software. Those versions include the free Core version for general use, Lite for use on old and low-spec computers, Educational Lite for use in schools and universities and the premium Business, Multimedia, Gaming and Ultimate versions.

Software Galore

If the pre-installed software isn’t enough for your requirements, there is no need to worry about it. Zorin OS comes with the Software Center which allows you to download and install tens of thousands of free and paid-for programs. All you have to do is open the Software Center from the start menu, find a program which you want and click Install. You can even install Windows programs on Zorin OS in a similar way with PlayOnLinux. You are also able to download installable packages (.deb and .exe) like in your current operating system.

Compatibility

Nearly every file that you use with your current operating system will work perfectly in Zorin OS with no need for additional setup. All your office documents, music, videos, pictures etc. will work out of the box in Zorin OS. Zorin OS also supports a large library of devices such as printers, scanners, cameras, keyboards. These devices will work as soon as you plug them in without the need for installing additional drivers.

Flexibility

Zorin OS gives you more flexibility. It allows you to use Zorin OS alongside your current operating system. While you install Zorin OS to your computer you have the option to keep your current operating system alongside Zorin OS and choose which one to load on start-up.

Accessibility

We want to make computers usable by everyone including disabled people so we have included tools in Zorin OS which make it one of the most accessible operating systems around. It includes such helpful tools as a text to speech program, Orca screen narrator, a screen magnifier for the visually impaired and a dwell click feature for pressing a mouse button automatically.”

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