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Check Your Computer So You Don’t Lose the Internet in July!

By Natalie on April 29, 2012 in ,

Apologies for not blogging recently – I had two exams last week, then I got sick yesterday. I’m feeling much better today, but still not completely normal.

My mom sent me this very important story last week and I thought I’d share it with you, just in case you haven’t heard of this issue yet (I hadn’t before she sent me the story!).

For computer users, a few mouse clicks could mean the difference between staying online and losing Internet connections this summer.

Unknown to most of them, their problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers around the world. In a highly unusual response, the FBI set up a safety net months ago using government computers to prevent Internet disruptions for those infected users. But that system is to be shut down.

The FBI is encouraging users to visit a website run by its security partner, http://www.dcwg.org, that will inform them whether they’re infected and explain how to fix the problem. After July 9, infected users won’t be able to connect to the Internet.

Most victims don’t even know their computers have been infected, although the malicious software probably has slowed their web surfing and disabled their antivirus software, making their machines more vulnerable to other problems.

Essentially, some computers are infected with a virus that affects the way they look up DNS for websites. If your computer is affected, and you don’t fix the problem soon, you could be unable to connect to the internet this July.

To find out if your computer is infected, go to this website. If your computer is fine, you’ll get this fun little graphic:

If not, you get something in red informing you that your computer is infected. And don’t worry, there is a link on the website about what to do if you’re infected. (Though if you need help, I’d be happy to answer any questions!)

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Announcing Google GDrive

By Natalie on April 24, 2012 in

Google has released a cloud service called GDrive. Admittedly, the company is a bit late to the whole cloud storage scene, but better late than never, right?

Here are the features you get with GDrive: 5 GB of storage for free, with the option to upgrade to 25 GB for $2.49 per month, 100 GB for $4.99 per month, or 1 TB for $49.99 per month. A paid account also gives users 25 GB of space. (Gmail accounts normally have around 8 GB of storage.)

To sign up for GDrive, go to drive.google.com and sign up with your Google ID. Some users apparently can sign up immediately. I regret to say that I am not one of them:

Click to see larger. For the record, I put that red circle there.

Oh well, that means that my review of GDrive will have to wait. But I am really looking forward to getting it. I am currently an avid Dropbox user and I will be interested to see how it compares.

Some have pointed out that even though Google is a latecomer to cloud storage, that is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, it was late to develop a mobile phone OS (Android), but Android has been a success so far.

One potential problem that exists with GDrive is file conversion. Apparently syncing is only available if users convert their documents to Google Docs format. According to Drew Garcia, Vice-President of Product Development at SugarSync, “The user now has two versions of the file and may run into version control issues. Also, the user can edit the Google Doc version only when online since editing takes place in the browser; this also means the user cannot use robust desktop applications (e.g., Microsoft Word) to make changes to the converted document.”

Personally, I am very excited to try out GDrive because I love so many of Google’s products. (Gmail is one of my favorite things ever, seriously.)

Adapted from eWeek article.
Photo credit

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Part 1: Buying Your Domain and Hosting Space

By Natalie on April 24, 2012 in ,

These could be *your* servers, you know... (Except they're probably not, since they're in France.)

So. You’ve finally decided to take the plunge. You want to start a fabulous blog (or other kind of website). The only problem: you don’t know how, or you’re too intimidated with all this technology to even know what to do! All these terms, like domain name, nameservers, DNS, SEO, WordPress, theme, you name it, confuse you.

That is why I am writing this series of tutorials. Five years ago, I was in that very position. I knew I liked writing, so I wanted to begin writing on the internet. But I had no idea how to sign up for a blog, how to make it look fabulous once I had one, or anything else.

What this tutorial is

There are many possibilities when one creates a website, so I am going to make a few assumptions. This tutorial is geared towards people who want to build a website with WordPress. (If you don’t know what WordPress is, have a look at this Wikipedia article here.) Though WordPress is often used for blogging, it is also an excellent CMS (content management system). That means businesses can use it to create websites, too.

I have only used one web host: GoDaddy. Any screenshots will be from my GoDaddy account, so they may differ from your web host, since hosting companies use different interfaces for customer accounts.

What this tutorial is not

If you want to get a blog with a free service like Blogger or WordPress.com, that’s fine – but this tutorial is not focusing on that. Instead, I am focusing on those who want to have their own domain name and will be buying hosting space with a web host.

First Things First: Getting a Domain Name

The first thing you need to do is buy a domain name. For this website, I bought www.thetechmaven.com, as you can see in your URL bar. What domain name you buy is up to you, of course. The sky’s the limit, as long as it’s available. I would strongly recommend that you buy your domain name with the company you buy hosting space from, as it is much simpler. Which leads us to our next point…

Which Web Host?

This is a tough question to answer. I have been with GoDaddy for a few years now and in general, I do not have many complaints. (I wish they had a toll-free support number, though!) I have a friend who uses Bluehost and he loves it. I would strongly recommend against HostGator, as a blog I used to read was hosted there and went down nearly every day. (By contrast, while using GoDaddy, my sites have only gone down once in the past three or four years.)

Those are what I call the “regular” web hosts. There are also web hosts out there that are devoted to solely to hosting WordPress sites, most notably WP Engine. They are more expensive than GoDaddy or Bluehost, but I have heard very good things about them.

Anyway, you should sign up for your domain name (it is pretty self-explanatory on the hosting websites) and buy a hosting plan. If you are just starting out, I’d recommend going with the cheapest plan with GoDaddy or Bluehost, just to see how you like it. WP Engine offers a 60-day money back guarantee, so there’s no harm in trying them out if you’re interested.

A Word of Warning

When you register your domain name, you will be given the option to get a private registration – for an extra cost, of course. Please, please sign up for this private registration. If you don’t, your full name, email address, phone number, and billing address (and possibly home address) will be in a public, searchable database, splashed all over the internet for spam bots and freaky stalkers to see. I think it is annoying that this costs extra, but it is most definitely worth paying for.

Up next: A few tweaks and the actual WordPress installation.

Photocredit.

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Building Websites Can be Overwhelming…

By Natalie on April 23, 2012 in ,

If this screenshot confuses you, don't worry! Just read my website tutorials.

…which is why I’m here to help.

This is not the first website I have built. I was building sites in high school and even had a blog for a while. I used Google’s Blogger for some time (hey, you can’t beat the price – free). Then I discovered WordPress and was hooked.

But here’s the thing: WordPress does have a steeper learning curve than Blogger and can take some time to set up. That’s why I want to do a series on this blog called “Getting Your WordPress Site Up and Running.” I will walk you through getting a domain name, installing WordPress, and what to do once you have installed it.

Get ready, and stay tuned for Part 1: Buying and setting up your domain.

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A Smaller iPad? What’s the Point?

By Natalie on April 19, 2012 in ,

My friends and family are well-aware of my feelings towards the iPad: I think it is one of the most useless devices ever created. If I’m home, I go on the internet using my laptop. If I’m out, I use the iPhone. If I need an e-reader, I have my Kindle. I suppose if I traveled a lot for business, I would consider investing in an iPad, but luckily that is not the case. I’m iPad free, and perfectly happy about it.

There are rumors that Apple will be releasing smaller iPad (one that Steve Jobs apparently didn’t approve of). Allegedly Apple has ordered Samsung screens that could be used to make an iPad about half the size of the original one.

Some say a small iPad could help Apple continue to lead in the tablet market. After all, Amazon’s Kindle Fire has emerged as an iPad competitor. However, a smaller iPad would be annoying for programmers who write apps for the iPad, as apps have to be adapted to fit different-sized screens.

I personally don’t see the point of a smaller iPad. Isn’t the iPad small enough as it is? I don’t really understand what advantage it would offer.

What do you think? Will Apple release a smaller iPad next year?

Via USA Today.

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Facebook IPO Next Month?

By Natalie on April 19, 2012 in

So, Facebook’s initial public offering may be happening next month, on either May 17 or May 24. From the San Francisco Chronicle:

TechCrunch, quoting multiple unnamed sources, became the latest to report that Facebook’s IPO target date is the third Thursday in May, depending on whether the Securities and Exchange Commission approves all of Facebook’s paperwork.

The report tracks with an earlier report by CNBC that Facebook wants to go public on May 17 or May 24, or at least before investors head off for the long Memorial Day weekend.

Facebook will reportedly premiere on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol FB.

What do you think? Will you be investing in Facebook?

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About that Instagram and Facebook Deal…

By Natalie on April 13, 2012 in ,

As you’ve probably heard, Facebook acquired Instagram this Monday. The internet exploded with the news and ever since, people have been worrying about Instagram and what Facebook will actually do with it and their Instagram data.

I have never used Instagram. I know, it’s shocking, especially since I have been an iPhone user for almost four years now (I got the first-generation iPhone, which was on the slow Edge network, as a graduation present; now I have an iPhone 3GS). I have used Facebook, as some of my friends seem to have abandoned using email to communicate.

Some people are leaving Instagram, according to this PC World article. Considering how Facebook has never really cared about the privacy of its users (sure, they pay lip service to it, but remember that saying that actions speak louder than words?), abandoning Instagram certainly does not sound like a bad idea.

However, people love to talk about boycotting offending websites – but when push comes to shove, they simply do not. There have been so many articles in recent years about Facebook’s terrible privacy record, but I have never seen evidence for a mass exodus of users (which would be one of the few things that could actually persuade Facebook to get its act together regarding privacy). I think most Instagram users will continue using the service.

Do you use Instagram? Will you continue to do so?

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Apple Releases Tool to Remove Flashback

By Natalie on April 12, 2012 in ,

So remember that Apple virus I blogged about earlier? It seems that Apple has finally decided to help infected users by releasing a tool that will remove the malware. From PC World:

Apple released the fix as a Java update that would detect and remove Flashback from infected computers on Apr. 12. This is the third update released by the company this week, as the first two closed the Java vulnerability that Flashback was exploiting to infect users in the first place. The latest update is essentially the same update closing the vulnerability, but with the removal tool bundled in.

“This Java security update removes the most common variants of the Flashback malware,” Apple wrote in its support document.

[...]

Interestingly enough, Apple’s update will also disable the Java plugin on all Web browsers (not just Safari) and turn off applet execution by default. Even if the user manually enables automatic execution of applets via the Java Preferences application, it will automatically be disabled if applets haven’t been run within 35 days, according to Apple.

“If the Java web plug-in detects that no applets have been run for an extended period of time it will again disable Java applets,” Apple wrote.

On one hand, this is not a bad idea, as it closes an attack vector for Macs. Many users who were infected with the Trojan are thought to have had installed it once for whatever reason, and then forgot they had it on their computers. Many security experts have long encouraged users to remove Java unless they absolutely know they need to have it, since sites using Java applet are fewer than they used to be. Disabling automatic applet execution is as close as one gets to uninstalling Java without actually doing so.

I am glad Apple has released this update, but I remain unconvinced about the blanket disabling of Java. What if users suddenly need it but don’t know how to enable it? I don’t think I have ever disable Java on my computer, so I don’t know what happens if one tries to run something requiring Java when it is disabled.

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Happy Easter!

By Natalie on April 8, 2012 in ,

Happy Easter to all readers who celebrate it! I hope everyone ate lots of chocolate eggs today. ;) Speaking of Easter eggs, I thought it would be fun to share some Easter eggs of the computer variety today. For Mac computers, one of my favorites involves the weather widget. Put a weather widget on your dashboard, then click on the top part (the center between the city name and the temperature) while holding down the command and option keys. It will switch to say “Nowhere” and show all the different types of weather it can display as you click.

To get your widget to go back to normal, just press command-R to reload it.As for Microsoft Windows Easter eggs, I confess to not knowing any! It’s been years since I have used Windows. Sorry to leave my Windows-using readers out – let me know your favorite Easter egg in the comments!

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Protect Your Mac from Flashback

By Natalie on April 6, 2012 in ,

A typical error one can get from the Flashback trojan, via CNET.

I am an avid Mac user. I have a 13-inch MacBook Pro, late 2010 model, and I love it for so many reasons. Unfortunately, Macs have been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons, namely a nasty virus. From USA Today:

Flashback is technically not a trojan-horse application at all, but a “drive-by download” that infects computers by exploiting a vulnerability in Web software.

That makes it much worse than a trojan: You just need to visit a malicious site, without downloading the wrong app or entering an admin password, to have this program silently take command of your Mac and begin altering the content of Web pages.

How do you know if you have it? Go here. Or, you can use Russian security firm’s Dr. Web to check your Mac.

Now, the USA Today article I linked to suggests getting rid of Java to make your Mac more secure. I disagree. I suppose it’s more of a personal thing, as I do use Java often enough to justify it (some of the currency trading platforms I have tried out run Java).

Bottom line: keep your software updated! If you have not already done so, go to settings > software update > scheduled check and make sure that your computer is set to check for updates daily.

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