January 2012
1 post
It's been a while . . .
Haven’t posted for a while, been so busy with work I haven’t had a chance, plus I’m in process of building my new site with integrated blog. You’ll soon be inundated with updates and useful info, as well as some pointless stuff :)
November 2011
1 post
4 tags
Secure your Twitter #twitcleaner @twitcleaner
This is a lazy post, I admit it.
I’ve been away from my blog for a while working on a number of projects as well as balancing a lot of general work (which is always a good thing and you’ll never hear my complain about workload!), so as a quick post, I thought I’d mention TwitCleaner again, the useful tool that cleans your stream of spam tweeters and annoying “people”...
October 2011
1 post
7 tags
Mobile Security - Are You Protected??
Welcome along to another month’s computer tips, this month I’ll be writing about mobile phone and smartphone security, something, which a lot of people take for granted.
I’ve read a number of articles and reports recently talking about just this topic, and how users are taking risks without knowing it. For example, how many of you protect your handset with a security code?? I know I certainly do,...
September 2011
2 posts
8 tags
Bogus calls from "Microsoft"
Recently I’ve spoken to a number of clients and indeed friends and family members who have had a phone call from companies posing either directly as Microsoft or as partners or affiliates.
First things first, this is not a new scam; it has been around for a long time. The give away about the whole scam is to know that Microsoft will not in any case call you and offer you support out of the blue....
Social Network Safety
Here’s a basic guide to staying safe on Facebook and Twitter.
If you have a Facebook account, or Twitter account, you may have noticed some random posts appearing from time to time on your friends timelines with links to shocking videos or images, or a common one is “OMG – I can’t believe you can actually view who’s looking at your profile”. For starters, let’s clear that up – Facebook does...
August 2011
8 posts
3 tags
Charity Bike Ride
I’m taking part in a 100mile charity bike ride on September 11th 2011.
If anyone is feeling generous, head on over to: http://www.justgiving.com/joehenstridge/ to sponsor me.
I’m doing it in aid of the Alzheimers Society.
Thanks!!
In aid of Alzheimers . . . →
How to Copy and Paste
A nice easy set of instructions, an obvious one but uselful nonetheless …
1. Select the item
To select text you should place the cursor at one end of the text. Then hold down the shift key, and click on the other end of the text. Everything between will be selected ready for copying. The text will be highlighted once selected.
Alternatively, like above, place the cursor at the beginning of...
3 tags
Speaker!
Been asked to do a piece on Technology at a Sci-Tech meeting group later in the year! Hmm, what to talk about????? Idea’s on a postcard!
5 tags
Keep your system up-to-date
I’ll be updating this again over the next couple of days with guides for Linux and Mac, but here’s a nice easy explanation for Windows Updates.
Whether you’ve got a desktop, laptop or netbook – this guide will apply for all.
Windows Update - To keep things running smooth on your computer it’s important to try and keep your software up to date. Now first of all, before undertaking any...
July 2011
4 posts
Protect your Facebook and Twitter Profiles
This is a short but very sweet post, after seeing a number of spam posts on friends accounts on Facebook I decided to force my friends and family to install http://profileprotector.com - Barracuda’s Profile Protector - an excellent piece of security software which scans your profile for any dangerous links and and removes them, it also keeps you safe in future by not allowing any...
1 tag
Awesome Software
Found this emulator software which is awesome for testing sites on iPhone and iPad displays, http://code.google.com/p/ibbdemo2/
Enjoy!!!
Google+
Big thanks to @alexwoollam for the invite, enjoying it already, I have invites to share … .
What to look for when buying a new PC
If you’ve been watching any TV lately you will have no doubt noticed the huge increase in advertisements by PC and laptop manufacturers, not to mention the new series of ads from Microsoft for their newest operating system, Windows 7 – and you can’t go an ad break without the odd Apple advert here and there.
I’ll be giving you a rough guide on what each of the following categories for new...
June 2011
2 posts
Burning a CD/DVD
This process can differ depending on the operating system you’re using, I’ll be explaining how to do it on Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 – Mac users try here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1328
There are many bits of software available that help you do this, but I’ll be explaining how to do it using the built in software within Windows.
An important note is that if you’re using Windows...
Password Do's and Don'ts
For many of you, these are obvious and standard practise, but, for a lot more people - these tips aren’t.
Please read over these simple tips for creating a password:
Do:
Choose a password that is at least 8 characters long
Include both upper and lowercase letters
Include numbers and symbols, such as 5, 3, !, & etc
Don’t
Use personal information, such as names, address,...
May 2011
1 post
Mac Users Beware!!
It’s been coming!! - Mac users please be careful, read this before installing any anti-virus:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13453497
I personally use iAntivirus: http://www.iantivirus.com/ there is also Sophos: http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition.aspx
April 2011
4 posts
Wifi Problems & Solutions
One of the most common problem people have with wireless networks is that you may find the signal doesn’t reach as far as you’d think it should, or that in certain areas of the house you have what are known as “black spots” – areas where you get no wifi coverage whatsoever. The common cause of this other than very very thick walls, is the positioning of the wireless router – if you have it hidden...
IE9 - Download Now
A notice to all users running Windows Vista or Windows 7, download and install Internet Explorer 9 - it’s a whole lot better, faster and smoother than IE8, websites look so much better, download here:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/internet-explorer/products/ie/home
Enjoy!
An old one, but a good one nonetheless →
March 2011
2 posts
Free Office Software & Online Office Suites
This month I’m going to tell you about free “Office Productivity” software, what I mean by this, is software which allows you to type letters, manage spreadsheets and create presentations. All the things you can do with the popular – yet very expensive “Microsoft Office”. Now unless you’re a student, then a full version of Microsoft Office Professional can cost...
Obligatory iPad 2 Post
Now, I’m not saying that the iPad 2 isn’t going to be good or successful, because, it will be, on both counts in fact. It’s just I can’t get too excited about a product which I have no REAL use for, besides browsing the web, using iTunes, and the odd game here and there.
Don’t get me wrong I know there are useful Apps for music editing, movie editing, as well as it...
February 2011
2 posts
Jargon Busting - Valley News Article
As promised, here’s my Jargon busting article from the Valley News magazine, I’ll be updating more and more jargon over the next weeks to help anyone who’s confused with some of the technical jargon that’s used in various product descriptions, adverts and magazines etc. Read on!
Cookie – This is a small text file sent to your computer via your web browser when you visit a...
iPad 2 - Release Date!
2nd of March is the date!
http://goo.gl/S1LBc
January 2011
3 posts
Always pay your Web Developer!
Brilliant:
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2011/01/24/why-you-should-always-pay-your-web-developer/
Simple Image Resizing
I’m going to give you a quick tip on Photo Editing, this is a interesting subject and many aspects can get quite complicated and in-depth so I’ll only be covering the very basics.
I’m often asked about photo editing, most commonly about how to resize an image. You may find that many of your favourite sites, such as eBay and Facebook won’t allow you to upload the image you’ve just...
Automated Network Share Login for Home OS's
I don’t know about you but I’m constantly coming up against a problem of trying to get a network share working on a home operating system, such as Vista Home Premium, XP Home, or any other Windows Home OS.
I’ve come up a with a simple way of automating it, simply create a blank .txt document using notepad, then paste this in:
Set objNetwork =...
December 2010
2 posts
XBOX 360
I’m currently rediscovering the joys of XBOX 360 after repairing an old broken one - certainly better than forking out £200 for a new one!!
Loving F1 2010 - I know I’m late to the game but it is a cracker! Looking forward to getting online with COD Black Ops to battle it out with mates! Not looking forward to getting destroyed by them as they’ve been playing online for...
Secure Online Shopping
As with a lot of people at the moment, getting the right price for a product hasn’t been more important, what with the VAT increase to 20% and the economy as it is. This means that many of us may use online shopping more and more to find a great deal. There are a few important points that you should be aware of when shopping online, first and foremost should be that you have an up-to-date...
November 2010
3 posts
Me →
Best Free Anti-Virus
Ok, first off there are LOADS!! of free anti-virus products out there, some of them good, some of them not so good! To be honest though, solitary anti-virus programs are becoming less effective when it comes to spyware and malware infections. This is where the “Internet Security Suite” comes into its own.
I’ve used a lot of the free products out there, AVG, PC Tools, Avira,...
Alarm
Fell foul to the iPhone alarm bug this morning … . . wonder if I can sue?? ;-)
October 2010
1 post
Google Goggles - Try It Now! →
September 2010
5 posts
Tablets/Slates
When will these people learn - Windows is not for Tablets, too slow, too fiddly, too intricate and from all the video’s I’ve seen, seriously unresponsive.
MS - you have the money, build a purpose built OS for Tablets … . . . hmmmm, it’s taken you 2 years to “nearly” release Windows Phone 7 - I’m not holding my breath!
tumblrbot asked: WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO VISIT ON YOUR PLANET?
Link to the phones I mentioned, nothing special .... →
Valley News
Second piece sent to Valley News, a bit more “personal” this time at the request of the Editor :-) see how it goes this month, hopefully will get a response!
I’ve been interested in the hype surrounding Microsoft’s next few offerings, IE9 and Windows Phone 7. Having been using IE9 for the past week or so it’s clear that MS have finally taken notice of its...