Global IT Outage: What it means for you
The global IT outage on Friday, July 19th 2024 was a humdinger. We're told it's nothing to worry about, but what's really going on? I'm afraid the rabbit hole goes a bit deeper than you think. Join me for a look at the Crowdstrike "bug" and what it means for you......
Windows 8.1: Easily switch to a Local Account from a Microsoft Account
In Windows 8, there was an easy way to switch from using a Microsoft Account to log in back to the "old fashioned" way of using a plain old ordinary Windows local account. With Windows 8.1, Microsoft is trying harder than ever to trick you into signing in with your...
iPhone 5S: 64-bit smartphone processors are 2X the hype
Okay, so I just can't keep quiet about this one. Apple has released their latest iPhones, the 5S and the 5C. While the release of the 5C is particularly hilarious given that it's a "low-end" phone that Jobs said Apple would never release because they're a "premium...
My Desktop Disappeared from Explorer: Quick Fix!
So, one day you're just minding your own business, and all is well.Then, before you know it, your Desktop link under "Favorites" in Explorer has gone bye-bye.It just got up and walked out the door.EEK!Whatever shall you do?Not to worry, it's pretty easy to restore...
Quick Fix: Thunderbird hangs when deleting any message
It's hard to find a good e-mail client these days. Despite it's increasing crappiness, I still use Mozilla Thunderbird, mainly because there just aren't any good alternatives out there. I could use webmail, but I really don't like it. I like to have my e-mail stored...
Fix It: Windows Backup Failed Trying to Read from Shadow Copy
You get Windows Backup all set up, and it's working fine. You are happy. Then one day, you get to your puter and you have a lovely error message that reads, "Windows backup failed while trying to read from shadow copy on one of the volumes being backed up." You try...
Why the PC is Not Dead, and Why I Ditched Windows 8
If I read one more article about how "the PC is dead, long live the smartphone and tablet!", I just may have to vomit. A lot. Nowadays, it's smartphones and tablets that make the news the most, and not without good reason. Yes, they are capable of some pretty amazing...
How to Fix Audio Static and Slow Typing in Windows
Oh boy, this one was a humdinger. Of 12 computers running either Windows 7 or Windows 8, every single one of them was experiencing one of the following problems: Static, stuttering, and variations in playback speed when listening to MP3 or other audio files When...
Android Update Error: How to Fix Google Play Store Update Problems
So you're merrily rolling along with your Android phone, and all is well... Then one day, perhaps after an Android upgrade, every time you try to update or install any app from the Google Play Store, you get an error message like: Error retrieving information from...
Varnish: Remove all Cookies EXCEPT the ones you want
So, you've got a web server. It's slow. So, you optimize your app, and implement some caching. It's faster, but not fast enough. So, you decide to use Varnish, the popular reverse-proxy web application accelerator. It doesn't work. The reason it doesn't work is that...
How to Program Smarter Without Staying Up Until 4:00am
I just read an interesting article at BusinessInsider.com entitled Why Programmers Work at Night. The article explains why programmers generally tend to prefer working in the wee hours of the morning. Programming requires keeping a lot stuffed in your brain at once,...
Ruby 1.9.3-p362: “Stack level too deep” Error Message is a bug?
Oopsy! On 25 December 2012, Ruby version 1.9.3-p362 was released. Is that dedication, or what? Yesterday, I decided to upgrade to this new version of Ruby that contains only bug fixes. Bad idea. Sure, the site loads... But if you try to create a new record via the...
Paint.NET: The Photoshop Alternative for the Rest of Us
Pretty much everyone has heard of Adobe's Photoshop software. It's extremely powerful stuff that lets you create all sorts of graphics and images, edit photos at a professional level, and so on. The only problem is, Photoshop has a very steep learning curve. What are...
How to Choose LED Light Bulbs: Efficiency, Power Factor, Color Temperature, and Everything Else
These days, it's all about energy efficiency. In some countries, you can hardly even buy normal incandescent light bulbs any more. You are left with a choice of slightly more efficient "a bulb inside a bulb" halogen options, or compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs....
Fix Acrobat PDF Thumbnails in Windows 7 / Windows 8 x64
NOTE: If you like PDF thumbnails, DO NOT install Acrobat Reader DC! See note at the end... Okay, this one is VEEEERY annoying. You have the 64-bit flavor of Windows 7 or Windows 8. You install Adobe Acrobat Reader. You expect that on your desktop and in Explorer, you...
HD Home Theater Setup: HDMI vs Optical, 5.1 vs 7.1, and everything else
So, you got yourself a nice set of speakers, a good home theater amplifier, a fancy blu-ray player, and a giant flatscreen. Now you just want to hook it all together and enjoy the lovely 7.1 channel sound. Piece of cake, right? No. In fact, it is relatively easy to...