Welcome to SteveOnTech !
This site is about to undergo a massive overhaul, so stay tuned.
I am a computer enthusiast. Science and Technology are my passion. I live in the Mission District of San Francisco, and I am a self employed IT Consultant. My focus includes the Design, Installation, Configuration and Support of IT Hardware and Infrastructure. I also do Web Design.

If you need computer help in the Bay Area, let me know. steveontech@gmail.com
 
Apr
17
Filed Under (Competition, Fair Use, ISP, Tech Industry) by Steve on 17-04-2009

As predicted, Time Warner announced yesterday that they would no longer be implementing absurdly low bandwidth caps, ranging from 10 GB per month to 40 GB, depending on how much you were willing to pay. This in comparison with the only other “Cap” in the US, Comcast, who has a not-rigidly-enforced 250GB cap for $45 per month.

Time Warner tried to pass this off as a “misunderstanding” (LOL) and watched their stock plunge, because investors know that absurd restrictions means customers leave, and when customers leave, quarterly profits decrease.

So the PR damage control team at Time Warner is on the case, and this little event will go down in history as one of the most absurd tech policies ever.

Almost as immensely stupid as the FCC’s famous rejection of Bell Labs in 1948 when Bell Labs requested the (now cell phone) frequencies for testing of what they thought they could invent. The FCC in all of it’s unconstitutional glory told them, Nope, you can’t invent the (cell phone). Their reason? “It’s not possible.”

Sony engineers made the same request 20 years later, in the late 60’s, and we all know how that story has ended. Many third graders now have their own cell phone. Thanks for the 20 year delay FCC.

 

 
Mar
31
Filed Under (Tech Industry) by Steve on 31-03-2009

A computer virus called “ConFicker” has the potential to be the worst virus ever, and so this email will help you protect your computer from falling victim.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/24/conficker.computer.worm/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conficker

Summary: There are an estimated 5-10 Million computers already infected by this worm (which so far has been relatively harmless - so you probably don’t know if you currently have it!), and on April 1st 2009, this worm “wakes up” and “phones home” looking for it’s next instructions.  Noone knows what the virus writer will do with the millions of PC’s he will have control over, but it could be anything from just something annoying, to advertising scam of some sort, to possibly deleting every file on every infected computer, or harvesting personal data for the purpose of identity theft.  No one knows, because the virus writer has yet to release this new part of the virus to the Internet, and he only has to release it on a single infected computer, and then the virus knows how to spread this new set of instructions to every other infected computer.

So, this MIGHT be very serious, but very simple to protect yourself from, if you prepare ahead of time.  Microsoft has already released Windows Updates fix this vulnerability, back in October, so all you need to do is to get all the Windows Updates for your computer.  Hopefully your computer is set to get these automatically, but if not, here’s how to fix that.

If you have an Apple:
You’re immune!  Until Apple computers are more common, there isn’t enough incentive for virus writers to write Apple viruses.  This is a Windows only virus, but for the sake of good computer maintenance, you should also do all your software updates!
1. Go to “Finder”
2. In the Apple menu, click “Software Update” (the scan will take a minute or two)
3. Click Install, and depending on your Internet speed, this could take a while.  If you’re on dial up, start it before you go to bed, and let it go all night.

If you don’t have an Apple, then you need to update Windows, for ALL VERSIONS of Windows.  Yes even Vista.

To get Windows Updates:
1. Open Internet Explorer, and go here: http://windowsupdate.Microsoft.com/
2. Click “Express”, this step might take a minute
3. Click “Install Updates”  This process could be very quick, but could take many hours depending on your Internet speed, age of your computer, and when you last did updates.  If you are on DIAL-UP, you will have to let this step run all night.
4. When it’s done, you’ll probably have to restart your computer.
5. If the update process took more than an hour, that means you haven’t updated in a long time, so you will need to get even more updates, and you can do that by going back up, and repeating this process at step #1  (If on the second time through there are MANY updates again, you might even have to do it a third time!)

To set your computer up to do updates automatically in the future: (you should do this step no matter what)
1. Click the Start menu, and go to Control Panel
2. Double Click “Automatic Updates”
3. Click the “Automatic” option, and click apply.

If you have trouble using the Windows Update website, then you might be infected:
1. Use Internet Explorer to go here: http://safety.live.com/ (Live.com is a Microsoft website, by the way) Click “Full Service Scan”
2. You will need to install the ActiveX Controls for the site, and allow them to run when the tan bar at the top drops down.
3. Click “Complete Scan”, and this process will take a while, so be patient.
4. Follow the Instructions, and if it finds anything, let the scanner delete the viruses it finds.
5. Once it finishes, you might have to restart, and after that, try again to get Windows Updates (instructions above)

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The really important part is over, if you have all your Windows Updates, then you’ll be immune from getting it, but if you had to do a LOT of updates then there is a small chance you still have it, so make sure you have working virus software:  Also, if you already have AVG Free, it’s time to upgrade to AVG Free 8.5
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Make sure your Virus software is up to date, and working:
1. If you currently pay a fee for your Virus software, AND it is up to date (check by double clicking it’s icon in the lower right of your screen) then you’re set.
2. If your virus definitions are OUT OF DATE, then you have a problem.  You need to uninstall your virus software, and install AVG Free Anti-Virus.
3. To uninstall go to Start Menu > Control Panel > Add / Remove Programs  Find your virus software, select it, and click uninstall.

If I have advised you in the past to use AVG Free Anti-Virus for PC, then the rest of this email will look familiar (but has new instructions!).  AVG has probably been telling you to update to AVG version 8.5, and yes, they sell a version of 8.5, but they also give it away free to home users.  They’re just trying to get you to buy it, which is fine, you can buy it if you want.  If you want the Free version just have to get it and install it.  AVG is the best in the business, don’t assume it’s junk, just because it’s free.  I’ve been using it on all my computers for almost 5 years.

Start by downloading it here:  (It’s pretty big at 60 Megabytes, if you are on dial up, you will have to let this download overnight)
http://download.cnet.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10320142.html

If you have Anti-Virus software OTHER than AVG (like Norton, Symantec, McAfee, etc) and that software trial has expired, go up and follow the steps to uninstall it.  AVG is free, and superior, and giving away their service for free is their business model, as a small company that is trying to gain market share agaist the big boys named Norton and McAfee.  Once your other virus software is uninstalled, AVG installation instructions are the same:

If you have AVG currently installed, the instructions are the same: ( you do NOT need to uninstall the old version of AVG!!! )

Instructions to Install AVG 8.5 Free Edition

  1. Download AVG using the above link.
  2. Run the AVG Free Edition 8 Setup program
  3. Click “Next >” on the AVG “Welcome!” screen, and then click “Accept” twice for their license agreements.  (install will begin and take a few seconds)
  4. Under “Select Setup Type“, just leave it at the default option “Add or Remove Components“, and click Next
  5. DO NOT install the “AVG Security Toolbar” and to avoid installing it, un-check it, as it is just totally unnecessary.
  6. Click through and click “Finish” and the install will do most of it’s work, which could take a few minutes.
  7. Installation is Complete message, click “OK”
  8. Now the configuration begins, most of this is self explanatory, I’ll just note the important steps:
  9. STEP 2: Un-check “Enable Daily Scan” as this is totally unnecessary because AVG is ALWAYS watching for viruses as it is.  Daily scans just slow your computer down for an hour each day.
  10. Registration doesn’t matter.  Do it if you want, but it does not matter at all.
  11. Restart your computer when it prompts you to.
  12. Once restarted, double click the new AVG icon (system tray, lower right of the screen), which will probably have a red exclamation point over top of it.
  13. Click the “Update Now” button, and perform the update. (may take a few minutes)
  14. Close AVG when it finishes, and now you should see the AVG logo in the system tray with no exclamation point, which means it is updated and operating.
  15. When you get a chance, do a full system scan just to make sure you don’t have any viruses. (Double Click the AVG Icon, click “Computer Scanner” and then click “Scan whole computer”  The scan will take an hour or two.

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That’s it!  You’re done. If you have trouble, feel free to ask!  Noone knows how bad this virus will be, but all of these steps are very good things to do routinely on your computer.

Other good computer tips include:

Also, everyone should be using Firefox instead of Internet Explorer: (for everything except Windows Updates)
It’s Faster, Safer, free, and just plain better: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/firefox.html

If you can’t afford Microsoft Office on every computer, Open Office is a very good alternative, and it’s free.  It even opens and saves documents in Word, Excel, and Powerpoint formats: http://www.openoffice.org/

And if you’re sick of whatever email system you’re currently using, it’s Google to the rescue with Gmail: http://gmail.Google.com/
Gmail is free, accessible from any computer in the world, and so simplified that it makes old email systems seem like stone tablet and chisel. No exaggeration here, really! :)

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That’s it!  Hopefully this virus won’t be a real serious one.

Steve

 

 
Dec
05
Filed Under (Competition, Fair Use, Tech Industry, iPhone) by Steve on 05-12-2007

So you have an iPhone, (or are considering buying one) and you read a tutorial like this and you think great! Another great idea to justify the expense of this data plan, and boy this sure could be handy. Well, AT&T doesn’t think that’s fair use. Rumors are that if AT&T suspects you’re “abusing” the data plan that you’ve already paid for, well, they’re not going to be happy, and this is even against the terms of service listed in your EDGE data contract.

Well, this is one more example of a company who doesn’t know what industry it’s in. AT&T should not only allow this usage, but they should work with Apple to build that functionality in directly, make it easy and plug and play. If bandwidth REALLY is a potential expense for AT&T then the ridiculously simple solution is to just charge extra for those high bandwidth users. Maybe an extra 5$ per GB for anyone who goes over a GB in a month. Simple. But the fact that they not only aren’t doing that, much less threatening their customers who might consider doing that on their own is downright absurd.

AT&T should want to provide a service that people can use as many ways possible. Imagine if Ford sold cars, but they put in the sales contract that the buyer agrees to not use their new car as soon as it gets rusty! Because rusty Fords are bad for Ford’s image! If Ford harassed their customers by insisting on having this in every contract of every vehicle sold, no one would buy a Ford. And it’s the same with AT&T, the iPhone in conjunction with this data plan that literally takes the Internet with you everywhere you go is an amazing product, even more amazing if you could hook up your laptop an use that data plan on a train, or anywhere else without Internet.

Giving people this functionality takes little to no expense, and as long as AT&T protected themselves against bandwidth abuse (if that really would become a problem for them) then great! They are giving people one more reason to buy this plan from them, and one more advantage over their competition. And it’s so easy.

AT&T needs to WAKE UP and realize that THIS IS THE BUSINESS THEY’RE IN. This is such a simple concept, and when I see nonsense in the world like this it makes me wonder how AT&T can accomplish anything. I mean the technology of the iPhone and it’s data plan are impressive, but why not go that last inch and make it complete.