If you have been on Facebook for any amount of time at all, I’m sure you have experienced a massive Facebook message conversation. It may (or may not) start off as something useful, but more often than not these conversations quickly descend into a spammy mess. Thankfully, there is a way to opt out. [Read more…]
How to Answer Questions in L.A. Noire
Much of the detective work you do in L.A. Noire
PS3 Controller Auto-Off: How to Save the Environment, Your Controller and Your Sanity
Once again the Xbox wins
Years after Microsoft’s controller auto-off feature was second nature to Xbox 360 fans, Sony finally built an auto-off setting into the PS3. [Read more…]
How to Easily Open a Stuck Xbox 360 Tray (DVD Drive)
My wife and I just moved. In the process something must have happened to my Xbox 360 because when I went to turn it on today, the tray was stuck. Immediately there was fear and worry. Who wants a stuck Xbox 360 tray? Not me! How will I ever play games again? And what will I do when my pre-order from Amazon shows up and I have a stuck Xbox 360 tray?
I pushed the eject button… nothing.
I pushed it again… still nothing.
I pushed and held it… yet again, no tray movement.
Thankfully, I already had my internet hooked up, so I googled the issue and found this simple solution. [Read more…]
How to Fix a Slow Mac
No mаttеr how goоd а Maс іѕ, thеrе will cоmе а time when it gеts ѕluggіѕh. Whеn thіs haрpens, уou wіll nаturally wаnt to find an еffеctіve wау of fіxing it.
Resource-intensive programs are the moѕt common reason for a Mac ѕlоwіng down. In this сaѕе, removing the progrаm оr upgradіng your ѕуѕtеm maу bе thе best wayѕ of fіxing a slow Maс.
Another possible rеаson for a Maс getting sluggіѕh iѕ when а number of prоgrams tаkе uр large аmountѕ оf уоur сomрuter’s RAM. Fіxіng a slоw Maс wіll thеrеfоre rеquirе freeіng up some vаluablе ѕpaсe in yоur RAM. Whеn уour Mac bеgіnѕ tо slow dоwn, thе moѕt commоn сulpritѕ аre thе sо-callеd mеmory hogs. The best methоd for fіxіng a slow Mac iѕ to kill thеѕе mеmоrу hоgѕ. And while therе аrе several differеnt wауѕ оf fіxіng а slow Mас, уou wоuld nаturаllу wаnt to foсuѕ on thе ѕіmрlеst and lеsѕ time-сonѕumіng. Fоr thіs rеason, wе іntroduсe yоu tо thе MасKeереr by ZeoBIT.
The Clеan Up And Sреed Uр App Thаt Delivеrs Rеsultѕ
MaсKeерer haѕ bеen dubbеd as thе 911 fоr your Mас beсauѕе іt doеѕ mоrе thаn sіmрly fixing a sluggіsh Mас. In fact, іts prоbаblу all yоu nееd tо keep уоur Mаc sаfе аnd running in perfeсt conditіon. Fіxing a slow Mac iѕ vеrу fаѕt, sаfe, and еаѕу wіth the MaсKeeреr. In јust onе сlіck, thе рrоgram will ѕсаn уоur hаrd dіsk for mеmorу hоgs that аffеct уour Mаcѕ pеrformanсe. Oncе these mеmоrу hogs аrе identіfіеd, уоu mаy thеn рrоceеd tо thе next ѕteр іn fіxing a ѕlow Maс, whіch is removing thе culрrіtѕ frоm yоur ѕyѕtеm. By simрly cliсking on thе Rеmоvе button, уou can ѕaу goodbye tо thе mеmory hogs аnd hellо tо а fаѕtеr Mас.
Oрtіmіzе Yоur Slow Maс FAST
Aside from rеmоvіng mеmоry hogs, the MасKееper alѕо hеlps in fixing a Maс that is running оut of stеam wіth іtѕ орtіmіzаtiоn feаture. Thiѕ feature іncludes аn uninѕtallеr that mаkеs ѕurе unwаnted files are cоmplеtelу rеmovеd frоm yоur ѕystem. It аlso has an updаte tracker that lets yоu know whеn cеrtain progrаmѕ neеd to bе uрdаted. Kееріng apрlісаtiоns up-tо-date іѕ аlѕо еsѕеntial іn fixіng а ѕlоw Mac beсаusе outdatеd ѕoftwarе оftеn cаuseѕ уоur Maс to ѕlоw dоwn as wеll.
And аs рrevіоusly mеntiоnеd, thе MacKееper dоeѕ mоrе thаn juѕt fіxіng a ѕlow Mаc. It alsо has ѕоmе vаluablе ѕeсuritу feаturеѕ that уоu wіll surеly apрrесiаtе. Fоr оnе thing, the MасKeeреr can keep уour Mас proteсtеd frоm hаrmful fіles thаt mаy pоse а threat to your privaсу. What’s the uѕe of fixіng a slоw Mac іf you саn’t kеeр іt ѕаfе, rіght? With thіs in mіnd, уоu’ll аlso apрreciatе thе anti-thеft ѕеrvісe providеd by MaсKеeреr. This fеature allows you tо traсk thе lоcatіon of a ѕtоlen Mac and takе а snарshot оf thе thіеf — very hеlрful indeеd fоr rеcоvеrіng а stolen Maс. So, thе nеxt tіmе уоu fеel the neеd fоr fіxіng a slоw Mас, ѕtоp loоkіng for cоmpliсatеd sоlutionѕ. Juѕt downlоаd the MacKeерer аnd ѕtаrt fixing a slow Mаc and keеріng it ѕаfe аt the sаme time.
How to Secure Your BitTorrent Downloads
The media often associates BitTorrent with illegal file sharing, but there are legal uses for it as well. Unfortunately, some Internet service providers (ISP) have placed bandwidth throttling restrictions on torrent downloads or even blocks on torrent trackers, preventing legal downloads right along with the illegal ones. But there are ways to still get quality torrent downloads, protect your online identity, and make sure your downloads are secure.
1. Encryption
Most torrent clients support encryption, which makes it difficult for prying eyes to see exactly what you are downloading. Not all peers may have the ability to connect with your encrypted stream, but most will. The headers and the stream will be encrypted, preventing your ISP or others from knowing that the data you are transferring is coming from torrent downloads or uploads.
As a result of this encryption, you will be able to work around any bandwidth shaping or throttling that your ISP may have in place. It is important to note, however, that this will not make you anonymous to torrent trackers or peers. Therefore, illegal downloads can still be monitored.
2. Port Forwarding
The BitTorrent protocol has certain common ports that most clients use. In an effort to slow down illegal movie and music downloads, some ISPs may block these ports. In order to still get your legal torrents through, you can tell your router to use a different port and forward it to your computer. You can even randomize the port in your client, such as uTorrent or Transmission so that your client will use a different port each time it starts. Then, enable UPnP (Universal Plug-N-Play) on your router to make sure it detects your BitTorrent client and gives it access to the Internet.
3. Block Spying Peers
Some people and organizations monitor torrent trackers and set themselves up as fake peers. They connect to you when you start downloading and then have your IP address. Again, if you are doing nothing illegal, you may have no reason to care, but if you are particularly paranoid, you can use a tool like PeerBlock or a filter list from organizations that keep track of bad peers. This can also increase security, as it prevents peers who might send harmful files from connecting to your computer.
4. Automated Limits
Something that has become increasingly important in BitTorrent optimization are download limits, especially now that ISPs like Comcast and AT&T are instituting bandwidth caps. While. you want to be a good file sharer and seed torrents for as long as you can, you cannot afford to have people connecting to your computer 24/7 at the highest speeds. Most BitTorrent clients have settings to limit download speed, the number of simultaneously connected peers, the number of files you want to seed, and even the time of day you want files to be available.
5. VPN or Proxy
If you are extremely concerned about keeping your torrent downloads under the radar, a VPN or proxy is the ultimate solution. With either solution, your torrent downloads will be hidden completely, including your IP address. Most good VPN and Proxy services charge subscription fees, but some of the best are fast and secure, making them worth the investment. If you live in a country that is particularly anti-torrent, even against legal torrent downloads, a VPN or proxy will protect your digital rights and keep you safe. Some Internet users also find it very important to stay anonymous, no matter what they do, and may use VPNs or proxies for web browsing, emails, and all other general Internet usage.
Why It Is Important
Beyond illegal file sharing, many free and open source software projects, such as Linux distributions, use BitTorrent to distribute their programs, effectively lowering bandwidth costs. Some organizations even share legal movies, such as “Sintel”, the Durian Open Movie Project and “Big Buck Bunny”. Moreover, many indie game developers also use BitTorrent to distribute their games.
When ISPs indiscriminately hinder torrents without regard for their legal uses, net neutrality is in jeopardy. That is a situation that would be bad for all parties involved and one that we should collectively strive to prevent.
4 Simple Ways to Make Money with Amazon
Though Amazon.com is the world’s largest online retailer, it also provides opportunities for others (i.e. you) to get in on the action. Here are four simple ways you can get a piece of the Amazon pie. [Read more…]
Password Protect Mac OS X: Screen Saver and After Sleep
You can easily password protect the Mac OS X screen saver and upon waking from sleep in just a few simple steps. After selling my old MacBook Pro on Amazon
To password protect your Mac’s screen saver and after sleep, your first step is to open System Preferences. By default, there is an icon on the dock, but if it is not there, you can open it from the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen or from the Applications folder.
On the first row in the top-right corner of the System Preferences window, click on the Security icon. This will open your security preferences, where you can change all kinds of important changes.
The security preferences menu should open on the General tab by default. To password protect Mac OS X during the screen saver or after waking from sleep, simply put a check in the first box and select how quickly you want the password protection to go into effect with the drop down menu on the same line.
That’s it. Congratulations on beefing up your computer security. Thank you for reading this post on how to password protect Mac OS X.
Slow Printing HP PSC 2175
As this little story about my HP PSC 2175 shows, computer peripherals can be either a great convenience or a great annoyance. When they work like they are supposed to, they provide great benefits and functionality. However, when they don’t work, the frustration can be so intense you might be tempted to through your peripherals, your computer, or any other object you can get your hands on out the window.
The Set Up: HP PSC 2175 and Amazon
I use an HP PSC 2175 all-in-one
Recently, I’ve been selling some books
The Event: Suddenly Slow Printing and Packing Slips
Over the weekend, some books I had listed were purchased, and pursuant with the Amazon Sellers’ policy of shipping within two business days of order, I was preparing shipment by printing off some packing slips. The first slip printed off my HP PSC 2175 without a hitch. When I attempted to print the second one, the first fourth of the page printed at normal speed, and then everything went wrong. At first I thought the printer had died, but it started again, stopped again, started again, ad nauseam. There was approximately a 30-second pause between each line that the printer printed. At this speed, a page that should take about 10 seconds to print was suddenly taking over ten minutes.
The Resolution: Printer Drivers and a New Ink Cartridge
As with most problems I run into, I quickly Googled my issue. Some initial results indicated that there was possible a driver issue. As Ubuntu-users know well, drivers for peripherals can sometimes be hard to come by, but thankfully there is a website specifically geared towards HP printer drivers for Linux. I found that the drivers, known as HPLIP, are usually included with major Linux distributions (such as Ubuntu), so instead of downloading anything manually, I just ran the Ubuntu Upload Manager from the GUI.
While running my updates, I also noticed that there was a message on the screen of the printer to check the cartridge. In a forehead-slapping moment of feeling like a doofus, I remembered that my black ink cartridge had been running low for a while. I pulled out a replacement and swapped out the cartridges while my computer finished its updates.
After restarting the computer, not only did the printer return to its normal, blissful printing speed, but also the GUI on the computer in general was running a lot smoother, no doubt because of whatever else was included in the updates I had installed. This was actually something that had been bothering me ever since upgrading from Maverick Meerkat to Natty Narwhal, so I was quite pleased with the improvement.
In Brief
If you are having trouble with your printer, there are a few easy steps you can take to get resolution. Check for any error messages on the printer itself. Check for driver updates (especially if you are on Linux). Search the internet for reports of similar problems from others. This should get your HP PSC 2175, or any other printer, back up and running in no time.
What’s the worst time you had with a computer peripheral? Share your stories in the comments below.
How to Find and Merge Duplicate Google Contacts
A Reminder from Google+
After weeks of diligent effort, I finally got my way through the invitation wall surrounding the news-making Google+ only to be reminded yet again that my Google contact list is out of control. I started using Gmail in 2005, when I received that invite during an extended period overseas. This also happened to be prior to much of my other globe-trotting adventures, so (as you can imagine) 6 years of real-life contact creation had resulted in quite an unwieldy list of friends. I realized the same situation when I first got my HTC EVO
The Problem: Duplicate Contacts
In addition to all the random contacts I met once and added an entry for, several of the people in my life with whom I do want to maintain contact have, themselves, been through several email addresses or phone numbers as well. To make a long story short, I had several entries that were duplicates and didn’t need to be. As a Gmail, Android, or Google+ user, perhaps you are in a similar situation. Fortunately, Google has made a very useful and easy tool to solve this problem.
How to Find and Merge Duplicate Google Contacts
Follow these quick steps to find and merge your duplicate Google contacts:
- Go to your Gmail account
- Find the “Contacts” option in the navigation menu
- Above the list of your contacts there will be a button in the horizontal menu that says “More Actions.” Click it.
- In the second section of the menu that drops down, there will be an option for “Find and Merge Duplicates…” Click it. An in-page window will pop up displaying what Google thinks are your duplicates.
- Scan the results, unselecting any contacts that you don’t want to merge.
- When you are happy with your selection, click the “Merge” button at the bottom of the pop-up.
- Enjoy your duplicate-free contact list.
Next Steps
Now that I have my duplicates merged, I’m one step closer to having a clean, accurate contact list. Now I just have to go back and clear out those folks I haven’t talked to in years. Anyway, thanks for reading this quick post about how to find and merge duplicate Google contacts. Happy Googling!