Author: Tips Of Tech

Online Malware Scans

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If you are like me and do not like bloating your computer with virus scanners and anti virus programs that run the whole time your computer is on. Then you at least need to scan every now and again to make sure you do not have a computer virus or some sort of spy ware. Most people just call it malware.So for you , the better bet is to use an online scanner to help locate and remove the virus or spyware you may obtain in a regular day’s computer use.
See I have a funny little phrase that describes the usage of a search engine. It’s like playing mine sweeper, Some times you get a nice good run, sometimes you get nailed left and right. BOOM. ” You may be infected” I hate that dang fake virus scanner. So it’s all about CTRL ALT DELETE and pray your web browser does not re-open the same dang page again.
So in my years of computer repair and internet fun I have found a few sites that do not charge you to use their online virus scanner. and they are not a trap or have any special usage clause. Also sometimes your installed virus scanner gets a virus that attaches it’s self to the virus scanner, so now you can’t remove the virus because the virus scanner is not self destructive. (would help if they had a self back up and repaired such issues on reboot).
I now share these with the readers of the TruXtertech.Com Site.
Here is a list of Online Virus scanners that work. For Free
A-Squared online Scanner a very good scanner that seems to be the strongest I know of . I also use the Emergency kit, I keep that malware scanner on a thumb drive.

BitDefender The longest running online malware scanner I know of. This malware scanner has removed a virus from every single computer I have ever used/repaired. Bitdefender also sells a copy of their virus scanner from their site. But it runs like all antivirus programs. Constantly.

Eset Online Virus Scanner. Menu to select the type of scan and actions you would like it to take.

Panda– online scanner

CA– Formerly InnoculateIT formerly Etrust now just CA. I love their virus scanner and performance tools. but again they are constant so I use the online scanner and that’s plenty for me. Their virus scanner is worth a buy though. So if you know someone who needs protection and they aren’t as OCD as me when it comes to keeping the pc fast, do it, get them CA for their birthday or Christmas or just for the heck of it.

Single file Virus Scanners. For scanning something you just downloaded to make sure it doesn’t have a Trojan in it or any other type of malware.

Virus Chief – Uses a few other online single file virus scanners, so you get a large number of virus scanners at one time.
Virus Total – same as above, mostly the same virus scanners.

Jotti– this one is the one that has been around the longest. The guy used to list the “latest in the wild” which would show what cooties have recently been caught, It was fun to watch that page. I guess he got sick of the wasted bandwidth because of people refreshing the page constantly.

Virscan.org – online single file virus scanner. Scans with like 30 virus scanners at once like the others. Takes a bit longer but it gets confirmed by 30 scanners that you do or do not have a virus in your hands.

Try the list, go through it and scan for a virus see what you get. you may, you may not have malware.

I did a virus scanner comparison using a well known virus and all of these scanners listed. come see how they scored. My test was just to see what virus scanners couldn’t detect it. From that point on, I consider those virus scanners that did not detect the virus, garbage and useless.

Tiny 7 Users – You need to know

Posted onAuthorTips Of Tech46 Comments

For the few 200-300 searches I see a day looking to fix an install of Tiny7, I have some information that is going to help you. Help you a whole lot. You need to hear (read this) because the answer is right in front of you but you somehow just can not see it.
Windows 7 is an operating system created by Microsoft.
Tiny7 is not.
Tiny 7 is a copy of windows 7 that has had so much stuff stripped out of it, you get a faster running machine because there are a whole lot less resources being used by the typical running software.
Some things you install may not work because the software that it depends on, will not be on the machine. So you have to search for that software on the internet and get it installed so your machine can run the process you are needing. Trust that this software has a potential of making your computer a tad bit slower.
On that note. Windows Tiny 7, is not a full legal version to install and run as a computer. The guy that distributes the software, Makes it clear that he is just trying to see how little of processes he can make it to before the operating system is none functional. His goal is to run the operating system with as few resources and processes as possible. He is uploading the software for you to look at what he did, and then give him ideas as to what to do next. He has no intentions of you making this your primary operating system on your primary computer. I think that is why he stopped working on the project after tiny vista was fully complete.

On that note. DO NOT try and register tiny7. That is not what he intended for you to do. DO NOT try and get updates to Tiny 7. It will check with WGA (windows Genuine Advantage), see it is a pirated copy of windows, and then it will lock you down. You will then be locked out of your own computer, simply because you have not been logical.

You can change the cd key of the install of your copy of tiny 7 by just calling Microsoft’s hot line. Do not bother with doing the voice recognition thing, it is frustrating . I just yell into the phone “blabble zabble deepledorf” repeatedly while crackling plastic wrap next to the mic until a human gets on the phone. Works like magic. Tell them what ever it takes to prove that you are not out to rip anyone off and you just like the version you have and would like to register it with a new key. It will work. be persistent and insistent that it is the best operating system you have ever used and is better than any other operating system Microsoft offers.

There are tons of ways around WGA. But they always get stopped and Microsoft fixes those tricks. Really I have no idea why you would download an operating system from a stranger and then worry about security patches. In 12 years only one single service pack that Microsoft distributed didn’t slow your computer down more than it already was. In fact service pack 3 on Windows xp, made most computers faster. Then patches that came later, slowed them all right back down.

Ignore the fear mongers that tell you some virus is in the wild and without some Service pack, your dog’s fur will fall out. Don’t believe them when they say the latest service pack will make my computer faster. It’s a trap.

The right thing to do is just out right buy windows 7. You can get the OEM version of Windows 7 at less than half cost.

Or quit trying to register something you know is not legal.

Quit trying to patch something you have no rights patching.

and if your  machine has you locked out, lol .. NEWBY.

 

 

 

The MUST HAVE App for Android

Posted onAuthorTips Of Tech

I personally have a G1. The G1 phones have probably the sorriest battery life. In less than 4 hours, my battery is usually at  1/4 capacity. This means when I go to lunch at work, G1 is on the charger in the car while I eat lunch. This means 0% of my work day involves using facebook. :-(.

I have done everything I could to reduce battery usage. but this story isn’t all about my phone.

I found (from a lady at my job) Advanced Task Killer. You can find the actual app in the Android Market. It’s free and very useful.

Just install it and open your menu bar. Once you click on Advanced Task killer the first time, it should for ever be in your bar at the top of your screen (if you have a g1 like ) do still running the 1.6 firmware). As soon as the program opens the first time, you will see a list of apps that are currently running. Un-check the ones you do not want to disable (may I recommend you do not kill ATK?). If you must disable Advanced Task Killer, I would like to take the time to suggest that you go back to your main screen, press down in an empty space and just wait there with your finger on the screen. After a few (2-5) seconds you should get a pop up. This pop up will ask you what you want to add to home screen. Select “shortcuts”. There will be a second of things to select from, chose applications. This next menu will be in alphabetic order, Select Advanced Task Killer. This will place ATK on your Home Screen.

I myself create folders and separate my apps by placing them into specified folders. You can rename your folders by opening them and pressing in the folder with your finger and hold there for about 5 seconds or less. You will then be prompted to rename the folder.

Only downside, is the programs keep re-opening and you have to keep closing them. and every time you turn on the light to use the app, you run the battery down a bit more.

So for the battery saving Android application that you MUST HAVE, Get Advanced Task killer.

advanced task killerAdvanced Task Killer

I.P. List of Spammers

Posted onAuthorTips Of Tech

Maybe not all of these are spammers, but Akismet seems to think that all of these are spammers. I use “WP-Ban” to ban these ip addresses simply because I am sick of the types of spam they send.
I see a list of failed attempts to come back to my sites and post again.
208.115.111.244 5,438
Total Attempts: 10,125 Reset all IP ban stats and total ban stat?
I reset the count back in April .
I don’t have the heart in me to call them all spammers. I am sure some of these i.p. addresses are Hijacked computers from some botnet spamming group. but I have to ban them because they just do not stop attacking my comments area with spam.

98.142.212.112
189.85.30.106
58.185.166.243
217.170.97.242
61.213.158.124
87.126.247.51
139.132.12.19
187.49.174.245
190.8.32.47
209.62.26.82
69.163.39.233
213.208.139.2
189.85.30.106
188.92.75.148
61.67.7.140
173.234.11.92
67.22.99.211
212.65.244.147
69.147.240.193
174.140.172.7
80.86.201.83
173.234.19.228
217.10.246.2
173.234.54.50
173.234.38.21
212.160.130.217
64.120.248.211
173.224.218.156
203.92.211.166
69.147.240.178
210.89.91.45
41.190.16.17
222.165.130.214
173.208.124.235
69.45.74.253
82.143.255.135
122.146.153.135
208.115.111.244
178.49.12.75
202.229.99.154
200.192.89.231
212.154.216.50
77.240.81.20
217.6.171.194
74.115.6.56
173.234.46.63
91.212.226.41
72.37.244.20
81.191.229.167
125.168.56.240
81.9.62.213
200.101.66.123
144.71.169.20
74.206.98.195
61.192.219.190
192.239.84.73
163.15.183.29
85.25.86.215
195.127.150.117
204.236.254.16
77.233.4.138
213.134.176.111
69.69.215.196
203.216.220.11
115.42.158.18
188.168.85.131

I just really do not see how some of the big websites can deal with spam on the levels they must be dealing with it. We have a very low Google rank at TruXterTech. I mean our name is “Budget Tech Review” not ” The hot spot for everything tech” even though we try to be. We just cover the simple cheap products, hardware and software. This by no means should be an invite to spammers. We do however request human comments on TruXterTech.com . We like to see other people’s opinions.

Is there a way to just stop this entirely? A couple years ago they created some law that nailed spammers for email spam. Why is there not someway of nailing these people who run spam bots across everyone’s website continually hitting the sites with spam ?
The search engine that creates a linking system that filters out spam programs (by crashing their computer) Will be the search engine of my choice.
if we could only still write scripts that crash bots in our websites, that would be a favorable idea. but in crashing spam bots, you stand a chance of crashing Google bot or some other webspider.

I do however have a redirect page for spammers that make the list. In the redirect there is a link to “add comment” and that link sends the spammer to some website that logs spammers and ads them to a list.

if anyone has a better method. Let me know. and yes I weed out the spam.

The Official TruXtertech Toolbar

Posted onAuthorTips Of Tech

Official TruXtertech Toolbar

Got tired of Googling all of the tools I use on a regular basis and decided to put these all in one toolbar.  Since I am of the two I.T. guys at my job, This tool bar will come in super handy.

There are antivirus tools. Virus scanner tools and Search Engine optimization tools.

so now when building website, there is tons of media to listen to and SEo tools to ensure the website being designed is properly optimized and handily ready for Bing, Yahoo and Google to crawl about it.

Grab a copy of this toolbar and see for yourself it is very much useful for Most of your IT needs and wants.

Boxee

Posted onAuthorTips Of Tech

“Watch computer stuff on your tv”
Really we already can.
Could for some time now.
But ok.

Boxee Beta from boxee on Vimeo.

I saw the Boxee box on Mashable and it looks pretty cool. It’s functionality I don’t get it though. I understand it uses your WIFI to access the internet. Then what? it’s not a web browser. So you have to actually locate the stuff first from your computer (watch it) and then store it locally on your computer and then walk over to the couch and change  tv source and finally watch this video from the comfort of your couch.

In the preview video they mention a few places you can watch videos from. They mention “Digg” . Really? you want to risk that? unless they mean revision 3 with Diggnation. That would make plenty more sense. To bad Diggnation is calling it quits.

Probably the coolest device I have yet seen for watching pc media on TV was a USB connection on a DVD player. This made a lot of things a ton easier.

I do understand that Boxee will read feeds. i also know that stuff happens on websites and Feeds get rerouted or changed, or just fouled up. Heck the TWIT feed has changed at least 6 times in it’s 5 years.

Maybe it’s just not for me. I bet you plenty that it’s too technical for the common public and will have sensible errors (meaning not boxee’s fault) and those who bought one will write and post about how crappy it is. This of course will prevent the rest of the world from getting one.

Sling box.

Nuff said.

Gaining Rank In Google

Posted onAuthorTips Of Tech

First and foremost, make sure you have a good website host that is dependable. powweb !!!
I have no idea how companies do it. I have been working like a dog to gain rank for some of the sites I work on. I do all of the optimization I do all of the meta tagging. I find that social sites are a poor source. I mean 3-5 years ago, it was the best snowball. Now, not as much as they still claim it is worth. advertising on sites seems to do nothing for me. I mean it is good while you pay for the advertisements. As soon as you stop paying, your rank plummets. The whole time you pay, it seems no one clicks the links.
SEO Tools
I work hard on alexa ranking, Compete ranking and MozRank. Alexa moves really fast when you try hard, but compete and Moz not near as fast.

Web ring. So far the best assurance to gain rank at either site, is to be in the good old fashion web ring. A web ring is a bunch of sites with similar interest who link back to each other. That of course is very hard to achieve. Most of the people who are in the same field as the site I am working don’t want to give up some potential customers by having them click my links and see better stuff for cheaper cost. Or what ever. There are a bunch of sites that have “submit link” button on their site with a code that you put on your site so people can find them better, much like a web ring. Downside to that is, if your competitor crawls your website to see what gets you so many people, they will  see that stupid link and use them also. Now you are right back where you were before you resorted to that method.

Originality. Many of the sites I work on, I can copy almost every sentence the owner wrote up and find it in Google. Word for word. Google will not accept that. Why would they link to a re-run ? So now I have to explain the importance of originality to the site owner without talking to complex and without sounding like I think they are a moron, yet still keep their attention so they allow me to fix it.

Updating and creating new content. I do it all the time, but you can only have so many pages before your website is to much. You can’t have customers trying to look through a website of greater than 10000 pages. It’s just insane. Unless you have a detailed search feature. Getting page rank is a bit more costly that it needs to be with this method.

Generating traffic. Well you can’t force people to go. you have to have people say “no it’s cool and all of the cool people do it” otherwise everyone everyone refuses to follow advertisements. Yes we are that simple of a species. Good idea to try is find a social site of some sort and make like 50 fake accounts and mention your site. but not spammy, just find topics that relate and chime in. Of course one person calls you spam and your i.p. addy is banned and your site is submitted to your dns and Google dns as spam. BLACKLISTED.

I do what I have to do. Sometimes I have to do everything. Just not so much it jeopardizes my domains. Gaining pr is no easy task, page rank shouldn’t be easy. Otherwise Google would be full by now. Alexa, mozrank, compete, search engines like, Google, bing and  yahoo would practically be useless. you would just type stuff and see where it lands you. So getting page rank is a validation of your site’s worthiness. Only thing is  to get page rank you have to get someone’s attention to prove you are everything you need to be. So how do you get the needed attention to gain page rank? well…. just keep at it. It will happen.

Online Gambling Legal United States?

Posted onAuthorTips Of Tech

I am not a legal adviser or legal aid or an attorney so take this with a grain of salt. do not base your legal or financial judgments on what I state here. This pretty much is a place for me to post links to the information I need to take to work and say “I TOLD YOU JERKS!”.

Many ask, some think not to ask, and some are just plain stubborn stupid and deep in denial on the subject. (we can call them addicts)
If you want the short answer. No it is not legal. From Maryland to southern California it is not legal to transfer funds to make a payment for gambling Safe Port Act. That is one simple law. Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA)
There are many laws that support the ones who online gambling to stop.
In the state of Texas it is illegal to gamble.
It is illegal to obtain money from gambling
it is illegal to obtain money without reporting it to the IRS.
It is illegal to obtain money and falsely report it’s origin to the IRS.

It is illegal to wire money through phone line or internet. Safe Port Act

Those are the simple laws we know since we left the fifth grade. I see a Jeff Foxworthy joke coming in a minute.

See the other day I was eating lunch with my boss and his son. They brought up online gambling. I decided to keep my opinion to myself about the whole subject.

(at one time I signed up to 15 online casinos, all 15 of them had me download and install some extra safety and security software. All fifteen had at least one virus. I was going to do a report on them but realized…. these freaks could be mafia. so I never finished the report and will not post names of the online casinos)

So I sat with my mouth shut. You know it’s my boss and well. He is a bit addicted to that crap. Then they asked  the whole table ” Is online gambling legal in the u.s. ?” Everyone spoke their brown nosed opinion and I chimed in, I couldn’t hold it said “NO”. The whole table looked at me. The boss and his son decided to make fun of the fact that I said no.. . They where in some mockery event they decided to pull in my honor.

I ask ” Have you ever seen any online casinos advertised on tv?” Of course our office leeching mooch with his  nose so deep in the bosses wrinkle stink chimed in “I have” so I called him on it “BullSH&t” . It is illegal to advertise Gambling in the united states has been illegal since 2003. back in 2002 Yahoo and Google pulled the ads out of their system to prevent issues. Web designers and owners know this. The Sporting News (TSN) got nailed 7.2 Million Dollars for waiting three years to pull down the online Gambling ads. (the casinos paid lots of money so the 7.2 was squat).

I know what the law states about it. as I said I was doing a bit of a write up back in the day when I thought you actually had to be super thorough about everything. Thank god those days are over. Now I can just copy and past and link you to it. Lot less work that way. Us laws against online Gambling. So now I am the negative guy who does not want to agree with anyone. Of course i have to post a link from some gambling focused website that  dances some foolish way of making you think you can catch 22 the system.

Really it takes a fool to partake in that event. It is an electronic card. it is not a real piece of paper card that you would hold in your hand. just like you don’t gamble in a real life casino. They have cameras everywhere. The dealers have ear buds. You figure out what I am suggesting.  just like you can’t beat the Texas Lottery. FYI the Texas Lottery is not owned by the state of Texas. It is an independent company that gets taxed by the state of Texas.  Review and explanation of Texas lottery located on truxtertech.com.

If you know someone with a gambling problem or might have a problem take a moment to study the signs.

Check your state to see if you can gamble.

if you would like me to sacrifice my computer and do a virus scan of the first 15 online casinos I find in google or bing or yahoo. Please respond and I will just download and scan and post results. I will not post my opinions =-\.    Kinda scary stuff there.

Or if you have any requests or comments or disagreements please respond below.

Google Custom Home Page

Posted onAuthorTips Of Tech

Hey that’s nice they are trying to dress up the plain ol Home page. I mean it is a change but um.

What if we don’t want to see that? What if we don’t want to wait for our image to load.

Well I have some solutions, for me that is. TruXter Tech Custom Search.

I installed my toolbar and it gives me  me the choice to use the search as my home page.

The search uses Google as it’s engine so it’s like you don’t miss out on anything that you used to have.

but here is the custom search page from my toolbar. Nice and plain.

Either of the two will be fine. It’s like you get the old Google back. Works well for me.

The search is just the same as Google used  to be.

I liked Google just simply because it let me load a fast blank page that does not load massive files. So this solution is perfect for me.

But it does look like Google is following Bing now.

Free Useful WordPress Themes

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The guys at Zenverse have some really useful powerful wordpress themes. The themes they provide have advertisement tools out the wazoo (lol I said wazoo). Many free themes with tons of  plugin options already built in. They have some for sale, I never made it that far. I found some free ones that seem to have changed my whole website efforts. On that note I have to take time to tell you to look for their donate button, Their efforts are worth a simple donation, and or a thank you.

WordPress themes

I am in the process of editing two that I got from theme. Not much but enough to make it closer to the appearance I need. You know, colors shades and adding a little bit of flash