Get the 411

Getting the full 411 on your computer may proof to be a harder than at first thought, especially when working with older machines or when product labels are wayyyyyy back there…or ok, when you’re too lazy to move stuff around and look, like I was, admittedly, recently. Well, maybe the basic info is available but what about network info, hotfixes, updates, software, or service packs? That stuff may take some time to gather up. Well thank goodness for Belarc.

Belarc makes a nice little utility named Belarc Advisor, which when downloaded and ran, gathers all sorts of yummy information about your machine. From their site:  ”The Belarc Advisor builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware, missing Microsoft hotfixes, anti-virus status, CIS (Center for Internet Security) benchmarks, and displays the results in your Web browser” 

So lets say you want to sell your PC. You need some information on it in order to list it. You download belarc advisor. It results in a huge list of details, you copy and paste it in your sale listing. Easy. So easy.

For Mac: System Profiler is awesome for viewing all sorts of goodies on your machine, and its built in. The best 3rd party utility I’ve found so far is a program called Mactracker, which really is a history tool on nearly every Mac ever made, but very cool to glaze over if you’re a mac enthusiast.

Chime in if you have a quick and easy way to get what you want out of your computer.

MacBook transforms and … well just watch it’s AWESOME!

I’m sending in my mac right to have this surgery.

more about “MacBook transforms and … well just …“, posted with vodpod

Or just click on the 2nd video on the side bar (right) to view the video without leaving the site.

Font-tastic

I always come up with lame titles for posts. Personally, there should be no need for a title. However  lame they  may be, fonts should not be.

That’s why you can make and have sweet personalized fonts in a matter of minutes. Yourfonts.com is the place to go to simply create a font in your own handwriting or maybe something you “drew” up. I’ll just let you check it as well as read this article/review by Lifehacker.com.

You can also read this article from Lifehacker.com on Fontifer , another self-creation font site, but this article also shows you how to install your created font (or any for that matter) on your system.

To download “c dot church”, my own font, click HERE.

How I roll. (syncing calendars)

Syncing calendars may not be your forte, but if you want to stay connected to your schedule at home, at work, and perhaps, at play, then you may want to keep reading.

If you read anything here, you know I nearly always explain the Mac side of life and mention briefly that the same procedure is possible (perhaps) on Windows. Well, I’m not going to throw any surprises your way today. So here’s how to sync, in this instance, your Outlook calendar, say, at work, with your iCal calendar on your sweet Mac back at your pad.

Is it ok that I want some of these?

Siftables…

____________________________________

Sorry, the site did not have an embed code. So here's the link.

Everything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

I have been using Windows XP everyday since the beginning of March, where before I was strictly Mac. I grew up being a big Windows user and thought I knew it inside and out. Then just last year I made the switch. Now I’m two faced. I use both all the time. And recently, having gained embraced all sorts of new and old Windows shortcuts, began to wonder “If I can do this on Windows, how can I do that on the Mac?”

Quick Dial to VoiceMail

I hated entering in my so secretive password on my cellular every time I needed to check my voicemail, so I fixed it. Now it’s all automated. I call my voice mail number and it patches me straight into my messages. Why is there the password anyway? I mean are my messages SO secret that I need to encrypt them? Come on.

Here’s how to make a quick call into your messages…

Go to your contacts and select the voicemail number (on Verizon, it’s pre-programmed in as *86). Get to where you can edit the number and after the number, enter in at least one pause (P) [found in a menu within the edit contact window], then enter your password. Save. Now when you call to check your messages, the phone will dial the number, wait (or pause), then enter your password.
You can do this for just about anything. Just try it out and you’ll work out the kinks. So I did this too for my work extension. I have a couple different pauses in different places for that one. The number looks something like this:
1234567PP*0000PP987987
Nice hu?

Blog Feed Has Been Burned

Like want you read? Want more? Subscribe to my feed now being burned by Google’s Feedburner. Click the RSS click to the right. An if you’re already receiving my feed, please update your reader with the new address also found by clicking the RSS icon on the right.

Don’t Be Fooled by an Apparent Virus

A quick post…

In light of all the media this conflicker worm is getting, doomed to hit PCs everywhere starting tomorrow, please be advised. If this IS a real attack (unknown as of yet), be on guard with a couple of things:

1. Common Sense: My Anti-virus advice- You can’t get a virus unless you ask for it (generally). Don’t open emails from people you don’t know, Don’t download attachments from people you don’t know,  and don’t browse to unpopular sites.

2. Windows Update: make sure you’re up to date with all your security patches and windows updates.

3. Tools: make sure you have good PC protection tools like AVG Anti-virus & Windows Defender and if you DO get this worm, head on over to this article by the Homeland Security for information on how to rid yourself of the junk.

4. Maximumpc.com: IF you HAVE been subject to fowl play, MaximumPC.com says how you can tell: “Other telltale signs that you might be infected with Conficker is if you haven’t received any automatic updates from Windows in March, if you’re unable to update your antivirus program, or if your security software is running abnormally slow as of late. You can also try accessing major AV sites, as Conficker will attempt to block these.”

5. Get Better Protection: Buy a Mac. Like MaximumPC says: “How can I Avoid Infection? …buy a Mac…”

6. ASK ME: If you need help with a suspected virus, worm, malware, or any other computer issue/advice, leave your comments below or send me an email.

If you were infected and were able to fix the damage, I’d like to hear how you did it.

Good Luck keeping safe.

Windows7 Beta on Macbook Pro (2 versions)

I never thought I would install windows on my mac…

So I’m a avid slideshow maker and unfortunately, Mac software lacks in this area. On PC I use to use Proshow Gold all the time, and since it is so versatile, but not available for the Mac platform, I decided to use my version of Windows7 Beta and my Mac to get the job done. Well, everyone who knows Mac knows there are at least two ways to run Windows on a Mac machine. I will outline them here and describe my (somewhat already) limited usage on each.