Tricks And Tweaks

Are You Looking For Laptop Information? Read This

The prospect of having to buy a new laptop may seem frightening to you, particularly if you are somewhat new to the computer marketplace. The volume of available information on the topic really can seem overwhelming. However, the article that follows is intended to give you just the right guidance to help you find what you need.

Consider the type of laptop that fits your lifestyle best. These days there are multiple types of laptops, from netbooks to desktop replacements and everything in between. Take note of how much you travel, how often you expect to carry your laptop with you, and how intensive the software that you expect to use really is. All these will affect the choice you make.

When looking at laptops, really consider battery power. Since this is an on-the-go machine, the amount of battery you have is very important. A laptop that only gets two to three hours of battery life may be of no real use to you if you're constantly on the road. Weigh power against battery life very carefully.

When purchasing a new laptop, ask if you have the option of trading in your old computer. Many manufacturers will allow this, and it can save you several hundred dollars on your new laptop purchase. The old laptop is often refurbished and resold, meaning less waste going into landfills as well.

Before buying that netbook, really consider whether you've got the processing power that you need in the machine. Netbooks are amazing on battery but typically poor performers in terms of power. If you are using the machine for emails and light word processing, you'll be ok. But if you are looking for more, then another option may be better.

Consider battery life when you go shopping for a laptop. This is especially important if you have to travel a lot via car or in the air. Check to see how long the battery of your prospective computer is supposed to last. Be careful, though as many manufacturers indicate the battery usage time but it could be at its lowest setting. Try to find out the standard battery life when used in all power modes.

You may want a cheaper laptop, but buy as much battery life as you can afford. Prematurely running out of juice is the most common complaint about cheaper laptops. Shop for at least four hours of battery life, but try to snag a model that lasts six hours or more if possible. Look for power saving features.

Consider the size of your display. When it comes to laptops, you can save a lot of money by going with a smaller display. While you could connect an external monitor when you travel with it, it's important to consider what you do and how big you need the display in order to do it properly. For instance, if you work with graphics using a tiny display may not be ideal. You need to make sure it's large enough for your needs.

Are you afraid of your laptop being stolen? Invest in a tracking software such as CyberAngel Security, Absolute Software's Lojack for laptops or The Laptop Lock (which is free). These increase the chances of recovering your laptop by pinpointing the location of the registered notebook once it connects onto the Web.

Whenever you have to take your laptop on the go, it is important to pay attention to how you are holding it. Get a bag that is sturdy and firmly holds your laptop in place. If the laptop is not protected, over time it can become internally damaged.

Think about what any discounts you may qualify for from certain retailers. Some retailers offer senior discounts, student discounts and discounts for members of the military. The discount might be small, but it is worth it to use. When you are purchasing something as large as a laptop, a small discount goes a long way.

Look for a laptop with a matte screen for a glare-free experience in all lights. Shiny screens reflect light from the sun and other sources. This is terrible for your eyesight. It might also be the cause of frequent headaches. To avoid this, look for the laptop model you want with a matte screen.

Watch your laptop's available memory. Doing this will let you know when it is time to remove programs that you do not use so that you can free up space. Your computer will run faster if there's more memory.

If you shop online, be sure to calculate shipping costs into your budget. Many stores will ship new computers for free, but used computers often come with a shipping and handling fee. This has to be included in the total price if you plan to compare used machines to new.

Regardless of how much you spend on your new laptop, there are product minimums that you should be aware of. You should get at least 2 gigabytes of RAM and a 2.3 GHz processor speed. Choose a monitor that is at least 15 inches and check your computers wireless capability.

To make your favorite applications easy to find and use on your laptop, pin the right shortcut to your taskbar. Go to the Start menu and find the shortcut to the program you want to pin. Right click on that short cut and choose "Pin to Taskbar." The icon will appear permanently just to the right of your Start button.

The amount of RAM and the type of operating system you need depends on what you will be using your laptop for. You will not need a lot of RAM or a speedy motherboard unless you are an avid gamer. After all, buying things that you don't need only adds up the final cost of your laptop.


If you are nervous about the possibility of shopping for a laptop, take heart. Now that you have read this piece, you have what it takes to make the very best decision possible. Go forth and start enjoying the convenience and extreme versatility that laptop computers are known for providing.

Essential Tips For Purchasing The Best Laptop For Your Hard Earned Cash

Do you, like most people, own a home computer? Have you ever wished to take it with you and have that kind of power when you are on the go? That is the beauty of laptop computers. They offer great power, ease of use and great mobility. Continue through this article to learn some excellent advice, that will help you make a smart purchase.

Look online for both discounts and coupons you might use in buying a laptop cheaper. Your search may come up empty, but it's worth the effort. It is a rotten feeling when you buy something just to figure out at a later date that money could have been saved.

If you are limited on space, consider a laptop as a desktop replacement. Laptops are smaller and lighter than desktop computers, making them a good option for a small student desk or smaller apartment space. They are also more expensive though, and that should be taken into consideration when making a purchase.

If you don't plan on carrying your new laptop around much, consider buying a full-sized 15 inch screen. It will offer you the best viewing options, as well as being the most cost-effective you can get. They are a little heavier than their smaller counterparts, but pound for pound, worth their viewing pleasure.

The size of your laptop depends on how much you need to travel with it. If you travel frequently, your best option is a small, lightweight computer. The screen and keyboard are small on these computers, but it makes traveling much easier. If you are mostly planning to use your laptop at home, you can go larger.

Before you buy your laptop computer, try it out first. Many large retail stores carry a large selection of makes and models that you can take for a test drive before you buy. You can see if the keyboard feels comfortable and check out how fast you can work before you make your decision.

To get the best deal on a laptop, start looking at the release cycles ahead of time. You can save a lot of money by purchasing last years model. Even a computer that is only a few months old can help you save. You may not get all the newest hardware but an older laptop may suit your needs.

For people who do a lot of multitasking, then RAM is an important feature on their laptops. The cheapest laptops will have less RAM than the more expensive models. For high-end applications, gaming, and multitasking, a computer with a large amount of RAM is going to be a necessity, not an option.

Be careful when dealing with add-ons. Some laptop manufacturers may sell additional add-ons. Without proper research on them, you shouldn't consider them. It may seem beneficial to get a scanner, printer, camera, etc. you could pay a premium for the add-ons, or something like ink for the printer. Do proper research to make sure anything extra suits your needs so that you don't waste money. Be careful with free add-ons. You need to make sure they don't have a price that's just added to the total computer price.

Try out the keyboard. There is not much worse than buying a new laptop to find that the keyboard is a pain. If the keys are hard to use, or too close together, they may not be comfortable for heavy tapping. Though you can add-on a keyboard, you may want to test the one you are buying by typing on it.

To avoid adding even more costs onto the price of your laptop, skip the fancy software. There are plenty of free alternatives available to you, such as Google Docs instead of Microsoft Word. Only purchase software if you must for work or school, and talk to your administrator about discounts available to you before you buy.

Screen size is important. Smaller laptops come with smaller screens. This can cause you to squint when you are trying to surf the web, or complete some work away from the office. Get the screen size that you will be most comfortable looking at often. With all the sizes available, there is no reason to strain.

Test out the keyboard of any laptop you are considering buying. You may love the screen, the size, and the shape, but if the keyboard give is really not working for you, then you're going to have a poor experience over time. You'll send the majority of time typing on your laptop, so the keyboard needs to feel comfortable to you.

After purchasing a laptop, make sure you thoroughly test it your first month. There is usually a 30-day return policy on these machines. Do things with the laptop that you might not have to repeat until well into the future, just to make sure it can do it. This is when you have to figure out if the laptop works with the needs you had in mind.

If you expect to have your laptop for more than a few years, consider how upgradable the laptop is. You may want some additional memory or better graphics down the line, so a few empty card slots will be a big deal when buying. A laptop that isn't upgradable means less of a shelf life.

If you plan to do a lot of high-end gaming on your laptop, understand the components required can be expensive. Bleeding edge graphic cards, for instance, are much more expensive on a a laptop than their PC counterparts. You should probably understand that gaming on a laptop entails a few compromises unless you are able to really break the bank.

No one likes to be tethered to a computer at home. Also, very few mobile devices offer the kind of computing power you may need when on the go. Laptops have come a long way and can now offer everything you want from a computer and more. Take the advice you have gained here, and purchase a laptop that suits your needs.

Safety and Security Risks When Using Facebook

There is no doubt that the biggest social networking site taking over the whole globe is Facebook. Since it’s the biggest thing the online world has ever seen for the last several years, it’s critical that you understand the guidelines and policies listed on the site. They’re very useful in keeping you informed with various aspects of the site and how it runs. 

You should know by now that for every website that you go to, there’s always a good chance of encountering good and bad users. Facebook can be accessed by just about anybody so it’s imperative that you are wise and conscious with how you distribute or share information about yourself on it (and other social networking sites for that matter).


Identity theft is one of the biggest concerns in the online world today. They are real and can devastate a person’s life if the person isn’t aware of what’s going on.

The internet is fun to be on nowadays since it helps you to keep in touch with your old and new friends, family and associates. You can share content such as pictures with anyone who has an internet connection, play games seamlessly through a virtual portal, being aware of announcements and updates of certain events and entertaining friend requests. Such things have prompted users to come back for more and what many aren’t aware of is the fact that they are vulnerable to online predators and criminals.

So what should you do to help protect yourself from the bad guys out there? Here are just some helpful things that can help you in the long run if you follow them religiously:

1. Understand how the security feature works on Facebook.

As you are well aware, Facebook is known for periodically modifying its security settings. You will observe posts from the site of the changes being made with regards to its security features that lets other users see content that you don’t want them to view. It’s critical that you look into this carefully and see if the changes can significantly affect you in some way.

2. Don’t reveal too much information on Facebook.

One of the most obvious ways of getting in trouble within the biggest social networking site is by revealing too much information on just about everything (including yourself). You should be aware of the things that you’re sharing, be it your profile, wall posts, messages and even the content that you share such as pictures and videos. You’ll never know, criminals would use whatever it is you post for their own evil means.

3. Pay attention to links, e-mails or friends

Social networking sites these can be penetrated by online criminals who use sites like Facebook to gain information about you. This can occur through a sent or posted link, which will in turn eject a virus or spyware to retrieve personal information about you. If you happen to receive a link that you find suspicious, ask your friends about it or simply delete it.

With the evolution of technology, cyber criminals are more smarter than ever. If you are constantly paying attention for any suspicious activity that comes your way, you can shield yourself from identity theft and other online criminal acts.

How hack Facebook Account and How to stop them?

Facebook is, undoubtedly, the most popular social networking website with more than 1 billion active users. Due to its popularity, many hackers (or should I say crackers?) are actively involved in hacking Facebook accounts of unsuspecting users. This article outlines the many strategies that such hackers use to gain access to Facebook accounts of hundreds of users each day and how you can stop them from hacking your account.

Facebook is one of the prime target of hackers!

Email Address Hack

I have always been puzzled by people's leniency in this matter. Most people leave their email addresses visible on their Facebook profiles. All a hacker then needs to do is know your name and he will be conveniently shown your email address at your profile. Also, most people share their email ids everywhere. How easily a hacker can then hack your Facebook account (and everything else associated with that email id) if he 'guesses' your password (if you use a weak password) or answers your security question! Here are some tricks you can use to protect yourself from this vulnerability.

How to safeguard your Email Address?

Just follow these steps:-

1. Hide your Email Address from everyone by going to Edit Profile>Contact and Basic Info>Clicking on the gear icon beside your email address> checking 'Only Me' if you have not done so already.
2. Change your primary email address to a one that is only known to you by going to Settings>Email> and changing your primary email to the new one (known only to you) and removing your previous email address.
3. For additional security, when in Account Settings, enable Login alerts to receive notifications and emails when a new computer or mobile device logs into your account.
4. Also, enable Login Approvals to receive a code on your mobile phone to login whenever your Facebook account is accessed from an unknown device. Login Approvals will need you to have added a mobile number to your Facebook account.
5. Moreover, enable two factor authentication to access your email addresses on your email provider's website as well to make sure that no hacker can exploit them to hack into your Facebook account.

A hacker at work!

Phishing

Phishing is one of the easiest ways to trick users into giving out their login credentials. All a hacker does is setup a webpage similar in design to that of the Facebook homepage, attach a server sided script to track the username and password entered and store it in a log. Sending people emails stating that someone tagged a photo of them on Facebook in the same format as Facebook and giving a link below to the phishing website further reduces the chances of it being detected as a fake. Sometimes, spam Facebook apps, like those promising to tell who viewed your Facebook profile, automatically post links to phishing websites. A new trend amongst phishers is creating Facebook look-a-like widgets for stealing user's login credentials.

How to prevent yourself from being phished?

At all costs, avoid clicking on suspicious links. Moreover, always check the URL in the address bar before signing in. Avoid logging in through various "Facebook widgets" offered by websites and blogs. Instead, use Facebook's homepage to sign in. Always try to use Safe Search on search engines while searching. If you do manage to get phished, report the website so that others may get a warning before visiting it.

Keylogging through Keyloggers

Keylogger is a type of computer virus that tracks key strokes. Keyloggers can be installed remotely on a computer system by a cracker to record all the activity that is going on the victim's computer. Keylogging gets more easy if the hacker has physical access to the victim's computer.

How to stop keyloggers?

Install a good antivirus and update it frequently. Do not click on suspicious links and avoid downloading illegal software. Also, avoid installing free toolbars and other such spam software. Always scan third-person's flash and pen drives before using them on your computer.

Social Engineering

Social engineering involves using any trick to fool the user into making himself vulnerable to exploits. This could involve anything from sending spoof emails, pretending to be from Facebook, telling you to change your password to 12345678 to a hacker maliciously getting out the answer to your security question in a friendly chat or discussion.

How to prevent yourself from being socially engineered?

Stay aware during chats and discussions. Use a tough security question, preferably one whose answer you would never disclose to anyone. Moreover, Facebook, or any other company for that matter, will never ask you to change your password to 12345678 or do something as silly as asking you to send out your login details to prove that you are an active user. Always think before taking actions and your e-life on Facebook will be safe from hackers looking to hack Facebook accounts.

Also: Security Risks when using Facebook

Disable or Enable Hibernation in Windows

Hibernation is a special power saving state designed for laptops which do not have easy access to power supply for an extended amount of time. When you put your computer to sleep, your running programs stay in the memory (RAM) and your computer keeps drawing power to keep the RAM running. Hibernation on the other hand stores the content of your computer's memory on the hard disk in a hidden protected system file (C:/hiberfil.sys) which generally consumes disk space equal to 75% of your computer's RAM size.

This means that all your running programs and open documents are stored on your computer's hard disk as opposed to staying in the RAM. So, after hibernation, when you start your computer, your running programs are loaded in your computer's memory from your computer's hard disk. This leads to a reduction in the amount of power consumed as your computer does not constantly need power to keep your RAM running.

This article contains some methods you can use to enable or disable the Hibernate option in your computer. You need to use an Administratoraccount for these methods to work.

Disable or Enable Hibernation with the Registry Editor

1) Press Windows key+R key combination to load the Run dialog box. Type "regedit" without quotes and press Enter to load the Windows Registry Editor. A warning from UAC might be displayed. If you receive an error stating that the "Registry Editor has been disabled by your Administrator", you need to enable it first.
2) In Registry Editor, navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power".
3) In the work area, look for Dword value "HibernateEnabled" and double click on it.
4) In the pop up box, type 1 in the value data field to enable hibernation and click OK. This will restore the hiberfile.sys file in your system drive and start showing "Allow Hybrid sleep" and "Hibernate" under power options after sleep.
5) To disable Hibernation, enter 0 in the value data field in the previous step. This will also remove the hiberfil.sys from your system drive which will free up some space.
6) Restart your computer for the changes to take place.

Disable or Enable Hibernation by simply executing a Registry(.reg) file

1) Open Notepad.
2) To enable the Hibernate option, copy and paste the exact code given below.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power]
"HibernateEnabled"=dword:00000001

3) To disable the Hibernate option, copy and paste the code given below.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power]
"HibernateEnabled"=dword:00000000

4) Save the file as "Hibernate.reg" or "*.reg".
5) Double click on the saved file. You might need to agree to a warning from the UAC.
6) Restart your computer for the changes to take place.

Disable or Enable Hibernation using the elevated Command Prompt

1) Open Start Menu/ Screen.
2) Type "cmd" in the search box and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter key combination to launch the elevated command prompt. A warning from UAC might be displayed.
3) To enable Hibernation, type and execute the following command.

powercfg -h on

4) To disable Hibernation, type and execute the following command.

powercfg -h off

5) Close the command prompt and restart your computer for the changes to take place.


Note: If the Hibernate option is not visible in Power menu after enabling it or you want to remove it from the Power menu, go to Power Options from the Control Panel's Icons view. In the right navigation menu, click on "Choose what the Power buttons do". In the following window, click on "Change settings that are currently unavailable". A warning from UAC might be displayed. If you have completely disabled notifications from UAC, no such link will be there and you can directly move forward. Then under Shutdown settings, tick the "Hibernate" option to show it in Power menu. To remove it from the power menu, untick the "Hibernate" option. The techniques mentioned in this article work on Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8 and Windows 7.

Tips For Navigating The World Of Desktop Computers

Explore The Desktop Computer Universe By Following This Advice!

How to set a custom page not found on blogger - and redirect it to your homepage

Blogger has the option to set a custom page not found message and redirect (if needed). For my personal blog I decided not to only add a small message whenever a user misspells any links (or if I delete older posts) but also to redirect them to my blog's homepage.


Follow the below easy steps and you're good to go:
Access your blogger draft and go to "Search preferences". Under "Error and redirections" you'll see the "Custom Page Not Found" option > click on Edit.
Copy and paste the below code:

<style type="text/css"> #error-404 { border: 20px solid #1B1B1B; border-radius: 240px 240px 240px 240px; height: 240px; margin: 0 auto 40px; text-align: center; transition: all 0.8s ease 0s; width: 240px; } #error-404:hover { border-color: #333; } #error-404 span { color: #FA4C29; font-size: 100px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 240px; } .large-heading { font-size: 48px; line-height: 1.2em; } .light-heading { font-weight: 400; } .status-msg-bg { background-color: transparent; } .sidebar-wrapper, .page-header { display: none; } .main-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } .outer-wrapper { min-height: 0; } .status-msg-border { border: 0 none; } </style> <div id="error-404"> <span>404</span>
</div> <h2 class="large-heading" style="text-align: center;">Page not found.</h2>
<h3 class="light-heading" style="text-align: center;">Sorry, the page you were looking for on this blog does not exist.<br>You will be redirected shortly to the homepage.</h3>
<script type = "text/javascript">
BSPNF_redirect = setTimeout(function() {
location.pathname= "/"
}, 5000);
</script>

The user will be presented with the above message and he will be automatically redirected to your homepage - after a 5 seconds delay time. Feel free to change the code as you wish.

Title Tag
Even though the "Title-Tag" isn't actually a meta-tag, this tag is displaying the page title in the header of the browser window (or tabs) like in the example you see below:


The title tag is meant to be an accurate and concise description of a web-page's content. Keep it between 50-60 characters long.

Description tag
Represents a short description of the page's content, used also by search-engines to categorize your website pages. Meta descriptions are commonly used on search engine result pages (SERPs) to display preview snippets for a given page.


Write a good description, keep it between 150-160 characters long and above all, avoid duplicate descriptions.

Keywords tag
Couple of years ago, the keyword tag was one of the important elements - as with anything else, people abused it. These days relevance of keywords meta-tags is close to 0 so you can totally ignore this tag - most important: if you need/want to use it, do not use it in a "spammy" way.
Keyword tags represent short keywords separated by commas that are (were) used for search engines to accurately categorize a web-page.




The use 5 to 10 keywords should be enough. Do not use keywords that are not visible on the page (content) itself.

Language tag
The language attribute helps search engines to understand in what natural language your website content is written.

In order to add HTML tags to your blog template, access your blogger settings, go to Template &gt; click on Edit HTML. Find the </head> section - you can search for it through CTRL+F.


After editing the below code, copy and paste it there:

<!-- Meta Tags ~  seo-for-humans.blogspot.ro  -->
 <meta content='Your Blog Description' name='description'/>
 <meta content='Keyword1,Keyword2,Keyword3' name='keywords'/>
 <meta content='Author Name' name='Author'/>
 <meta content='Author Email Address' name='Email'/>
 <meta content='all' name='robots'/>
 <meta content='index, follow' name='robots'/>
 <meta content='Language Name' name='language'/>
 <meta content='Country Name' name='country'/>
 <meta content='blogger' name='generator'/>
<!-- /Meta Tags ~   seo-for-humans.blogspot.ro  -->

Change the data marked in bold orange text to accurately fit your needs. Remember to save your template afterwards. Below is an example on how my blog uses the HTML Meta-tags:

How to install Virtualbox on Kali Linux

If you want to play around with different systems through the help of virtual machines or if you simply want to create your own pentesting virtual-lab for free, installing virtualbox is one of the best options for linux. Before installing virtualbox, you'll need to make sure that the below dependencies are added to your sources.list file:

## Regular repositories
deb http://http.kali.org/kali kali main non-free contrib
deb http://security.kali.org/kali-security kali/updates main contrib non-free
## Source repositories
deb-src http://http.kali.org/kali kali main non-free contrib
deb-src http://security.kali.org/kali-security kali/updates main contrib non-free

These can be added manually through editing the sources.list file or by running the following command:

leafpad /etc/apt/sources.list

The above command will open one of the available text editors, LeafPad, and will edit your sources file that can be found in the /etc/apt/  location. Save the file after editing and close it. Now, open a terminal window and run:

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
apt-get dist-upgrade

Once these commands are completed run the following command:

apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)

And then:

wget download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/4.2.14/virtualbox-4.2_4.2.14-86644~Debian~wheezy_i386.deb

dpkg -i virtualbox-4.2_4.2.14-86644~Debian~wheezy_i386.deb

wget will download the mentioned version of virtualbox to your home/user folder and dpkg –i will unzip (de-package) your file and install it (through the use of the –i command).

If you need to test the successful installation simply type virtualbox in the terminal.


Now you can easily create your own pentesting lab in Kali Linux, but this will be covered in another post.

Create your first script - automatically update and upgrade your Kali Linux installation

Creating scripts is easy in Linux distributions, you just need access to any text editor - Linux has plenty available (gedit or gvim, to name just a few examples) and to some available neurons. In this example we'll use the update and upgrade commands and we'll create ourselves a script that once executed will automatically run the commands for us - this is the easiest example I came-up with.

Open your text editor. At the first line write

#!/bin/bash

Press enter and below this line type:

apt-get clean && apt-get update && apt-get upgrade -y && apt-get dist-upgrade -y

Save it as "update.sh" - or any other name you would prefer.


Right click your script and on the "Permissions" tab set a checkmark near Execute - allow executing file as a program.


Now every time you boot-up your Kali, instead of typing the whole thing into a terminal, just run your script.

How To Remove Iceweasel and Install Firefox in Kali Linux

The default browser in Kali Linux is Iceweasel - in comparison, the default browser in previous backtrack installations has been Firefox, but this also comes from one main difference: Kali is Debian based and Backtrack was based on Ubuntu. Iceweasel is only a rebranded version of Firefox.


If you have whatever reasons and you need to install Firefox in Kali, follow the below steps.
Note: You might want to copy and paste-it into another document - since it involves removing your default browser first.

This will remove iceweasel from the system.


Once Firefox has been installed, you might need flash player and some other add-ons.

To install flash-player addon, open a terminal window and type:

and then

Personally I also install adblock plus and noscript add-ons.
At the end, we will add Firefox to the application panel: press ALT+right click on the panel and select add to panel. From the menu, click on "Application Launcher".
Expand the "Internet" menu and select Firefox.

apt-get install alsa-utils -y