As many of you know I recently moved. I moved into a townhouse that has about a dozen houses within just a few 100 feet. Within the first few days I had the wireless up and running and started to hook up my laptop to do a little Dad-blogs surfing.

I found about 6 different wireless networks within range and 4 of the 6 were locked down. This is amazing to me. In today’s lawsuit laced society, and software/music piracy rampage I would think people would protect themselves better.

Most people just say brush off no locking it to “I don’t have anything to hide” or “No one in my neighborhood will hack me” even “I don’t care who uses it”. Lets say someone sits in your parking lot or on the street by your house gets on your wireless and downloads illegal programs, pornography, and hacks a few websites while they are at it as well. This will be traced back to YOUR IP address which is in YOUR house which YOU pay for. There are ways to tell if the traffic was indeed from you based on MAC address but even that can be spoofed (duplicated) and blame can be put 100% on you. Fighting this would take time and money which most people would not want to waste either.
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Unless you have been living under a rock or do not have a radio or TV in your house you have probably heard about the Swine Flu. The swine flu is a strain of the common flu virus that is most commonly found in swine(pigs) but has mutated to be susceptible to humans. The most recent outbreak is suspected to have originated in Mexico and is slowly spreading across the world.

At first mention of swine flu I wasn’t concerned because the typical “It can never happen to me” ideology went through my head. As the days passed and more and more stories of possible infections arose I became more and more worried of the “impending doom”. So much so that I had found myself worrying about everyone and everything around me. Is this person sick? Is this door handle infected? Is this restaurant properly vented and sanitary? Is that guy that shook my hand washing his hands enough? Was this stranger next to me recently in Mexico?
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Today’s Tech Tip Tuesday is all about protecting your computer. This week its not protecting it physically but rather protecting it from viruses and other nasty things that can be found on the internet.

There are three basic types of programs that you will want to buy/find/download to your computer that will help you protect yourself.

1. Virus Protection
2. Sypware Protection
3. Personal Firewall

Although there are many different products available for each category I will be suggesting the ones that I use and have helped me a number of times stop the “internet evil doers”
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I will apologize today for such a short post (and late) but I have been busy with moving as seen (here). But I wanted to be sure to give the Tech Tip of the week so you can show off to all your friends about how much tech knowledge you have.

There are many terms and words used in the Audio Visual World that were not around even 5-10 years ago. For those of you who may be a little behind the times I will list a few of the most popular and describe them in a short but meaningful sentence.
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As some of you have probably noticed I was MIA for the last few days. No I was not sick, lost, or being lazy in fact just the opposite. I moved.

My wife and I recently bought a house and Tuesday was moving day. Wednesday was unpacking day. Thursday was unpacking day. Friday was take wall paper off day. Saturday was paint day. Sunday was finishing cleaning and birthday party day (mother-in-law).

Since I have a nice cushy state job and get a RIDICULOUS amount of time off I took the entire week. Well the good times are over and I am now back at work. Yuck.

I wanted to take this blog post today and list a few facts about moving.
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If you reading this blog chances are you are using a computer. Most people in today’s day and age own at least one computer or have access to one. Most people use one daily either at work or at home, but who really takes that time to clean them?

A dirty computer not only looks bad but can shorten the lifespan of the computer components, slow the computer down, and could cause fire or injury. Taking time to perform a few easy cleaning steps throughout the year can help your computer last longer and work better.

Cleaning Check List:

Monthly:

• Wipe the outside of the computer case and monitor with a dry dust cloth. Be sure to never use cleaners or water in or around computer components.
• Turn your keyboard upside down and tap lightly in order to loosen any crumbs that may have fallen between the keys. Use canned compressed air to blow out any dust that may be between the keys.
• Use a Q-tip to clean all cracks crevices of your mouse. If you have a ball assembly be sure to remove it and used canned compressed air to blow any dust that may have accumulated inside the ball assembly. If there is extensive dirt build up on any of the sensors use rubbing alcohol on the q-tip to remove any dirt. Be sure all parts are completely dry before reassembly.
• Use canned compressed air to blow out any dust that may be on any of the external fans.

Bi-Annualy

• Remove the case (desktop only) and use canned compressed air to blow out all dust from around computer components, fans, and wires. This should be done every 2-3 months if you have pets, smoke, or your computer is on the floor, otherwise every 6-9 months should suffice. (If you  have experience with computer hardware you can take time to remove each device and wire and clean them separately with a dry cloth. Users with no experience should avoid touching any parts inside the computer as some require extensive knowledge to install, remove, and handle.)
• Be sure that all electrical plugs and outlets are free of any dust or lint build up and are plugged all the way in. (NEVER CLEAN PLUGS WITH ANY SORT OF LIQUID)
• Wipe all cords to external devices down with a dry cloth

For keyboard spills:

• Unplug immediately. Turn keyboard upside down on a towel and blow between the keys using canned compressed air. Let keyboard sit unused to dry for at least 24 hours.

For Laptop Spills:

• Turn computer over, remove battery, and unplug from the wall as fast as possible. DO NOT turn computer over or turn on for at least 24 hours. Any liquid can easily penetrate computer components and damage them. Letting the computer “drain” and dry can prevent most damage.

If you have any questions, comments, or more cleaning suggestions feel free to post them below.

Vampires are all around us. You may think you are safe but I will be all the money in my pocket (about 84 cents) that you have one in your house right now!

Now before you freak out and get the garlic and holy water and start sneaking around the house with wooden stake let me explain.

Every electrical device in your house uses electricity to run, we all know this. However, what some people don’t realize is that even when those devices are powered off they need electricity. On most devices this is called standby mode, on others is just the fact that they have LED’s or the displays on them cause them to consume power. This power consumption is referred to by “the industry” as vampire power or phantom load. It has been estimated that this power consumption can account for up to 10% of your yearly household power consumption.

So how can you fight these evil demons that are lurking in the dark at your house? Read more…