Mikeapedia Knows – Simple Technology Advice for Consumers

One of the most aggravating parts of owning a computer is that over time they get slower and slower.  Booting takes forever, the browser lags, and searching for pictures becomes a real chore.  Here are 5 easy steps to making your computer fast again, and in general, improving your computing habits.  Here are 3 separate guides for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.

Beginners

1. BACK UP!  Seriously… This is easy.  You go purchase an external drive from Best Buy, I recommend the Western Digital MyBook series for beginners.  Buy 500gb or 1 Terrabyte sizes to make sure you can backup all your photos, music, videos, and documents for a LONG TIME.  You will bring the drive home, plug it in, and copy all the folders containing your precious files over to the MyBook.  Then Disconnect it, and place it somewhere safe.  These drives are not meant to be used as permanent storage, and many people have reported overheating and loss of data if left plugged in all the time. Note: A backup isn’t a backup unless there are 2 exact copies of the same thing! Many professionals recommend three, but I’d be happy if most people just had 2.   Here is a great VIDEO about how to perform this task!
2. Replace your old tired Internet Explorer 6,7,8 with a faster browser like Google Chrome.  Its available for Mac and PC, for Windows XP, Vista, and 7.  It is far faster than that old microsoft lump.  The browser is less vulnerable than Internet Explorer, and is MUCH faster.  You can find Google’s Chrome browser here. http://www.google.com/chrome
3. Get your antivirus up to date.  Most computers come with a free 30-day or 1 year install of Norton or Mcaffee.  Most people don’t bother to renew the subscription because they dont want to pay, or they just never think of it.  now you don’t have to!  Microsoft makes a free antivirus called Security Essentials with no expiration that covers 99% of peoples needs at no cost.  Go into your add remove programs, and get rid of the old product.  Then download Microsoft Security Essentials from here -> http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/
4. Empty your temporary internet files! This will speed up any internet browsing experience.  Here is a set of instructions for all the major browsers.  http://www.ehow.com/how_2304092_delete-temporary-internet-files.html
5. Defragment your hard drive!  This is like organizing your pantry.  All files are made up of little pieces, like legos.  Every time you open a file, the computer goes and grabs all the pieces on the fly and assembles them.  Just like legos, the more things you build and tear down, the more messy the room gets, and the harder it is to find the pieces.  Defragmenting stacks all the pieces in easy to find areas which speed the fetching and creation of your files each time you open them!  Here is a great guide on how to defragment hard drives.  http://www.ehow.com/how_4474155_defrag-pc.html

Intermediates

1. Do everything in the Beginner Guide above!
2. Clean out your PC!  Open up that old box and clear out the dust, doghair, etc from that case.  A hot computer begins to slow its performance to try and combat overheating damage.  A simple vacuum job can improve airflow and keep the computer at maximum performance.  If necessary use a DRY cloth to remove items the vacuum cleaner won’t reach.  Try not to press on any of the exposed electronics and merely hover over them with the suction nozzle.
3. Check your RAM and add more if necessary.  In the start menu (XP/Vista) or the windows logo menu (Windows 7) locate the tab labeled MY COMPUTER or COMPUTER, right click on it and select properties.

Advanced Users

1. Shouldn’t you already know this?

Being young and growing up in the information age, most of you (my friends and blog viewers) have had the benefit of social media to meet new people and maintain old friendships.  These new methods of communication have integrated into our lives forever.  As this online interaction and its benefits grow, so do the risks.  It is my wish that this article can protect all of you, as my social group; from the dangers of the new “always-connected” lifestyle.  Due to its deep level of involvement in all of our lives, I decided to write to you about Facebook, the most utilized website in the world today.  Most of us love Facebook, but even the best things can have dark secrets.

Over the past few years, the frequency of news articles discussing Facebook and its privacy woes has increased.  In January 2010, Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, declared the “Age of Privacy” to be over.  In his opinion, all of Facebook should be public rather than private as the default.  For many people, to read these statements for the first time raises alarm.  But this is only the beginning, let’s explore the ways Facebook monetizes your personal data, what that means to you, and a few easy steps you can take to fix it.

Facebook, like any other company, is a business that requires revenue.  The most visible form of Facebook’s revenue are advertisements.  Similar to Google, these ads are targeted at the user from the results of their activity on the website.  These are created from your past search history, avoiding many privacy concerns.  Most Google and Facebook users are unaware that their activity is tracked.  However, you should know that these companies track your usage and data to make money.  Compared to Google, Facebook has access to a greater and more personal dataset about each user.  This is where things might become worrisome to you.

Here are some facts you should be aware of.  By default, when you create a Facebook account, your data includes the following items which you allow Facebook to own and generate revenue from.  Everything on your profile page (name, age, favorite colors, books, cellphone #, email address, etc), your list of friends, information about your job, events you plan to attend, photographs, games, applications, and anything you have ever posted on your wall, messages, or other walls. This mountain of personal data is Facebook’s biggest asset.  At a basic level, the advertisements served within Facebook follow the demographics of this data.  Younger people don’t receive Viagra ads, but for example, ads for Red Bull or Miller Lite are shown.  Many of you accept this risk and trade it for the promise of filtering the ads.  This is where many users’ understanding of targeted advertising ends.  The rabbit hole unfortunately goes much deeper.

What most of you may not realize is that Facebook utilizes data from your friends and their friends.  Even worse, is that Facebook retains the right to sell this data to third-parties.  For example, a bank could buy your personal data from Facebook to examine the habits of your social group to determine if you are credit worthy.  Have too drunken nights on the town in your photo albums?  Say good bye to zero down financing!  Employers are getting in on the act too.  In the past, keeping work colleagues out of your friends list was enough to keep HR out of your personal life.  Now companies can buy your personal data from Facebook and examine it directly.  The possibilities are endless.

Applications such as the notorious “Farmville” are another threat to user privacy.  These games and other apps gather data from people who use them and people who are their friends.  That’s right, your friend Sally who keeps asking you to find her lost turtle in Farmville, is unknowingly selling your data out to Zynga; the corporation who created Farmville, Mafia Wars and many other popular Facebook games.  Even if you ignore the quest to find the turtle, the mere fact that Sally plays the game is enough to open your private personal data to usage by Zynga and its customers.

Last quarter (3Q-2010), Zynga made over 90 million dollars from the sale of aggregated user data from Facebook, eclipsing Electronic Arts as the largest video game designer in the world (by revenue).   With Zynga being a private company, there is no public evidence as to whom this information is being sold to, or what it is being used for.  Scared yet?  You should be.  There are no government agencies with authority to regulate this industry, and even congress is holding sessions to determine how to take action.  However, for now, there is no immediate solution from the government.  Users must fend for themselves.

So what can the average Facebook user do to stop their data from being sold out?  Here are some easy steps you can follow.  First, go to reclaimprivacy.org and follow the instructions at the top of the page.  Their tools help users to discover 99% of the holes in their Facebook privacy settings; the tool assists in pointing vulnerabilities out, and walking you through closing each of them.  This will ensure Zynga and other companies cannot access your information through your friends.  Next, remove all third party applications.  Finally, in the main privacy settings page, change all your update settings from “everyone” to “friends only”.  Once these steps are completed, you are as private as possible while still being in touch with your friends.

Facebook is one of the greatest tools for friendship ever made.  It brings and keeps people together and allows them to remain close even over great distances and time.  As we have seen, this comes with benefits and liabilities.  Hopefully it is now clear to you, how Facebook monetizes their content and what information is available to third-parties.  It is possible to prevent the most detrimental uses of information with some simple tools and a little time.  Everyone can secure their pages and keep their information safe, while still enjoying the wonderful benefits of friendship via Facebook.  Happy friending!

Yeah I need to work on that.

Conclusion:

The Mom: iPhone 3g 8gb.

The Business Person: Blackberry Bold #1, Blackberry Pearl #2.

The Child: Base model Blackberry Pearl if anything.

The Young Adult: iPhone 3gs 32gb.

The Grandparent: iPhone 3g 8gb.

Blackberry Storm: AVOID AT ALL COSTS!  This applies for everyone.  The Storm is perhaps the worst touch interface in the world, barely ahead of the old Samsung instinct.  I don’t care if they PAY you to take it, refuse, and ask for a free Blackberry Pearl instead.

Justification:

The Mom: Of all the smartphones, the iPhone 3g is the easiest to use.  At $99 it is also about as cheap as smartphones come.  Moms will really appreciate the Evernote application on the iPhone 3g as well as the maps software for those all important soccer trips.  Most of their kids will also understand how to use it, and maintenance and support from Apple are top notch.

The Business Person: For emailing professionals, the Blackberry cannot be beat.  The battery life is exceptional and the calendar and email support are the standard by which everyone else is measured.  There is good reason most corporations default to Blackberry, it just plain works.  One side note, blackberry insurance in most cases DOES cover theft and loss, something the iPhone cannot match.  The Bold is the best Blackberry available, with a gorgeous screen and great speed, but the Pearl is still a good choice.

The Child: Being that phones are banned in most schools, there is no reason to have a super feature rich or expensive phone.  The Blackberry Pearl is not only cheap to buy (free with a plan in most cases), but it does not require an expensive monthly data plan on most carriers.  It is one of the best phones for texting, and carries enough basic apps and tools.  Be wary of the “messaging” phones carriers try to sell, they tend to be of low quality compared to the superior Pearl.  The insurance on the Pearl for most carriers also covers theft, loss and damage.

The Young Adult: College is the perfect environment for the iPhone.  Facebook, maps to find the liquor store, frat party or club nearest wendy’s, and an iPod replacement of epic proportions.  Its a fantastic MMS and text platform, task manager, calendar, and email platform.  Plus it is just plain cool.  Get the largest memory size (32gb) to maximize the movie and MP3 space.

The Grandparent: Ease of use is #1, support is #2.  Take any grandparent to the apple store and let them sit with a rep for about 20 minutes, and they should be able to understand the iPhone.  There are accesability options for those with bad vision, and the keys on the phone are huge and easy to activate. The base model has more than enough features for any tech savvy grandparent.

Why no Android reccomendations?

The Google Android OS is still for geeks.  While it is extremely capable, properly priced and packed full of the best features available, it is neither robust nor easy to use.  Due to its open nature it has also had security exploits and issues.  There are no stores to get quality support and the brand is so rare that most in the public have no knowledge of how to use it.  I strongly reccomend the Nexus One and Droid for geeks, but for the general public I’d say stick to the tried and trusted Blackberry and Apple brands.

The iPad in all it's glory.

Conclusions:

The Child: No. It is likely that this would just be a toy and not something of great advantage. EXCEPTION: if your elementary/middle/high school is taking a vote about switching to iPads, VOTE YES!

The Young Adult: YES, wifi 16gb/32gb. This could / will change the way you attend school and bring reading back into the “cool” spectrum. I am thinking about utilizing the iPad instead of a new Mac myself.

The Business Person: No. In term of business it has little application past a standard notebook and is far less flexible. Exception: If you really like books or travel excessively, YES, wifi 64gb.

The Mom: Yes, wifi 16gb. As a kitchen computer it likely wont be beat. It performs the tasks of most moms far better than the majority of laptops. It also fits in a purse!

The Grandparent: Yes, wifi 16gb or larger if family photos take up more than 10gb. Same as the mom, this computer performs most grandparent tasks better than most laptops. The easy and natural navigation of its capabilities makes for quick learning as well.

Justifications:

The Child: While I do know some Geek parents who buy iPod touches as learning tools, I know just as many who have had to buy 2-3 of them due to breakage or loss. However if an entire school wants to move to the iPad, it would be a great learning tool if implemented correctly. This clearly is the future, but I am afraid that the child controls aren’t strong enough, nor will the iPad be commonplace enough not to steal for another 5+ years. If you do pull the trigger, save money and purchase the base wifi 16gb model.

The Young Adult: I would reccomend the base wifi 16gb or wifi 32gb models. Since college campuses are littered with wifi, you shouldnt need the 3g version unless you travel quite a bit (within the US or countries who use microsims). These will have more than enough memory for several movies, many textbooks, lots of notes and applications. Applecare protection is strongly reccomended, but remember that it dosen’t cover the iPad being stolen. It will be a valuable commodity and is definately small enough for someone to steal away. On a positive note, its far lighter than a bookbag. You are responsible at this age, so take care of it with a proper case. The Facebook app will change your life on an item like the iPad.

The Business Person: While the iPad makes an attempt at productivity with the iWork suite, it still isnt microsoft office. While its very possible that eventually MS Office 2010 might be accessable via the internet, I wouldn’t bank a business decision on a might-be. However, if you like reading and or travel a LOT, I would reccomend a wifi or 3g 64gb model. Having a full enterntainment library available on long trips is priceless, and then you can save your laptop battery for REAL work. In addition, in the same way monoprice.com makes cases with batteries inside for recharging iPhones, I’m fairly sure there will be a battery extender case for iPads as well.

The Mom: Most mothers spend 99.5% of their computer time viewing pictures, reading facebook, sending email and browsing the web. Go to an Apple store when the iPad comes out, play with it for 20 minutes and you’ll understand what I mean about the iPad being the best device for those activities. As a kitchen computer, search the App Store for recipie applications because there are PLENTY. (I’ll make sure to include some of these in my article about what iPhone/iPad apps to buy).

The Grandparent: The base iPad wifi 16gb will provide more than enough space for plenty of photos of grandkids. Our grandparents likely wont be putting HD video or music on the iPad, but they will be interested in applications like the NY Times and the Ebook capabilities. How cool would it be to call your Grandfather and give him a digital book present right under his nose using the iBookstore gifting option.

Special Notes on the 3g versions of the iPad: Its tough to reccomend the 3g version as an upgrade for anyone. It is extremely useful, but there are too many other variables in play. Most normal people want to keep monthly fees to a minimum, and adding $15 or $30 a month on top of their cellphone bill is difficult. In the same way many people avoid smartphones because of high bills and dataplans, I expect similar resistance to the iPad 3g versions. To follow the cliche, “If you have to ask how much it will cost, you probabally dont need it”. *Note*= The cost for a iPad 3g wifi over 2 years ranges from $989 to $1549 depending on the memory size and dataplan.

Who am I?

I’m Mike, a geek who loves technology for practical people.  You can read more on my “About Me” page.

What am I trying to do?

I hope to take complicated topics about modern technology and make them simpler to understand.  People don’t want 4 page answers to 1 line questions.

When did you decide to do this?

Sometime in late 2009 I realized that being the Geek at my office meant that I had to answer some of the same questions time and time again.  I realized that if so many non-geeks had the same questions, and that sometimes the same person might ask me the same question several times.  A website is the perfect place to store my answers to these questions.

How will I go about it?

The plan is to post articles answering some of the most common questions I receive as well as important information about upcoming tech that applies to normal people.  I will start with some that I’ve been hearing over the past year, and hopefully over time, begin adding articles that come from questions via email, phone (707-968-7645), twitter (@Mikeapedia), as well as feedback and comments on this website.

How is Mikeapedia different from other sites?

Hopefully I can be your go-to Geek who is easy to access and provides clear and simple answers.  I want every Mikeapedia user fitting one of the five “Peoples”, to have a clear buy/dont buy, or other decision within 30 seconds of reading one of my articles.  If you want more information about why I made the decisions for each of the “Peoples”, it will be available either in the articles or via links below the Conclusion section.