Check up on your Internet Service Provider

Filed under Basics for Beginners by on February 8, 2010 at 7:00 am {one comment}

In the days where unlimited access doesn’t really mean you can download “all you can eat”, and Verizon and AT&T are at each other’s throats about 3G coverage, it pays to check up on your ISP to see if you really are getting what you’re paying for.

There’s a few ways you can check on your ISP. Speed tests, Ping tests, DNS tests, Shaping / Throttling tests to see if certain protocols (P2P, Voip, Skype, Torrents) are traffic shaped.

What about if you have a bandwidth cap? How can you meter your bandwidth to see if you’re approaching it? Its not just for DSL and Cable – 3G and other mobile data plans are usually capped with heavy overage charges.

Here’s what you can do to give your internet provider a checkup:
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How to Secure Mail, Thunderbird or Gmail

Filed under Basics for Beginners by on January 18, 2010 at 7:00 am {no comments}

In light of the recent Hacking by Google, we’re reminded of how insecure email really is. In a normal email situation, there’s absolutely no encryption and it your emails can easily be read by someone who’s looking to read them.

You’ll notice that banks and other financial firms now send you an email telling you to log in and check your secure messages. That’s one way to get around email insecurity.

If you’re paranoid or just mildly concerned, this two part series will show you how to configure Mail, Thunderbird or Gmail for encryption.
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Why You Should Relax About The New Apple “Tablet”

Filed under Basics for Beginners by on January 11, 2010 at 7:00 am {3 comments}

The internet, blogosphere and every gadget freak is in full fury for January 27th. Steve Jobs is rumored to announce the latest Apple device that’s supposed to change the world. Its a tablet, it’s a slate, it’s an eReader, it’s going to change the way you look at life.

While it’s probably going to be something pretty cool, let’s all take a moment to relax a minute and I’ll tell you why.
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Moving your iTunes Library from an Old iPod to a New One

Filed under Basics for Beginners by on December 24, 2009 at 7:00 am {no comments}

With the holidays approaching, chances are some of you may be getting new iPods, iPhones or iPod Touches. Or perhaps, you may get a new Mac and want to transfer your iTunes Library onto it. Although they make a great gift, some will struggle with getting everything off their old device and onto the new one.

A lot depends on the situation, but for the technically challenged, we’ll look at how to get your music and anything else off your old iPod (or other device) onto the new one.
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Looking to the Future: What’s next for Apple and OS X

Filed under Basics for Beginners by on December 17, 2009 at 7:00 am {no comments}

Technology is all about the next step. Improving your existing technologies, creating new ones to solve problems, or coming up with new ways to do things. Apple and OS X are no exception. As you read this, teams of engineers from many different companies are hard at work inventing and working on new and innovative technologies that will show up in Apple hardware, iPhones and future versions of OS X.

Some of the future technologies that are likely to be a part of the next version of OS X and possibly your next Mac are:
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