Tech Tips Radio

Mac Journal from Macheist

2010-03-05T17:41:00.000-06:00

Works pretty well for a novice like me but my image did not post in the prior post??

I will have to work on it.

In any event the MacHeist for $19.00 is a great value for me...check it out maybe the apps will work for you. 5 days left.

Working with the MacHeist Nano Bundle

2010-03-05T17:30:00.000-06:00

This is the Mac journal software package. My first thought is to see how well it will post to my blogs.

http://www.macheist.com/

Blackberry Storm OUT Droid IN !!

2009-12-06T12:20:00.002-06:00

I have suffered for over a year now with the Blackberry Storm. Hard to believe that an "iPhone killer" could be nothing like an iPhone..? In fact the Storm, in my opinion, has got to be the biggest phone flop of all time.

I couldn't wait until my renewal date to ditched the Storm. So when the Droid was released, I hopped all over it!! So far so good. It isn't without foibles. The email program locks up once a day. Actually, a number of apps will lock up the phone. I can live w/ its problems, I couldn't live w/ the Storm.

The droid screen is great. Battery life is just OK. Lots of fun apps..many free. The docking station, for 30.00 extra is worthwhile.

Funny thing, I sold the Storm on Craigslist for $150.00 even after I told the guy it was the worst phone I have ever had. ( I told him he should look at the Droid ) I hope he has a better experience w/ the Storm than I did.

For more info goto Verizon at:

http://phones.verizonwireless.com/motorola/droid

Free online virus scanner

2009-07-20T10:06:00.002-05:00

Recommended by Leo LaPorte ( The Tech Guy )

Eset

Nice to have a second opinion when it comes to viruses.

Give to Charity and YOU get over $600.00 in MAC software!

2009-04-02T12:18:00.001-05:00

Give to Charity and YOU get
over $600.00 in MAC software!
Click here for more info

So, what exactly is MacHeist?

It begins with the missions....

MacHeist's missions are an opportunity for our members to live out some of those secret agent fantasies, including mission briefings, simulated web espionage, and a storyline packed with tech-mystery intrigue, while earning free Mac software.

Over 300,000 MacHeist members have experienced the Mac themed, puzzle filled missions, receiving millions of dollars worth of free Mac software so far.

....but it all ends with the MacHeist bundle

The MacHeist bundle was introduced in December 2006 to huge success within the Macintosh community. The software bundle offered 10 of the Mac indie development community's best offerings, and was available at the end of the MacHeist promotion for one week.

The bundle was called the greatest Mac software deal in history, and has never been available since then. Customers snapped up over 16,000 copies, and donated 25% of their purchase to various charities. After over $190,000 was raised by customers by the end of the sale, MacHeist topped it off and $200,000 was raised in total.

But we didn't stop there... in 2007 we held MacHeist II and it became the biggest Mac shareware event ever. Quite possibly the biggest software event ever on any platform.

We had more of everything: more missions, more puzzles, more free Mac software, and more of you... and the community grew to become one of the largest Mac communities on the net!

Then we topped it off with a truly amazing deal... 14 Top Mac apps worth right around $500 for the same low $49 price. How did it do? Well, we sold over 44,000 bundles and $500,000 was raised for charity. Truly amazing!

Now we’re back in full-force with MacHeist 3, and we’re here to bring you the most spectacular Mac software event in history.

For further information, we recommend the MacHeist member created Wiki.

Network Monitoring Tools

2009-03-31T14:25:00.001-05:00

DSniff

Intermapper

Webscout and Websense

GFI Network Server Monitoring

Talk to your ITouch! Use Skype / Long Distance Phone Calls with your ITouch. Dictate with your ITouch..etc

2009-02-27T20:15:00.006-06:00

I was very happy to find out that my I-Touch (2nd gen) will work with a 3.5mm Stereo headphone/mic jack! I tested it w/ the Griffin Italk lite and Skype. Both worked but the Skype connection duplex ed and was a bit weird. As you can see( on the left..Italk lite ) the volume bar has moved and so does the record counter!!

The mike / earbud combo I am using even has a pause button that works. I can listen to music..press the button ... switch to chat..press the button..back to where I left off in music.

I looked online and did not find much info on this and maybe it is ho hum, but this can be handy for dictation and is not advertised as a feature on the Apple site.

Also..The way to take a screen capture on your ITouch is to press the home button and power button at the same time.

Domain Tools

2009-02-22T18:43:00.000-06:00

SEO Tools - free

2009-02-22T18:41:00.000-06:00

Free online network utilities

2009-02-22T18:38:00.001-06:00

This site is a collection of Internet utilities developed by Hexillion using its HexGadget components. Most of the utilities have ASP or ASP.NET source code available.

DefCon 15 - T107 - Tactical Exploitation

2009-02-22T18:23:00.000-06:00

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8220256903673801959

DownloadHelper is also a free Firefox extension for downloading and converting videos from many sites with minimum effort

2009-02-22T17:42:00.001-06:00

Download helper is a Firefox extension to help in downloading media files from the Web. In particular, it is able to store on your disk movie files for which the web site does not provide a "Save File" feature. In addition, DownloadHelper can download, in 3 user clicks, all the image and video files linked from a Web page.

Guide to removing Spyware from your PC

2009-02-22T15:27:00.004-06:00

Most of the time the only way to be sure a virus or spyware is gone, is to "bare metal" reinstall your system. ( Format the HD, re install your OS, re install your programs and data.) However, if you would like to try and remove your infections, this site has guides on how to remove these nasty little programs!!

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/

If that does not work, you could try combofix.
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/combofix/how-to-use-combofix

The #1 free, powerful and all-in-one utility in the world market!

2009-02-20T12:54:00.000-06:00

The #1 free, powerful and all-in-one utility in the world market!

Glary Utilities

	Optimize, clean and boost the speed of your Windows.
	Protect your privacy and security.
	Block spyware, trojans, adware, etc.
	Fix certain application errors.
	Simple, fast and User friendly interface
	For only private use

Acronis version 9 and 10 do not backup MSI Wind w/ OSX

2009-01-31T18:40:00.002-06:00

It would be nice to make a back up of the Wind w/OSX. SuperDuper will backup the drive but even though it says that it is making it bootable, it is not. You can boot the SuperDuper backup only after booting w/ generic / Darwin bootloader.

I tried Acronis w/ v9.0, v9.1, and v10. It gave an error saying that it does not backup "EZ drives"???

MSI Wind running Mac OSX install tips

2009-01-30T11:40:00.004-06:00

Thank you to all the people on the Msi Wind Forum!! They did all the work. I am just combining posts into one place.

For the most part the Msi Wind Forum is a great place for help. For my tests I used the MSI 432U w/ 160 GB hd, 2 GIG RAM, original wifi card. These were my Steps

1..Load generic.iso Link Press fn11 select you external DVD
2..I then put in my newly purchased Mac OS press enter, then boot the dvd ( my device name was [ef] the default
3.. goto disk utilities:
select 1 Partition
give the partition a name
Mac OSX Leopard (Journaled)
***** Important************ GUID partition table
Apply - Install OS, Skip Disk check, 35 minutes or so
Will error at the end or hang w/ a cursor
4..Reboot w/ generic.iso CD Type "Graphics Mode"="640x480x32" (don't forget the blank)
this will bet you by the "Do you have a MAC loop" and send to to the desktop
5..Install MAC OSX 10.5.6 Combo Update Link
6..From "My Package" you downloaded before mount the Chameleon_DFE_for_harddisk.dmg
7..You will see a black window you should se an icon with something like Extra Contents open it find the Extensions folder and delete ApplePS2Controllet.kext now in my package go to the Sentelic Trackpad folder and extract new ApplePS2Controller.kext and add it to that Extensions folder.
8.. Install the Chameleon by clicking on another icon in that black window something like install
Chameleon DFE.pkg or something similar..., Disconnect your DVD drive
Reboot
there will appear a loader enter -f -v its like -f space -v final result is this: -f -v
press enter

Finish by:

**I had to create a admin account with password before these next steps worked

open terminal in Applications -> Utility and enter:
**I had to create a admin account with password before these next steps worked
sudo su
cd /Extras
chmod -R 755 *
chown -R root:wheel *

Keep terminal running
Now go to yourdiskname/Extra and run MSIWindDrivers.mpkg there is a customize button click it and select JUST Video,System,Audio,Network install it
THEN back in Terminal:

cd /System/Library/Extensions
chmod -R 755 *
chown -R root:wheel *
touch /System/Library/Extensions

REBOOT and you should have everything working except correct resolution ....

now go to my package in Paulmodacos folder and find Kexthelper in utilites open and drag
these 3 kexts to the window (AppleIntelGMA950.kext AppleIntegratedFramebuffer.kext and Clamshelldisplay.kext) install reboot...you should have 1024x600.

DECISION

1) You can keep these graphics settings which means no artifacts and no VGA MIRRORING
2) You Can reinstall MSIWindDrivers.mpkg as I described before (yes with terminal as well)
to gain VGA Mirroring a bit artifacts and stable 1024x600 resolution

Phase 4 Some minor things...

1) U can enable the dead key next to left shift by running kexthelper from my package there select install Kexts and install ApplePS2Keyboard.kext u can find it in my package

2) U can change About this mac processor name from 1.6 Ghz unknown to whatever you want just run OSX86Tools and select About This mac edit...

3) To enable Audio Out Jack install CHUD in my package and install Audieee 4 Wind then u ll be able to switch between speakers and headphones dont forget to set Audieee to run every startup..

4) Installing TRACKPAD drivers for Sentelic Trackpad: (Synaptics ones should see trackpad menu in their settings if not, search the forum its easy to fix)

mac/driver-for-sentelic-touchpad-msi-wind-t7558.html

At the end I had a black bar on the right hand of the screen and did not have hi-res so I downloaded 10.5.6 upgrade pack v2, I then used Kext Helper to load these files AppleIntelGMA950, AppleIntelIntegratedFramebuffer, and LaptopDisplay ( from the first folder ) and reloaded the GMA950.pkg from the second folder. That did the trick.

More info at:
http://forums.msiwind.net/mac/how-upgraded-starting-from-bios-t6555.html

The only things that I have fix are the audio out and the web cam..

MSI Wind U100 Works well with OSX Great Hackintosh!

2009-01-28T13:06:00.006-06:00

I have gone through the process of testing the MSI Wind and its ability to run Mac OS. I will out- line the process I used and links. A great place to start is:

http://netbooks.modaco.com/content/msi/270099/pauls-complete-guide-to-installing-osx-leopard-on-your-msi-wind-advent-4211/
and/ or
http://forums.msiwind.net/mac/everything-you-need-index-important-links-t7295.html

General Overview w/ examples:
http://pcwizcomputer.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35&Itemid=32

Without a USB drive or stick:
http://forums.msiwind.net/mac/how-install-osx-with-and-without-usb-stick-usb-dvd-t4701.html

Drivers to get the wifi going on the MSI Wind w/ network card Ralink RT2700E use (RT2860) the 3rd one on the list:
http://www.ralinktech.com/ralink/Home/Support/Macintosh.html

Dual Boot tips:
http://forums.msiwind.net/mac/super-easy-dual-boot-install-osx-u100-432us-t5291.html

Hi-res video driver:
http://forums.msiwind.net/mac/video-drivers-t7016.html

Tool for post install to finish up the install easily:
http://pcwizcomputer.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=149&Itemid=48

To install a new retail copy of the OS, you may need to purchase and replace the wireless card. (Along w/ the OS!) Dell 1500 a/b/g/n, dell 1390 , dell1400

The external DVD reader REALLY needs to be a "real" external reader. NOT, a ext. USB HD device w/ a internal DVD drive attached. Samsung and I/O magic ( I got one at Target) work.

Have fun

Autoruns for Windows

2009-01-14T09:35:00.001-06:00

Autoruns for Windows v9.38

By Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell

Published: January 12, 2009

Introduction

This utility, which has the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows processes them. These programs include ones in your startup folder, Run, RunOnce, and other Registry keys. You can configure Autoruns to show other locations, including Explorer shell extensions, toolbars, browser helper objects, Winlogon notifications, auto-start services, and much more. Autoruns goes way beyond the MSConfig utility bundled with Windows Me and XP.

Autoruns' Hide Signed Microsoft Entries option helps you to zoom in on third-party auto-starting images that have been added to your system and it has support for looking at the auto-starting images configured for other accounts configured on a system. Also included in the download package is a command-line equivalent that can output in CSV format, Autorunsc.

You'll probably be surprised at how many executables are launched automatically!

Screenshot

Usage

See the November 2004 issue of Windows IT Pro Magazine for Mark's article that covers advanced usage of Autoruns . If you have questions or problems, visit the Sysinternals Autoruns Forum.

Simply run Autoruns and it shows you the currently configured auto-start applications as well as the full list of Registry and file system locations available for auto-start configuration. Autostart locations displayed by Autoruns include logon entries, Explorer add-ons, Internet Explorer add-ons including Browser Helper Objects (BHOs), Appinit DLLs, image hijacks, boot execute images, Winlogon notification DLLs, Windows Services and Winsock Layered Service Providers. Switch tabs to view autostarts from different categories.

To view the properties of an executable configured to run automatically, select it and use the Properties menu item or toolbar button. If Process Explorer is running and there is an active process executing the selected executable then the Process Explorer menu item in the Entry menu will open the process properties dialog box for the process executing the selected image.

Navigate to the Registry or file system location displayed or the configuration of an auto-start item by selecting the item and using the Jump menu item or toolbar button.

To disable an auto-start entry uncheck its check box. To delete an auto-start configuration entry use the Delete menu item or toolbar button.

Select entries in the User menu to view auto-starting images for different user accounts.

More information on display options and additional information is available in the on-line help.

Autorunsc Usage

Autorunsc is the command-line version of Autoruns. Its usage syntax is:

Usage: autorunsc [-a] | [-c] [-b] [-d] [-e] [-g] [-h] [-i] [-l] [-m] [-n] [-p] [-r] [-s] [-v] [-w] [-x] [user]

-a	Show all entries.
-b	Boot execute.
-c	Print output as CSV.
-d	Appinit DLLs.
-e	Explorer addons.
-g	Sidebar gadgets (Vista and higher).
-h	Image hijacks.
-i	Internet Explorer addons.
-l	Logon startups (this is the default).
-m	Hide signed Microsoft entries.
-n	Winsock protocol and network providers.
-p	Printer monitor drivers.
-r	LSA providers.
-s	Autostart services and non-disabled drivers.
-t	Scheduled tasks.
-v	Verify digital signatures.
-w	Winlogon entries.
-x	Print output as XML.
user	Specifies the name of the user account for which autorun items will be shown.

The Verizon Storm is it an iPhone killer?

2009-01-09T10:30:00.001-06:00

I have been using the storm now for a month or so and so far I am pretty happy with it. The biggest problem I had with the storm was that the screen was always active. So when you put it in your pocket it would always activate the screen. This certainly reduced the daily battery life. Additionally, I had to put a password on it so that it wouldn't automatically dial while it was in my pocket. This problem was overcome with the use of a Blackberry case; the magnet in the case shuts down the screen. After that the battery life was about two days of normal use.

The software that comes with a Blackberry storm is less than adequate. Media sync is a joke. And the iTunes connector is totally worthless.

I had no problems tethering my storm to my XP notebook. Again, the only problem is with the Blackberry software. If you enable the software on boot up, you'll have a long pause before your computer is ready to go.
A better solution was using Bluetooth to connect to my Mac book Pro.

I have had very few dropped calls in the Minneapolis area. And the data speeds are reasonable.
I spent most of the summer trying out all the phones that Verizon had to offer and either they were toys or they didn't fit my needs. The Blackberry storm covers business and personal needs very well. As with any new device, there are a few annoyances. The inability to flick the screen like an iPhone or Itouch can really be a pain. Voice recognition is not nearly as good as it was with my Q- phone. Hopefully with the next update some of these small annoyances will be addressed. So for now the storm is no iPhone killer.

Great NAS device for $99.00

2009-01-09T10:11:00.002-06:00

Lately I have been working with the D-link DNS -- 321. This is a great little NAS device that I first picked up at Micro Center. They were on sale for $99 after $35 rebate. One of the things that was very important to me as I was selecting an NAS device with the ability to link at 1 Gb. This allows for nice streaming of media. I purchased another unit from Amazon and it was again only $99. (I have also found good pricing at newegg.com) With 1 TB drives around $99 you can have a complete fully redundant NAS device for around $300. For more information see the link below:

http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=666

Both of the units I have purchased runs flawlessly and the throughput is very good. Another interesting feature of this NAS device is the built-in support for iTunes and AV enabled media players. I've uploaded movies to this device and played them with both an Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

If you're into making hacks, you can customize this box very easily. See site below:

http://wiki.dns323.info/howto:fun_plug

The unit is currently shipping as firmware 1.0 and there is a new version of the firmware available to download from D-Link and I would recommend doing that immediately.

Convert YouTube and other online video to pc / iPod / psp for free

2008-11-23T18:03:00.001-06:00

Convert YouTube and other online video to pc / iPod / psp for free
Http://www.vixy.net

Sent from my iPod

Utility to inventory your network

2008-11-23T11:04:00.002-06:00

Spiceworks 1.5

4 1/2 stars by PCmag

Join over 500,000 IT Pros Like You.

Spiceworks IT Desktop is designed for

IT Pros who have admin rights on their network.
Organizations with less than 250 devices on their network. It will work with more but it won't be as fast.
Running on a PC. It discovers Windows, OS X, Linux and Unix but you need to run it from a PC on your network.

We've packed a ton of features into this tiny 12 MB download but there's room for more! Use Spiceworks and then tell us what new features you would like.

WPA has been cracked! Check your routers

2008-11-12T21:21:00.001-06:00

If you are using WPA-TKIP encryption you should change to WPA2 or WPA-AES.

Great product for keeping your data backed up

2008-11-08T20:19:00.002-06:00

Backup local and / or to the web. Even backup to a friend's PC. Small onetime fee. ( on going if you backup to Crashplan servers). ...Free trial...

Here are some of the features:

Backup

Continuous Backup

CrashPlan automatically notes changes to backup and then does so once per day. CrashPlan+ immediately backs up those changes as you work, protecting your files without slowing you down.

Data Compression

Files are greatly compressed using advanced compression technology. Duplicate files and parts of files are automatically identified and stored only once.

Scheduling

Control when CrashPlan backs up, or when your friends are allowed to back up to you.

Multi-fork/stream

Back up everything about a file, not just its data.

Works Out of the Box

CrashPlan uses high technology to help computers connect with minimal configuration fuss.

Unlimited Versioning*

CrashPlan automatically backs up the latest version. With CrashPlan+, you can move backward in time, restoring alternate versions of files that have been changed many times.

Multiple Destinations

Back up to multiple destinations at no extra charge: on-site, off-site, and across the country! CrashPlan intelligently prioritizes backup to those destinations that are furthest along.

Unlimited File Size and Backup

Supports files larger than you'll ever need, plus there's no limit on how much you can back up.

Smart Prioritization

Files that are most recently changed get backed up before those that are older.

Exclude Files

Specify which folders and filenames you do not want backed up.

Restore

Move Back in Time

With CrashPlan+, you can restore previous versions exactly how they looked at a particular time of day. CrashPlan limits you to the last backup.

Quick Recovery

Easily recover accidentally deleted or saved over files.

On-site or over the Internet

Restore large amounts of data locally in just minutes! To restore 100GB of data over the Internet takes weeks for most people. With our local restore feature, you can have your data back in minutes!

Search

Where was that file? Use the built-in search feature to locate files to restore.

Guaranteed Restore™

Unlike hard drives, DVDs, CDs, and tapes, with CrashPlan you know your data can be restored. How? Each night CrashPlan verifies that all your backup data is still valid and can be restored. If CrashPlan discovers an error,it recovers automatically or notifies you if it cannot.

Any Machine, Any Destination

Are you on your laptop and wish you had a file from your desktop? Not a problem! Just restore it to your laptop.

Internet

Bandwidth Throttling

Easily limit how much bandwidth is used while you're at your computer and while you're away.

Remote Web Administration

Remotely manage your backup through our secure web interface.

E-mail Notification

When a machine hasn't been backed up, you can optionally be notified.

Security

Choose your Backup Destination

Back up your files to somewhere you know and trust. This way, you can get your data back in hours instead of weeks, and your data isn't mixed in with everyone else's, making it a prime target for identity theft.

Off-site

Only off-site backup secures your files against theft, fire, and other local disasters.

Encryption

Your files are encrypted and compressed before they are transmitted to another destination. Encryption protects your files (and privacy) by preventing others from knowing anything about your data.

Price

No Monthly Fees

Simply purchase a one-time license for each computer you want to back up and you're set.

Unlimited Backup

Unlike other services, the cost of CrashPlan doesn't increase if you have more to back up.

Free Version

A license is not required for the computer receiving a backup from CrashPlan. We call this the free version, and you're free to install it in as many places as you want to back up t

Blog Live with Coveritlive

2008-10-31T12:19:00.005-05:00

Finally, an alternatives to WebEx. This is a great free service for anyone that wants to have online forums Or live blogging.

Another interesting use would be holding online classes. You can create preset polls. You can create material/text in advance even in build a media library. Try it out it's easy to get started.

To see a demo click on the link below
Demo