Another Day With My PC

Ever since high speed Internet access became mainstream, many fell in love with the virtual world the second time around. While many were already teleporting themselves to cyberspace since the turn of the century, a sizeable number of those people still were not that hooked on the Net due to slow connections. Downloading files back then took a considerable chunk of one’s time, while browsing multimedia presentations on Web pages was considered impractical and wasteful due to the minutes, or even hours, that it took for the whole content to load.

The Need for Speed

I guess there is no need to emphasize that today, you could download Britney’s new album without noticing your nails grow right before your very eyes. DSL, cable, and wireless Internet have made almost every human activity possible to be done in cyberspace. For those who loathe the simple but complicated task of replenishing the contents of the kitchen cabinet and refrigerator, getting that cold turkey into the freezer is just a click of the mouse away. Talking to a client or a loved one on the other side of the pond is as easy as yelling “Hi!” to your next-door neighbor through Skype or any of the instant messengers available on the Web. Indeed, almost anything that is conceivable can be performed in or facilitated on the Internet.

Prophesizing the Present

A number of people have dared to prophesize that time will come when people would no longer need to go outside of their homes to do the things that they have to accomplish. While the thought or prediction may be absurd and outrageous, it is actually not that far fetched. Take for example the concept of the “home office.” Many thought that working at home is only possible if your abode doubles as a grocery store, a dental clinic, or a law office. It was also inconceivable two decades ago that you could take your office’s whole database home with you in order to finish something. You would’ve probably needed two trucks in order to do that.

Love It or Hate It

Scientists and programmers have virtually shrunk or converted everything that is tangible into something that is measurable in kilobytes. If it’s something that exists, then you’ll most likely find or know something about it on the Internet. It’s a researcher’s nirvana and an investigators paradise.

Not every information paparazzi is happy, though. Many scholars still think that information derived from the Internet is unreliable. Take for example Wikipedia. Almost all of the data therein are from people who are not in the employ of the information giant. While the data are verified, there’s no assurance that the claims are proven facts.

Whether our continued and increasing reliance on the Internet is good or bad remains to be seen. For now, there’s no question that the information superhighway is revolutionizing things that we thought had already attained permanence. Who knows what barriers this technology may topple or surpass in 10 years time.

In a bid to entice people to search and retrieve their laptop, a brewer in New Zealand has recently pledged a lifetime of beer to anyone who could bring its portable PC back. Croucher Brewing Co. pleads for the return of its laptop since it contains all of the company’s financial details.

So what does this got to do with the PC?

Hole in One, Twos, Threes…

Well, do you ever remember a time when your PC crashed because Microsoft or some other software maker forgot to plug some holes in their creations? While some crashes are benign, requiring you to just reboot your PC to get rid of the glitch, other meltdowns take your computer and all its contents down the drain.

I’m sure some of you have already experienced the worst case scenario that I’ve just said. You probably spent the night thereafter trying to look for your back up disks or the installation CDs of the applications that used to rent space in your hard drive. However, if you forgot to back up, then you most likely spent the night giving the customer service lady at Microsoft’s hotline a very big piece of your mind.

e-Samsonite

PCs, especially the portable ones, are the modern day bags and briefcases. It contains things that are essential to our work. To some (like the workaholics), the very foundation of their lives are built around their PCs and on the information that are stored therein. Thus, a hard drive crash for them is life-altering, to say the least.

How much, do you think, would those persons offer to anybody who could retrieve their lost data? For big companies, I assume that they would be very willing to give a hefty figure for the retrieval of the 0s and 1s that they’ve lost in their hard drives caused by malware that were able to get into their system through the unlocked gates and weak walls of their operating system.

Warrant of Arrest

In situations like that, shouldn’t it be the software maker which should make reparations for our loss? There is such a thing as a “warranty” in commercial law. However, I don’t see it being applied in defective software, or at least not as much as with the other faulty goods that are offered for sale. Could it be that there’s a separate law or rule governing computer programs?

It’s not unusual for applications to be littered with errors that need patching up. Take Windows, for example. Everybody knows that it competes with Swiss cheese when it comes to having holes and clefts. They don’t stay open for long, though, because Microsoft makes it a point to lock them up through Windows Update. Maybe the authorities are not too quick to jump the gun on software makers as long as they immediately stitch every hole that they encounter.

Your Own Sentinel

I’m not sure if anybody has already filed a suit against software authors for having lost important data or files due to faulty programming. Until such time that we learn of one, and a successful suit at that, we should take matters into our own hands by making sure that nothing could go in and wreak havoc to our PC. Of course, an antivirus would be needed in this endeavor. A registry cleaner would also come in handy in case the malware would want to rewrite the contents of your Windows registry. But don’t rely solely on these security suites and system tools, though. The ultimate protector of your computer and files is still you, the user. Always make sure that the files or programs that you’re using come from legitimate sources.

Don’t you wish that we could slap that answering machine message to anybody, especially to our beloved bosses, whenever they are trying to contact us?

With all the mobile phones and other portable gadgets that could easily transport us to the Internet, such a message may already seem too unlikely. Gone are the days when you could feign phone line problems by just hanging your fixed line unit up. In fact, who uses landline phone these days?

I don’t know if the cartoon is already outdated. As I’ve just said, it’s almost impossible to be beyond the reach of anybody when cellular phones, PDAs, and laptops have already become as common as underpants. Even those who live in the North Pole could give out calling cards without being featured in America’s Funniest Home Videos. But, then again, maybe it’s a recent one. After all, every thing and every body is already wired, including (maybe) ghosts.

How many e-mail addresses do you have? I bet that you have at least two. With all the free offers from MSN, Yahoo!, and Google, it’s hard not to keep a few mistresses. My primary e-mail account is sponsored by Yahoo!, while my secondary account is from Gmail.

Some say that the viability or feasibility of free e-mail accounts would soon be defeated by users like me who keep two or three addresses. The argument seems persuasive, but it is also flawed. True, the needless opening of accounts wastes space on Yahoo! or Hotmail’s servers. However, with storage real estate getting cheaper by the day, one would wonder if anything is wasted at all.

Before @

One thing that’s definitely squandered, though, is the address. It’s almost a certainty that the e-mail address that you prefer has already been taken by somebody else. You’ll probably need to add a series of numbers after your preferred e-mail address in order to make it unique and personal.

There are people who purposely register multiple e-mail addresses. They won’t be using those accounts, though. Instead, they would be selling it to persons who want to have that account. Those addresses usually bear a very common name or a popular or catchy word.

Segregation

Going back to my contention that having multiple e-mails is not exactly needless or wasteful, many people keep multiple addresses in order to separate the good from the bad, the precious from the worthless, and above all, the spam from the ham.

Like thousands of people around the globe, I keep separate e-mails for work and play. My Gmail account keeps all correspondences from my boss and officemates, while my Yahoo! address keeps all those letters, e-cards, and hilarious mails from relatives and friends.

Bigger and Better

Five years ago, one of the main reasons why people maintain multiple e-mail accounts is because of limited storage space. Those who receive mails with large attachments always keep around 3-5 e-mail accounts.

Storage space problems are already relics of the past. Gigabytes of space are now being offered even on free accounts. This is virtually limitless, unless you’re constantly trading large multimedia files. If size is all that you’re worrying about, then I could assure you that you only need one e-mail account. To borrow Gmail’s ad, you’ll never need to delete another message again. To have a secondary e-mail, then, due to space concerns is a needless glut.

Spam

Another reason why people open up second or third accounts is that their primary e-mail has already been infested with junk mails. Spam has been a major problem for both e-mail account providers and holders alike for the past several years. Those who had it bad receive hundreds, or even thousands, of worthless and unsolicited mails on a daily basis. While many e-mail accounts have a “Report as Spam” feature, the unwanted mails usually find their way back to the addresses.

E-mail account holders should be very responsible in opening and maintaining addresses. It’s common knowledge that free services or products tend to be abused. Don’t waste precious space and addresses. They might be free and abundant, but they’re certainly not unlimited.

Be also vigilant in checking the source of suspicious or unknown e-mails as they usually carry harmful attachments or point you to links that contain unwanted applications which could modify your Windows registry and other system files. Always scan attachments before downloading them. If you think you’ve inadvertently opened an infected e-mail, open up your registry cleaner and antivirus and conduct a complete system scan.

I’m always wondering as to how the computer would evolve in the near future. News about developments in the IT industry litter dailies, both the traditional and electronic ones. New gadgets are born almost everyday, replacing their predecessors that we hardly even knew about.

One PC peripheral that I’m quite curious about as to how it would change or improve is the mouse. Well it already evolved a bit. In case you’re not aware of it, the net or Web page scroller located in between the two buttons of the device was not a staple a few years back.

Trackballs became popular a few years ago. Some had even suggested that it’s the new face and form of the mouse. But many found it too bulky and too difficult to use. While trackballs did not succeed in replacing the mouse, it did not totally disappear either. It became a different specie, so to speak.

What made the mouse survive evolutionary threats is its simplicity. With everything becoming complicated, the last thing that a PC user needs is a pointer or navigator that has 10 buttons and options that even its manufacturer cannot enumerate.

What is it about Microsoft and leaks?

NeoSmart Technologies has recently revealed that Windows XP’s third service pack will be featuring patches and updates that are primarily designed for Vista. The leak has fueled speculations that Microsoft is indeed bent on extending the life of its most successful OS by incorporating Vista technology into it.

Among the handful of Vista features inserted in SP3 include Network Access Protection (NAP). This security component functions as a filter, checking client PCs before they’re allowed to connect with other computers in a network.

Another Vista feature that will be incorporated in XP through SP3 is a new activation procedure that dispenses with tedious checkpoints and would allow users to immediately use or install the product without being asked for the activation key.

Windows XP SP3 will be made available by early next year. The new service pack brings a sigh of relief to millions of PC users who still haven’t shifted to the new OS as this would ensure the viability of the software for a few more years.

I’m sure you’ll agree with me that having the biggest or the latest doesn’t exactly mean having the best. There are things which just should not be altered or be reincarnated into something which purports to be a better version of the original.

Of course, I’m talking about software here, although I’m sure you could sew hundreds of threads on this subject without mentioning malware, antivirus, or God-forbid, Microsoft. Going back to my blabber, there are applications that seem to be already perfect as they are, even if they were made during the Reagan administration. Altering them would be unforgivable, while replacing them would be sacrilegious.

Necessary Evil

While I’m one with the nostalgic few in romanticizing 0.2 MB applications, I must admit that software must eventually put on some weight in order to be able to pack a punch that would actually hurt. While keeping it simple may be the way to go as far as keeping everything neat and practical is concerned, such is an ideal that only a handful of software makers are willing to embrace (probably due to lack of resources).

Dual Core, Do More

I’m sure you’re already familiar with Intel’s Core 2 Duo slogan. The chipmaker’s new processor could definitely do more than just run a single program. In fact, it could shuffle applications as big as the marshmallow man with such flamboyance that one might think that one processor would already be enough to power ten PC units.

It would be a shame then, if all those muscles would just go to waste. Naturally, software makers would be encouraged (or tempted) to pack their products with a few more pounds in order to exploit the steroid-enhanced chips that are fast becoming mainstream.

Man’s ideas are infinite. Programs and its functions are products of some geek’s wild but profitable imagination. Ergo, icons illustrating a program’s features or capabilities could clutter the whole user interface. And with the virtually unlimited might of processors today, you can be sure that software designers would not be holding their horses when adding components to their creations.

Security

Not every chowhound application is detestable, though. Many a times, there are valid reasons why programmers choke their creations with hundreds of megabytes.

Malware is one of the leading causes of software bloat. You can’t expect software authors to just let their applications be mangled by viruses. In order to insulate their masterpieces from cyber graffiti, they have to pump in vaccines in the form of additional algorithms or programming instructions in order to ensure that it won’t get easily messed up by any malicious application. While antivirus and anti-spyware programs are already becoming regular mainstays in every PC unit, software makers are still fencing their applications in order to forestall any attack that security suites might not be able to prevent.

Not So Evil After All

The next time Microsoft or Apple announces the arrival of a successor to a popular software of theirs, clip that eyebrow of yours for a sec and see if it deserves your cynicism. While having the biggest or the latest may not always be a good thing, the caveat is also definitely not the general rule.

Do you think this is funny?

While this cartoon may stretch a generous smile on your face, a growing number of corporate slaves are starting to classify this strip as something that has been taken from an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

The advent of mobile computing has definitely contributed wonders to ordinary PC users. Unfortunately, corporations are getting the better deal out of “anywhere computing.” Wi-Fi and laptops have definitely extended the four corners of the office. With the mobile phone as an accomplice, the said developments in IT have put employees on a virtual leash.

The only benefit that mobile computing has given to workers is that they can now go home early. Of course, they have to bring their tasks with them. And with portable PCs becoming mainstream, bringing the office at home is as easy as having your coffee to go. Now every home is a virtual branch of a company.

This may come as a surprise to some, but definitely not for me or for those who tinker around with PCs for a living.

Microsoft has recently announced that it would be extending the period within which PC makers could bundle their products with Windows XP (SP2). Redmond has acceded to pleas by both retailers and end users to extend its January 30, 2008 deadline.

While some analysts see the acquiescence as an admission from Microsoft that XP is far from being interred, the latter insists that the extension does not also mean that Vista sales are encountering friction from the operating system’s predecessor. It admits that many consumers are still in the process of upgrading their PC units. Until this happens, demands for XP would still persist.

Old equipment is not the only thing or factor which puts XP on the shelves of PC shops. Computer makers are still issuing units powered by Celeron processors. This Intel chip has a reputation of choking out on demanding applications. Hence, many buyers of low-end units request that it be bundled with XP instead of Vista to ensure that it would not hang on them when applications heat up.

If you’re in the habit of using your Web cam as a mirror (through the Web cam window, of course), this worrying piece of fact might encourage you to go back to the more traditional way of looking at your reflection.

PC security analysts have confirmed that it is possible for a third person to take control of your camera and see everything that it’s focused on. While this fact may seem quite far-fetched, it isn’t exactly a scene taken out of Star Wars or Star Trek.

As Long as it’s Connected

Many harbor the misconception that hackers cannot access the peripherals that are appended on a PC. Indeed, many malicious attacks mainly centers on taking over one’s unit by injecting various forms of malware into the hard drive or altering the system registry so that the operating system would perform functions or instructions that could seriously compromise the performance of the system.

The erroneous perception may seem illogical, considering that a device attached to the PC is very much a part of the PC. Hence, one should not be surprised if a college geek could print out his report on his dean’s printer located a few buildings away from his dormitory. Peripherals are the limbs of a computer. Hence, if you’re able to control central nervous system of a PC, then every device that is connected to it is at your every beck and call.

Building Gates

Securing your system from external threats is not that difficult. The task of barricading your PC with barbed wires is easier than trying to form a commando unit of malware for the purpose of attacking a computer. This is probably the reason why many are not aware of the possibility that their Web cam could very well become another man’s eye. Spy software such as those which exploit Web cams are easily crushed by antivirus and anti-spyware software. Hence, malicious program authors don’t devote that much time and attention in getting themselves a third eye.

Isolating the Problem

For those who are not comfortable in entrusting their privacy to security suites, the easiest way of protecting your PCs from external threats is by disconnecting it from the outside world. An isolated PC is as safe and secure as a house built on top of the moon. However, this drastic approach to PC security is impractical and unproductive. Unless you intend your computer to be just a mere household furniture for display, it wouldn’t be wise to divorce it from the rest of the world.

Everybody should know by now that PCs are portals to every perceivable nook around the globe, and maybe even beyond. To shut it out by castrating the LAN port or wireless Internet antenna would be a sin that is too unforgivable in an era where information is vital and interdependence is necessary for survival. The malware problem that everybody’s experiencing is not that insurmountable. In fact, the odds are against those who are trying to barge through the gates that we’ve set up against them. Just make sure that you have a registry cleaner and antivirus installed in your system. These sentinels are usually enough to thwart any attack that could compromise your PCs security and privacy.