Computer Alternatives, LLC

06/18/2019

I don't know how many of you might use google calendar, but be aware, especially smartphone users. This is not a hack per say, but a phishing scam.

Despite what that Google Calendar invite says, you probably didn't win a bunch of money. It's a scam in search of your banking or credit card information. Here's how to avoid getting duped.

12/05/2018

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/281776-waymo-launches-consumer-self-driving-car-service-in-arizona

Waymo has been quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) testing autonomous driving technology, and now it's finally rolling out to consumers in Arizona.

11/07/2018

Tired of bunches of ads on the net? You now, the ones that actually track you. The ads, that when you went to go look up something like a new movie your kids might like, suddenly your assailed by every sort of movie, toy and kid thing on the market? I can help you out! This is especially true in Chrome browser, as Google is a huge marketer. It is of course expected, as Google does offer many free services, and those must be paid for somehow. But what many users DON’T know, is that there is actually a very easy way, to change this behavior. I will give you three simple methods right now, all of which are provided by Google, and Adchoices.

No. 1 is called Google Ad settings. Go to this address, https://adssettings.google.com/ and it will show you how Google is configured to present ads to you. You can simply delete the things you don’t like, and customize your ad experience.

No. 2 is IBA Opt-Out by Google. Get it here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/iba-opt-out-by-google/gbiekjoijknlhijdjbaadobpkdhmoebb . It is an extension, provided by Google, that opt out of their own ad system.

No. 3 is the DAA web choices tool. Go here to use it http://optout.aboutads.info/ . It is a simple web form, that allows you to opt out of over 100 different ad marketing pop up systems on the net. There is even a convenient opt-out of all button, or you can choose one by one. For instance I left on Amazon ads, because I love Amazon deals.

Give this a try, and if it helps you, then pass along my little blurb here to others. Happy surfing!

08/15/2018

This is interesting, probably only to me. But you should read this, and become aware of exactly what types of stuff computer security guys like me research and develop in an effort to expose just how vulnerable all of our technologies are to hacking. It was especially interesting to read about how vulnerable Alexa is. Just food for thought.

From breaking voice authentication and remote-controlling airplanes to hijacking emergency sirens and protecting self-driving cars, this year's Black Hat conference was a wild ride.

08/14/2018

I have a few copies of Microsoft Office 2016 Professional Plus available. It is the full installation DVD for 32 or 64 bit computers, with a lifetime license and activation. This in NOT the 365 version that needs a subscription, but the full version you keep on your system. I am offering them at a great price. The Microsoft store is charging $399.99 for this progam... https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/office-professional-2016/cfq7ttc0k5f8?activetab=pivot%3aoverviewtab
My price is $60.

08/12/2018

And this is the ink for the Canon MX922. Such a great deal...this printer and ink can save you a lot of money, and does a beautiful job too.

24 Pack ink Cartridge Replacement for PGI 250 CLI 251 Brand: Supricolor Package Includes: (8x PGI-250 Big Black, 4x CLI-251 Small Black, 4x CLI-251 Cyan, 4x CLI-251 Magenta, 4x CLI-251 Yellow) Total: 24 Pack Color:Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow Ink Volume: Black: 26ml, Cyan/Magenta/Yellow: 14ml Pag...

08/12/2018

Talk about an awesome deal. I own this printer, and over the last 6 months it has run perfectly. It does beautiful prints. It prints hub printable DVD's & Cd's too, which is what I use it for the most, and I have run more than 1000 CD's through it in full glossy color without a single problem. Best of all though, is the ink cost. I pay $19.99 for 24 ink cartridges. I will post those in a separate post.

The Canon PIXMA MX922 Energy Star Wireless Inkjet Office All-in-One Printer prints in black and white at 15 ipm, in color at 10 ipm, and can output a borderless 4.0 x 6.0-inch photo in 21 seconds. Print borderless photos right at home using the 9600 x 2400 color dpi. Use the automatic double-side...

08/12/2018

So this is a totally legal place to watch or download some awesome
public domain golden oldie classic movies.

Daily Movie Review with free download

08/09/2018

So, this is a pretty interesting trick..and nothing illegal ;-P But it is great for repairs where you need to repair carbon fiber or plastics, and have it be Really strong.

Donate to my patreon https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2460169 Or buy a t-shirt https://www.teespring.com/stores/sphinx4785 HERES THE NAME OF THE SONG!!!!!!! https://soundcloud.com/asaphi/haikais-rap-lord-remix

08/07/2018

So recently I noticed extremely high cpu usage on some systems. This is unusual, unless using CPU intensive apps, such as certain games, or video editing software as examples. But these systems were not running anything unusual. So of course I needed to track down the culprit.

Maybe the easiest way to find out of control processes is to use the stuff built right into windows already. Windows has it's own built in performance monitor in all it's versions. You can access this pretty simply through task manager. It is a bit different from Windows 7, 8, and 10.

In Windows 8 & 10 do this:
Use the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut.
To get to Performance, you need to click the More details button, and then click on the Performance tab.

In Windows 7 or earlier do this:
Use the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut. Click on Performance Tab.

This will show you what kind of cpu usage you have. Now of course you can then go to the processes tab, and right click on processes and do End Process Tree, or end Process, to begin shutting things down. Then go back to performance, and see what level your cpu is at. When I am doing normal stuff, like surfing the web for instance, I almost never see my CPU go past 20% usage...and usually it hangs around 5%. Just be careful about ending tasks you don't know about...or you might crash your system.

Anyway, this is how I discovered that Chrome was eating CPU cycles, and causing systems to CRAWL. However, the good news is this, there is an easy fix. Update Chrome to the latest version. There are 2 way to do this. Either click on the 3 little dots on the right hand of Chrome and then go to the Help, then About Google Chrome page, or just download the latest version and install from here:

Google Chrome is a fast, secure, and free web browser, built for the modern web. Give it a try on your desktop today.

08/06/2018

My computer has been so slow lately...
This is one of the top 5 complaints I hear from customers, on a nearly daily basis. I am not going to write about every possibility, as computer or device speed, is a.) subjective, b.) a complicated issue with a lot of variables. One thing, that most of my clients believe, but are usually in error about, is that, it is their software that is slowing down their systems. In my experience, about 70% or more of the time, it is hardware that causes this. So all those little speed boost apps and programs, cleaning programs, etc, are actually doing more harm than good, and should be avoided. The number one cause of dramatically decreased performance in a system is the hard drive. A failing hard drive, will usually begin to get slower before it fails. If you notice that suddenly your computer went from 1 minute to start, to a lot more than one minute, and all your programs are slow to respond, your hard drive is probably on it's way out. That can be pretty serious, considering it contains all your data (doc's, photos, passwords, etc), and all your programs and custom settings. So, if it's getting slow...better backup your stuff.
I'm not saying that there are not other causes of slowing systems. Just the age of a system, trying to run newer stuff than it was designed for, can cause a decrease in performance. Also, bad power supplies cause this, as well as some spyware and viruses. BUT, having worked on thousands of systems, DRAMATIC slowing, is almost always a hard drive issue. Now, you might be tempted to try and follow the advice of some "experts", and go run check disk on it. My advice, DON'T! Why? Check disk is so intensive, that if your hard drive is failing, check disk will probably finish the job for you, and make the drive useless. A better option, is to get it to a professional, like Computer Alternatives. We can use non corrupting tools to check a drive, from outside of Windows.
There is something good about a failing drive. It gives you a chance for a major speed boosting upgrade. Remember how I said that speed is hardware, not software related. Well, upgrading your standard drive to a Solid State Drive (SSD), will give you a 2X to 5X performance boost. We can use a cloning process to save your data, OS, and all your programs. Everything will be the same as it was, just faster. And of course, you won't loose everything when that old drive finally fails. Also, all SSD's are not created equal, which is why we use the most reliable and fastest SSD technology. 3D NAND SLC.
So, if your computer is getting really slow, this is my warning to you..be prepared for total hard drive failure. Most drives only last 3 to 5 years. If your system is around that age, or older...that failure is coming. Get ahead of it BEFORE it happens. hope this gives you all some insights.