Forty Hours

You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself. - Galileo Galilei

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Smart Use of Google Search - Show Options

Refine your Google searches

Compliments from Digital Life, By Grace Chng

google search show options

Google searches can be refined to give you the items that you need.

Use Show Options, which is prominently displayed at the top of the page where the search results appear.

It is a great tool for students or writers who want to cut out the clutter and find specific information.

To start, click on Show Options.

On the left pane of the window, a list of parameters appears.

You can define your search according to the past 24 hours, week or year or you can sort by date.

You can also search for discussions held on online forums.

Let us say you want to look for all the video clips of the 2004 tsunami which appeared between Dec 26, 2004, and Jan 25, 2005.

Type in the dates under the Custom Data Range and hit Search.

The final list is only 23 videos, compared with the 2.39 million if you had used the search terms 'tsunami 2004 videos'.

You can drill down further.

For example, you are looking for tsunami videos in Khao Lak.

Click on Wonder Wheel which shows a graphic of all the possible links you may be interested in.

Khao Lak is one of the links and there are other links which lead you to other places affected by the tsunami.

Clicking on Khao Lak will throw up a list of videos from that area.

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Thursday, August 20, 2009

Protect your computer

Protect your computer
TAN CHONG YAW offers some useful tips on fending off unwanted attention on your PC. PC.
Compliments to Digital Life.
HERE are a few things you can do to make your computer a little less vulnerable to hackers, snoopers and thieves.

Protect your files with a password

Threat: Some people keep their passwords, bank account details and other personal information in a Microsoft Word document. They then tuck it in an innocent-looking folder - like Backup - in the hard disk. What if their laptops were stolen?
Solution: Lock that Word document with a password. Go to File, then Save As, click Tools and choose Security Options.
Click on Advanced and choose Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider. Click on OK.
Now enter your password into the 'Password to open' box and click on OK. You will be asked to type in your password again. Click on Save.
Your file is now encrypted but do not forget that password.

Secure your Gmail messages

Threat: Google advises users that if they access Gmail, a Web-based e-mail service, on a wireless or non-encrypted public network, their Google accounts 'may be more vulnerable to hijacking'.
Solution: Make Gmail more secure by just a change in the settings.
Go to Settings near the top right-hand side of the Gmail window. Look for the Browser connection section at the bottom of the General tab.
Click on 'Always use https' and then Save Changes. That is it - you have now enabled Gmail's built-in encryption.
Accessing your e-mail messages may be a little slower but it will be tougher for hackers to snoop on them.

Stop sharing your wireless network

Threat: Out of the box, wireless routers are set up to shout out into cyberspace the name of your wireless network. Everyone within the range of your router, depending on what its specifications are, will be able to see your network and leech off the bandwidth in your connection.
Solution: Get your router to shut the door to your network.
Get the specifics, such as the router address and default user name, from the router manual.
Fire up your browser and enter your router's address, for instance, http://192.168.1.1, and hit the Enter key.
Type your user name (usually 'admin') and password (either not set or again 'admin').
Select the Wireless Menu and look for SSID broadcast, then select Disable or Off.
Now, your network will no longer be detectable by any laptop even if the machine is right beside your router. The approach is the same for all routers.

Lock your PC automatically

Threat: Office computers are usually kept secure with log-on restrictions like password protection. However, your PC is also vulnerable during the brief periods when you step away from it.
Solution: Enable the password on your screensaver.
Go to Start, choose Control Panel and click on Display. Choose the Screen Saver tab and then click on 'On resume, password protect'. Your screensaver password is the same as your log-on one.
Good for forgetful people, this simple tweak will deter the casual snooper.

Lock your laptop at the hotel

Threat: The very thing that makes a laptop convenient - its portability - is what makes it easy prey for thieves, especially when you are travelling.
Solution: There are times during your holiday that you do not want to lug your laptop around with you.
The hotel safe is the obvious place to keep it in. However, the safes in some budget joints may be too small to stuff the machine in.
Your laptop will have a Kensington slot - a small, metal-reinforced hole for inserting a cable lock. Buy one and use it to attach the laptop to something heavy like a bed when you need to leave your laptop in your hotel room.

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