Rules to Surf By

Email:
1. If you get an email with a link in it, no matter how compelling, DO NOT CLICK ON IT! Exceptions to this rule are when you have discussed the link with the sender outside of the email. In other words, if someone hasn't told you they are going to send you a link to something, and you haven't asked them about any unannounced links, it's not a good idea. Also, if signing up for a website, it's common practice for them to send a confirmation email containing a link. Since you know that it's coming, this is also OK.

2. If you receive an email stating that you must forward it on for any reason, you will not gain any kind of benefit from forwarding it. For all intents and purposes, it's as if someone whispered a message in your ear and told you to repeat it to all of your friends, and if you did, some other person would give you money. This doesn't work in "the real world", it doesn't work online, either. Unless you get a funny joke or something you just feel like sharing with your friends, it's probably best to ignore the forward button.

3. If you get an email with an attachment, treat it like you would a link per Rule 1.

Browsing:
4. Know what subdomains are. For example: http://mail.yahoo.com "mail." is the subdomain, and "yahoo.com" is the domain. Remember that the site you are at is always the domain. If the subdomain sounds legit, but the domain doesn't, beware! It's a common practice for scammers to setup bogus websites designed to mislead you into thinking you are at a reputable site when really they are trying to gather personal information about yourself.

5. Try to stick to websites that you know are safe. Don't assume that the sites you have been going to are safe just because you have been going there for some number of days/months/years/etc. Safe assumptions are the sites that everyone has heard about(Yahoo, Google, MSN), poor assumptions are sites that have a lot of popups, loaded with ads, or "require" you to install their own software to view the site*.

*These are called plugins, and many of them are OK. Flash, Silverlight, JavaScript are the most common safe ones, and their are others, but it's best to be skeptical when asked to install anything on your computer.

6. Arm yourself! Get a safer browser(Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari), get spyware protection software(Spybot, AdAware, etc.), virus protection software(Avast, AVG) and a good, but simple firewall(ZoneAlarm). All of the programs listed here are free, and fairly effective.

That's all for now, but I may revise this list in the future. Feel free to print out this list and put it up right next to the family computer.

Media Extenders

Heads up all you intermediate-level gadget geeks, here's a nice project that some of you may have already started, but may need some extra guidance, or you're just looking for some ways to flesh it out a bit.

So you've got an Xbox 360/PS3/Roku SoundBridge/etc. and you want to make use of the media extending features of it. The easiest way to do this is share your folders in Windows(XP, Media Center, or Vista), but this is really only a good option if you plan on having the computer on at the same time as your extender. So what if you want all that extra media to always be available?

Build a server. Trust me, it's not as hard as it sounds. You can put one together using your old parts, just as you would any other desktop computer, but instead of installing Windows or OSX, throw on a (relatively) user-friendly version of Linux like Ubuntu(For free! Legally, too!). Then it's just a matter of starting up a service like Samba to let your other computers talk to the server, and pointing a UPnP Server application in the direction of your files. Don't be daunted by this, you can take your time, and if you get it wrong, you're not going to be wiping out any files, and you're not going to be wasting any money to tinker around a bit. It also doesn't take that long if you like the default settings on some of these programs as well, and with a little guidance, you could could reasonably expect to finish this project in a day.

As far as UPnP servers go, I highly recommend MediaTomb, it works well with all the examples I mentioned above, it's fairly easy to use, and easy to navigate and administer from any computer on your home network.

That's just a taste for now, I'll provide links and greater details later this week.

Portable Players

It used to be that everything was a "walkman". Then came portable CD Players. There were even a few MiniDisc players out there, but all in all, you knew what each of them were, and what to call them. Now, there are Portable Video Players, Portable Media Players, MP3 Players, Digital Audio Players, IPods, some of them play this but not that, some of them need memory cards: it's very hard to keep up with all the terminology and technology.

Digital Audio Player - This is any device that plays audio from a digital source, such as a file on your computer. This term applies to every digital audio player, and not just the portable ones. Some of these may be designed to be added to your home entertainment center, or they may be smaller than your wallet.

Audio Files - WMA, MP3, AAC, OGG, etc These are all examples of different audio file formats. MP3 is probably the most popular format, and allows you unrestricted use. Studios are often a little concerned about formats without Digital Rights Management(A feature of certain file formats that restricts how and where you can access the file), so rather than selling songs in MP3 or Ogg Vorbis(OGG) files, they group up with Microsoft and release them in WMA, or Apple and their AAC files, which have DRM. Chances are good if a player can handle a specific type of DRM file, they can handle MP3s as well. It doesn't always work the other way around.

Portable Video Player - Any device that can play video files falls under this category. Like audio files, there are a number of different formats for video. I won't go into a lot of detail on this, but the most common formats are WMV, AVI, DivX, XviD, and Mpeg-4(MP4).

Portable Media Player - This has multiple functions, often meaning it will handle both Audio and Video files.

IPod - You've head this term, you've seen the commercials. If you still don't know what exactly it is or does, hopefully this will clear things up for you. Ipod is a brand name device, made by Apple. Every one of them will play audio files, and depending on the model, video files as
well. They are easy on the eyes, and generally considered to be the easiest to use of portable players(of any type). They have other features as well, but that's the gist of it.

Now, this all should be considered just a cursory guide to the terms, and not as a suggestion on what to buy. Hopefully now you can at least know what to ask the clerk when shopping around, and maybe even understand his/her answer.

Tech Glossary

Does talking to the clerks at your local gadget store leave you feeling lost? Do they seem to go on and on using terms and acronyms that mean nothing to you? You need a Tech Glossary, and I'm here to help. This will probably be an ongoing segment of this blog, so I'm going to focus each post on one specific area.

Today's post is all about Connections. Let's face it, it's a wireless world out there now, and while there are countless gadgets out there that will work without wires, they don't go about it the same way. Lets try and clear up some of the confusion around just how that's done.

WiFi- No, that's not pronounced "Wiffy", both syllables rhyme with "Eye" and it's a common method of networking computers. You'll see this sold in varieties of B, G, N, and probably some other letters further down the alphabet in the future. Basically, what you need to know is this: the later the letter appears in the alphabet, the faster it runs, and the farther it reaches. WiFi G will cover most homes with a reasonable speed for most people, and N will cover an area twice as wide, and run even faster. To use this type of connection, you'll need two things; a wireless router, and a wireless card. Many new devices have a wireless card built it, but not all, so if you find yourself unsure, see if you can find a manual for it. Wireless routers are the brains behind a WiFi network, they allow WiFi devices in the area to communicate with each other, and if the router has been set up correctly, it will allow those devices to access the internet as well.

Bluetooth- This is not a cause to see the dentist, but yet another way of connecting devices without wires. A phone that is equipped with Bluetooth will typically allow you to use a hands-free Bluetooth headset with it, or a Bluetooth equipped vehicle, but depending on the manufacturer, can connect it to other devices as well for various other tasks. If you've got a mess of wires around your desktop computer at home, a Bluetooth mouse may be a good option for you.

Cat5/Cat5e/Cat6/Ethernet Cable- This is basically just a network cable that looks like a thick phone cord. This will physically connect devices to each other, and is the standard for local area(small) networks. If you've got a broadband("high speed") connection at home, you've got at least one of these set up. These are inexpensive, and common. Just make sure you plug them into the right spot, marked with three small boxes and an upside-down "T" connecting them, and not into a phone outlet.

MiMo- You'll probably see this term listed on a number of WiFi devices, and it stands for Multiple Input, Multiple Output. An analogy of how this works is this: If I have two truckloads of stuff to deliver to Nashville and I want it there quick, I'll send two trucks. MiMo works like that, rather than treating each device as only one, it creates a second connection to the same device to double up the speed at which they can share information. There probably aren't too many people out there that can really use this feature, and chances are, if you're reading this blog with any regularity, you aren't one of them.

That's all for now, check in again for further additions to the Tech Glossary.

Video Game Consoles

Ok, so you've managed to hold off on buying a new video game system for this long. You'd still be happy with your Atari or Coleco Vision if the cartridges still worked right, but let's face it: you're overdue. Here's the real reason you've been holding off: you aren't familiar with any of the new games, and don't really want to be bothered learning one of those new controllers. Strangely enough, there are plenty of reasons to get a video game console these days that have nothing to do with video games.

1. Web access. Every one of the newest consoles has some way off connecting to the internet for some fairly easy browsing. This can be pretty handy if you've got a family and only one or two computers connected to the net. Let's face it, for a computer that can browse the web, $250-$400 is pretty reasonable.

2. "Old"/"Retro" Games. Ok, I'll admit it, this is more video games, but these are the classics! Each one of the new consoles has its own way of adding these gems to the console itself, so you can play as much as you like without having to pump in more quarters. Now, your options are going to be limited by what each console has to offer, so if this appeals, it's easy enough to do some research into which holds the most favorites for you.

3. Movies. The Xbox 360 functions as a DVD player when you buy the remote control, and the Playstation 3 will play Blu-Ray discs as well. Currently, the PS3 is the cheapest Blu-Ray players on the market, and strangely enough, probably the best. Sony's banking on the hopes that you'll buy games to recover the cost, but not forcing you to, so just enjoy this lower price anyways. The Xbox 360 also has a limited selection of movies that you can purchase/rent for a certain length of time without the need to insert any discs.

4. Media Extenders. This is a tricky one to explain, especially since, in my experience, it's not a term that many in retail are familiar with. A media extender is any device that allows you to view/hear media that is stored(digitally) somewhere else. Confused? Say you've bought a few
songs online and you'd like to hear them without having to sit at your computer to do so. With the right Media Extender, you could listen to them through your home stereo, without having to physically move anything. The Xbox 360 and PS3 both function as media extenders, which can be handy if you've got a lot of videos or music stored on your computer, or elsewhere on your home network. Setting up this feature is no small task in some cases, but can be really rewarding. I will talk about the details of media extenders more some other time, but for now, just remember that this is something to consider when comparing these two consoles.

5. Simple controllers. Ok, this really only applies to the Wii(for now...) and if you find all those buttons a bit daunting from those other game systems, the Wii has got you in mind. Try it out in the store sometime and see how you like it. If you've going to be using the console for anything other than games, remember this is how you're going to be doing it. That goes for the other consoles, too(With the exception of DVD playing).

These are just a few things to consider, and if nothing here really strikes you as compelling, don't buy a system for yourself.

Net Troubles

If you can read this, print this out so you will have it when you need it.

This post will cover some simple things to try out if your net connection isn't working quite right, or at all. The good thing about this is that you can probably fix the problem most of the time, but the bad news is, if this doesn't work, you face the very likely chance that you will do it all again when you call tech support, because they will ask you to do the same things.

Start with the basics. The two most common net connections these days are DSL or Cable, and that's what I'm going to focus on. If you have something else, there may be some things useful here to try out, but overall, this isn't for you.

1. Reset your modem. If you're unsure what that is, for DSL users, it has a phone cable, power cable, and a network cable(which looks like a thicker phone cable) plugged into it. For Cable users, it looks the same, but instead of a phone line, there is a COAX cable. Take a look at it closely once you've found it. If it has a reset button, go ahead and push it(and hold it in for about 10 seconds). If that didn't do anything, or you can't find a reset button, just unplug the power cord and plug it back in. Wait about 5 minutes, and check to see if your net is working again. You'd be surprised how often this works.

2. If it's still not working and you've got a router or switch, do the same thing to that. If you aren't sure what this is, look at the network cable coming from your modem. If this connects the modem to anything between itself and your computer, you've got one of these. Do the same as you tried in step one, and check if that did the trick. Again, this work pretty often.

3. See what you're computer has to say about it. Now, there's a lot of information that can be had in this way, but we're going to keep things pretty simple here. For Windows users, take a look at your System Tray(The box your clock shows up in). You should see a little icon that looks like a pair of computer screens. Move your mouse over this, but don't click on it. It will give you a little message along the lines of, "A network cable is unplugged" "Local access only" or something else. If you see the latter, it's time to call your Internet Service Provider(ISP). If you see the former, start by making sure that you have a network cable connecting your computer to either the modem or router/switch. I know that many of you may have wireless routers, which means that you may not have a network cable here. If that's the case, this error message means that the problem probably lies with your router. Try step 2 again if this is the case. If that doesn't work, give your ISP a call.

Post Tags

From this point on, all posts will be tagged with a difficulty level. If the subject is aimed at the inexperienced, you'll see "Beginner" at either end of the post. If it is aimed at those with just a bit of
experience, you'll see "Intermediate" and "Advanced" for the tougher of projects/subjects. This will allow you to sort through this blog by your level of experience/comfort. At some point in the future I will create some logos for each level that will be more visible than the tags.

If you have anything that you'd like me to discuss, send an email to help.d.myst@gmail.com

Testing a New System for Blogging

I'm still trying to find out a good method for posting the same entry to multiple blog sites, so for a little while in the beginning here I will be testing out various options. This is the first. I may drop some of the blog sites due to certain inconveniences about the way the site is setup, and if for some reason, that was your favorite way to access this blog, I'm sorry in advance. Right now, it looks like I may be sticking to Livejournal and Blogger for now. First things first, let's make sure we can see this post.

An introduction

n this blog I hope to make understanding what's new in technology easy to understand. It could be the latest gadgets, a new service, or simply trying to understand the difference in new formats. I will try to remain objective throughout this, but I make no promises towards that effect. I will have my own point of view on certain things, but I will present it in a way that it's obviously just my own personal preference. I'm still getting started here, but I have set up an email address that you can send requests to should you want my insight on something I haven't talked about yet. help.d.myst@gmail.com

I look forward to this project and "DMyst"-ifying technology for you.

D. Myst