The Study

The conclusion of a recent study from the University of Exeter was that exposure to blue light from outdoor LEDs, as is emitted with smartphones and tablets, can increase your risk to cancer.  The study focused primarily on outdoor blue light exposure and while previous studies have used satellite imagery to calculate intensity of artificial light in large cities, this was the first to look specifically at blue light.

The researchers found that those exposed to high levels of outdoor blue light at night had around a 1.5-fold higher risk of developing breast cancer and a twofold higher risk of developing prostate cancer, compared with those who were less exposed.  Men exposed to high levels of indoor artificial light also had 2.8-fold higher risk of developing prostate cancer, according to the study.[1]

Blue Light:  Compared to other light in the visible spectrum, blue light has a shorter wavelength – this means more energy than other types.  Exposure to blue light can decrease melatonin in the brain which supports our body’s circadian rhythm.

And to reiterate, blue light is also emitted from our monitors such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets.

The Technology

There are applications available to reduce our exposure to blue light.  We have taken the time to review f.lux, one of the pioneer applications in this field.

To put it simply, f.lux automatically changes the color of your screen, depending on the time of the day, for the purpose of reducing blue light exposure.  During the day time, your screen appears normal and as evening approaches it becomes more pink or rose colored.  It works well with computers and laptops and it can be used to work with iPhones and iPads.  There are also similar applications for Android devices.

Theory

PC screens, monitors, and mobile phones all emit full spectrum light to resemble full daylight conditions.  The makers of f.lux state:

“Exposure to blue light at the wrong time of day can keep you awake later and interfere with the quality of your sleep.  f.lux tries to help this by removing blue and green light to help you wind down in the evenings.”

Day time – we have bright sunlight to help stimulate wakefulness. Night time – lighting is dim and our brains secrete melatonin which causes us to feel sleepy.  It’s a 24-hour rhythm based on an internal circadian clock that is affected by our exposure to light and dark cycles.

While some computers adjust the brightness levels based on sensors, the color temperature does not change.  This is why you see more pink tones when using f.lux which help with melatonin levels and eye strain.

f.lux – The Company

The f.lux site, like the application, is pretty easy to pick up and understand.  Right up front they describe their technology as a “labor of love”.  It’s free as they pay for the development based on donations received.  They state that 100% of donated money goes to the ongoing development and operations related to f.lux.

In terms of the future of this technology, it appears as though major platform developers are beginning to include some form of night time mode in their operating system.  There is NightShift for Mac and there is Blue Shade for Amazon Fire tablets and Night Mode for Android N.  The makers of f.lux are working to make their technology available on a wide range of operating systems but they have had a hard time with mobile devices due to restrictions from the platform makers.

Before You Decide:

You can always get a preview of how your screen would look if you decide on trying out the f.lux software.  Simply go to the fluxometer page.  You can select your computer or device and try out different levels.

Start Using f.lux

f.lux works on Windows, Mac, or Linux. There is also a version for Android devices but there are some limitations – we recommend using Twilight.  Twilight is an Android app that offers similar functions to those of f.lux and we have used the free version of it and find it meets our use requirements and expectations.

If your Android is rooted, then CF.lumen found on the Google Play store, is a good choice.[2]

For iPhone and iPad users, Mac has a similar feature called Night Shift (for more information on setting this up click here: Enable NightShift on Your iPhone).

Other blue light reduction options include:

• SunsetScreen: a free Windows app and among the best.
• Iris: one time purchase of $15
• Redshift: a free, open source program inspired by f.lux

How to make f.lux work

When you have downloaded and installed the program from their website, you can begin setting up and using f.lux.

You will need to:

• Set your location: f.lux works a lot better if it knows when the sun rises and sets. The sun is the brightest light we see every day, so setting this up matters a lot for understanding your circadian timing.
• Choose your usual wake time: If you wake at a different time each day, you can pick a time on the earlier side.
• Adjust color settings so it looks as you like it. Just move the big slider to adjust, and f.lux will learn what you like.
• You can set f.lux to “disable” automatically for apps where color quality is critical.

When Not To Use It:

You may want to disable f.lux at certain times.  For instance if you are working on graphics or images, you can choose to disable it by right-clicking the icon in the taskbar.

There are three modes to choose from including a movie mode that disables f.lux for 2 ½ hours.  As the company states on their website: “We designed Movie Mode to preserve sky colors and shadow detail, while still providing a warmer color tone. It’s not perfect on either count, but it strikes a balance.”

FAQ:

If you have questions or issues, start with the frequently asked questions page which has lots of useful information: https://justgetflux.com/faq.html

Recommendations:

In the past there have been some shortcomings with f.lux, however, they are on version 4.60 and have made improvements.

Overall, you will notice this and technologies like it will make adjustments to your monitor so that it is easier on the eyes and decreases glare.

As for sleep… the American Medical Association’s Council on Science and Public Health states: “…exposure to excessive light at night, including extended use of various electronic media, can disrupt sleep or exacerbate sleep disorders”.[3]

We recommend reducing your exposure to monitor screens especially in the evening and nighttime.

If you have to be in front of a monitor or device screen… it makes sense to try f.lux.  We have enjoyed the benefits of this free technology and hope it will help you as well.

We will continue to provide story lines like this that benefit all of us and we will describe them in a manner that is within reach of everyday computer users. If you have some ideas of topics you would like us to cover, email us at: newsletter@compuclever.com

[1] https://www.cnn.com
[2] http://www.makeuseof.com
[3] http://www.atmob.org

The post How Blue Light Affects Your Health and What to Do About It appeared first on CompuClever.

Our Private Data

As Facebook users we accept the privacy policies when we sign on.  For the most part we don’t even read over the extensive policy pages.  Instead we set up our account and enter data related to our personal lives.  We understand in the process this information gets recorded and stored.

Take Action:

We recommend that you get a clear idea of how much and what kind of data Facebook collects on you.  Check out the “Data In” section of our previous article for directions on accessing the data Facebook has collected from you.

Facebook is a free service and we can expect that they make revenue by providing our data to advertisers.  What many of us are not aware of is that they pass on our data to third party developers and organizations.

This is why we can sign on to a new app or online service using our Facebook login.  Right away they can access our data so that it is easier for us to create a new account with the third party app rather than having to enter all the personal information they require once again.

But what kinds of control are in place once our data leaves the hands of Facebook?  What kind of regulations are there to protect our privacy and information?  This is what Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has to address.

Facebook Updates

In the past Facebook has revised its privacy policies.  However, these previous revisions have been toward openness and sharing rather than protection of privacy.  Unfortunately, “…they were optimizing for profitability rather than security and privacy of their members” says David Kirkpatrick author of the Facebook Effect.[1]

Zuckerberg’s promise at the beginning of this year was to fix Facebook in 2018 – this is no small task.  In fact, he has stated that fixing the company’s problems will take years.

Presently, users are informing users in their News Feed if they’re among the millions of people whose data was improperly harvested by Cambridge Analytica.

Other changes we can expect in the near future: [2]

• Users will receive notice of all apps they use and what data is shared with those apps.  They then have a chance to delete apps they no longer want.
• Facebook will restrict access to certain data that applications can acquire.
• The option to search for users by entering a phone number or an email address will be removed.
• Facebook will set out to delete all logs after a year and only time of calls will be collected.
• New policy will also make users aware that WhatsApp and Instagram are part of Facebook and that the companies share information about users.  WhatsApp will still have a separate policy while Facebook and Instagram continue to share one.

Free

Whenever something is offered for free we need to ask: how is this business generating revenue?  Some companies offer a trial license for their software as a means to test drive the service.  Others rely on donation.

In the case of Facebook, it is free to users but there are associated costs.  Not only does Facebook sell data to advertisers who then place ads that are targeted to meet our purchasing preferences, they also harvests our data for app developers as well.

We need lawmakers to force these companies into the public spotlight and to enforce lawful conduct.

Regulation

Although Facebook is in the process of change and updates we need to ask: how is it possible to keep private data secure after it’s sold to third parties?  Facebook has admitted that it is impossible to monitor what these third parties do with the data once it is out of their hands.  However, Mark Zuckerberg has said that his industry should be regulated.

At present he is facing Congress and has delivered an apology and is answering questions.  But what will be the outcome of this?  What about past regulation?  Zuckerberg has stated they regularly testify before Congress on a number of topics.

In 2011, Facebook offered privacy assurances in a settlement with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).  Allowing Cambridge Analytica to harvest data could be a violation of that settlement.  The ability to transfer the data of users’ friends should have been banned with the 2011 consent.  But what is the FTC going to do to enforce existing regulations?

Turning Up The Heat:

In 2016, the European Union passed the comprehensive General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR.  One mandate restricts collection of personal data of EU citizens to be only saved for “specific, explicit, and legitimate purposes” and only with user consent.

This means, consent cannot be buried in the terms and conditions.

This law will take effect in May and companies worldwide are paying attention.  It is expected that this will expose the industry like nothing else.  In preparation for this law, PayPal published a list of companies it might share your personal data with – over 600 companies.

 Best Practices – Privacy at Stake

There is no doubt that privacy of information is at stake.

It’s essential that we throttle back on what information we make available online and what data is stored on our PC.  Here are our recommendations.

1. 1. We recommend the privacy functionality associated with PC Cleaner. By using the available functionality you can see all the personal and private data you have on your PC which could be accessed by illegitimate means.

1. 1. When on a public Wi-Fi network, we highly recommend not sharing out any sensitive data. Even downloading records online from a public location or terminal can leave your data vulnerable to hacks.

1. If you decide to delete your Facebook account, consider the following:
   • You will need to sever all ties with Facebook including Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Your data can be shared with these apps and policies are similar or, as with Facebook and Instagram, shared.
   • Any apps that you “log in using Facebook“ will no longer work and you will have to enter your log in credentials for these.
   • Delete all Facebook instances from all devices including your mobile ones. Make sure you delete and not deactivate.  Use this link from Facebook.
   • Do not even attempt to log in to Facebook for at least two weeks or you will cancel the account deletion process.

Last Comment

We started out this two part series asking a question of what to do as a Facebook user.  Undoubtedly, the data breach has been the final straw for some and these users are choosing to delete.

Do we throw the baby out with the bath water?

We need to acknowledge that there are positive online developments, and we need to take an active role in shaping it.

With respect to the baby / bath water analogy – we certainly can agree the bath water is dirty!

As for the baby – in the case of social media technology – we need to closely examine if it’s being overfed.

“…the thing we need to understand now,” Shoshana Zuboff states, “is that the online world, which used to be our world, is now where capitalism is developing in new ways.”

[1] http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/09/technology/

[2] https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/

[3] https://www.schneier.com/

The post How to Protect Your Privacy & Identity on Facebook – Part 2 appeared first on CompuClever.

Incognito, according to Wikipedia, from the Latin incognitus, refers to a person who wants to remain anonymous to the world and others, in hiding or shut off from humanity.

Web surfers have the option to enable privacy mode or “Incognito” mode on their browser.  Each of the main browser type offers some level of private browsing.  It is known as Private Browsing, InPrivate Browsing, and Incognito depending on the type of browser used.

Basically – this is a privacy feature that quite simply provides some privacy on your local computing device but, DOES NOT provide hidden detection or stealth beyond that.  Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and other agencies connected on the Internet can detect your activities via your unique IP address on the web servers.

Disabling functions such as the web cache and browsing history make this a relatively private way of browsing the web.  Cookies, the data holders sent by web sites to recognize or track your online activity, are also disabled.

Items Deleted or Not Saved:

The list  of items that are deleted or not saved when you browse during Incognito or Privacy  mode are:

• Website history.
• The cache of files stored during your browse session.
• History of files downloaded.
• Search history stored by the browser.
• Cookies from browsed sites.
• Data on forms you have filled out.

Items That Are NOT Private:

There are items that are not deleted and the ways you remain exposed to detection:

• Search histories stored from search providers like Google are not deleted.
• Websites can identify you and keep a record of your visit.
• Your ISP can detect your network traffic and identify your IP address.
• Any malware on your PC or device can track your activities.

Also, it is important that you keep in mind the browser does not likely perform a secure delete and items from your browsing session can be recovered.  Until that data is overwritten with other data it can be undeleted using special recovery software.

Pros and Cons?

So why would you want to use Incognito?  It doesn’t seem entirely private after all.

Pros

The reasons for using this more of browsing include:

1. Reducing the history, browsing, and personal data stored on your PC or device.
2. You can prevent storage of sensitive data such as log-in credentials.
3. You can also use multiple accounts simultaneously using several tabs at once.
   Tip: You can let a friend check their email or log onto Facebook without you having to log out.  Just start up a new Incognito window.
4. You can perform searches that are not influenced by any prior browsing history.
5. Browser extensions are disabled so that Facebook and Google and other services can’t track you.

One of the main reasons however is to hide your online interactions on the computing device you are using from those sharing the same device.

In a busy household full of people… using Incognito mode can prevent others from seeing potentially embarrassing items.  It also prevents others from revealing your search history or the cache of browsed files.

Cons

We’ll, conversely, you may want to monitor online activities on your PC or device.  You may be concerned that someone will incur a malware infection or that they are browsing to websites that could be considered risky, unethical, or harmful. This is when you would want to disable Privacy / Incognito functionality as described below.

Also, having a false sense of protection can lead to consequences.  ISPs pass data to copyright holders (such as music, videos, books, or games), who are cracking down on the downloading of copyright materials.  The ISP is required to forward notices from the copyright holder alleging infringement of that work.

And, as we have pointed out, you are not completely stealthy.

How to Go Incognito

So now that you have a better idea of what the limits and benefits of this mode of browsing are, you can follow the easy steps outlined below to activate it.  Of course it will depend on which browser you are using.

• Chrome: Click on the ellipsis menu (…) at the right end of the menu bar, and select: “New Incognito Window”.
• Firefox: Click on the icon with three horizontal lines near the top right corner of the browser, and select: “New Private Window”.
• Internet Explorer: To change to an “InPrivate” session in Internet Explorer you would hold down Ctrl+Shift and press P (Ctrl+Shift+P).
• Microsoft Edge: Click the button with three dots (…), called the “More” button, and select: “New InPrivate Windows”.

Disabling It

As we mentioned above, you may want to disable this function so that you can detect for yourself the online activities of others in your household. Click the links below to take you to the specific directions for your browser type.

• Chrome
• IE / Firefox / and a freeware tool for Chrome
• Microsoft Edge

Warning: most of these procedures require a change to the registry.  We recommend you do a backup beforehand and proceed with caution.

For Parents:

If you’re a parent worried about your kids and their private online activities (for example, pornography or social networking sites), then you can first try to disable the functionality as mentioned above.  That way you can check the search and browsing history items.

You can also take the next step and look at filtering software such as NetNanny that will block porn and whatever else you want to filter even when the browser is in Incognito mode.  They have it for computers and mobile devices.  It’s not free but could be worth the peace of mind.

Last Note

We’re in favor of providing information that in the right hands is used with good intent.  To reach a higher level of stealth you would need to look at using a VPN solution.  A VPN masks your physical location and IP address so the website you’re visiting doesn’t really know who or where you are.

We hope this information has been of help to you and enhances your web browsing experiences.  For more information on this topic see our past posts:

• Privacy – Don’t Give It Away
• What Is a VPN, and Why Do You Need One?

Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments on this and other subjects.  Simply send us an email at: newsletter@compuclever.com

The post Going Incognito – Browse Web in Privacy Mode appeared first on CompuClever.

Thanks for choosing Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc, featuring Microsoft ReadyBoost technology. Before you start, please save all your documents and exit all running applications. Follow the steps below to install your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc and optimize your PC.

Step 1. Insert the Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc to a USB slot of your choice.

Step 2. If AutoPlay/AutoRun is enabled, you can click the Speed up my system using Windows ReadyBoost option.

Alternatively, you can open Windows | File Explorer (or use keyboard shortcut: Windows Key + E), right-click the newly discovered removable drive and select Properties from the menu. Select the ReadyBoost tab from the Properties dialog box that appears.

If Windows states that “This device cannot be used for ReadyBoost – The device does not have the required performance characteristics for use in speeding up your system“, follow the instructions of Reformatting Your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc below. And then come back to this step.

If Windows states that “ReadyBoost is not enabled because this computer is fast enough that ReadyBoost is unlikely to provide additional benefit“, this probably means that Windows is installed on an SSD and no performance gain is possible. Please contact our support team (support@paretologic.com) for further options of how to speed up your PC.

Step 3. If ReadyBoost options appear, you can use the device for speeding up Windows Vista, 7, 8/8.1 or 10.

In Windows Vista, enable the Use this device option and move the Space to reserve for system speed slider all the way to the right.

In Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, select the Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost option.

Click OK and your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc device is ready!

Reformatting Your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc

Occasionally, your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc requires initial reformatting prior being used. Follow the steps below to format your drive.

Step 1. Open Windows | File Explorer (or use keyboard shortcut: Windows Key + E), right-click the newly discovered removable drive and select Format.

Step 2. In File system dropdown menu, choose NTFS. In Allocation unit size, choose Default allocation size. And check Quick Format under Format options. Click Start.

You will be notified once your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc has been formatted and ready for being used. Simply follow the steps in the previous section to finish setting up your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc.

Need Support or Help?

Email us at support@compuclever.com for more information and get help with using your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc device.

The post A Quick Start Guide for Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc appeared first on CompuClever.

A: ReadyBoost is a Microsoft Windows technology that allows you to use ReadyBoost compatible USB flash drive, such as Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc, as an additional memory. Doing so, ReadyBoost improves your system’s performance by providing quicker access to data compared to accessing the information from the hard drive. To learn more about the ReadyBoost technology, please read this blog post.

Q: What’s the System Requirement for Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc?

A: Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc supports Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, and Windows 10

Q: Do all USB flash drives support the ReadyBoost technology?

A: No. A USB flash drive must meet the minimum random ready and write speeds requirements to support the ReadyBoost feature.  In order for ReadyBoost to work, it requires a USB storage device to have at least: 64MB, USB 2.0, read at 3.5 MB/s, and write at 2.5 MB/s. Our Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc well exceeds this requirements.

Q: Aren’t Hard Disks faster than flash? My HDD has 80MB/sec throughput.
A: Hard drives are great for large sequential I/O. For those situations, ReadyBoost gets out of the way. We concentrate on improving the performance of small, random I/Os, like paging to and from disk.

Q: What’s the recommended capacity for a USB flash drive for ReadyBoost?

A: We recommend a 1:1 ratio of flash to system memory at the low end and as high as 3:1 flash to system memory. So if your existing PC has a 4 GB of RAM, then you should choose a 4 GB USB flash drive for ReadyBoost, or consider an 8 GB or 12 GB USB flash drive if possible.

Q: I encounter the message: “This device cannot be used for ReadyBoost – The device does not have the required performance characteristics for use in speeding up your system”. What should I do?

A: Your Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc is fully compatible for Microsoft ReadyBoost technology. When you encounter this message, you simply need to format your USB flash drive.

To do so, open Windows | File Explorer (or use keyboard shortcut: Windows Key + E), right-click the newly discovered removable drive and select Format…

In File system dropdown menu, choose NTFS. In Allocation unit size, choose Default allocation size. And check Quick Format under Format options. Click Start.

Once the formatting is completed, your Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc is ready to be used.

Q: What does it mean if Windows states that “ReadyBoost is not enabled because this computer is fast enough that ReadyBoost is unlikely to provide additional benefit“?

A: This probably means that your Windows operating systems is installed on an SSD and no performance gain is possible. This is only true in theory because each PC is different. If you feel that your PC is sluggish and requires optimization, please contact our support team (support@CompuClever.com) for further options of how to speed up your PC.

Q: What happens when you remove the drive?
A: When a surprise remove event occurs and we can’t find the drive, Windows fall back to disk. Again, all pages on the device are backed by a page on disk. No exceptions. This isn’t a separate page file store, but rather a cache to speed up access to frequently used data. So no data loss will occur.

Q: Won’t ReadyBoost wear out the drive?
A: Nope. ReadyBoost technology is designed to take care of the lifecycle issues with flash drives and are smart about how and when it performs writes to the device. Relevant third party tests show that you will get at least 10+ years out of flash devices by using the ReadyBoost technology.

Q: How secure is ReadyBoost?

A: ReadyBoost is secure. ReadyBoost by default uses Advanced Encryption Standard 128 (AES-128) encryption, which should be sufficient as the chances of exposing sensitive data are very slim.

Q: What alternatives are there to ReadyBoost?

A: Two alternatives that will significantly improve performance over ReadyBoost are:

• Using a Solid State Drive (SSD) for your Operating System drive.
• Adding additional memory (RAM) to your computer.

Nevertheless, neither alternatives are cheap or easy to perform, as compared to using the ReadyBoost option.

The post FAQ – Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc appeared first on CompuClever.

If you have a flaky computer, a Recovery Disc can help by repairing Windows to make things run smoothly again. If you ever encounter a corrupted system file, a Recovery Disc will help you find it and fix it as well. If Windows crashes and you can’t get it to restart, you can also use a Recovery Disc to restore your computer’s operating system.

The best thing is by using a Recovery Disc you’ll be able to save all the data on your computer. This includes Word documents and spreadsheets, your photo collection and your valuable photos and movies.

In short, the Recovery Disc is a lifesaver that provides peace of mind. But, surprisingly, few people have access to one.

Recovery Discs Are Hard to Find

In the past, when you purchased a Windows PC, you likely received a “recovery disc”– an actual compact disc – that you would use to troubleshoot problems and restore Windows on your computer. Over the years these recovery discs can be easy to misplace. If you ever need one in an emergency, they are nowhere to be found.

Microsoft and most PC manufacturers stopped shipping Windows installation disc a few years ago – which is probably better for the environment.

Windows 10 doesn’t come with a Recovery Disc by default – this can be a real problem if you run into trouble with your computer.

Produce a Recovery Disc On Your Own

However there is a step-by-step process you can follow to download and create a Windows Recovery Disc for both Windows 8 and Windows 10, but if you want to protect your Windows 7 computer, you’re basically out of luck. Windows 7 has basically been “retired” by Microsoft, so a Recovery Disc with the full reinstall option is very hard to find online.

But no matter what, the process of producing a Recovery Disc takes some dedicated effort, and can be a real hassle. That’s because, to do it right, you need:

• A blank USB key that’s at least 4GB in capacity
• An actual working PC to produce a recovery disc (but what do you do if your PC won’t start?)

On top of that, the actual process of downloading and setting up a full Recovery Disc with the option of reinstalling the Windows OS could take as long as a few hours!

Imagine when you actually need a Recovery Disc, this could be a massive pain… but we have a simple solution.

Choose Your Windows Recovery Disc

Our CompuCleverGEAR store offers Windows Recovery Disc for Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7 for both 32- and 64-bit versions. Please select the right version for your PC.

Having a Windows Recovery Disc ready by your PC provides you a peace of mind with an emergency plan for both your PC and your important files and data.

Always be prepared and don’t be caught in the rain without an umbrella.

The post Windows Recovery Disc – Be Prepared Ahead of Time appeared first on CompuClever.

In our previous article we provided information about USB technology including USB flash drives.  With that information in hand you are ready to speed up your PC with ReadyBoost.  Let’s start with an overview of the technology.

Who Will Benefit?

Using this technology is best for users with 8 GB of RAM or lower, using a traditional spinning platter hard drive (HDD), and an operating system of Windows Vista or higher.

ReadyBoost will have little performance improvement or will be irrelevant if:

The Technology:

From the many articles we have passed on to you in the past, you likely have a good idea that CompuClever programs such as PC TuneUp Maestro and PC Clean Maestro can regain performance that has been lost due to: defragmentation; clutter of junk files and unwanted applications (leading to the reduction of available space).  These tools can also assist you when faced with a bogged down Internet connectivity as well as using functions related to improving browser speed and startup speed.

Now we can shine some light on a technology that can take your PC as it is, and can extend its performance abilities.  Keep in mind we still recommend that you enhance your performance through regular clean up and maintenance.

The basics of the technology involve being able to cache data to a device.  In this case, the device is a USB flash drive.  You can also use CompactFlash and SD cards.  How it works is that data is temporarily stored on the flash drive so that it can be retrieved faster than using the internal hard drive and available memory (RAM or “Random Access Memory”).  Flash memory, such as a USB drive or SSD (Solid State Drive), benefit from faster seek times than standard magnetic hard disk drives.  The only limitation is that USB flash drives will wear out in time.  By some estimates^[1] this won’t be for approximately 10 years.

Here’s How To:

You can begin by using a USB flash card that has at least 1 gigabyte (GB) of available space.  For best results, use a flash drive or flash memory card with at least double the amount of available space as the amount of memory (RAM) in your computer.^[2]

To enable or disable ReadyBoost:

Windows displays the recommended space to use for optimal performance.  If there isn’t enough space for ReadyBoost, a message is displayed telling you to free some space on the device.

The Benefits:

Our CompuClever team members have used ReadyBoost on a few systems that were so slow we faced having to replace them.  We noted significant gains in performance of these computers.  For systems that have only 2 or 4 GBs of RAM, the performance gains are significant.

We researched test results for ReadyBoost and found a very good site.  Here is a list of improvements as well as situations where there are no performance gains.

When enabling ReadyBoost on a system with low amounts of RAM, you can experience:

This same site states:

Ejecting Flash Drives:

It is good practice to eject flash drives that are in use.  This means closing windows and applications using the device and then using the Safely Remove Hardware icon.  In doing so, you eliminate the risk of losing data or experiencing data corruption – especially when files are being transferred.

To properly eject a drive:
Use the Safely Remove Hardware icon and eject your device before pulling it out of the USB port.
You can also locate the drive in the Computer window (Windows / File Explorer) right-click it, and select Eject.  Windows will tell you when it’s safe to remove the device thereby eliminating any chances of data corruption.

The exception:

In our research we found that:

In fact, you can leave your ReadyBoost enabled drive inserted in the port and shutdown your system.  In this way, when you start up your PC you can also enhance startup time performance.

Summary:

There are few disadvantages to this free technology.  You need to dedicate a USB port for your drive (using a USB hub is possible but not preferred).  Also, your flash drive will eventually need to be replaced… but before that happens you’ll likely have purchased a new system entirely.  Cost is not really a factor though.  Flash memory drives are fairly inexpensive and certainly not as much as installing new hardware or buying a new system altogether.

Given all this, we strongly feel that ReadyBoost can extend the life of older PCs that are lacking the necessary RAM and are not able to keep up in a fast computing world.  We hope you enjoy the benefits as we have.

We will continue to provide story lines like this that benefit all of us and we will describe them in a manner that is within reach of everyday computer users.  If you have some ideas of topics you would like us to cover, email us at: newsletter@compuclever.com

The post Speed up Your PC with ReadyBoost appeared first on CompuClever.

Can you guess what version of Windows is the most popular among all PC users? Is it Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, or even Windows XP?

Answer: Windows 7. According to NetMarketShare.com, Windows 7 dominates over 45% of the entire desktop market.

Do you know how to identify the version and edition of your Windows Operating System (OS)? Sometimes, it is critical that you have all the necessary version and edition information, including the type of system, whether it is 32-bit or 64-bit. For instance, when you need to refresh, repair, or even reinstall your Windows OS, you must have all this data ready. This article instructs you how obtain it.

The System Properties Dialog Box

It turns out that you can find the complete set of Windows version and edition information from the System Properties dialog box. It provides an overview of your PC’s hardware and OS information including Windows OS version, edition, and system type.

For instance, the System Properties dialog box shown above provides us with the following information:

• Windows OS version: Windows 7 (Windows Edition section)
• Windows 7 edition: Windows 7 Professional (Windows Edition section)
• System type: 64-bit OS (System | System type section)

To summarize this and to use the most technically correct format, we can say this PC is running: Windows 7 Professional (64-bit). As you can see, once you have the System Properties dialog open, it’s not too hard to identify this key information. But how do you open the System Property dialog box?

Use a keyboard combination

If you are feeling “geeky”, try this keyboard combination: Windows + Pause/Break, that is

• Press and hold down the Windows key, and then
• Press the Pause/Break key (usually located in the top-right corner of your keyboard)

This trick works for Windows 10, 8, and Windows 7 on most keyboards.

If this doesn’t work for you, don’t panic! There are other ways to access the System Property dialog box.

Windows 7

• Click the Start button.
• Click Control Panel from the list in the right margin.
• In the Control Panel, select System and Security From the list of categories on the left pane.
  
• From the Systems section on the right, select either the section title System or View amount of RAM and processor speed.

This opens the System Properties dialog box.

Windows 8

Method One – The Quick Link Menu

This method takes advantage of the Windows Quick Link menu.

• Hold down the Windows key and press X at the same time to open the Quick Link menu as shown above.
• Select System from the list of commands.

Method Two – Access the Control Panel

You can always access the System Properties dialog box from the Control Panel.

• Click the Start button.
• Click Control Panel from the right menu.
• Select System from the list of items.

Windows 10

Method One – The Quick Link Menu

This method uses the Windows Quick Link menu which is almost identical to the one used in Windows 8.

• Hold down the Windows key and press X at the same time to open the Quick Link menu as shown above.
• Select System from the list of commands.

Method Two – Search for System Properties

• Click the Start button.
• Type the word “system“.
• Windows 10 will display the System Properties tool under “Best match” as shown above.
• Click System.

Did You Get It?

By now, you should be able to:

1. Master at least one method of opening the System Properties dialog box, and…
2. Know how to extract your Windows version, edition, and system type information.

We hope this blog helps you become more familiar with your PC. Should it require some kind of repair, refresh, or even reinstall, you know exactly what you will be dealing with.

Last but not the least, you can impress or even help your friends and family by applying what you’ve learned in times of need!

The post How to Identify Your Windows Version and Edition appeared first on CompuClever.

You may have heard of Chromebooks over the past few months. Cheap and lightweight, and basically a successor to the netbook of the late 2000’s, Chromebooks come in all shapes and sizes and rely on the Chrome operating system (aka “Chrome OS”) instead of Microsoft Windows.

We’d like to take a look at Chromebooks, and help you decide if they are the right fit for your computer needs.

Chromebooks: Embraced By Schools

First introduced in 2011, Chromebooks have been popular in the cash-strapped education system. Unlike with Windows computers, schools don’t need to purchase a software license for Chromebooks.

Instead, Chrome OS comes pre-installed, for free. This presents a big cash savings for school administrators.

In some cases Google will subsidize the cost of providing school districts with Chromebooks–another way for educators to save money. Finally, Google itself manages patches and updates, so school districts can save big on IT costs.

What is a Chromebook?

Chromebooks are lightweight laptops released by many of the big computer makers, such as Dell, Acer, Samsung and Asus. They are typically powered by a low-power CPU and run off of a solid-state drive, or SSD–most laptops and Windows computers rely on a hard-disk drive.

Having an SSD means Chromebooks typically take just a second or two to start up. It also means that Chromebooks are completely quiet. There is no sound of a spinning disk like you’ll find in most laptops.

And, since Chromebook processors don’t need a lot of power, they don’t get hot; there is no fan noise with a Chromebook.

However, while being powered by a weaker CPU may prolong battery life, Chromebooks may also sometimes struggle with playing a YouTube video.

Total Reliance on Google and Cloud Storage

Chrome OS itself is completely integrated with Google–everything is done using a Chrome browser. The interface resembles a typical Windows desktop, is very easy to understand, and can be used by almost anyone.

You login to your Chromebook using a Google account, and all of your software is provided by Google. For email, there is Gmail. For basic productivity, such as word processing and making spreadsheets, there is Google Docs.

While it’s possible to use Google Docs offline, 99% of the time you’ll need an Internet connection to use a Chromebook. Everything, including your photos and your documents are stored online, in the cloud.

If you want to watch a movie or listen to music using your Chromebook, you can connect with YouTube or Google Play, Google’s version of iTunes.

Everything is online.

How to Choose a Chromebook: Look for RAM

Since everything is stored online, Chromebook SSDs are just big enough to host the operating system–a typical Chromebook SSD is about 16GB, the same size as a USB thumbnail drive.

Look for RAM

So, there’s little point searching for a Chromebook with a bigger SSD. Instead, RAM is what distinguishes Chromebooks. Chromebooks typically come with 2GB of RAM, and this is just enough to run a couple of browser windows.

If you want to play an HD YouTube video, your Chromebook’s performance may slow to a crawl.

Instead, seek out Chromebooks with at least 4GB of RAM; this is more than enough RAM to provide an enjoyable computing experience on Chrome OS.

Look for Longer Battery Life

Cheaper Chromebooks typically have poorer battery performance, so it’s worth it to seek out a machine with a longer battery life. Most mid-range Chromebooks will last about 8 hours on a single charge, but a measly 6 hours is also not uncommon.

Review sites will generally provide information about battery life. You can also check out how many cells the onboard lithium battery has (the more battery cells, the better).

Is a Chromebook Touchscreen Worth It?

Some Chromebooks such as the well-regarded Asus Flip come equipped with a touchscreen. While a touchscreen may seem like a cool feature that converts a Chromebook into a tablet, it adds yet one more expense to what is supposed to be a cheap machine. And touchscreens may impact the Chromebook’s already modest performance.

What Chromebooks Can’t Do

Chromebooks, while inexpensive and useful have three big drawbacks:

1) No Privacy

Since everything is stored in the cloud, you have little to no online privacy. Google can basically examine everything you do, and everything you save.

2) No Local Storage

Unless you make backups on USB drives, there is also no way to store photos, movies or documents. You will always have to trust that Google will continue to provide access to everything.

3) No Truly Powerful Software Programs

While the free software offered by Google through Chrome OS is pretty good, there are no truly powerful programs. Chrome OS cannot handle more sophisticated photo and video editing, for example.

While Google Sheets is a good way to organize spreadsheets, it is nowhere near as powerful as Microsoft Excel.

So, What Are Chromebooks Good For?

Unless you’re a student in a public school, Chromebooks make a good “backup computer” to take with you on trips. They are small and light, and don’t use much power.

For example, if you go on vacation once or twice a year and want to use webmail and access the Internet for news, a Chromebook is a good choice to slip into your carry-on.

If you’re looking for a primary computer where you have more control over your important documents and images, you may want to stick with Windows instead.

While new Chromebooks are released every few months, at the moment TechRadar has a good guide to the best 7 Chromebooks on the market.

The post How to Choose a Chromebook appeared first on CompuClever.

We’ll begin with a definition of what a firewall is and then move into some basic questions and answers.  After that we’re going to provide information for those that might want to beef up their firewall protection.

The Firewall Basics

Effectively a firewall is a filter.  It is designed to prevent dubious programs and Internet services from establishing a connection or gaining access to your computer.

A Little Q and A

Now that we know basically what it is, we can answer some questions.

1. Why do I need one?

A firewall tries to screen out incoming Internet streams of data from unwanted sources and it also prevents programs on your PC to access the Internet without authorization.  The purpose is to prevent unwanted and malicious programs from communicating to, or from, your computer.

2. Who makes firewalls?

Microsoft includes a firewall with Windows – we’ll cover this in more detail below.  There are also a significant number of known makers of free and paid solutions.  The best known names would include Norton, McAfee, BitDefender, Kaspersky, as well as Zone Alarm, Webroot, and Comodo.  Some routers also have firewalls built into them.  While we are not recommending any specific option, selecting one of the manufacturers listed above should provide greater security.

3. When do I need one?

Quite simply – you need a firewall when you connect to the Internet. This is why you should also consider a solution for your smart phone or mobile device.  Most malware programs these days attempt to get money from you and your mobile devices are also targets of malware attacks and cyber crime.

4. Doesn’t Windows already come with a firewall?

Yes, it does, and it may be all you need.   It blocks unwanted connections and will prompt you if you want to allow a connection or not.  There is a list of programs to block and you can enter exceptions to identify programs you deem safe.

Windows Firewall is equipped to monitor traffic, but lacks in the area of program control.  Despite shortcomings, Windows Firewall may be all you need.   Other tools will provide additional functions such as the ability to create activity logs.  In this way you can review what was happening in terms of attempted connections so you can fine tune the security parameters.  The bottom line is that the Windows Firewall will suffice for most users and should not be regarded as providing insufficient security.

If you find surfing the net is slow, begin by optimizing the browsers and Windows configuration for accessing the Internet.  We recommend looking at the articles: Improve Internet Speed and Restore Browser Speed.  After this, if you are more certain that the firewall is affecting performance, you may want to replace it.  If your PC is encountering issues with viral infections then first look at your antivirus protection, and if you have a top notch AV solution and are still getting breaches, that too would be a reason for looking for a new firewall.

5. Is a firewall all the protection I need?

In a previous article we covered some myths about antivirus protection and this came up.  We can review briefly here.  As we have described, firewalls can filter nefarious traffic.  However, they cannot protect your PC from files that contain a virus or Trojan.  The reason for this is that firewalls are not able to scan for infected files – you need an antivirus solution specific to this purpose.

Cyber criminals exploit potential security holes and look for ways to openly connect with your PC.  A firewall can minimize this risk and offer the first line of defense.  However, it is not sufficient in blocking the myriad of virus and malware threats that are prevalent.  Malware creators are very clever in disguising data and can even disable your firewall in an effort to steal private or personal data.

Turning Windows Firewall On and Off

Microsoft states: “You only need one firewall app on your PC (in addition to the firewall that’s probably built into your network router).  Having more than one firewall app on your PC can cause conflicts and problems.” ^[1]  It is also good practice to NOT turn off a firewall unless you have another one turned on.

With these safe practices in mind, you can view the status of Windows Firewall and you can turn it off or on.  The easiest way to begin is to type “firewall” in the Search field located in the Start menu.  For more information and instructions specific to your operating system follow one of these links:

Windows 10  / Windows 8 / Windows 7 / Windows Vista / Windows XP

What to Consider if Seeking an Alternative

Here is our list to help you better decide on alternatives to the built-in firewall for Windows.

1. You need to consider how accurately a firewall solution will identify threats to your system. You do not want it to miss threats but you also do not want it blackball safe and known programs.  No one wants an unending stream of warnings from their firewall for no valid reason.  The very best firewalls handle unknown programs by monitoring them closely for suspicious activity and signs of improper network activity behaviour.
2. The fewer resources it requires the better. This will allow your system to run programs faster and dedicate resources to perform duties related to regular day-to-day activities.
3. Supply only the functions you need. Some “suite” applications will include antivirus and performance tools.  If you already have these areas covered by other applications there is no need to pay for bloated software that is inadequate in these other areas.
4. You will also need to know what kind of coverage you require in terms of the devices you are needing to protect (desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone), and if your solution will suffice.

Other Considerations

Now to finish off with some final points related to installing a new firewall solution.

Install Your Firewall 

There isn’t any one “right” place to install a firewall; it comes down to the devices you use and the programs you run.  If you are looking for a firewall for your business then the normal firewall is not what you need; you need what is known as a “Next Generation Firewall” or, “NGFW’.  These are more sophisticated and expensive, ranging from $500 to $80,000, and are beyond what we will discuss here.

Also, some routers have firewalls built right into them, meaning any system behind them does not need a firewall.  This is useful as it means that there is no performance loss for Windows as a result of a firewall performing checks on data streams.  However, if you have a portable device (like a laptop, tablet, or phone), then you need a firewall installed to the device that can be turned on whenever you connect to the Internet when away from home.

Common Problems

The most common problem in using a firewall is blocking a program you know is good.  When this happens you need to create an “exclusion” or “exception” (search the program help files for those terms).  Effectively, this provides you the ability to override what the firewall would normally do.  Firewalls are designed to run in the background so most people have little to no interaction with these programs once they are installed and exceptions are generated.

Summary

While we haven’t gone into detail about hardware and software firewall technologies and the various viral threats to firewalls, we have covered the basics.  Standard coverage should get you started and you have the option of customizing the onboard Windows Firewall.  As an alternative to Windows, you can follow our introductory guidelines for taking on an alternative firewall solution.  In either event, remember that an effective antivirus solution is part of your fortress of protection.

We would like to thank Richard from our Tech Support team for his first wave of research on this subject.  We will continue to provide story lines like this and we will describe them in a manner that is within reach of everyday computer users.  If you have some ideas of topics you would like us to cover, email us at: newsletter@compuclever.com

The post Firewalls – First Line Filtration appeared first on CompuClever.