Archive June 2007
Video: Help and How To
Keep my data alive and kicking is a difficult task: CDs need to be cleaned, scratched need to be eliminated, and data must be backed up (otherwise there’s going to be a huge fight about why we’re missing gigabytes of photos and videos). While CDs and DVDs are good for short-term storage, they have their [...]
How to End Windows Programs
http://live.pirillo.com/ – The task manager is a Windows program that shows all of the running programs on your system. Why would you need something like this? Well, imagine if a program hangs and you can't do anything about it: if you bring up the task manager you can end the program; but, how do you [...]
What is Hydroponics?
http://live.pirillo.com/ – Don Herbert – better known as Mr. Wizard to many of us geeks – passed away on June 12. So, a member of the YouTube community decided to ask for a moment on science out of respect for Mr. Wizard. What is Hydroponics? Wikipedia defines hydroponics as: Hydroponics is a method of growing [...]
Merging Partitions
http://live.pirillo.com/ – People create logical disk partitions for various reasons: sometimes it’s to separate data, while other partitions can contain different operating systems, and still others can be used to store the swap space. But, how do you remerge partitions into one physical drive, instead of having multiple logical partitions? There are few tools you [...]
How to Backup on your Network
http://live.pirillo.com/ – Are you backing up on a regular basis? You should be! As we move forward in this digital world we’re putting more and more of our personal data on our machines; but, what would happen if something horrible were to happen to our hard drive? That’s why we should regularly backup our data. [...]
How to Clean CDs
http://live.pirillo.com/ – How many times have you gone to listen to your CD or watch a DVD and you find out that the player couldn’t read the disk? You may have a dirty disk or a scratch on it. To clean you disk gently wipe with a clean terrycloth towel from the inside ring out [...]
Overcoming Your Fears
I’m forced to face my arachnophobia [fear of spiders] throughout the summer months in Seattle – which is manageable in relatively controlled environments. Heights bother me only in utterly exposed situations, which is a different fear altogether. When I have a good opportunity to face my fears, I take it – nervously. On our first [...]
Apocalypse 2012
Ponzi and I decided to pick up Apocalypse 2012 (a real book!) this weekend. At first, we took turns reading chapters to one another – but Ponzi’s brain voluntarily dropped out at the halfway point. I continued to read the rest of the book on my own, finishing up around 3AM. I was hoping for [...]
“F” That “S”
I’m sorry, I just don’t see the logic in claiming that the “F” word is a bad word. It’s not a bad word any more than the “A” word is, or the “B” word – and let’s not forget about the “Z” word. Entire civilizations have fallen from using the “Z” word. I understand not [...]
OS X Security
http://live.pirillo.com/ – Why does OS X have fewer viruses than on Window, and is there a "perfect" operating system out there that can’t be exploited? It’s pretty simple to understand why there are more viruses on Windows than on OS X: more people use Windows than OS X. Hackers generally target the biggest nail in [...]
Does Microsoft Price Gouge Europe?
Lockergnome subscriber Anthony Down is of the opinion that Microsoft is gouging its European customers. I’m seeking clarification on his assertions, hoping that someone from Microsoft’s European division can clarify the situation – as I’d only assume this is a mathematical error: I am and have been a subscriber to Lockergnome and Tech News Watch [...]
Astronomy Software
http://live.pirillo.com/ – Sometimes it’s a pain to view the stars in the night sky – especially if you live in a big city, where pollution is a big problem, but there’s software which lets you not only view the night sky, but much more. Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It [...]
How to Edit Your Photos Online
http://live.pirillo.com/ – There are some nifty image editors out there, but what if you didn’t want to install anything, or use your CPU cycles? Why not try Fauxto? Fauxto only requires three things: and Internet connection, a web browser, and flash. So, if you don’t have Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or some other image editor [...]
How to Put DVDs on an iPod
http://live.pirillo.com/ – IConverting a DVD to play on your mobile device (like the PSP) is much easier than trying to push really hard. All you need is the DVD and some free open source software. HandBreak will allow you to recode your DVD video into another format, such as MP4 – which can then be [...]
Tablet Stylus Mouse?
http://live.pirillo.com/ – It’s possible to use a stylus to control your cursor without having a Tablet PC. With a tablet you can use the mouse with a pen-like device called a stylus. A tablet is generally used by people who work with computer graphics so they can draw as if they were using a pencil [...]
