Favorite Web Site Links

Auslogics Company

Auslogics is a small Australian software company that specializes in PC optimization utility programs. We were somewhat reluctant to post this link. Its almost like giving away a trade secret. If everyone knew about Auslogics utility software, we could stand to lose a lot of business. One of the more common complaints you hear in the computer repair business is "My computer is running too slow." When we get one of these calls the first thing we do is go to Add/Remove Programs and uninstall any unused software, then we run C-Cleaner, after C-Cleaner we next run Auslogics Defrag and then Auslogics Registry Defrag utilities in that order. Both programs do an excellent job at what they are designed to do. Auslogics defrag is bar none one of the fastest hard drive defraggers around. We have been using it for years and never had any problems with it. After it completes, it will display a nice bar chart showing the amount of hard disk fragmentation before and after optimization. The more fragmented the hard drive the longer it will take to complete a session. Tip: Run the disk defrag once a week to optimize your hard disk and to minimize the time needed to defrag it.

Some early versions of Registry Defrag corrupted a few registries we tested it on, but the latest version (green/yellow icon) has been very reliable. When used with either Windows XP or Vista, RegDefrag is careful to set a System Restore point before it compacts your registry. Note System Restore is not available on most older versions of Windows, except Windows ME, so Windows 2000 and 98SE users run this utility at your own risk. We were surprised at how much slack space is in a freshly loaded copy of either Windows XP or Vista. We have seen registry size reductions as high as 20%. The test systems we tried it on booted noticeably faster after a single optimization process completed. Warning, it will reboot your PC after it completes its registry scan, so be sure to save any unsaved work and close all open programs before running Registry Defrag.

Auslogics has recently added a free System Information utility to the free download section of their web site. While not as good as the discontinued Aida32, or the no the longer supported free version of Everest, its is coming along nicely. Auslogics tends to continuously improve their utility programs. We are currently evaluating Auslogics $40.00 PC optimization utility suite called BoostSpeed. We will add an update this article when we know more. In the mean time please visit Auslogics at this link: www.auslogics.com

NASA's New X-43 Hyper-X Aircraft

This link takes you to the Dreyden Research Center owned by NASA. It has some great aircraft pictures including the latest X-43 Hyper-X experimental ramjet/scramjet aircraft shown here to vintage W.W.II aircraft:

http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Research/HyperX/ramscram.html

FileHippo.com

One of our favorite sites for excellent free software is FileHippo.com. While most of the software is freeware, some items are either time limited commercial demos, or shareware, so be sure to read the descriptions carefully. The people who run this web site do a pretty good job of selecting quality software that is free of bugs, third party adware and add-ons. They will typically warn you in the program description, if an item has any third party features attached. In these cases these features can usually be blocked by unchecking an option box during the software installation process. For example, on the more recent versions of C-Cleaner by default, it will want to install a Yahoo Search Bar into your browser, unless you uncheck the option box during the installation process. Many other commercially offered programs like WinAmp will do the same thing, unless you uncheck those options during the installation process.

The layout of the website is very straight forward and limited to only what will fit on a single web page. All of the programs are neatly characterized in color-coded columns by type or purpose. The latest releases and the most popular downloads are listed near the top of the main home page. Additional items can be found by clicking on any of the subheadings, or the more... links underneath.

Nice program descriptions complete with sample screen shots are displayed for each program available on the site. FileHippo also maintains archives of older versions of most of the programs they offer. This can be extremely handy if you are outfitting and older, slower computer, or if you dislike a new bug or feature added to a program. Here is a quick link to FileHippo: http://www.filehippo.com

Robert X. Cringely's - The Pulpit

Quoting Mr. Cringely's bio on his web site: "For eight years from 1987-95, Robert X. Cringely wrote the Notes From the Field column in InfoWorld, a weekly computer trade newspaper. He is also the author of the best-selling book Accidental Empires: How the Boys of Silicon Valley Make Their Millions, Battle Foreign Competition, and Still Can't Get a Date.

Most recently, Cringely is the host and writer of the hit PBS-TV miniseries "Electric Money." (If you'd like to own "Electric Money," you can.) Cringely's work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, Forbes, Upside, Success, Worth, and many other magazines and newspapers.

Bob Cringely is another one of my favorite technology writers. He likes to write about "disruptive technologies." These are new technologies that put an end to the existing monopolistic technologies already in place. For example, PC clusters or blades, have pretty much displaced mainframe computers from the market place. While I don't always agree with everything he has to say, he does make for an interesting read.

This link takes you to his latest article: http://www.pbs.org/cringely

This link takes you to his article archives: http://www.pbs.org/cringely/archive

Computer First Aid Using Knoppix

Here is a link to a good article by Cedric Shock and Susan Sullivan on using Knoppix as a first aid program to access and repair sick computers. I carry a copy of Knoppix in my tool kit all the time. I won't leave home without it!

Never heard of Knoppix? Check it out here: http://www.knoppix.org/. Knoppix is a complete operating system based on Debian Linux and is designed to just fit on a 700 MB CD/R. It is a large, but free download.

You can place the Knoppix CD into any modern Windows machine and it boots off the CD-ROM drive, detects all of the hardware (including SCSI devices) and then loads itself into a RAM disk (uses RAM memory only). The beauty of this is that it can even boot a machine with a dead hard drive. It next launches a Windows like user interface called KDE and connects itself to the Internet, if you have a high speed connection.

By loading a Linux network protocol called SAMBA you can connect with an external Windows network and transfer files. When you're through working, you simply shutdown Knoppix like you would Windows, remove the CD, reboot and the computer is left totally untouched.

See the article: Computer First Aid Using Knoppix here:

http://www.shockfamily.net/cedric/knoppix/

KarenWare - Home of Karen's Power Tools

Karen Kenworthy was a columnist for Windows Magazine for many years before its demise. She was famous for her little power tool utility programs that she wrote for WinMag.com as it was better known. Today Karen still writes a newsletter from her secluded power tools workshop. She puts out a nice monthly newsletter that talks about her programs she writes.

Karen's power tool programs are offered for free download from her website. She would however prefer that you order her Powertools CD. The cost of the CD helps to defray the cost of her time she puts into writing her power tools and her newsletter. Please consider donating to Karen if you use and like her power tool programs.

I find Karen's PT-Replicator program to be extremely handy for backing up files between my various computers over my network. Be sure to check it out along with her many other power tool programs.

Please note, Karen writes most of her programs using Microsoft Visual Basic. VB as its better known, requires you to install a free runtime program on your computer before you will be able to operate her programs. You will find a download link on Karen's web site for the latest version of the Microsoft VB runtime program. You can visit Karen's site by clicking on the following link:

http://www.karenware.com/

PC Magazine - Computer, Software, Hardware and Electronics Reviews, Downloads, News and Opinion

I try not to let a week go by without reading one of my favorite computer columnists, John Dvorak. John has been writing for PC Magazine since I first started reading it. I won't say how long ago that was, but lets just say it was a lot thicker magazine back in those days. ;>)

PC Magazine is a classic source for late breaking news, information and reviews on new products for the PC market place.

http://www.pcmag.com/

South Eastern Michigan Computer Organization,
better known as SEMCO

SEMCO has been an active computer club in the Detroit area since 1976. Some of the original founding members used to solder together their own computers and write their own software. Back then it was the most affordable way to own and operate a personal computer. Fortunately things have advanced since then. SEMCO has evolved a lot from the early CP/M days.

Gibson Research Corporation

GRC.COM is the home of Gibson Research Corporation which is owned and operated by Steve Gibson. Steve is a long time expert on computer security and has many good articles and free programs you can use to secure your computer. One of his most popular features is his Shields Up! web page.

By running the Shields Up! tests on your computer you can determine whether your Windows TCP/IP ports are open, closed, or stealthed. Its pretty simple, open ports are bad and stealthed ports are good. Open ports means that others can see and possibly access your computer data from the Internet. If you find you have open ports and you have a high speed Internet connection you should call me ASAP for a security audit. If you only visit one of my recommended sites make it this one first.

http://www.grc.com/

the INQUIRER - News, reviews, facts and friction

The title says it all for this infamous British Internet IT tabloid. The Inquirer got its start as a split-off from another popular British IT tabloid called The Register (see link below). The Inquirer is a British publication founded by a nice guy named Mike Magee. I once sent Mike an email to a direct link he maintained under his name on his website. I never expected a response, but instead I got a nice reply back in under 24 hours. This from a guy who probably receives hundreds of emails per day. Mike recently announced that he will be retiring from the publishing business. He will be sorely missed.

The Inq. specializes in breaking computer news and industry gossip. Its not unusual to read breaking news a good 8-24 hours ahead of the larger US publishing houses in the Inq first. The Inq has writers covering IT events all over the World. If Bill Gates trips and falls over a USB cable you will read about it first in the Inq.

The Inq can be a little hard to follow at first due to its eccentric British customs. One of those customs is to assign pet names to large monopolies and businesses. For example: Microsoft Corporation is often referred to as the "Great Vole or simply the Vole" (a Vole is a small mouse-like creature, go figure?), AMD is known as "Chimpzilla or since its merger with ATi  as Dammit" and Intel Corporation is always referred to as "Chipzilla." Then there is the British wry sense of humor that pervades the publication. Many of their letter writers just don't get the intended humor. Some of these letter-writer responses are funnier to read than the articles they complain about. Warning the Inq prides itself on being biased. They love AMD and love to hate big companies they believe to be bullies like Intel and Microsoft. Its all in good clean fun though. Highly recommended.

http://www.theinquirer.net/

The Register - Biting the hand that feeds IT

Like the title says, "Biting the hand that feeds IT." This is the first of the British IT tabloids that later spawned the Inquirer above. The Register regularly rats on on all the chicanery that goes on behind the scenes in the board rooms of the major IT corporations including: Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Intel AMD, Sun and many others.

They once had a link that suggested that they would retract any story if the right price was paid. That was a few years ago and the Register now offers solid reliable digital technology news on a timely basis.

I love their page layout. Every article is given equal headline billing. An article title is followed by a short intro to grab your attention. You then click on the blue link text to read the full article. This makes for a very fast and efficient way to bring yourself up to date on what is happening in the world of IT. I enjoy reading it at the end of a long day. Highly recommended.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/

Tom's Hardware Guide - PC hardware reviews and news

I have been reading Tom Pabst's, Tom's Hardware pages since back when Tom was the only person writing the reviews in 1996. Tom's Hardware is a real true to life Internet rags to riches story. Tom got his start by writing reviews on mother boards to help fund his way through medical school in Germany. When he first started out, Tom had to badger and beg the mother board manufacturers to submit mother boards to him for benchmark testing.

Tom would compare features and benchmark the boards and tell his readers which ones stood out and which ones to avoid. The site soon caught on very quickly with hardware enthusiasts, who would run out in droves and buy-up whatever Tom recommended. Pretty soon the mother board manufacturers took notice and were sending boards to Tom hoping he would garnish them with a good rating. A good rating from Tom could make or break a newly released mother board design.

Today Tom's Hardware employs large numbers of reviewers and testers and covers a wide range of computer topics.

http://www.tomshardware.com/

ZDNet - Information resources for IT professionals, Technology News, Product Reviews and Price Checks

ZDNet formerly known as Ziff Davis Publishing and now owned by C-Net, is the power house of enterprise IT news. Although they cater mainly to corporate IT managers and executives, they do run some articles that small business people will find of interest.

I always find it interesting to keep up with the what the big guys are doing. In addition to ZD-Net, C-Net owns many other famous IT information sources such as Tech Republic located here: http://www.techrepublic.com/.

They also have a good Internet shopper search and file download site. See ZDNet in the USA:

http://www.zdnet.com/ , or in the UK: http://www.zdnet.co.uk/

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