Important - This Blog is shutting down (sort of)

When I started this blog earlier this year I never thought it would have gotten this big with so many persons visiting it on a daily basis from all over the world.  The main purpose of the blog was to help persons empower themselves in becoming more tech-savvy or adept - it was just a small local project, but oh how it has grown.

Today i'd like to inform all the followers and readers of this blog of its move to a better home.  Note I am NOT killing the blog, I will continue my project of trying to empower persons through my posts, just not on this site anymore.  This post will be the final post here.

www.jervisdabreo.com/thetechcorner/

I would now like to take the opportunity to invite you to visit the NEW WEBSITE.  Feel free to subscribe to it, to share your thoughts and comments there - let your friends know about it, especially if it has proven helpful to you.

Jervis Dabreo

BIOS Explained

Your Computer system’s BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is firmware that is stored in a chip on your motherboard which is responsible for handling basic system start-up — In essence, it gets your computer’s hardware ready so that the operating system can be loaded.  Some persons sees it as being a small operating system in its own right.

It is important to understand that the BIOS runs before the operating system runs, and handles the basic tasks of recognizing and configuring  the various pieces of hardware you have installed, from RAM to optical drive.  It means if you have a bad or faulty BIOS, you have a dead computer.

Tweak your computer's BIOS for faster Windows startup

When you power on your computer (desktop or laptop), there are several checks/tests that are performed by the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) before the OS (Operating System) is allowed to load.  By simply changing a few of the settings in the BIOS you can speed up these initial start-up checks/tests which will result in your computer system starting much faster.

How you would access the BIOS utility varies from computer to computer especially along motherboard brand names, but the most common keystrokes are Delete (Del), F1, or F10 - The keyboard key MUST be pressed at the first sign of life on your screen after pushing the power button on the computer. 

Once in the BIOS utility you will see a menu with a variety of choices.  Here are the choices/options that you can tweak to ensure for a faster system start-up (they tend to be in the Advanced BIOS section):

• Quick Power On Self Test (POST) -  The POST check for the presence of the essential components such as RAM, a video card, basic input device etc., enabling this option will make your system runs a shortened POST rather than the normal, lengthy one.
• Change Your Boot Device Order/Priority - If you change the boot order so that your BIOS checks the hard drive first rather than the CD/DVD or USB drive it will speed up your start-up time.
• Disable the Floppy Drive - Who uses these nowadays? When it is enabled your system spends a few extra seconds looking for and checking the floppy drive - a pointless task if you ask me considering the fact that you most like do not use your floppy drive IF you still have one.
• Disable Boot Delay - Some computer systems allow you to delay booting for a few seconds after you turn on your system to allow the hard drive a chance to start spinning.  Based on the speed and efficiency of modern hard drives, you most likely do not need to have this boot delay option enabled if the option is present. WARNING - If you run into problems after disabling the option please be sure to re-enable it.

Facebook Scam - Protect Yourself

In the last few days I have received several invitations to modify my Facebook profile color (maybe you have too).

Luckily for me, I have no problem with the blue-look of Facebook and so I simply ignored them, that is until this morning when I received over twenty (20) new invitations - this means that several more of my Facebook contacts have fallen victims to one of the latest Facebook scams.

I am now going to share two links to two websites that contains all the information you need to know about the scam.  Please read the article there and when you're done go to Facebook and change your login credentials or password.

1. Facecrooks
2. Allfacebook

For those of you who will not follow the links above, then know this - the whole change Facebook profile color thing IS a SCAM.  You CANNOT change the Facebook Profile Color and your account has been compromised if you did accept the invitation and gave permission to the scammers.  Now go change your Facebook password.

Fix for Android Play Store to access paid apps catelog

Recently I have noticed that on some Android devices where the official Google Play Store app was sideloaded (because the device did not get Google's nod of approval or in the case of the Kindle Fire, for example, Amazon chose not to include it on their device) that the only apps that are accessible are from the Free Apps category.

In searching for a solution I came across a nice little app - (which is NOT available from the Play Store by the way (smile)).  Drum roll please - enter Market Enabler.

The app is described as being an Android Paid Apps Market Enabler and does exactly what it say - it allows you to access paid apps from the Play Store (not for free unfortunately).

I should mention here that in order to get the app installed on your device you will WILL have to enable the  Allow Installation of Applications From unknown sources option on your Android device since the app must be sideloaded...(see here for more details) AND in order for it to actually work your device MUST BE ROOTED.

7 Reasons why you should root your device

Yesterday I explained what rooting a device is all about, today i'm going to give you seven (7) reasons why you should consider rooting your device:

1. You will finally be able to backup your device - without root access you will only be able to back up your personal files/data, with root access you'll be able to backup the entire device - system files as well as your personal stuff.
2. You will be able to flash or install custom ROMs - these custom ROMs tend to offer better optimizations as well as possibly better battery life/usage for your device and most of them look pretty cool with features that your stock ROM may not have.  
3. You will be able to flash newer versions of Android onto your older device - There are devices that are currently running Android 4.0 because they were rooted and flashed with newer ROMs while their "unrooted" counterparts are still stuck on Android 2.3.7 waiting on their carrier or device manufacturer to release an official update (which may never come).
4. You will be able to remove the bloatware system apps that the device comes with - i.e carrier or manufacturer apps that ties you to their network or brand.  You WILL ONLY be able to remove system apps when the device is rooted.
5. You will be able to unlock features of the hardware which are not available by default for example, the ability to tether or internet sharing (I got that one on my HTC 7 Surround some time back) or you can even overclock your processor.
6. You will be able to gain access to the Google Play store - For certain devices such as Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble's Nook HD tablets, you will need to be rooted (in most cases) in order to install and use the official Google Play Store.
7. You will be able to install any app on your device - this includes apps that are “blocked”  based on region restrictions (use this to beat that), apps that have been “banned” from the official app store, and even alternatives app stores.

I would have already outlined the two (2) major issues associated with rooting your device in yesterday's post...see here.

Rooting Explained

Is your smart-device device rooted?  Are you going to be rooting your new smartphone or Kindle Fire HD any time soon?  Exactly what is rooting a device all about?

Rooting is a term that is more associated with Android devices than any other mobile operating system and can be likened to jail-breaking an Apple device (iPhone, iPad etc.) to a certain extent, but what is it?

Well, when you buy a smartphone or tablet (we'll be focusing more on Android), there are certain things you're allowed to do and a whole lot more that is locked away to protect the device from you "breaking" it by tampering with files and settings that the manufacturer believes you should just let be and while they may be right to a certain extent, these restriction will also keep you from doing "simple, fun things" like backing up your device or changing the boot-animation or even deleting some of the bloatware apps that the device comes with.  This is where rooting comes in:

Rooting is a form of software hacking which is done to your device in order to obtain access to system files.

When a device is rooted, the user and certain apps (like Titanium backup for Android) gets to interact with the very core or "root" files of the OS which naturally gives the user the power to now change whatever he/she wants as far as the software is concerned (referred to as having superuser permission).  The user  can now write, modify, or change system files - this is NOT ALLOWED without rooting.

Two things you should know before taking the plunge:

1. Rooting your device will most likely void your device's factory and/or service provider warranty which means should something go wrong with the device you'll be on your own.
2. If the rooting process is not completed correctly it could damage the core software or OS on the device which can cause the device to not boot up for instance - soft brick. 

NB: Rooting does not alter your hardware in any way - if your device does not have a front-facing camera for instance, rooting it will not magically make one appear.

You should also consider reading my posts on the bootloader and on flashing.

Tech Myth - CPU speed decreases over time

Does your CPU's speed decrease over time?

The answer to this question is both NO and YES, but more NO than YES.  Let me explain:

Your CPU (Central Processing Unit) which is also refereed to as the "brains" of your computer system is responsible for doing all the tasks you throw at it and was designed to operate within a certain range of processing speed and temperature.  The more tasks you give the CPU to do the faster it works and naturally the more heat is generated - this, of course will  require more cooling to keep it within its operational temperature range.

Now, once the temperature is properly regulated i.e the CPU is being properly cooled, it will continue working within its processing speed's range for all of its days, which tend to end when you decide to throw it out for a new one and NOT because it "grounded" to a halt.  So it's speed DOES NOT DECREASE.

On the other hand, the thermal paste which lies between the CPU and the cooling system (heat-sink and fan) over time loses its effectiveness (becoming hard, dry and even flaky in some instances), when this happens, if the paste is not replaced, the cooling system gets compromised resulting in the CPU having to run at the lower end of its processing speed range to avoid overheating and possibly destroying itself - this tend to account for the perceived slowing down of the CPU over time even though in truth and fact a CPU's speed IS its speed for all time.

NB:  In most cases the CPU in a computer system will still be fully functional when that system is thrown out.   It's components like the motherboard and other integrated devices that may require a system replacement.  There are times though, when as with all things man-made a CPU will fail, but that's just the result of mass-production and manufacturer's error unless you have a serious motherboard or electrical problem.

Google Nexus Explained

Nexus X, Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 10...what are all these about?  What are Nexus devices?

Well, as i'm sure you know by now (from maybe reading my blog...smile) the Android operating system which powers some of the coolest smart mobile devices on this planet is developed by Google.  Now Android is open source which, to quote Wikipedia "...allows the software to be freely modified and distributed by device manufacturers, wireless carriers and enthusiast developers."

It is mainly this open source nature of Android (with a few other minor things) that has made it the mobile OS of choice for manufactures and persons alike who want the ability to completely customize or modify the OS without having to worry about breaking any laws (to a certain extent), but this great attribute of Google's Android is also one of it's major flaws.  How so you ask?

It's all quite simple really.  The more the various device manufacturers and mobile carriers change the OS to suit themselves by adding custom user interfaces, blocking certain features etc. the more the OS moves away from being what its developer, Google, had created in it's purest form - this is where Nexus comes in.

The Collins English Dictionary defines the word Nexus as "a means of connection between members of a group or things in a series" and this is exactly what Google had in mind when they decided to give their line of mobile devices the Nexus name (apart from it sounding futuristic and really cool).

You should know that Nexus devices are not made wholly by Google, instead Google works along with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partner (so far they've used HTC, Samsung, Asus & LG).  The result is a device that offers the Android OS in it's purest form to consumers - just the way it was developed by Google, bridging the gap between the original and the various flavors available.

Nexus devices tend to be buttery smooth in handling the OS, free from manufacturer and mobile carriers bloatware and are the first in line for future updates of Android straight from Google.

So far there have been four (4) Nexus smartphones (The Nexus One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus or Nexus X and the latest - the Nexus 4) and two (2) Nexus tablets (The Nexus 7 which has a 7-inch screen and the Nexus 10 with a 10-inch screen).

Want a tablet? Get the Kindle HD 8.9 NOW

Have you been thinking about getting a tablet for the holiday?  Now i'm not talking about prescription medication instead i'm talking about getting one of those cool gadgets that you can carry around with you that would allow you to check your emails, get your daily dose of social media, watch a few videos on the go and so much more.  Well, today just might be the day to purchase what I consider to be one of the BEST deals available right now - The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9.

Amazon is currently selling the tablet at a $50 discount, so instead of paying the $299 you can now have one for $249.  All you need to do is head on over to Amazon's website, hit up the link for the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 and you'll be given a discount code (which is used at checkout to adjust the price).

If I was in the market for a new tablet, this is the one i'd be getting - definitely.  The specs are great and although I must admit I hate the Amazon's Android user interface, that can always be replaced with a bit of modification (rooting, custom ROM etc.) later.

I guess Christmas has come early this year...ho ho ho....

Modern-Tech Jargon Buster - Apps. What are apps?

Is there an app for that?
This is one of the questions often asked by persons wanting more from their smartphone/tablet.  You see most persons understand that in order to turn their smart-devices into useful tools they need to have "apps" for the different tasks they wish to perform or complete, but what most persons may not be able to explain is exactly what are apps?

In simple terms the word app is short for application, which are the instructions that tells your device what to do or how to behave.  These days though, the word app is used almost exclusively when referring to    applications or programs that are designed to run on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, but it is not wrong to call the programs installed on your desktop computer app either.

What are cookies?

Do you remember when the correct answer to the title of this post (what are cookies?) would have been "small sweet cakes, typically round, flat, and crisp?"

Information/computer technology has added so many new words, terms, phrases and even new meaning to old words to our vocabulary that these days if you're not careful you could easily find yourself being completely lost in conversations where you know all the words being used, just not the modern interpretation.

So what is a cookie as far as technology is concerned?

Well, in simple terms a cookie can be thought of as an identification card for an Internet user which allows a website that you would have visited some time before to recognize you whenever you return to that site using the same computer and browser.

In more technical terms, a cookie is a small text-based file which is generated by a web server (the computer that operates a website) and stored on your computer's hard drive through your Internet browser which allows a website to recognize you as a returning visitor whenever you decide to revisit that particular website from the same computer, using the same browser.

Now, on the positive or good side cookies are necessary as they:

• help to speed up the load time of the webpages you revisit
• allows the website to remember what you would have placed in your shopping cart last time around for example
• remembers the personal information that you may have entered so you won't have to re-enter it among other things.  

On the negative side cookies can also be used as malware or spyware to:

• track you and your browsing habits
• flood your browser with ads and popup and your email with spam
• gather your personal information which can then be sold to other companies or third party individuals

It's important to note that for every website you visit, once it uses cookies, a cookie is placed on your computer's hard drive and while they are small files, they, over time will account for quite a bit of space.  For the malicious cookies, this is where common sense, anti-spyware and other internet security software comes into play. See here.

For more information on cookies you can check out this link.
For information on how to delete cookies see here.

Portable devices and security

As the tech-world moves more and more away from being tied to a desk and embraces portable computing, so too the population of persons owning smart-devices (smartphones and tablets) is growing and this is a good things since it now means that more work can get done while we're in transit between home and workplace or anywhere for that matter, but there is a risk involved - that of security.

What would happen to your personal information or company's information should you lose your smart device?  If your smartphone or tablet was stolen would you be be able to comfortably say that your personal data is well protected from the thief?  Many persons would spend "top dollar" to own a smart-device, but few take the time to sit and protect the content of the said device.  How about you?  Is your information, files, credit card information, email credentials etc protected?

Here are three (3) simple ways you can protect your data:

1. Lock or password protect your device - ALL smart-devices come with a feature to lock or password protect the device from being used.  I must admit that some are much better than others based on the operating system you're using, but even then, it's better to have a little protection than no protection at all.  If the device has data encryption as a security feature, USE IT!
2. Pay attention to the apps or software you install on your device and the sort of permissions they request upon installation especially if you're using apps that are from sources outside of the official "app stores" of the various mobile operating systems (side-loading)
3. Physical access restriction - this should have possibly been the first one on the list.  You cannot afford to be careless with your device - DO NOT just leave it lying around.

I'm sure you may have other things that persons can do to protect their devices and their contents, so please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

How to unlock "godmode" in Window 7

The average computer has many, many different control settings for all the different things that it can do.  Sure, most of  these control settings do require administrative privilege to be used, but even for system administrators they can be a bit of a bother to find because of how they're "scattered" about.  Luckily, Microsoft decided to include a feature called "godmode" with it's Windows 7 operating system.

"Godmode" is a "one-stop location" for all the administrator tools, settings and control options available for the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system - It is sort of like a super control panel for the OS.

Here's how you go about unlocking godmode:

1. Right mouse click on an empty space on your desktop (it can be any where you like and not just the desktop)
2. From the popup menu go to New and click on Folder
3. When the New Folder is created  copy and paste the following text as the folder's name:  GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
4. Hit Enter on the keyboard and you're done, you have now unlocked "godmode" on your computer. 

Warning:  Some of the tools or options DO require some technical know-how to use correctly, so if you're not sure what a particular option or control does it is best to either leave it alone or to find out what it does first before interfering with it.

The NEW Website is coming...

It launches on 12-12-12 at 12:12 PM (I thought it a cool date and time...lol)

https://www.facebook.com/JaDabreo

Be one of the first one to experience it

Android, Widgets and Performance

Having too many widgets on the start screen or home screen of your Android device (smartphone or tablet) will result in a slight decrease in speed and responsiveness when you return to the start screen from say, within an application.

This slow down or lag (small though it might be on devices with faster processors)  is due to the fact that the state of the home-screen is kept in memory (RAM) when you navigate away from it to ensure that you're able to get back there as fast as possible without it having to be reloaded every time.  Sure, this is a good thing, but you will also understand why having lots of widgets there will lead to the slight drop in performance as widgets do take up quite a bit of memory to function.

If you're the proud owner of an android device you can give this a try - navigate away from your home screen with all your widgets active then return home, now remove the widgets and repeat the same action.

Please share your experience in the comment section below.