Author Archives: chapelhilltech
Secunia PSI
Another very useful tool for keeping your PC running smoothly is Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI). This software scans your computer for programs with vulnerabilities and installs the patches for you. Free for personal use too! Find it at secunia.com … Continue reading
Vulnerability Checking
Qualys (one of the leading computer security companies) has a free tool for checking your web browser and associated plugins for vulnerabilities. Just go to http://browsercheck.qualys.com and scan your computer. The report will let you know if you have an … Continue reading
Mac OS X “Lion”
Now that Lion is out, the obvious question that comes to mind is “Should I upgrade?” The answer (of course) depends. I’ve been running it for a few days and I’ve been pleased with it so far. Here are a … Continue reading
Spotify is here
Spotify has recently launched in the United States and I got my account invitation this morning. With instant access to over 12 million songs, Spotify will change the way you think about music. Instead of buying albums, you rent free … Continue reading
What’s the best way to dispose of an old PC?
I frequently get asked how to safely dispose of old computer equipment. There are a few key steps: 1) Retrieve any data you might need. 2) Securely erase the device. 3) Sell, donate or recycle the device. For step one, … Continue reading
Disable threading in Gmail
If you dislike how Gmail clumps messages together, you can disable this feature. Google refers to this as the “Conversation View” – just look for it under Gmail’s settings and turn it off. With it disabled, your messages will come … Continue reading
Are your backups running?
It’s always a good idea to verify that your backups are working correctly. To check on Time Machine backups on the Mac, click on the Time Machine icon in the menu bar as shown. As long it displays a recent … Continue reading
QuickBooks Connect
My latest experiment is using the QuickBooks Connect service, which is made by Intuit and costs $10/month for one user. It lets me access all of my customer and company data on the go with their iPhone app and it … Continue reading
Apple’s roadmap
The WWDC keynote yesterday was chock full of exciting announcements from Apple. Some of the most interesting features were amazingly cheap too – Mac OS 10.7 “Lion” is going to be a $29 download. The server version only adds $50 … Continue reading
I’m an official CISSP!
“Based upon your examination results, a review of your application and acceptance of your endorsement, the (ISC)2 Board of Directors awarded you with the CISSP designation. By virtue of becoming certified by (ISC)2, you are a member of the (ISC)2 … Continue reading
