How-To Geek

How Many Memory Addresses Can the RAM in My Computer Hold?

Jason Fitzpatrick — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:00:06 GMT

Somedays it’s fun to look at the surface level of the computing experience and other days it’s fun to delve right into the inner workings. Today we’re taking a look at the structure of computer memory and just how much stuff you can pack in a stick of RAM.

Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites.

Geek Trivia: What Is Chalk Made Up Of?

Jason Fitzpatrick — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:37:25 GMT

What Is Chalk Made Up Of?

1) Petrified Ocean Surf
2) Prehistoric Volcanic Ash
3) Plankton Fossils
4) Pulverized Dinosaur Bones

Think you know the answer?

Microsoft will Shut Down Support for Linked Accounts in Outlook.com Next Month

Akemi Iwaya — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:20:17 GMT

If you or someone you know uses the linked accounts feature in an Outlook.com account, then you definitely need to pay attention to this news. Starting late next month Microsoft will begin the process of unlinking linked accounts as a measure to boost overall account security for Outlook.com users.

Microsoft has outlined the reason for the upcoming change as seen in the following excerpt and it ties in with the recent availability of two-factor authentication. Both measures are focused on helping improve account security. They recommend using the Alias Feature in Outlook.com accounts or setting up regular mail forwarding to manage your mail.

From the Outlook Blog post: We’ve increasingly found that linked accounts are less robust, and less secure than using aliases. With linked accounts, you can sign in to Outlook.com on the web and then switch to any other linked account without entering a password. It’s a handy feature.

Unfortunately, this same feature benefits the bad guys, too. We’ve found that quite often, people who use linked accounts keep their primary account’s security info (including password and proofs) up to date, but don’t lavish as much care on their secondary accounts. It’s easier for a malicious party to compromise one of those secondary accounts, which gives them full access to your primary account.

How to Create a Wi-Fi Heatmap for Network Analysis, Better Coverage, and Geek Cred Galore

Jason Fitzpatrick — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:38 GMT

Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could see exactly where your Wi-Fi coverage was hot, cold, and somewhere in between? Stop guesstimating where you might need better Wi-Fi coverage and see exactly where with today’s Wi-Fi heatmap tutorial.

What is Overclocking? The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Understanding How Geeks Speed Up Their PCs

Chris Hoffman — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:40:16 GMT

Overclocking is the action of increasing a component’s clock rate, running it at a higher speed than it was designed to run. This is usually applies to the CPU or GPU, but other components can also be overclocked.

Increasing a component’s clock rate causes it to perform more operations per second, but it also produces additional heat. Overclocking can help squeeze more performance out of your components, but they’ll often need additional cooling and care.

Test Your Strategic Thinking Skills with Puzzle Retreat

Akemi Iwaya — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:09:38 GMT

Do you love puzzle games that make you think? Then you will definitely enjoy Puzzle Retreat! In this addictive puzzler you must work out the correct sequence of movements to solve each puzzle before you can move on to the next one. Can your brain handle the challenge or will you admit defeat?

Special Note: The game comes with two free puzzle packs (60 levels) to work with…Welcome and Morning. More puzzle packs can be purchased ‘in game’ if desired.

The game starts with some easy puzzles to solve while you get used to the game’s mechanics. The goal is to fill each empty square hole with an ice block that you slide out (touch and swipe) from the yellow bordered blocks.

Geek Trivia: What Is Believed To Be At The Center Of Nearly Every Galaxy?

Jason Fitzpatrick — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:37:46 GMT

What Is Believed To Be At The Center Of Nearly Every Galaxy?

1) Trillion Ton Iron Deposits
2) Constellations
3) Binary Star Systems
4) Supermassive Black Holes

Think you know the answer?

How Does a Quantum Computer Work?

Akemi Iwaya — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:20:23 GMT

If you are not familiar with quantum computers, then you may be wondering what the difference is between them and our regular everyday computers. Veritasium discusses the topic of what makes a quantum computer different and why they are so powerful in this video.

How Does a Quantum Computer Work? [YouTube]

Why the 64-bit Version of Windows is More Secure

Chris Hoffman — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:40:18 GMT

Most new PCs have been shipping with the 64-bit version of Windows — both Windows 7 and 8 — for years now. 64-bit bit versions of Windows aren’t just about taking advantage of additional memory. They’re also more secure than 32-bit versions.

64-bit operating systems aren’t immune to malware, but they do have more security features. Some of this also applies to 64-bit versions of other operating systems, such as Linux. Linux users will gain security advantages by switching to a 64-bit version of their Linux distribution.

How to Test if Your ISP is Throttling Your Internet Connection

Chris Hoffman — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:04:09 GMT

We’ve all heard the rumors and seen occasional evidence — some Internet service providers slow down certain types of traffic, like BitTorrent traffic. Other ISPs slow down their customers’ connections if they download too much data in a month.

But does your ISP do any of this? Here are a few simple ways you can test whether your ISP is performing any traffic shaping or bandwidth throttling on your connection.

How to Erase Windows 8′s Sync Data From the Cloud

Mark Wilson — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:00:50 GMT

The ability to sync data and settings between computers running Windows 8 is great, but it does mean that your information – possibly personal – is stored in the cloud. If you have changed your mind about syncing and want to remove your data from the cloud, here’s how to do it.

Geek Trivia: Which Web Browser Was The First To Feature Tabbed Browsing?

Jason Fitzpatrick — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 17:37:34 GMT

Which Web Browser Was The First To Feature Tabbed Browsing?

1) Mozilla
2) Netscape
3) TabbyBrowser
4) InternetWorks

Think you know the answer?

Everything You Need to Know About Customizing Android’s Lock Screen

Chris Hoffman — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:40:11 GMT

Android’s lock screen supports a variety of different unlock methods as well as widgets, which allow you to take action and view information from the lock screen. To really master your device, you’ll want to tweak your lock screen.

Lock-screen widgets can help you interact with your phone without unlocking it. They were added in Android 4.2, but older versions of Android can use third-party lock-screen widgets. If you don’t like them, you can disable them.

Geek Trivia: Which Alcoholic Drink Was Originally Used To Treat Malaria?

Jason Fitzpatrick — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 17:37:22 GMT

Which Alcoholic Drink Was Originally Used To Treat Malaria?

1) Tom Collins
2) Rusty Nails
3) Gin and Tonics
4) Martinis

Think you know the answer?

Why You Probably Aren’t Getting the Internet Speeds You’re Paying For (and How to Tell)

Chris Hoffman — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 10:40:18 GMT

Have you ever noticed that your Internet service provider advertises their speeds as “up to” a maximum speed? You may think you’re paying for a 15 Mbps connection, but you’re actually getting an “up to 15 Mbps” connection that may be slower.

We’ll look at why actual speeds differ from advertised speeds and how you can identify whether you’re actually getting the Internet connection speeds you’re paying for.

Desktop Fun: Seashells Wallpaper Collection Series 2

Akemi Iwaya — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 09:12:04 GMT

Searching for seashells at the beach can be a unique adventure each time you go since new shells are always washing up out of the water. Gather up a beautiful collection of seashells for your desktop with the second in our series of Seashells Wallpaper collections.

Supersonic is an Awesome Music-Driven 3D Racing Game

Akemi Iwaya — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:04:39 GMT

What do you get when you mix music, racing, and an awesome set of 3D racing circuits? Supersonic! Jump into the driver’s seat and prepare for speed-fueled fun as you race your way through track after track, all with an awesome soundtrack that will pump up your need for speed.

The game literally turns your device into a steering wheel. You can calibrate your device’s tilt sensitivity (Tilt) and orientation (Calibrate) using the controls shown along the bottom of the screen.

Time to step on it!

Geek Trivia: If You’ve Waited 90 Seconds, You’ve Waited A?

Jason Fitzpatrick — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:37:19 GMT

If You’ve Waited 90 Seconds, You’ve Waited A?

1) Interval
2) Midgling
3) Triminute
4) Moment

Think you know the answer?

Google will Retire ‘Chrome Frame’ in January 2014

Akemi Iwaya — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:20:10 GMT

When Google introduced Chrome Frame in 2009, it was their intention to help those running legacy versions of Internet Explorer have access to and enjoy a modern browsing experience. Now that more people are using modern up-to-date versions of Internet Explorer and other browsers, Google has decided that Chrome Frame’s work is done and it is time to retire it.

As of January 2014 Chrome Frame will no longer receive support or updates, so if you are one of the people using it, then you will need to find an alternative solution that works best for your needs.

From the Chromium Blog post: Today, most people are using modern browsers that support the majority of the latest web technologies. Better yet, the usage of legacy browsers is declining significantly and newer browsers stay up to date automatically, which means the leading edge has become mainstream. Given these factors we’ve decided to retire Chrome Frame, and will cease support and updates for the product in January 2014.

Enjoy a quick trip down ‘Memory Lane’ with the following intro video for Chrome Frame…

Get a List of Software Installed on Your PC with a Single Line of PowerShell

Taylor Gibb — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:00:57 GMT

Suppose someone asks you for a list of applications you have installed on your computer. To get this information, what’s the first thing you would think to use? Third-party program? Not us, we have PowerShell.

15 System Tools You Don’t Have To Install on Windows Anymore

Chris Hoffman — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:40:52 GMT

Windows includes its own versions of many widely used system utilities. A variety of new utilities were added to Windows 8, but many of these utilities are available on Windows 7, too.

If the first thing you do after setting up a new Windows installation is install all your preferred utilities, this can speed things up. Better yet, these utilities are available on every Windows computer you’ll come across.

How Can I Minimize Flash Drive Data Corruption and Loss?

Jason Fitzpatrick — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:00:27 GMT

You’re constantly plugging and unplugging (and mounting/unmounting) your flash drive. What can you do to minimize potential data loss?

Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites.

Geek Trivia: Which Creature’s Fingerprints Are Virtually Indistinguishable From A Human’s?

Jason Fitzpatrick — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:37:18 GMT

Which Creature’s Fingerprints Are Virtually Indistinguishable From A Human’s?

1) Koala Bears
2) Chimpanzees
3) Lemurs
4) Gorillas

Think you know the answer?

Why are People Right-Handed or Left-Handed?

Akemi Iwaya — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:20:13 GMT

Have you ever wondered why people have a preference for using one hand over the other? What is it that determines hand dominance? Is it because of evolution, is it hereditary, or due to something else? SciShow takes a quick look at the topic in this terrific video.

Special Note: As mentioned in the YouTube comments section, we wish the video had addressed the issue of ambidexterity in people as well.

Do you find yourself preferring one hand over the other almost exclusively for all activities? Are you someone who mixes things up and uses one hand or the other predominantly for specific activities? Perhaps you are an individual who falls into the ambidextrous category? Share your thought and experiences in the comments!

Why Are There Righties & Lefties? [YouTube]

Byte Size Tips: How to Extract ZIP Files Using PowerShell

Taylor Gibb — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:34:38 GMT

Windows includes the ability to unzip archives and even exposes this functionality programmatically via COM. Here is how to do it.