Completely Wipe Your Hard Drive

October 22, 2009 — Mrs. Mecomber

I remain totally baffled at the amount of pre-owned computers out there today, just handed over to complete strangers without data removed completely. I’ve heard stories of individuals buying old bank computers on eBay, and lo and behold, the bank data is still there! Or of someone just giving someone else his/her computer without making sure the data is completely erased.

Part of the problem is that people don’t know what erasing data really entails. Just tossing documents into the Recycle Bin on your desktop does not erase data. Just selecting “Empty Recycle Bin” doesn’t completely remove the data, either. The data technically still remains on the hard drive– it’s just jumbled now. For data to be completely removed from your hard drive, you have to do one of the following:

  • Remove your hard drive from your computer and smash it to smithereens with a hammer.
  • Delete your data and have the hard drive rewritten.

There’s a neat, free (!) program I’ve recently heard of that erases data. Not surprisingly, it’s called Eraser. It’s open source, so that means it’s free! Eraser rewrites information onto your hard drive several times. This erases your old data. It’s definitely safer than handing over your old unit to an eBay auction!

P.S. this is not a paid review! I know there ar ea lot of readers who buy and use older, pre-owned computers. I hope this program helps you.

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Posted in computers, security programs. Tags: , , . 10 Comments »

Get Bids for Your Graphic Needs

October 22, 2009 — Mrs. Mecomber

Well, this is a very interesting concept: crowdsourcing. I’ve been seeing it done by news outlets, but this is the first I’ve seen for a design need.

Crowdsourcing is outsourcing a task to a “crowd” of people, kind of like an open call for something like employment, or services needed. My local news organization has been doing this for a long time, regarding their annual calendar fund drive– they ask the public to submit photos for the weather calendar. A certain group of people vote on the selections, and the winners get their photos published in the calendar with attribution. The news company makes out well– they sell the calendars for $20 a piece. Nice.

Anyway, crowdsourcing is a new way to get out your need to a large group of people; but that’s the thing- how do you go about this? There’s a website called Prova.fm and they are making known their ability to help small businesses (and of course, large businesses) and individuals with their graphic needs. For example, let’s say your new business needs a logo and a website. Through Prova.fm, you can have advertisement design contests– inform them of your needs and how much you want to pay, and Prova.fm can connect with experienced designers from all over the world to submit their designs and ideas.

Prova.fm is having a promotional event: they’re offering 1,000 free printed postcards and business cards for your business for signing up with them; see their site for details. Crowdsourcing is knd of cool!

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Posted in business services, Internet. Comments Off »

Web of Trust Firefox Addon

October 22, 2009 — Mrs. Mecomber

I’ve been testing out a few newer Firefox Addons (post to come about that), but I wanted to mention a new one called Web of Trust that has been a pretty good one. It’s touted as:

WOT is a free Internet security addon for your browser. It will keep you safe from online scams, identity theft, spyware, spam, viruses and unreliable shopping sites. WOT warns you before you interact with a risky website. It’s easy and it’s free.

The price can’t be beat. ;)

I like the search features– a green circle appears on images and next to links that are approved as safe; gray circles are not known, and red circles are warnings of security problems (spyware, etc). I do not like the window that sometimes pops up when I enter a site warning me of a problem. Well– let me clarify that– if I select “ignore” I am allowed to pass on, but the next time I visit the site, the same window appears with the same warning. :S Maybe it’s an issue with my install?? I find it odd that it would not remember my choice.

So far, so good. It’s a solid addon (doesn’t make Firefox crash or work too hard). Might want to be something you check out, especially if you do a lot of web surfing.

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Posted in browsers. Tags: , , . 2 Comments »

Study: Need a Job? Don’t Be a Slob

October 19, 2009 — Mrs. Mecomber

A new study conducted by Harris Interactive and conducted and released by Gillette says that your grooming skills are extremely important in landing a job:

In an era when unemployment rates are soaring to near-record highs, male job seekers may be more successful if they update their appearance along with their resume. Results from a recent survey of more than 500 HR professionals… indicate that 84% of HR professionals agree that well-groomed employees climb the corporate ladder faster than those who are not well-groomed. When it comes to first impressions, ninety percent of HR professionals place more importance on being well-groomed than even a firm handshake.

…Almost two-thirds of HR professionals surveyed believe that a candidate’s physical appearance is important in distinguishing them from other job candidates, and more than 90% agree that a candidate who takes the time to be well-groomed projects confidence.

Now, there’s no need to look like George Clooney to land the next career. But you don’t want to go to an interview looking and dressing like Homer Simpson, either. As a matter of fact, the study’s sponsor, Gillette, has a few online resource and reference guides with tips and advice on grooming, grooming products, articles and resources for getting hired, and other various information: there’s the Gillette Resource Center online, with a comprehensive listing of products and tutorials on how to use them, including grooming videos. And Gillette also has a very informative website called the Gillette Career Advantage, starring Mark Jeffries, a career expert who offers insight and advice, and GQ style correspondent, Brett Fahlgren. At their site, you can get expert career advice, check your own style and job-market panache with a quiz, and read articles on improving the grooming for landing that stellar job. All online, all free to peruse.

It is definitely advisable to update your appearance and manners before attempting your job interview. Gillette can help! Check out the websites for more information.

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Posted in business services, Internet, marketing. Tags: , , . Comments Off »

California To Ban Power-Guzzling TVs

October 16, 2009 — Mrs. Mecomber

It’s not a done deal YET, but it looks extremely probable: California is set to ban those high-energy consuming televisions.

On Tuesday, executives and consultants for the Arlington, Va., trade group asked members of the California Energy Commission to instead let consumers use their wallets to decide whether they want to buy the most energy-saving new models of liquid-crystal display and plasma high-definition TVs.

“Voluntary efforts are succeeding without regulations,” said Doug Johnson, the association’s senior director for technology policy. Too much government interference could hamstring industry innovation and prove expensive to manufacturers and consumers, he warned.

But those pleas didn’t appear to elicit much support from commissioners at a public hearing on the proposed rules that would set maximum energy-consumption standards for televisions to be phased in over two years beginning in January 2011. A vote could come as early as Nov. 4.

The association’s views weren’t shared by everyone in the TV business. Representatives of some TV makers, including top-seller Vizio Inc. of Irvine, said they would have little trouble complying with tighter state standards without substantially increasing prices.

Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with something like this. I think California is within its right to restrict excessive energy use. It shouldn’t HAVE to, though. Individuals ought to be concerned themselves, because meaningless energy-suckers hurt the community at large. I’m not big on state-sponsored “green” measures, but if the consumers are so bent on their own destruction, something must be done.

I think the current mess we are in (planned obsolescence, contamination of our lakes and streams and properties, the rabid consumerism that has replaced our capitalistic economy since the 1950s) is a result of the lack of community concern in our country. While I don’t like the state having to enforce protectionist regulations, it sometimes become necessary when the population will not be self-governed. I know this is a deviation from my politically “conservative” and “libertarian” roots, but to quote the words of Benjamin Rush: I am neither a Democrat or an Aristocrat. I am a Christocrat. ;)

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Posted in chatty, news, technology. Tags: , , . 2 Comments »

Avoid Scams: Do Your Homework!

October 16, 2009 — Mrs. Mecomber

The Internet is such a marvelous place! It’s opened up a world of global news and information, discount shopping, and financial and employment opportunities. But as with everything, there are those who use the system for criminal activity. Please, before you do ANYTHING financial, do your homework. I use the Internet as a type of yellow pages, looking for products and services and people. I’ve been a proponent of an online presence for every business and company. But how do you know a business or company is a reputable one before you fork over your personal or financial information? There are numerous, numerous offers for loan modifications these days, due to the present economy. Don’t get scammed!

For one, search the website for a physical address and check it on Google or Yahoo Maps. Look also for a telephone number, and call it. It should direct you to a real office. Do a web search of the company, see what others are saying. Realize that there will always be people with sour grapes, and these sour grapes tend to be extremely vocal (and they almost always show up first in the search engines).

When choosing an extremely important company, such as an attorney’s office or a vendor, check the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org). Also, when searching for an attorney, do check the National Bar Association, to ensure that the group is a member of the bar (call your state government office to find the website address or phone number for this association). One shining example of such standards is American Residential Law Group based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They are extremely proud of their outstanding rating at the Better Business Bureau, and, of course, are members in good standing of the Florida State Bar. They are a highly qualified, dedicated group of attorneys. They also have an extremely informative page “Why Choose Us” that discusses their expertise on loan modification services, which has become more common since the mortgage crisis and the current economic woes. I recommend you definitely give it a read if you are considering loan modification. The American Residential Law Group is highly qualified with superior recommendations. It is qualifications such as these that you should discover when looking for a reliable business or company online.

So do your homework before jumping in to a deal! All that is required is just a little amount of legwork.
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