Google Earth

The other day I installed a new program from Google called Google Earth. Many of you know that Google, not too long ago, teamed up with Keyhole to provide satellite imagery on top of Google's mapping feature (http://maps.google.com/). Well, Google has expanded on this new technology to release Google Earth, an interactive program one installs on their PC to give them full ability to search the globe and view satellite imagery from the PC. Not only that, though, but it provides all the services of Google Maps, namely address locations, driving directions, finding business in the area, etc. Get driving directions and you can then actually fly the route, viewing satellite imagery of the whole drive. Look at a particular area of town and then run a search for something (coffee shops, for example) and get an automatic placement of all such businesses in the field of view.

The technology here, and the amount of data at your disposal, is really impressive, at least to myself who has been in this field for some time. The great thing is that anyone can try it for free with no limits. If you want to use it for business purposes or real estate, you end up paying some money in. Lastly, the program requires some real PC horsepower. People running PCs a year or so old will need to pay attention to the requirements.

http://earth.google.com/index.html

Open Tab With One Click in Firefox

Sometimes I get amazed at all the little shortcuts out there when one knows them. Here is another one for you Firefox users who also happen to have a mouse with a scroll-wheel. Usually, to open a link in a new tab in Firefox, you just right-click on the link and hit New Tab. As a little shortcut, you can simply click on the link with your scroll-wheel. It will open into a new tab.

Its a quickie little shortcut. It might take a little getting used to because some (including me) have a tendency to roll the wheel slightly when trying to click with it, thus missing the link. The other catch is that it might not work if you already have other functions assigned to scroll-wheel clicks.

Compatibility Mode in XP

Windows XP includes a feature that allows you to run most executables in “compatibility mode” for older Windows distributions. What this means is that you can run a program in a mode that emulates any older Windows distribution that you choose. Doing so can be enormously helpful in troubleshooting certain older program files, particularly older games. To turn on compatibility mode for a certain older Windows OS, simply right-click the program file (or a shortcut leading to the program file) that you want to run in compatibility mode. Next, click on the “Compatibility” tab, and check the box next to the text “Run this program in compatibility mode for.” Finally, choose an operating system from the dropdown box, and press “OK.” Now, when the executable is launched, the program will be emulated under the OS that you chose. Note that to turn off compatibility mode, all you have to do is go back to the Compatibility tab and uncheck the box that you previously checked.

Listing Your TCP Connections

Do you ever worry that someone or something has external access to your system, or wish that you could see all current connections? While its not the most elegant way of doing so, the “netstat” command can certainly work for you. To use it, simply go to “Start -> Run” and type in “cmd” (or if you use Windows 95/98, type in “command”).  When the command prompt opens, type in “netstat –a.” This lists all of your active connections for all protocols. If you wish to view only open TCP connections, type in “netstat –p tcp.” When the connections are displayed, from the left to the right is the Protocol, your address and port, the foreign address and port (or who you are connected to), and the connection state. When investigating for the existence of worms, Trojan horses, and spyware, netstat can prove to be a very useful tool!

The 'All Users' Folder

If more than one person logs onto your PC, or if you have more than one account, chances are that you made more than one account for a reason, probably access control. However, even if this is the case, sometimes there are documents, shortcuts, desktop items, and Favorites that you would like to apply for All Users to the computer. For this, Windows 2000 and XP include an “All Users” folder. To utilize this, open the hard drive that Windows is installed on in Windows Explorer. Find the “Documents and Settings” Folder, and then the “All Users” folder. From there, you will find a folder for “Shared Documents,” “Desktop,” “Start Menu,” and “Favorites.” Add whatever you feel should be shared among the users in that folder, and the next time the users login, they will see and have access to all that “All Users” see and have access to, namely, the Shared Documents, Desktop, Start Menu Items, and Favorites.

Turning off the SP2 Security Service (and other annoying services)

While SP2’s Security Center may be enlightening to many users, it can be a pest to others. If you are annoyed by Windows constantly warning you of your lack of a virus solution at startup or the fact that Windows Firewall is turned off, you may be one of the annoyed. To turn it off, go to “Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services.” When the Services MMC snap-in comes up, find the service named “Security Center,” double-click it, and when the next window comes up, press “Stop.” Then, select “Disable” from start-up type, and press “OK.” The result is that Security Center is both stopped and will never start up again, until you enable the service again. Note that this can be done with any service, not just “Security Center.” (However, before you start disabling services, make sure that you do not need them – in most cases, a search on Google will yield a quick answer.)

Wireless Network In Stealth Mode

More and more people are putting wireless routers into their homes or places of business. I myself use one so that I can use my notebook computer out in the living room and go online. However, anybody who is searching for a wireless network will know that you will get a list of networks identified by their name. This name that you see is called the Service Set Identifier (SSID). In order for you to see that SSID on your screen, obviously the router is broadcasting it. And if you can see it, so can anybody else poking around looking for wireless networks to tap into. Most wireless routers and access points provide an option to stop broadcasting the SSID. It is on, by default. However, disabling the broadcast will mean you can use the network if you happen to know the SSID, but people just sniffing for wireless networks to use will not be able to see it.

Use Gmail as a Storage Device

GMail Drive is a Shell Namespace Extension that creates a virtual filesystem around your Google GMail account, allowing you to use GMail as a storage medium.

GMail Drive creates a virtual filesystem on top of your Google GMail account and enables you to save and retrieve files stored on your GMail account directly from inside Windows Explorer. GMail Drive literally adds a new drive to your computer under the My Computer folder, where you can create new folders, copy and drag'n'drop files to.

Ever since Google started to offer users a GMail e-mail account, which includes storage space of a 1000 megabytes, you have had plenty of storage space but not a lot to fill it up with. With GMail Drive you can easily copy files to your GMail account and retrieve them again. When you create a new file using GMail Drive, it generates an e-mail and posts it to your account. The e-mail appears in your normal Inbox folder, and the file is attached as an e-mail attachment. GMail Drive periodically checks your mail account (using the GMail search function) to see if new files have arrived and to rebuild the directory structures. But basically GMail Drive acts as any other hard-drive installed on your computer. You can copy files to and from the GMail Drive folder simply by using drag'n'drop like you're used to with the normal Explorer folders.

Get rid of Unwanted Network Neighbors

Many times when you browser over to My Network Places and view your network neighborhood, you get hung up by the long list of network nodes. It can slow things up quite a bit. However, these nodes are simply folder shortcuts and can therefore be deleted safely. So, to delete the ones you don't want, first right-click on it and choose Properties. Verify that the Type field says "Folder Shortcut". If it does, it is safe to delete it. You can still get to it if you want by going to the Entire Network node. If you access on of them, Windows will re-create the shortcut automatically. But, until then, you don't need to list it and slow things down.

Remote Desktop

Windows XP includes a feature that allows you to access your computer while on another computer (as long as your computer is logically connected to the Internet or to the other computer via networking). To utilize this, go to Control Panel -> System -> Remote; check "Allow users to connect remotely..."; press "OK." Now, if you or another user wishes to connect to your PC, all he/she has to do is go to Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Communications -> Remote Desktop, type in your computer's name or IP address, and press "Connect." Of course, if you are behind a router with NAT, a hardware firewall, or other such security measures, you may have to configure any such devices to allow Remote Desktop traffic on port 3389. (It is also important to note that Remote Desktop is only an XP feature, and only XP Pro can actually connect to remote desktops. However, both XP Pro and Home allow a desktop to be accessed remotely.)

For tips on Windows 7 click here.... and for other computer tips click here

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