Workers' Edge

How to troubleshoot software-update problems

Dennis O'Reilly — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:49:19 PDT

"Insufficient privilege" errors and other installation woes can be difficult to diagnose. For example, repairing the Apple Software Update program in Windows 7 fixes an iTunes update glitch.

Originally posted at How To

Four time-saving iPhone tips

Dennis O'Reilly — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:31:41 PDT

Access music-player and camera controls without unlocking the screen; create shortcuts to Web pages and make them easier to read; add numbers and punctuation via the press-hold-drag technique; and customize your music-player view options.

Originally posted at How To

The right way and wrong way to use Twitter

Dennis O'Reilly — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:46:47 PDT

Tweeting is a great way to share thoughts and information with friends and followers, as long as you stay safe, keep it civil, and most importantly, be interesting.

Originally posted at How To

Free services make Gmail, Google Drive, Google search more private

Dennis O'Reilly — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:02:37 PDT

Sendinc encrypts mail sent via a Gmail, Outlook, or other account; BoxCryptor encrypts Google Drive, SkyDrive, DropBox, and other cloud storage; and Startpage serves up Google search results without recording your IP address or otherwise tracking you.

Originally posted at How To

Three essential security add-ons for Firefox, Chrome, and IE

Dennis O'Reilly — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:33:49 PDT

The free extensions for Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer thwart trackers, block ads (in Firefox and Chrome), and rate the safety of links before you click them: Ghostery, Adblock Plus, and Web of Trust, respectively.

Originally posted at How To

How to prepare for your last log-off

Dennis O'Reilly — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:38:12 PDT

From will templates to postmortem e-mails, free and low-cost Web services help you put your affairs in order, send messages from the afterlife (sort of), and ensure your online accounts are properly laid to rest.

Originally posted at How To

How to lock the Windows 7 Start menu (if you really must)

Dennis O'Reilly — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:20:24 PDT

Prevent changes to the Start menu by adding a key to the Windows Registry, or for Win7 Pro and Ultimate users, use the Local Group Policy Editor to block attempts to add, remove, or rearrange items on the Start menu.

Originally posted at How To

A fix for the multifile-selection glitch in Windows 7 and 8

Dennis O'Reilly — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:21:24 PDT

In earlier versions of Windows, you could select multiple files in an Explorer window and change the sort-by option without losing your selection. Tweak the Registry to return the capability to Explorer in Windows 7 and 8.

Originally posted at How To

Prepare for and respond to a lost or stolen smartphone

Dennis O'Reilly — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:18:15 PDT

Protect the sensitive information on your smartphone by backing it up beforehand and contacting your carrier as quickly as possible after it goes missing.

Originally posted at How To

How you may have inadvertently participated in recent DDoS attacks

Dennis O'Reilly — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:23:49 PDT

The botnets driving the recent distributed denial of service attacks are powered by millions of infected computers. Their coordinated flood of requests overwhelms the Internet's DNS servers, slowing them down and even knocking the servers offline. The long-term solution for site operators and visitors alike may rely on reluctant ISPs working together.

Originally posted at How To