Is a site down, or is it you?

Is a site down, or is it you?
Sometimes the problem isn't on your side and, when it is, it's best to know.  Sometimes no sites will come up because your internet provider is having an issue or doing upgrades (and, if you call in, most of them will have an automated message telling you that).  Other times, an individual site might be…
Read more

Win10 has a date: July 29

Short and sweet:  Win10 will launch July 29 and owners of Win7 and Win8.1 (not Win8!) are eligible for upgrades.  You may have already seen the icon down by your PC's clock.
Read more

Avoid infections by keeping your browser plugins updated

Avoid infections by keeping your browser plugins updated
A lot of virus infections (most, actually) come from exploits in out-of-date browser plugins.  A common trick is for nefarious websites to popup messages saying (e.g.) "You must update your Adobe Flash!" and users end up installing toolbars and other garbage into their systems.  Don't fall for it. I had been recommending a page from…
Read more

Firefox: Turn on Tracking Protection to load pages ~44% faster!

Firefox: Turn on Tracking Protection to load pages ~44% faster!
To turn on Tracking Protection in Firefox: Type in about:config in the location bar and hit enter. You’ll see a warning about possibly voiding your warranty. Hit “I’ll be careful, I promise!” to continue. Search for privacy.trackingprotection.enabled. Double-click that to toggle the value to true. A study done with this setting change provided page load…
Read more