Using google - easy stuff

Google search has become so pervasive in today's society it has literally become synonymous with search.

Working as a techie it's darn near impossible to know everything, so a good deal of my day is dedicated to finding the answer.

I've come up with a couple searches that I've found very useful for the everyday user that I have partly discovered by accident and partly by using Google to learn how to search (i know...)

Finding area code, example: "425" - this is my area code, but very useful if you need to find it

Find a zip code, example: "kirkland wa zip code" - how to find the zip code for kirkland, wa

Find the time in a foreign city, example: "time in shenzhen china" - very useful when my wife was traveling for work

Find flight status, example: "alaska airlines flight 62" - brings up flight status for alaska airlines flight 62

Find phone number, example: "555-555-5555" - if this call came in and i didn't know who it is

Currency conversion, example: "360 us dollars in rmb" - figure out how much yuan = $360

Stock Value, example: "goog" - current value and history of Google's stock

Word definitions, example: "define:cumulus" - definition of cumulus or any word

Weather, example: "weather bothell wa" - find what the current weather and forecast

Calculator, example: "25 divided by 5" - do basic and advanced math

Track a package, example: "tracking number" - quickly track a fedex or ups package


Here are some links for my sources and other resources for using google:

- http://www.mapelli.info/tips/ultimate-google-search-tips-guide
- http://techtracer.com/2008/01/06/10-most-amazing-google-search-tricks/
- http://lifehacker.com/339474/top-10-obscure-google-search-tricks
- http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/1264/12-Quick-Tips-To-Search-Google-Like-An-Expert.aspx
- http://www.googleguide.com/
- http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=134479

Thou must clean thine computer with canned air at least once a year

If you own a desktop and aren't afraid to open the case every now and again, it's a good idea to buy a bottle or two of canned air and clean out your computer.

By cleaning out your computer case, you'll extend the life and health of your computer (as components last longer if they're cool, and dust can very much clog up cooling fans).

Otherwise, you'll end up with dust, or in more extreme cases, snakes in your computer.

Thou must use never login as administrator, this will make the tech gods very angry

The administrator account is something very special and powerful, and should only be used when it's absolutely necessary.

This account has complete control of whatever operating system, software, network device or domain where it resides... it owns all keys to the castle. As such this account should be treated with respect, it's password guarded carefully and never given out.

A good principle to abide by, is what is referred to as "the principle of least privilege" in computer lingo. In short, the principle states that you give enough access for users to perform their specific tasks.

In corporation, this means that administrators grant users only enough access to resources (printers, shared folders, ability to add/remove programs, etc...) to perform their jobs without too much assistance or intervention from the network administrator.

On the home front (this means you), this would mean divvying up a computer into normal user accounts for everyone who uses it.

By living by this principle, everyone can limit the amount of damage that can be done to a computer if it is compromised by an infection by segregating accounts and access to files and folders.

In the present, Microsoft has enable Windows Vista with a UAC (user access control) system that prompts a user if administrative privileges are needed to perform a task (add/remove a program, add/remove hardware, etc....). While this may be annoying, it is actually a good thing, as this forces people to abide by the Principle of Least Privilege.

Thou must learn how to read a manual. They are your friends and should be consulted before thine family/friend techy

This is probably the easiest posts to write, because all it requires is for the user to either open a book or do a quick google search.

The easiest questions are most often answered in manuals, or product FAQ's which are either included with whatever product is in question, or located on the product's website.

Tip: quick and dirty google search to find a product manual, for example: If I need the manual for an HP DL380 G3 server, my google search would be: "hp dl380 g3 manual", or "hpdl380 dl380 g3 +manual".
Additional tip: most manuals these days come in pdf format, so make sure to grab the free adobe reader: http://get.adobe.com/reader/ - Most office suites (microsoft office or openoffice.org can open pdf's, in the latest versions)

As a help desk tech/administrator, it would be difficult to quantify the amount of time wasted answering (in my opinion) very simple questions, if I had a nickle...

In any event, if the answer isn't located in the literature that accompanies the product, let me demonstrate a quick and dirty google search:

Question - How do I turn on Automatic Updates in Windows XP
Google search syntax: turn on automatic updates xp

Tip: for more complex queries, you'll probably have to comb through several pages and brush up on your google syntax (which I promise to write about in future posts)

In sum, google is your friend and can answer most of life's questions :-D

Thou must use anti-virus/firewall software and update it regularly

Given the rise in computer threats (viruses, trojans, malware, greyware, spyware), it is an absolute must to have proper protection (aside from practicing smart computer habits).

Kapersky labs and Symentec have released it's findings for the year 2008/2009 (see notes at bottom), and have reported that the vast majority of threats on the web are predominantly trojans (programs that present useful function, but also contain undisclosed and malicious components - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_horse_(computing).

Fortunately, these threats can for the most part be countered by maintaining proper anti-virus protection (conducting daily updates and weekly scans). There are a multitude of anti-virus products, some of which are tuned towards centrally managed (mostly for the corporate side) and for individual users.

There are antivirus offerings that can be very expensive, suites that are available freely to the consumer, and free web based scanners.

Cautionary note: most new machines come pre-loaded with anti-virus programs, but they usually only offer free support for a limited time.

Here's a list of free antivirus programs:

AVG - http://free.avg.com/
Clamwin - http://www.clamwin.com/
Avast - http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

Here is a link to reviews of the most popular antivirus applications from CNET (a reliable and very trustworthy source):

http://reviews.cnet.com/4566-3681_7-0.html?tag=leftColumnArea1.0

Here is a list of free, online virus scanners:

Trendmicro Housecall -http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
Kapersky online - www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
Symantec - http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/WelcomePage.asp
Mcafee - http://home.mcafee.com/Downloads/FreeScan.aspx

I also use The Stinger as a stand-alone (free) virus removal tool - http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

Good tip: If an infection is found, it is best practice to use multiple software suites for removal, as different antivirus programs can detect/remove infections better than one alone. Conducting research about the name of the virus can also direct you to removal instructions specific to the infection.

Last but not least, here is a few spyware/general cleaner utilities that I have found to be very useful:

CCleaner - http://www.ccleaner.com/ (cleares up registry entries, caches, temp files)
Lavasoft Adaware (free version) - http://www.lavasoft.com/single/trialpay.php - anti-spyware
Spybot Search and Destroy - http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html - like adaware

Notes:
http://www.kaspersky.co.uk/news?id=207575671 - Kapersky 2008 threat statistics
http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20090413_01 - Symantec

Thou must purchase a warranty with any new computer, it will save time/money/frustration

Purchasing a warranty will most likely save you money, but most importantly it can save you time and frustruation (the latter two being the most valuable).

Speaking from the position of someone who has provided and consumed hardware/software support, I can guarantee that purchasing (the correct) a warranty provides a win for everyone involved:

-From the consumer perspective, it provides what amounts to an insurance policy the protects an investment in the hardware/software that is purchased. It also allows for the prompt and hassle free repair/replacement of most components (batteries being the most notable exception in laptops). This will also ease a lot of headaches for your friendly family/friend techie ;-)

-From the vendor's perspective, it provides a revenue stream that is seperate from pure hardware/software sales and allows for a smoother flow of replacement parts to the customer.

While most vendors provde warranties, a lot of them are useless and are very expensive (watch out for the "extended" warranty), so here is a list of resources that will help you to bone up on what kind of warranty is best:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/105827/consumer_watch_bulletproof_your_pcs_warranty.html

http://www.pcworld.com/article/112590/mobile_computing_notebook_warranties.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_3060_choose-warranties-service.html

http://web.mit.edu/ist/topics/hardware/warranty.html

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/news/november-2006/why-you-dont-need-an-extended-warranty-11-06/overview/extended-warranty-11-06.htm

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/computers-internet/subcat-index.htm

Thou must appreciate and never abuse thine family techy

It's dangerous to be a person with a modicum of technical knowledge, experience and/or work history. This leaves the person wide open to calls and visits from family/friends to fix anything and or anything that uses electricity as it's power source.

Speaking from experience, I have have a wonderful family that appreciates that while I know enough to be dangerous, they know that after spending 8+ hrs a day fixing computer related things, I'm not always in the mood to rush out and fix their computer. While I'm more than glad, I have not been abused that often (mostly because I try not to advertise what I know that often) by those that I know and that makes me more prone to volunteer help.

Here are a couple stories/cartoons that show the plight of the family techie:

http://features.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/03/15/0051258

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/how-to-be-the-family-tech-support-guy-or-gal.html

http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2007/01/01/1393908.aspx

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2005/12/12/ - the funniest, probably 'cause I'm a nerd

4 – Thou shall backup regularly and externally. Purchase an external hard drive and cd/dvd-r’s

Let's face it, computers crash and die regularly. The unfortunate side effect of this is that this could mean that all of your data (pictures, resumes, financial info, documents) can be wiped out with a single hardware failure.

Fortunately, this is very easily mitigated by backing up regularly and on an external device (flash drive, external hard drive, cd/dvd-rom, online storage service). Another way to mitigate failure is to configure your desktop with multiple hard drives, and use a RAID (redundant array of independant disks) controller and "mirror" (data is written to both drives simultaneously and if one drive days, your data stays intact) your drives. If you only have one drive, you can partition your hard drive with one partition for windows, and another for your data:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309000 - How to manage disks and create partitions

Here's a quick run down of external storage devices and where to get them:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148356 - External 1 TB (1000 gigabytes - his device could store about 1000 or so movies) - $118

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233042 - 16 GB Flash drive - $36

http://online-storage-service-review.toptenreviews.com/ - Online Storage Services - on average $5/month for at least 5 Gigabytes of storage

Given all of the options (most of them very cost effective), there should be no reason for anyone to loose any data!

3 – Thou shall change thy passwords regularly, never share them and do not use the same password for all of your accounts

I encountered a recent event regarding passwords that illustrate a common problem with passwords, and it provides a perfect segue to this post:

A family member was contacted by a "hotmail administrator" via email asking for the user to validate that the account was being used, and also asked for the current password.

Shortly thereafter, my relative found that he was unable to access his account, as he was tricked into providing his password to a Nigerian scammer. Said scammers changed the password, and harvested the address book to send out a fake email asking for money.

The lesson to be learned here is that you should NEVER give anyone your password even if it appears legitimate, as email addresses, logos, etc... are easily spoofed.
Email accounts commonly have sensitive information (credit card numbers, account numbers, drivers license, ssn, addresses, phone numbers) that we send and receive through every day usage, and may also contain sensitive information about others.

This is why making sure that the accounts you use for email accounts, bank accounts, and for other things is kept safe and secure.

I rarely use "passwords", and instead opt for what is called a "passphrase" that combines several phrases mixed with numbers and symbols (so passwords can't be broken by dictionary crackers). IE - @nch0r@g399501@K - This translates to Anchorage 99501 AK - Which is decently long enough and combines letters, numbers, symbols but is something that I would remember easily enough.

Changing your passwords on a regular basis also helps (but not too often) make sure that any passwords stored and then stolen might not be currently active. I recommend changing passwords at least every 45-60 days, if not monthly.

You can also use a password generator to provide randomly generated passwords:

http://www.fourmilab.ch/javascrypt/pass_phrase.html - for wireless access points

https://secure.pctools.com/guides/password/ - online generator (i'd be wary about copying/pasting over a network - copy/pastes travel in plaintext over networks)

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=149218 - downloadable (free)

I would also recommend using a password safe to store all of the passwords securely (it requires a master password to view the passwords that you store):

http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net/ - (free)

Keeping your passwords strong and safe is one of the best defenses against fraud and identity theft, which are some of the more pervasive financial crimes these days.

http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1554 - Password myths, thought it might be a good read

2 – Thou shall patch every 2nd Tuesday of the month if you use Windows. Less regularly if you use a Mac or Linux.

To put it simply, patching your Windows machine every 2nd Tuesday of the month can save yourself a lot of time and grief.

A recent example of this is the conficker.c worm (http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_153464.htm), which although has not been widely used for any malicious purposes (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/technology/29spy.html?_r=2&partner=MOREOVERNEWS&ei=5040) yet.

The conficker worm however is exploiting a previously patched vulnerability (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-067.mspx) that was patched in October of last year. Had this patch been applied universally, this particularly sophisticated worm could have been largely avoided. The same can be said for any number of the nastiest worms that have been around (blaster and others come to mind) in recent memory.

For information regarding how to patch Windows, and to have it automatically update (via automatic updates in the control panel), here is some basic info:

http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us - Windows update page

http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx - Microsoft Security Central

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525 - Setup Automatic Updates (windows xp)

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/windowsupdate/learn/windowsvista.mspx - Setup Automatic Updates (Windows Vista)

And for all you others (apple/linux), here are some resources:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222 - Apple Security Update Homepage

http://www.reallylinux.com/docs/security.shtml - for linux beginners - patches/updates are usually deployed via apt, yum, Yast or whatever package management your distro uses