NeutralAxis

Earlier this month I described how to make an image of a drive in a new computer using Clonezilla.  Today, I reversed the process and restored that image onto a new drive.  This thing looks so dangerous, it might eat children. (continue reading…)

There’s a glitch in RocketDock that only shows itself in Windows 7 where stack docklets lose their settings when the computer is restarted.  The problem is related to Win7 security and is easily fixed.  Here’s how. (continue reading…)

I took the plunge and updated to Thunderbird 3  now that the Lightning Calendar (1.0b1) has been updated to work with it.  There are a few differences, both positive and negative, in the change. (continue reading…)

LastPass is a secure online password vault that keeps track of all your various passwords automatically.  A vulnerability of LastPass and other similar programs has been from keyloggers and screen capture programs that could capture its single master password to allow a hacker access to all the other passwords.  For some time, LastPass has offered paying users what they refer to as multi-factor authentication systems which overcome these potential breaches.  They are now providing non-paying users the benefit of multi-factor authorization with their Grid system. (continue reading…)

After any new computer purchase, I always use whatever means is offered to make restoration discs since none of the manufacturer’s include them anymore.  But restoration discs actually aren’t enough to get you back to square one in all circumstances, such as if you have to replace a hard drive.  That’s where an actual drive image comes in handy.  Norton Ghost is a common commercial program that can do this.  If you don’t want to spend the money, give Clonezilla a try.  Unfortunately, its not particularly user friendly. (continue reading…)

LogMeIn Express is a simpler version of LogMeIn’s popular remote desktop software for Windows, which requires no prior installation to work.  If you’re the one in your family who provides tech support to the rest, keep this one in mind.  LogMeIn’s standard product requires the person who wants to share their computer to install a program that runs at startup and sits in the system tray near the time.  This new tool doesn’t require that installation and is started from the LogMeIn Express website.  Being the time of year when families are getting together for the holidays, this is a good tool to bring to their attention. (continue reading…)

Lifehacker has posted their 61 Free Apps We’re Most Thankful For. (continue reading…)

Dropbox, previously written about here, has a limitation that you can only have one account at a time.  But a workaround has been developed that lets you have as many open accounts as you want.

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XBMC, the media center program originally designed to run on the original Xbox video game system, has been running on an old Xbox of mine for the last year or so.  I find myself not using it as much as I’d like though because the machine’s a bit noisy and big to hide around the TV.  Other drawbacks are that it doesn’t allow for HD video, and downloading updates for it practically require a meeting in a dark alley and knowing the secret handshake.

A new article at Lifehacker.com has detailed how to install XBMC on a tiny, silent, Acer AspireRevo with HDMI output.  And given that its for a computer rather than a proprietary video game system, updates are readily available.  I gave it a try on my existing desktop computer with XBMC Live.

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Have you ever wanted to experiment with a different OS but were afraid to make the commitment?  Virtualization software is your answer.  Its easy, and free.  With it, you can install any OS (except MacOS) inside a working copy of any other OS.  (continue reading…)