Use OpenDNS

Since the recent attached on DNS servers from criminals your best bet today is to use OpenDNS.
To do this do the following:
Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Network and Internet and click Network Sharing Center
Under task listed on the left click Manage Network Connections. In Manage Network Connections right click the icon representing your network card -> click properties and in the properties list click Internet Protocol Version 4. Click Properties button in the ensuing screen and select Use the following DNS server address button. Type in a primary address of 208.67.222.222 in the secondary address type 208.67.220.220 and click Ok.

Lockout Vista's unwanted Guest

If privacy is a must for your shared computer you should do the following. Prevent unwanted guest from guessing your admin password by allowing outsiders unlimited guesses at the admin password. You do this by clicking start -> Local Security Policy -> Choose Account Lockout Threshold and at the prompt enter the number of invalid log-ins you'll accept. This will close out your outsiders unlimited guesses window.

Find Vista's double Firewall

Have a program that is being block by the Windows firewall but can't seem to still get net access. Check out Vista's double Firewall to see if that program has access. But this will be difficult to find because it's not in the Windows Firewall setting. Your best bet is to go to Windows search and type the following wf.msc and press ENTER. This will open Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.
You then scroll down to Outbound Rules and then New Rule in the upper right corner. Then you select the program path for the application you require access to. For each program you want internet access you have to allow the connection and create a new rule for every app otherwise you will not get net acess.

Never Loose Anything Again

This new GPS tracking device is excellent on locating your luggage, pets and people. Just hookup to pets collar, suitcase, keychain and then logon to the website to find where it is within thirty feet away. You can even track how fast the item is going, just in case someone was driving. I am just a little upset on it's battery life which is just seven days.

Black Bar over Text in Adobe

Now that everyone is going paperless all these scan documents are now lying on your computer or storage hard drive open for access. If your concern on security for these documents you can black out the text for these .PDF files but it will require third party software. The only downside about this is that the document will be altered from it's original state and you'll probably lose it's search ability.

Cell Phone Data Eraser

We already know about the news what happened when in the 2009 campaign staffers sold there Blackberrys and left valuable information on their phones. Now will Cell Phone Data Eraser your worries are no longer needed.

Speed Up Shutdown, Logoff & Restart

If you have XP, Vista or Windows 7 this new utility will help you shutdown, Logoff and Restart your computer faster than you normally would. I just don't understand why Windows has to rely on another program to do this.

System Booster

Delete Backup Hotfix Folder

If you have a Windows Server, at times the C drive will contain hidden Hotfix folders that are maintain in the Server and taking away valuable space. These files usually start with $ character. In order to delete the files create in Notepad a file named DeleteHotFixBackups and copy and paste the script below to later change the file extension to .bat
Please note that deleting HotFixes is risky if your trying to uninstall a particular HotFix. Also you can accidentally delete backup folders because some backup folder do begin with $.

DeleteHotFixBackups.bat

C:
CD %WINDIR%
Del kb*.log
For /F "usebackq delims=" %%W in ('dir/d/b/ah $*.*') Do RD %%W /S /Q

Panda Internet Security 2009 free for 3 months

Another freebie but you have to act fast. These freebies go by so quickly. Once they're up it's only a matter of time before they shut them down because of the high demand.

Here is a list of Panda's Key Security Features

Anti-Malware Engine
Personal Firewall
Advanced Proactive Protection
Anti-Phishing Filter
Anti-Rootkit Technology
Anti-Banking Trojan Engine
Anti-Spam Filter
Web Filter
Parental Control
Backup & Restore
Personal Information Filter

I Heart Music

It's a new music site that takes recordings from unknown artists. So if your into the music industry and have yet to be seen. This is an excellent site to send your demo for feedback. It today's market, you never know.
Beside's that the website also has a links for i heart radio with 750 stations. Not bad for a music site. I wish MTV would of hopped on to this plan a long time ago.

Eraser

Want to always erase your browser history so that others don't see what you don't want them to see. This software can help you hide your tracks by over writing the browser cache over and over.


Other Link

Another Excel

EditGrid is another alternate online spread sheet that you might want to look at if your done using Microsoft Excel. It specializes in financial data that gives you more of what regular Excel should do for you.
There are some diadvantages but it does take Excel to the next level.

Excel without the Math

Looking for an Excel spread sheet without the Math. LogiXML VizLytics can make things very simple by slicing and dicing data in many different ways.

Convert Youtube Videos to MP3

Again here is another link to convert your favorite YouTube videos to MP3. Hopefully this link will not go away like the privious ones that I posted in the past.

Vdeo2Mp3

You can also use the Firefox add on extension to make your life simple.

You Tube MP 3

Energizer Portable Battery Pack

Energizer has now created a portable solar battery pack. Just plug in your portable device, shine it against the sun and let the little bunny do the rest. Energizer just keeps on going.

Office 2007 Annoyance

If you have Office 2007 and are annoyed with some of its features. Here are the fixes to correct them or just make them go away.

1- Add Features to the Quick Access Toolbar
Click the little down arrow on the right edge of the toolbar. You'll then see
commands like Open, Quick Print and Spelling & Grammer. Click any of them to
add to the Quick Access Toolbar. Likewise click any already check item to
remove them from the toolbar. If there is a feature that doesn't appear you
just right click on any icon and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar, the same
goes if you want to remove them.
2- Remove the Quick Access Toolbar
This is a must if your had enough of it. To turn it off click on the Office
button and choose Word Options. Clear the check box for Show Mini Toolbar
on selection and press ok.

Windows XP folder Ownership

Reinstalled Windows XP but now you can view your files that were in your My Documents folder. What you have is a violation of the ownership folder and hopefully this link will fix it.

Link

If not your best bet is to copy all the files that are someone in your c drive and reformat Windows completely.

Don't Do it to Windows

Yes the following is a waste of time on Windows.
It's your choice on believing or not.

1- Vista multiple core improves boot time
There is an option in Msconfig utility that lets you set the number of processors for boot time and by default it's set to off.

2- Clearing prefetch directory (or cache) improves start time
Actually all this does in most cases is extends the boot time.

3- Disabling QoS and IPv6 will improve bandwidth and web performance
I still can't find any good enough reason to do so.

4- Turning off System Restore improves performance
I wouldn't chance risking my backups.

5- Clearing out cached and temp files improves performance, especially in web browser.

6- Disabling the last access time stamp will boost performance.
I wouldn't suggest on doing this because one day this might just help you resolve a known problem.

Do It to Windows

Here are a few Windows tweaks that are worth doing

Do
1- Disabling XP's indexing saves on performance

2- In Vista write caching will improve SATA drive performance
To do this go to Explorer right click drive you want to speed up and select
properties -> click Hardware tab and -> select properties -> Policies tab and check both of the boxes beneath "Optimize for performance"

3- Disable unused network connections will improve boot time.

4- Tweak virtual will improve performance
To do this go to the Control Panel -> Advance under performance click Settings -> Advanced. In Virtual memory module click change -> custom size then up both Initial and Maximum size to roughly double your amount of RAM. Click Set and ok.

5- Ready Boost will improve system performance

6- Eliminate the Recent Documents / Recent Items folder with a registry hack
In XP install TweakUI and browse to Explorer then uncheck Allow Recent Documents on Start Menu. In Vista right click the taskbar and click Start Menu tab and uncheck Store and display a list of recently opened files.

7- Turn off the Windows splash screen will save time off your boot.
In XP at the run prompt type msconfig -> click the boot.ini tab and select
the /NOGUIBOOT option. Vista is similar instead its select the No GUI Boot option.

8- Defragmenting your hard drive improves performance

Kill Disk

Great application to help you wipe out a hard drive sensitive information that can be of value to others. It's better to be safe than sorry.