Month: July 2016

Things You Should Never Do On The Internet

Admin Computer Tips

Things You Should Never Do On The Internet

The Internet has been part of our daily lives for several years now and it is no secret that people do and post nearly everything on the Internet. Here’s a list of things you should never do on the Internet for your own good and safety.

  1. Post sensitive/private/inappropriate photos 
  • We know you love to post your travel photos. However, this can be a go signal for burglars. Travel photos = You’re not home.
  • Beware of posting pictures of your baby online! A woman from Utah posted family photos of her children on Instagram, only to find them on a child pornography site. Yikes!
  1. Download grabby apps 
    • Grabby apps are applications that grab information from you. Here are the statistics:
      • 82% of apps read device identification
      • 64% of apps know your sim carrier
      • 59% of apps know your last location
      • 55% of apps continuously track your location
      • 26% of apps run other apps that you use
      • 26% of apps know your sim card number
      • 36% of apps know your account number for your account information
    • Make sure you know what your apps are reading. Don’t download apps that gain access to too much information.
  2. Click on email message links 
    • Instead of clicking on links, copy and paste the text into a browser even if you trust the sender. You never know when it might be a virus!
  3. Share vices 
    • You never know what the long-term consequences of showing your vices on the Internet may be.
  4. Take quizzes (http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/quiz.jpg)
    • By revealing information about yourself and your personal preferences, you may be feeding marketers and data companies information about yourself. If you really want to take a quiz, verify who made it first.
  5. Use free Wi-Fi 
    • If you use free Wi-Fi to do your banking or to buy something online, you might be putting yourself at risk for being scammed.
    • Don’t ignore the warning that others might be able to see what you’re doing.
    • Use your phone as a mobile hotspot for sensitive transactions instead of using free Wi-Fi.
    • Public Wi-Fi’s are notoriously unsafe. Think about it: If you can access this Wi-Fi easily, what more can a trained hacker do?
  6. Cyberbully 
    • Not only is it unethical, cyberbullying is also one of the main causes of suicide.
  7. Put email address in a comment 
    • Spammers send web crawlers to harvest exposed e-mail addresses and fill your inbox with spam.
  8. Respond to spam 
    • All this does is confirm that your email address exists and is actively being used.
  9. Share your password. 
    • For obvious reasons.

When it comes to Internet Dos and Don’ts, remember to trust your gut. If the website or email looks sketchy, ditch it and scan for malware.

Happy surfing!

How To Clean Your Keyboard

Admin Computer Tips
How To Clean Your Keyboard

How To Clean Your Keyboard

Has your keyboard been acting weird? Are some keys missing? Do some keys refuse to work? Just like your other computer parts, your keyboard needs cleaning as well! Your keyboard can suffer from the accumulation of dirt and oils from your hands. Your keyboard can also get dirty if you use your computer in a dusty place or if you eat and drink around your computer. No idea how to clean your mouse? Don’t worry! After you’re done with this article, you’ll be cleaning your keyboard like a pro.

First, shut down your computer and detach the keyboard connector before proceeding with the cleaning.

  • Do not remove or connect a keyboard while the computer is running because it may damage the machine if you’re using a non-USB based keyboard.
  • Detaching the keyboard while the computer is running is safe when the keyboard is connected to the computer via USB.

Turn the keyboard upside down and use a can of compressed air to blow out any foreign matter.

  • Do this in a place where falling debris can be cleaned up easily.
  • Turn the keyboard upside down and tap on it a few times to let the dirt fall out

Clean the sides of the keys with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol. 

For a more thorough cleaning, remove all of the keys.

What to do if you accidentally spilled liquid on your keyboard

  • Immediately disconnect keyboard or turn off computer
  • Turn the keyboard upside down and shake
  • Dry as much as possible with a cloth while the keyboard is still turned upside down
  • Leave it upside down for as long as possible (at least overnight)
  • If possible, cover the bottom of a large enough container with rice. Put in the upside down keyboard and cover it with as much rice as possible.
    • Rice is extremely absorbent and can draw in virtually any moisture if there’s enough rice an no new moisture is added.

Some tips: 

  • Consider leaving the space bar in place. It is the hardest to get back and the easiest to break.
  • When cleaning laptop keys, isopropyl alcohol and q-tips or compressed air is enough since it is not usually necessary to remove the keys.
    • Keys on the laptop can be difficult to replace, especially keys like the space bar and the “Enter” key, which have separate support under them that needs to be installed along with the key.
    • Removing laptop keys may damage them and they make break or become impossible to replace.